Thursday 29 December 2011

Who will be the key influencers in 2012?

Who will be the key influencers, the movers and shakers, the difference makers, the change champions in 2012?

This is a key question for us all.

What's your considered view?

I reckon it will be the people whose relationships rock. And a key is No BS relationships.

My research shows that 87% of our problems are gone when we remove the BS in our relationships.

The massive challenge facing all businesses today is being heard above all the noise, and the BS, that is much of social media. Check out this amazing infographic here which shows what is happening every 60 seconds on the internet.

In the super so-called connected digital world, a lot of people have forgotten about the awesome power of real connection and fair-dinkum relationships, especially in-person!

I believe in 2012 and beyond online matters less, in-person matters more, and a very savvy understanding of how to truly be in-person and online will matter most.

Will your relationships rock in 2012?

Relationships that rock with yourself, your family, your friends, your employees, and your clients is the road less traveled to real competitive advantage in the 21st century.

To make certain that all your relationships rock in 2012 take the BS Detector Pulse Check here. You might just be staggered by what it tells and shows you.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian 



Tuesday 27 December 2011

20 sparkenations to help you ensure that 2012 is your best year ever


May 2012 be your best year ever
Ian 
I work with people worldwide who want to accelerate turning possibility into reality
+61 8 7122 4663
No BS Mentoring. It takes you further than you've ever imagined.

Presentations that solve your problems.

Resources that rock.
Please put ceo in the password box to access.



Friday 23 December 2011

Happy holidays and much more

One of my mentors Peter Marshman taught me many years ago that:

Success = happiness
= a healthy self-image
= achieving what we want in areas important to us

I have found that when I achieve what is important to me I indeed feel good about myself. And I am blessed that my life’s work is helping other people achieve what is important for them, particularly those passionate about change who want to accelerate turning possibility into reality.

I wish you happy holidays yet much more - happiness always.

All the very best
Ian

No BS Mentoring. It takes you further than you've ever imagined.

PS
Have you taken the BS Detector Pulse Check yet? You might just be staggered by what it tells and shows you.



Wednesday 21 December 2011

Resources that rock

Employee engagement a key challenge in 2012?
Do the fast employee engagement pulse check here and get a free analysis and my ebook 45 really useful tools, tips and techniques for recruiting, engaging and retaining great people.

Sustainability a focus for 2012?
Sign-up for my fortnightly changing what’s normal newsletter here and download straight away my ebook Differencemakers - how doing good is great for business. Inside are 142 actions for you to choose from to build a sustainable business and make a difference.

Want to improve the influence of your leadership?
Join the changing what’s normal torchbearer tribe here and you can access my 26 sessions over one year elearning course What real leaders do and fake one’s don’t that is one of more than 150 resources inside the life-long learning centre.

For more resources that rock put ceo in the password box here.

May 2012 be your best year yet!
Ian
No-BS mentoring. It that takes you further than you've ever imagined.

Avoiding the dis-empowerment traps.



Monday 19 December 2011

Avoiding the dis-empowerment traps

This weeks sparkenation.

I think this is priceless:

"Owners of capital will stimulate the working class to buy more and more expensive goods, houses and technology, pushing them to take more and more expensive credit, until their debt becomes unbearable. The unpaid debt will lead to bankruptcy of banks, which will have to be nationalised, and the State will have to take the road which will eventually lead to communism. " (Das Kapital, 1867)

My thanks to Paul Lange who twitted about this and Ann Andrews who unearthed this quote.

Reminds me of a sign I saw on a office wall a decade ago.


Stupidity and idiocy are the great dis-empowerment traps.

Ensure you don't get caught in either in 2012.

Ian
No BS differencemaker
helping people passionate about change to break free from the status quo through in-person relationships that rock

45 tools, tips and techniques for recruiting, engaging and retaining great people.

Presentations that solve your problems.

Resources that rock.
Please put ceo in the password box to access.



Friday 16 December 2011

The juggling act that we all must master

If you are like me you will be taking some time to reflect in the next few weeks.

Part of my reflection will be about how well am I juggling my idealist/dreamer nature with the realist/pragmatist in me?

My key conclusions about the most successful people I have worked with and observed are that these folk have:

a firm grasp of reality and a passionate eye on possibility

a creative tension rather than negative stress between reality and possibility

an ability and willingness to live and act in the now

a comfortableness in their own skin, yet a constant drive to be better

a shared view with stakeholders, rooted in reality, about where their organisation is now, where it’s going, why it’s going there, how it will get there, and who will do what and when

worked backwards from possibility (goals, direction, vision etc) to milestones to tasks and relationships to a realistic and validated view of the gap between reality and possibility

buy-in and ownership by each individual involved of what they are doing and when to close the gap between reality and possibility

A pathway to achieving possibility is an article I wrote some time ago. It remains one of my most read pieces. You can read it here.

The article is about a central philosophy I hold: Principle before passion; passion before purpose; passion and purpose during practice = possibility

I trust the article and my other thoughts here will help you to be an idealist and a dreamer as well as a realist and a pragmatist at the same time.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Helping people passionate about change to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality
+61 8 7122 4663

Seeing what most people don’t.
Saying what most people won’t.
Uncovering with you the shifts away from status quo that will make the big difference right now

Author of Changing What's Normal
Presentation packages that solve your problems.
Programs that take the guesswork out of leading and managing change.
Personal mentoring and community for change champions.
Founder of Differencemakers Community with members in 40 countries



Wednesday 14 December 2011

The great opportunity - What used to work well, often doesn’t anymore

I find the following words of Eric Hoffer staggeringly insightful:
“In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”

Many political, religious, education and business leaders are trying to live in a world that no longer exists.

How about you?

Once upon a time I could send one email to my databases in several cities and countries and fill a medium sized room for one of my seminars. Recently I have had to almost beg to get people to come and so I invented something else.

Once the baker delivered our bread to the kitchen table via an unlocked back door. Today most of us have to waste time finding a car park and then rub shoulders with stressed people we have never met, in a bland supermarket, all to buy stale bread.

Once I played in the playground free as a bird. Today I need a diploma in occupational health and safety, qualifications in security, and perhaps a lawyer, in order to take my Grandson to the local park.

What use to work well, often doesn’t anymore.

I don’t despair though. We are living in times of great opportunity.

I read much of what Thomas Friedman writes and his article ‘Something’s Happening Here' published in the New York Times on October 11th really caught my eye. Please read it yourself here.

Thomas writes about his views on two big perspectives of our time - one that says today is the time of “The Great Disruption.” The other that says today is all part of “The Big Shift.”

I think like most things in life it isn’t either/or. It’s both/and.

I am of the view that my Grandchildren will look back on this period of history as a great renaissance partly because our children and our grandchildren are creating a new world! The last great renaissance followed a period known for good reason as ‘The Dark Ages”

Today it is fair to say we have a lot of intellectual and other darkness. You only have to turn on your computer or the nightly news to know that. Yet at the same time there is much that is pioneering, breathtaking and truly innovative.

On the 8th December 1980 I was in a car with three colleagues driving from Los Angeles to Newport Beach when the announcement came over the radio that John Lennon had been murdered. I remember it as though it was yesterday and have used the word ‘imagine’ and Lennon’s song to inspire many things in my life.

In 2008 I was fortunate to visit Florence and see Michelangelo's statue of David up close and personal.

I stood for 2 hours without moving, my breath continually taken away by the magnificence of the statue. I wondered at what magnificent imagination Michelangelo must have had, indeed all of the great renaissance artists and thinkers.

These were defining moments in my life, one dark, one full of light. I carry the lessons of both these moments with me into every single day. I imagine each morning and then focus on bringing my art to the world.

We live in times of both disruption and shifts.

When I was a teenager my report cards often carried the words “Ian is a disruptive influence”. I haven’t stopped! I seek daily to be a disruptive influence as I carry out my mission to partner with people to break free from the status quo when same no longer serves. At the same time my hearts desire is to help people to make shifts and accelerate turning possibility into reality.

How about you? Are you a disruptive influence for good?

My wish for you in 2012 is that you will to do your bit to rid yourself of the darkness of the status quo that stains all of our lives. I wish that you will embrace the shifts you need to make to become more of who you are capable of becoming, that one-of-a-kind that each of us is.

We live in times of unprecedented opportunity. What used to work well, often doesn’t anymore. We cannot change the past. We can learn from our past and ensure that we do not let the darker side of our history repeat itself.

Be the difference you want to see in the world.
Ian

PS
For the sixth consecutive year I am pleased to have again provided an article along with 37 other personal and professional development experts for Gihan Perera’s Expect More ebook.

Please download Expect More from 2012 with my compliments here.

PSS
Resources that rock your world. Initially available in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
Find out more about change champions circles here.



Monday 12 December 2011

Wishing you love and power for 2012 and beyond.

"What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love."
Martin Luther King Jr.

Wishing you love and power for 2012 and beyond.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian 
Helping people passionate about change to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality 
+61 8 7122 4663

Seeing what most people don’t. 
Saying what most people won’t.
Uncovering with you the shifts away from status quo that will make the big difference right now

Author of Changing What's Normal 
Presentation packages that solve your problems.
Programs that take the guesswork out of leading and managing change.
Personal mentoring and community for change champions.
Founder of Differencemakers Community with members in 40 countries



Friday 9 December 2011

Expect More from 2012

For the sixth consecutive year I am pleased to have again provided an article along with 37 other personal and professional development experts for Gihan Perera’s Expect More ebook.


Please download Expect More from 2012 with my compliments here.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Wednesday 7 December 2011

Online matters less - in-person matters more

Online matters less - in-person matters more; doing both in harmony with one another is really important for the growth of your business.

One of my favourite books is Zag by Marty Neumeier and published by New Riders, 2007. (If you are looking for a good read over the next couple of months please download my recommended reading list by scrolling down to sparkenation 11 here and clicking on the link).

A strategy of mine has always been, if everyone is zigging, then I will usually zag. It is part of my nature to be contrarian and part of my business model to always find ways to standout from others.

I admit to getting on the social-media/networking bandwagon. I found that meant I allowed myself to neglect in-person and so for the past few months I have been reducing my online to in-person ratio of hours from 20:1 to 3:1. I believe that being active online matters because it can enhance our reputation and attract buyers. I believe in-person matters more. In 2012 my focus is on maintaining harmony for me between online and in-person.

How about you?


As mentioned in my previous post I was thrilled that my presentations that solve your problems featured on Slideshare. In fact it went viral being viewed 1544 times and downloaded 43 times in the first 5 days. I am very grateful for the many who talked about it on LinkedIn, Twitter and other places.

Has anyone contacted me to start building a relationship? Nope. A few people will probably be in touch in due course as there is always a lag. What will happen is that my reputation for being different to most, seeing what most people don’t and saying what most people won’t, will be enhanced.

Social-media has become the masses. My market is not the masses. My market niche is very small and using social-media to find my market is like looking for a needle in the largest haystack every built.

A focus for me in 2012 is to maintain an online presence by continuing to provide high quality content in several key places for me on a consistent basis. My key focus in 2012 however is to meet more with real people in real places and build and grow relationships of high value and mutual reward that really matter.

How about you?

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Monday 5 December 2011

Presentations that solve your problems features on slideshare

I was thrilled to find out recently that my Presentations that solve your problems featured on slideshare today.


You can view my slideshare here.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Face to Face Is Making a Comeback - some would say it never left.

This weeks sparkenation.

A great blog I subscribe to is Hello my name is blog by the name tag guy Scott Ginsberg. Scott’s 2nd December blog was titled Face to Face Is Making a Comeback.

Wise people have always known that face to face is what really matters in building and growing personal and business relationships. Millions of people have allowed social media/networking to disrupt the consistency and value of face to face, particularly in-person.

How wise have you been and what will you do in 2012 to change what’s has become normal?

This weeks second webinar in the Changing What's Normal series is about relationships. You can find out more here.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Friday 2 December 2011

Change Your Relationships and significantly increase your success

A recent global leadership study by Right Management, in partnership with Chally Group, found that "failure to build relationships and a team environment" is the biggest contribution to the failure of senior leaders. The table below highlights the key findings of the study. You can download the fully study here.


I am not at all surprised by these findings. Personal change and relationship change precede organisational change. All three are the key focus of my work and the three sections of my Changing What's Normal book.

Yesterday I hosted the first of my 3 part Changing What's Normal webinar series. Next week (the 8th) the focus is on Changing Your Relationships. I will be sharing:

*The key lessons I have learned from being married to the same woman for 38 years and how adaptability to change is the key to any strong relationship
*Why politicians are unable to collaborate and how to not make the mistakes they do and therefore avoid the catastrophes they cause
*Why life-work balance is nonsense and how to achieve life-work harmony

Why not join me? We can never stop working on our relationships!
Registration details are here.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Wednesday 30 November 2011

Why less than 50% of employees are bringing their best to their work on a consistent basis in most organisations

The big challenge facing small, medium and large business leaders is employee engagement and yet despite all the buzz, billions (perhaps trillions) of dollars and untold energy and effort, according to every piece of research and results I have looked at, less than 50% of employees are bringing their best to their work on a consistent basis in most organisations.

This means of course that productivity is less than it could be and therefore achieving possibility in performance is a long way in the distance from reality.

Why is this?
In the slideshare below I explore my three fundamental reason why.


I am seeking to partner with organisations truly embracing change by working with key people for 1 or 2 days a week for a few weeks, perhaps a few months, as long as it takes to achieve the change/s you desire. My role is to pass on, in ways to be agreed on and measured, my crucial to success learnings about leading and managing change.

Let’s have a conversation and find out if I am right for you and you for me. We will know in a few minutes whether we can work together or not. My number is +61 418 807 898. Wherever you are in the world I respond to all messages within 24 hours.

Please check out at least one the following before you call.
My weekly sparkenations.
A few of my key articles.
My programs.
or simply complete my quick employee engagement pulse check. My ebook 52 actions of the wise is my gift to you for taking the pulse check.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Monday 28 November 2011

Choose - Decide - Do it this week

This weeks sparkenation.

I participated in an excellent webinar ‘Why should anyone believe your business is worth knowing’ on 24th November presented by my friend and colleague Kwai Yu, the Founder of Leaders Cafe and Linchpin Academy.

Kwai used a great insight from Sydney Harris to stimulate discussion. I love it and quickly captured the screenshot below.


Here are the key points for me.

Celebrate and be grateful for what you love about your life.

Whatever you don't love about your life, change it.

If you and I don’t change what we can, we end up with more of what we don't love.

Pick one thing about the status quo that is no longer serving you and do something personally to change it. And do it this week!

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Friday 25 November 2011

Are we allowing social media to ruin our real relationships?

I estimate the total number of different people that I am connected to online is more than 3000 people. I am a minnow of course. I can’t imagine life for those with more than a million twitter followers!

The key for me is that I have real relationships with about 150 people. Significantly Robin Dunbar’s number has been the constant for me pre and post social media.

The main value of having a significant social media presence for me is five-fold:

1) We do meet people online we probably wouldn’t have met otherwise who become colleagues, collaborators and friends. An example: Six out of the seven members of the Leadership Roundtable of Differencemakers Community, which I founded, I first met online. Three of them I am still to meet in person.

2) We can enhance our reputation by consistent posting of high-quality content in the endless number of places to post that are available.

3) We can use technology such as skype and gotomeetings to strengthen and grow relationships and accomplish important tasks.

4) We can learn many things of value to our personal and business lives through online discussions, webinars, and other forums. Equally we can contribute much to others in the same ways.

5) Collaboration is much easier, more efficient and effective because of social media and the cloud.

My online to in-person ratio is about 5:1 i.e. 5 hours online:1 hour in-person. It was once 20:1 as I allowed myself to be almost completely consumed. Of course my real relationships suffered. I am working on getting my ratio to 3:1.

As mentioned in my previous post and slideshare:
“Your Network is who you like, know and trust.
Your Reputation depends on who likes, knows, and trusts you.
Your Business growth depends on who likes, knows and trusts you and who is prepared to take you to who likes, knows, and trusts them.”

I can’t speak for you of course, for me I don’t take anyone to meet someone who likes, knows, and trusts me unless I am certain of their value to such a person, and I can’t be certain of someone else’s value until I have a real relationship with them.

In my view real relationships are primarily built in person and only online when we can see people and get a true sense of who they are. Relationships can be enhanced and grown online but not usually built.

I have requests from people I have never met or seen or witnessed their work asking me for recommendations and referrals. How could I have integrity and do that? I couldn’t.

Are we allowing social media to ruin our real relationships?

My answer is yes when the following exist:


*Our ratio of online to in-person is out of harmony for us
*Our focus is on getting rather than giving
*We email or text or post when a call or visit would better enhance the relationship/s
*We say things online we wouldn’t say in person
*Our focus is on what’s happening on our so-called smart phones when we are in-person with other people
*We pay more attention to what people are saying online than we do in person
*Online work and play has become more important than in-person work and play
*We can’t switch-off our phones or leave them at home occasionally
*We post, text or email information about other people we haven’t run past them
*We are paying more attention to what people are saying about us online than they are in-person
*We notice our communication skills and ability to have meaningful conversations in-person have waned
*We have stopped or reduced saying in person Please, Thank You, I love you.
*The amount of quality in-person, without technology time we spend with family, friends and colleagues is reduced

Would you add any?
And what will you do today to ensure to stop allowing social media to ruin your real relationships?


Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Wednesday 23 November 2011

It’s not who you know or even who knows you

Your Network is who you like, know and trust.
Your Reputation depends on who likes, knows, and trusts you.
Your Business growth depends on who likes, knows and trusts you and who is prepared to take you to who likes, knows, and trusts them.


Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Monday 21 November 2011

A cure for all management ills

This weeks sparkenation.

I was most fortunate that my first management mentor 40 years ago taught me a principle I later discovered was a philosophy of Goethe. My paraphrase "See people as they are and they can only get worse. See people as they can be and they can only get better."

This attitude to people is a cure for all management ills. At least it is the beginning of such!

I have embraced this principle my whole working life.

It is breathtakingly simple. Simple rarely means easy in practice and so
20 years ago I first dedicated my life's work to that of inspiring leaders and managers to live Goethe's principle. I have partnered with 100's of people who now use this philosophy in their own way.

Today I describe my quest as helping people passionate about change to break free from the status quo and turn possibility into reality.

The status quo is sucking the life of of us. Just think politicians and global financial crisis 2.0 for a second. I don't see any wisdom whatsoever being put forward, just the same old crap. The only thing that stops me from joining in the protests is that I see politicians and financial leaders as they could be rather than as they are!

I am on a quest to change the world one leader/manager at a time. I believe business to be the last bastion of hope.

My Changing What's Normal book is my manifesto for replacing the status quo when same no longer serves us. It is the book I always wanted to write and judging by the feedback of people who have read it, and done their work, I am thrilled that I spent the decade I did thinking about it and then two years researching and writing it.

In my book there are 58 sparkenations. A sparkenation is a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal.

The key is not my sparkenations however, what's really important is what you hear yourself say to yourself when you hear them, see them, or read them,
and then what you do that you have never done before.

You can get your copy of my book by enrolling in one, two, or all three of my Changing What's Normal webinars. The next series is on 1st, 8th, and 15th December.

If you are put off by the stench of status quo and you genuinely want to do something to change what's normal, please join me online for one, two or all three of these webinars.

It may be the best $40 (one webinar), $75 (two webinars) or $100 (all three webinars) you have ever invested.
Details are at here.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality

More sparkenations are here.



Friday 18 November 2011

"Screw Business as Usual"

There is an excellent article here by Sir Richard Branson for Business Fights Poverty an online community I have been a member of for sometime.

What will you do today and beyond to "Screw Business as Usual"?

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Wednesday 16 November 2011

Who/what are you waiting for?

This article was the second of my Changing What's Normal newsletter this month.
You can sign-up for my newsletter here.

For the past two weeks I have been working in a somewhat isolated place in remote Australia. In many ways it has been a waiting game.

Part of my project has meant I have had to call many Government departments meaning many long waits. Typical recorded messages have been “we are experiencing greater than normal call volume ... and my favourite “your call is important to us ...

When I suggested in a light tone to one operator that if call volume was greater than normal perhaps it was time to change what’s normal and put more people on to take calls, I received silence on the other end, not a word! Maybe I wasn’t speaking with a human!

My average waiting time has been 15 minutes. I have calculated that in the 140 hours I have worked in the past two weeks, 30 hours have been spent waiting.

I have made great use of the time, writing this for example. Before making each call I decide what I am going to do that is productive while I am waiting.

I suspect more than 20% of your life is also spent waiting.
What do you do that is productive while you wait?

And what are you doing about people who make you wait?


I made a decision some time ago to not have relationships with people who make me wait.

I am very careful who I have relationships with. I am very careful to respect other people’s time and energy and never waste it. As a general rule other people treat me as I expect to be treated (Government departments are the exception).

When it comes to business relationships my aim is to always be collaborative.

Sparkenation 28 of my Changing What’s Normal book is titled “Only collaborate with people when you have achieved a shared view.” I put forward there 7 steps to collaborating successfully:

1. Establish that there is agreement concerning the goal/s, objective/s, or aim/s. Don’t move on until you are absolutely certain there is agreement.

2. State what you can and will do to achieve the goal/s, objective/s, or aim/s.

3. Ask the other person or people involved to state what they can and will do to achieve the goal/s, objective/s, or aim/s.

4. State what you feel are the milestones or measurements that will indicate that you are on on track to achieve what you say you will in 2.

5. Ask the other person or people involved to state what they feel are the milestones or measurements that will indicate that they are on on track to achieve what they say they will in 3.

6. Agree on the dates and times that you will be in touch with each other to discuss progress and celebrate achievements.

7. Confirm in writing via email or letter your agreements in 2. through 6. and ask for a confirmation response from the other person or people involved.

I make sure that in all my collaborative agreements there is absolute clarity around deadlines and what happens if unforeseen circumstances mean they cannot be met.
I have considerably reduced my waiting time as a result.

What kind of collaborative agreements do you have in place and what do they mean for your waiting time?

The most useless waiting time is when we don’t do what we know we should. Call it procrastination if you will. I call it wasting our lives.

In this weeks short sparkenation I said:
“This blog post "Will We Cry When You Die? An Open Letter" by Author of Start With Why Simon Sinek, stirred my heart and got me thinking. The great legacy we leave is the one others are acting on while we are alive.

What’s your living legacy? And is it making waves?

As Seth Godin says: “In a world of surfers, all you can do is work to make the best wave you can. The real revolution is that you get to make waves, not just ride them.”

I find that when I am focused on making waves and making my mark I spend less time waiting and I don’t have time to procrastinate.

What will you do today that you haven’t, that you know you should?

Do it now. Life’s too short to spend time waiting unproductively.

Be the difference you want to see in the world.

Ian

PS
I am excited to announce a Changing What’s Normal webinar series:
December 1st webinar  - Change Yourself
December 8th webinar - Change Your Relationships
December 15th webinar - Change Your Organisation

Details are here.

And I am very excited to announce that the first ever Changing What’s Normal 1 day workshop is being held in 10 cities and 6 countries in early 2012. There are save great savings to be made when you take up the super early bird offer. Details are here.



Monday 14 November 2011

Are you leaving a legacy while you are alive?

This weeks sparkenation.

This blog post Will We Cry When You Die? An Open Letter by Author of Start With Why Simon Sinek, stirred my heart and got me thinking. The great legacy we leave is the one others are acting on while we are alive.

What’s your living legacy? And is it making waves?

As Seth Godin says: “In a world of surfers, all you can do is work to make the best wave you can. The real revolution is that you get to make waves, not just ride them.”

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Friday 11 November 2011

Leaders go first

I see a lot of people waiting. There are those waiting to see what happens in Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain etc. Will we avoid a second Global Financial Crisis? I don’t know. I won’t be sitting on my hands waiting in hope. I will do what I can in the areas I can influence.

I see people waiting all the time to try and control things they can’t.

Are you waiting or are you leading. Leaders go first.

Decide what you can influence and get going. The world has had enough of people waiting and we need leaders prepared to go first.
If not you, then who?

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Wednesday 9 November 2011

There is usually trouble when the tail is wagging the dog

At the beginning of the 1997 comedy film ‘Wag the Dog’ a caption reads:
“Why does the dog wag its tail?

Because the dog is smarter than the tail.

If the tail were smarter, it would wag the dog.”

How many situations in your business is a small part controlling the whole, or something minor unduly influencing something major?

A classic case of the tail wagging the dog is happening in Australian politics at present where Independents hold the balance of power and often hold the government to ransom if they don’t get their way. A great example is one Independent trying to introduce gambling legislation in an endeavour to fix problem gamblers who from what I can see are a very small minority of the people who gamble for leisure. If the legislation is introduced the potential damaging effects in the pubs and clubs industry are huge, potentially even putting some out of business. The Independent pushing the change is threatening to bring down the government if his legislation doesn’t pass. In this situation like so many in politics all over the world, common sense is the uncommon thing.

I suggest reviewing your business as soon as possible to make sure that you have a great understanding of the little things making a big difference both negatively and positively. Then take action immediately to ensure you change what’s normal in all the negative areas.

“If you don’t believe little things make a big difference, then you have never been to bed with a mosquito.”
Anita Roddick

PS You’re smarter than any of the little things exercising undue influence over your business right now!

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Monday 7 November 2011

“Your time is limited. Don't waste it living someone else's life."

This weeks sparkenation.

“Your time is limited. Don't waste it living someone else's life."

As Steve Jobs put it so eloquently:

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to....love what you do. Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. Your time is limited. Don't waste it living someone else's life."

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Wednesday 2 November 2011

Nobody wins the blame and shame game

This is the first of my newsletters this month.

One of my heroes is Alan Weiss. Alan says “I’ve always believed that language controls discussion, discussion controls relationships, and relationships control business. You might want to substitute “influence” for control, but you get my drift.”

Last weekend the CEO of Qantas, a once iconic Australian company, grounded his entire fleet of planes in order to bring to a head an unresolved dispute his company has with three unions. His decision affected the travel of about 100,000 people and who knows the long term adverse affects.

The language of this CEO, his opponents, and the hapless politicians on both sides of the divide, clearly do not understand collaboration. They are now blaming and shaming one another in public, something that is happening in many situations all over the world right now.

In my changing what’s normal book (Sparkenation 5. One solution to the world’s pre-eminent problem) I wrote the following:

Normal

Fundamentalists are killing us, literally. In my view fundamentalists are people who believe their way is the only way. Today these folk of religious, political, business, and other persuasions are ruining our world. None of us has a mortgage on truth. And none of us has a right to use violence against anybody for any reason, let alone because we believe something different or are following a different path.

Changing What’s Normal

In the new world being co-created we will honour everyone's path to meaning, whatever it is, and we will be tolerant of another person's way and co-exist regardless of our differences, indeed we will celebrate our differences.

We live in three worlds: the world in here, the world out there, and the world we share. In here, our views are just that, out there are other people’s views. In the world we share are the views we agree on. In any successful relationship the world we share is the critical one.

Human conflict is fundamentally the result of failure to agree on the goal or failure to agree on the strategies to achieve the goal. I guarantee that today all of our troubles, personal, local, organisational, national, and international, are fundamentally based in our perceived need to hang onto the world in here, our issues with the world out there, and, our failure to focus more on the world we share.

What makes life really worthwhile is when we can share our views (without ridiculing one another or being violent with one another) and come together with a shared view, which may mean we have to let go of things we previously held dear.

I trust that today and every day you will resolve to build more of the world we share and be less precious about the world in here or the world out there.


What could you do today, this week, this month to be a more of a builder of a world that is based on shared view?

What modifications or changes would you need to make in your life to make this happen?

Please get started today on making the changes you have decided to make. We must move on from a world of shame and blame because nobody wins such a game.

"What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love."
Martin Luther Ling Jr.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Monday 31 October 2011

Innovation or problem solving? is a great question to ask often

This weeks sparkenation.

The problem with solving a problem means that mostly that means a return to the status quo. Innovation on the other hand, changes what’s normal.

Next time you have a problem ask, Will solving this return the situation to what was previously normal? If your answer is yes ask, How can I turn this problem into an opportunity to do what’s never been done before as well as remove the cause of the problem in the first place?

Most problem solving fails to remove the cause/s.

Often the cause/s of problems have something to do with our why of where we’re going, how (strategy) we have decided to get there, and who will do what and when (execution).

Creative tension rather than negative stress can exist between reality and possibility when we get our why, how, and who, what, and when, right for us.


For some great insights into creative tension please read a guest post here by Gary Ryan from Organisations That Matter.

Gary acknowledges the great work of Robert Fritz who I too would acknowledge along with the great work of Peter Senge.

I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.

Rudyard Kipling

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Sunday 30 October 2011

Why Creative Tension Trumps Problem Solving a guest post from Gary Ryan

Why Creative Tension Trumps Problem Solving is a guest post from Gary Ryan, founding Director of Organisations That Matter.

Gary's post is a great way to conclude the series of guest posts this month from Your power comes from your purpose by Keith Abraham, 6 ways to start living a revolutionary life by Alicia Curtis, Hire Right - The First Time by Ross Clennett, and Who is Responsible for Employee Engagement Anyway? by Ian Hutchinson.

Finding purpose, living a revolutionary life, having the right people for us join us on the journey by achieving real engagement are problems for most people. Creative tension can turn problems into opportunity.

Why Creative Tension Trumps Problem Solving

Creative Tension involves three simple concepts that, when put together, create a structure that provides the energy for effective action. Many of you will have seen me refer to the 'elastic band' metaphor (see TEDx Talks - Creating a Plan For Personal Success) that enables us to create the life we desire.


You see, Creative Tension is about creating what we want. Problem Solving, on the other hand, largely focuses on what we don't want.

Artists tend to use Creative Tension while people in business tend to use Problem Solving. My argument is that business people should follow the practices of artists and also focus more on using Creative Tension rather than Problem Solving.

Artists

Imagine that Pink has decided to write a new album. What approach do you think would provide Pink with the biggest probability of creating an album full of smash hits.

a) To take the approach that at the start of the writing process that she has a problem to resolve. The problem is, "I don't have any new songs ready to put on my album."

To resolve this problem Pink may recruit a bunch of her musician friends and brain-storm a heap of ideas that they believe would be likely to eventually generate the 'right' songs for her album. As each song is recorded Pink's problem would reduce because she would now have some songs for her album. Finally Pink would finish her album and release it to the public.

b) To take that approach that an album is a work of art and that the art requires some form of inspiration. Focusing on the quality of the album that she wishes to create, Pink would generate a number of experiences to enable her to fully picture what the album will be like.

Once the 'direction' of her album is clear, Pink would then recruit artists to help her to bring her 'picture of success' into reality. The number of songs on the album and the length of the songs would all fit into Pink's vision of what the album was going to look like. Eventually, Pink would 'create' the album that she desires.

Music, art and films are all treated as creations to be made rather than problems to be solved.

Alfred Hitchcock is famously reported to have refused to let his writers 'close out' a story line too early. Instead, Hitchcock would prefer to 'hold the tension' of an unfinished storyline so that true creativity amongst he and his writers could be inspired. The result; Hitchcock became one of the greatest film directors of all time and is still known today for creating stunning plots, scenes and movies.

Business people

Business people want to be successful, just like artists do. However business people are trained to see problems and to focus on fixing those problems. Common problems that business people try to fix include:

The problem of under-performance
The problem of low motivation in employees
The problem of maintaining efficiencies
The problem of low supply and high demand
The problem of high supply and low demand
The problem of not enough resources
The problem of poor communication
The problem of poor internal service
The problem of poor external service

Really, this list could go on and on, but I think you 'get' the picture. Business people use the same approach to these problems as described in 'a' above for the artists. They gather a group of colleagues, brainstorm a bunch of ideas to resolve the problem, select the 'best' answer and then implement that answer in the hope that the problem is resolved.

Usually the 'best answer' does have an impact on the problem and it does reduce in its intensity. As this occurs and the original problem is less of a problem, less effort is put into resolving the problem. Why? Because now other, more serious problems require focus. And so the process goes, on and on and on. A bit like a dog chasing its tail!

What if, on the other hand, business people learnt to focus on what they are really trying to create? Rather than focusing on problems that need to be resolved, what if business people focused on the customer experience, the employee experience, the community experience of their service or product? And what if this focus was present at all levels of the organisation?

There is a difference between art and business

Art is generally not released to the public until it is created. In many ways art is created in a vacuum. Once created it is then released. Business is different. Much of what goes on in a business can't be placed into a vacuum until it is created. The way the world works simply won't allow it. In business we 'change the wheels on the bus while the bus is driving down the road'.

It is for this reason that problem solving, in a business context is still relevant. There are some problems that simply have to be resolved. Such as an unhappy customer 'right now'.

However, what if problem solving in a business was provided within the context of Creative Tension? In other words, what if the experience that we are trying to create for our customers, or the experience and culture that we are trying to create for our employees was the guiding force for our strategy, actions and problem solving?

Creativity is challenging because of the tension that is generated when we become clear of what we want, but have no idea of how to bring what we want into reality. Artists experience this tension all the time and have learned to embrace it. Business people on the other hand are scared out of their minds when they don't know 'how' to bring the future they desire into reality. This is why most business people focus on Problem Solving rather than Creative Tension. Problem Solving is simply more comfortable. "We know 'how' to problem solve. We don't know 'how' to create."

If you are not sure of what I mean you might like to view the video The Gates. As you watch the short video, consider the power of Creative Tension that went in to bringing the vision of art on such a large scale into reality.

How present is Creative Tension in your organisation? What are your examples?

Gary Ryan is a founding Director of Organisations That Matter and can be most easily contacted at Gary.Ryan@orgsthatmatter.com

Gary recognises Robert Fritz whose writing over the past two decades has inspired his thinking and practice on this topic.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Wednesday 26 October 2011

Who is Responsible for Employee Engagement Anyway?

This is a guest post from Ian Hutchinson, Chief Engagement Officer & founder of Life by Design® specialists in ‘Employee Activated Engagement’ (EAE).

Sorry, but for some time now I've, excuse the French, had the shits with the level of thinking around employee engagement research.
 
Recently I've been frustrated with some comments regarding staff retention on LinkedIn groups and Google Alerts.
 
Generally I'm concerned with the level of employee engagement thought leadership being bandied around the corporate world.
 
I reckon if I read the question: "What engages employees?" one more time …. I think I'll have to harm myself :)
 
Short answer to the question anyway, is: It depends on the individual
 
Longer answer to the question is: Traditionally we do our employee engagement research, and then develop an organisational engagement plan (OEP) to improve engagement based on the findings.

But this shot gun approach to engagement initiatives is only OK as a starting point and unfortunately only one piece of the effective engagement solutions puzzle. Relying solely on this umbrella approach, based on 'an average employee' (who don't exist anyway) is why so many retention strategies have been flawed over recent years and haven’t led to any real meaningful improvements in engagement in most organisations.

P.S - If you have ‘an average employee’, please introduce me to them, I'd love to meet them.
 
Everyone Is different
 
The missing link to effective engagement is understanding that everyone is different and therefore motivated and engaged by different drivers. The good news is that there are fundamentally only 7 key engagement drivers that you need to focus on.

The key is Employee Activated Engagement (EAE) - the self-responsibility approach to engagement. This ‘inside out’ approach is the opposite to the current showering them with gifts and benefits ‘outside in’ approach which can creates the ‘whinge entitlement culture’.

The more you give, the more employees expect. Take the benefits away from staff and they will whinge (even if they aren't using the benefits). For example, one large financial client of ours was spending over $100K per year on weekly fruit bowls for staff. Were they being used… no! But take the fruit bowls away and look out!

The Engagement Missing Link
 
So the missing link to effective engagement is Employee Activated Engagement (EAE). So, Step 1: Get individual employees responsible and clear on what motivates them.
The challenge is that most employees know what doesn't engage them; fewer know what really does engage them. If employees don't know, the default driver simply becomes “give me more money”. Also if employees don't know what engages them, their people leader and organisation is stuffed! If employees don't know what they want how can we effectively engage them?

Anyway who is responsible for engagement?

Firstly, who does your culture believe is responsible for employee engagement?

A.CEO/Senior Management Team*
B.Human resources
C.People leaders & managers*
D.Employees
E.Everyone

Hopefully you answered E) Everyone …Yes ‘E’ is for everyone… but…

Caution: There is some danger in having everyone responsible for engagement in that if everyone is responsible, nobody is really accountable. 

The key is everyone needs to be responsible for employee engagement; it’s just that different people (e.g HR, Leaders & Employees) need to be accountable for different sets of tasks.

Human resources - need to deliver on engagement measurement, umbrella strategies or Organisational Engagement Plans (OEP) and ensure that engagement plans are being implemented for people leaders and employees.
 
People Leaders* – need to be the catalyst for understanding and therefore optimising the seven engagement drivers throughout their Team Engagement Plans (TEP) and Personal Engagement Plans (PEP)
 
Employees – need to be responsible for getting clarity around self-leadership, doing their Personal Engagement Plans (PEP) and on-going self-awareness with systems such as meCentral.com.

The good news is that each set of accountability tasks for each group should be less than a 2% time investment.


Ian Hutchinson (B.Bus, Grad.Dip.Psy, CSP) is Chief Engagement Officer & founder of Life by Design® specialists in ‘Employee Activated Engagement’ (EAE). His self-responsibility approach to employee engagement is the missing link to simply and effectively implementing employee engagement at all levels of the organisation.


Ian has built a reputation as a talent maximiser and innovative strategic implementer. He is a thought leader, speaker and author of a number of books including his latest ‘People Glue: Engagement & Retention Solutions That Stick!’ Please contact Ian at ian@lifebydesign.com.au

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Monday 24 October 2011

Power on a page

Power on a page is this weeks sparkenation.

Last week Seth Godin’s The Domino Project released the one page book, Death and Taxes by Jess Backman, selling on Amazon for $19.99. Please check in out here.

And also last week differencemakers member from Campo United States Mary Rose sent an email to her list with the follow the money one page pictured by Thrivemovement. See infographics on their website here.



I have been helping my clients create one page documents for strategy and all sorts of things for many years. Power can be on a page.

What kind of one pagers do you have that you have created yourself that tell a great story, capture history, or focus in on something important to you?

And do they capture your passion? When your passion is on your one pagers you have powerful compasses that keep you heading in the right direction.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal


More sparkenations are here.



Friday 21 October 2011

Hire Right - The First Time by Ross Clennett


This is a guest post from Ross Clennett, The Recruiters Recruitment Expert.

Effective interviewing skills ensure you dramatically increase your chances of identifying the most suitable person for the job - the first time.





A recent research report about interviewing revealed the following; 

40% of respondents had declined an offer because of a poor interview experience

69% had experienced no response or feedback after a full interview

42% had experienced discrimination in an interview

30% had experienced rudeness in an interview, and

22% had been asked inappropriate questions, with respect to such things as their marital status, weight, dating habits (?) and sexual preferences.

The report further reveals, that of those people who experienced a bad interview 81% of them told up to 10 people about that bad experience!

Bad news travels very fast in the online world, as many companies have found out to their detriment. United Airlines discovered this recently after millions of people logged on to YouTube to watch aggrieved musician, Dave Carroll's witty ditty of complaint United Breaks Guitars

Whether you realise it or not, the way an interview is conducted provides a candidate with a window into your organisation and they may not like what they experience. The best candidates choose other opportunities and the average ones finish up being hired by you because they, and you, have less choice.

This is not an outcome that will help build a profitable organisation or one to be proud of.

Interviewing is similar to coaching, in that what appears to be ‘just a conversation' is in fact a structured, purposeful dialogue with a clear outcome in mind.

Here are my top 9 tips to increase your interviewing skills:

1. Before an interview commences understand what you need to know from the candidate to assess their appropriateness for the job and the questions you will ask to most effectively discover that information.

Questions that address issues irrelevant to job performance (eg. age, marital status, etc.) are not only useless questions in terms of identifying work related performance capability, but they annoy and deter good candidates.
 
2. Build high rapport. High rapport gains you high quality information from the candidate. Low rapport gains you low quality information.
 
3. Ask open questions rather than closed or leading questions to ensure that the candidate is not, consciously or unconsciously, biasing their answers with what they think you want to hear.
 
4. All good candidates have choices, so never assume the candidate wants the job you have on offer. Have a couple of powerful selling points that clearly demonstrate the benefits of your opportunity.
 
5. Understanding the context (i.e. degree of difficulty) of a candidate's past job performance is critical in ranking competing candidates and making an effective job match.
 
6. Evidence based answers drawn from past performance are the only effective way to assess competencies. Theoretical knowledge or speculative answers (‘would do', ‘could do', ‘should do') have a low correlation to actual competencies and performance.
 
7. Understand both the core competencies and the primary motivators required in the job and then interview candidates against these criteria to ensure that each candidate can both do the job and want to do the job.

8. Technical skills become relatively less important the more senior the job compared to behavioural competencies and personal motivators, so don't fall into the trap of placing too much emphasis on technical expertise (eg. years of experience and qualifications), especially in leadership roles.

9. Beware of ‘nice’. You are interviewing to assess a potential employee’s capability and motivation, not to add to your friendship circle. You may like a nice, friendly person after interviewing them but you won’t like them for much longer if you employ them and they can’t do the job adequately or if they aren’t motivated to do the job.

Ross Clennett is also a popular speaker, trainer, writer and coach on recruitment trends, recruitment skills and the recruitment industry in Australia. For more information on Ross’s services please visit his website here or email ross@rossclennett.com

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Wednesday 19 October 2011

Key questions we need answers for to find the upsides of any downturn

Key questions we need answers for to find the upsides of any downturn is my second newsletter article for this month.

If you are a subscriber to my fortnightly changing what's normal newsletter then please ignore this post.

There are 95 questions in this article. Possibly not all will be applicable to you.
Your answers to the questions that are applicable, and how you act on your answers, may well determine your future, and that of your children, and their children.

You can read the full article by clicking on the title of the article here.
There is a link in the article to the PDF version so that you can keep the questions handy.

Business leads recoveries not governments. More business leaders need to stand up and be counted so that we can put governments back in their place.
Political leadership is an oxymoron.

“Washington's bogged down in games of brinksmanship instead of practicing the art of leadership. Hell-bent on running each other into the ground — instead of running the nation — America's so-called leaders are sending us into what wonks are calling a "policy-induced recession."
so said Umair Haque in a great article Is America Giving Up on the Future? You can read his full article here.

And it is not just America. I am embarrassed everyday by the lack of civility of Australian politicians and their inability to collaborate.
And as for the G20, well give me a break. The economy is supposed to be part of society. Not the other way round.

There is nothing status quo about real leadership. Real leadership is ever-evolving. Go first. Break the shackles. Learn from the corporate and political leaders (so-called) who are living in the dark ages and be a shining light for others. I trust answering my 95 questions will help you. Here is the link again.

If not you, then who?

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Monday 17 October 2011

When gratitude precedes gratification

This weeks sparkenation.

I meet a lot of people who are always focused on getting and having more.

I meet a few people grateful for what they have. These folk realise “Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.” so said Rabbi Hyman Judah Schachtel in an excellent book The Real Enjoyment of Living.

Wanting what you have = gratitude
Having what you want = gratification

When I faced death’s door 35 years ago my doctors advice was for me to ‘have an attitude of gratitude’ (Sparkenation 20 in my changing what’s normal book.

The great paradox of having an attitude of gratitude is that when we are grateful for what we’ve got, we can have more of what we want.

The many are focused on gratification. The few focus on gratitude.

Are you one of the many or one of the few?

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Leader Changing What's Normal Tribe


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Friday 14 October 2011

6 ways to START living a Revolutionary Life by Alicia Curtis



This is a guest post from Alicia Curtis, Founder Revolutionary Lives.

So you want to live your Revolutionary life, but not sure where to start?  Here are six key areas to start your journey.



1.  What’s your revolutionary ambitions?



Most people’s goals suck.  Why?  Because what most people write down as their goals, is not what they truly want and won’t make them happy.  It doesn’t make sense does it? Let me explain.



Most of us have been so influenced by advertising, the media and popular culture to believe that being a certain size, rich and famous will make us happy.   That’s what we want, right?



Unfortunately that’s not what will make us happy.  In fact, the research says that if we follow these extrinsic rewards, it will actually make us depressed and unhappy.  Crazy, huh?

So what should our life purpose and revolutionary ambitions include?

Again, the research says, in particular Edward Deci who wrote the book Why We Do What We Do says, if we follow more intrinsic goals such as building better relationships, building mastery in our talents and having a purpose that is bigger than ourselves, our level of happiness increases.  Easy...want to try it?

Where is your life purpose at? What goals are you striving for?

2. Are you the master of your talents?



We are led to believe there are ‘born geniuses’ or ‘overnight successes’.  The reality is mastery takes time.

So if you are going to invest your time in building mastery, what are you going to focus on - your strengths or your weaknesses?   According to Gallup research, ‘each person has greater potential for success if you focus on who you are already - your natural talents’


But even your strengths take hard work! Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers found that the difference between average and extraordinary is about 10,000 hours.   Are you in it for the long haul?   These days, we expect success so quickly and are not willing to take the long term view.



Don’t put your talents to waste. What are you doing every day to strengthen your talents?

3. Movement every day!



We are meant to move! But everything in our world is built to allow us to stay still - remote controls, cars, escalators!



We’ve so gotten used to the ‘I’m too busy’ excuse that we put movement and exercise on the bottom of our list.



How would you feel though, if you did move every day! Yes, I said every single day!  If you did, you would find out that our body and mind works better when you move -  we think better, we eat better and we feel better.



It’s not just about exercise, it’s about finding more ways to move everyday.  Here are some simple ideas - instead of having coffee with a friend, why not go for a walk, visit a new park every weekend,  try new active hobbies like tennis, hiking or swimming.  Find the movement that you enjoy and have fun with it.



4. We are what we eat!



I would like you to challenge what you eat!



Brian Johnson, a modern day philosopher said “why is it ok to go out drink beer and eat chicken nuggets but weird to drink green juice and eat sprouts?”



What you eat has been influenced by how you grew up, the media, what’s convenient and what gets stocked at the supermarket.   But what if we made an effort to look beyond all of this.

The latest food research such as Joel Fuhrman, MD who wrote the book Eat to Live and The China Study by Colin Thomas PhD and Thomas Campbell MD tells us to eat less of all the foods that are popular and convenient - less refined foods, animal products and sugar and more water, whole foods and dark green leafy vegetables.   Just start with small changes such as only drinking water during the day, having a veggie-packed salad for lunch or not buying sugar laden products.



A lot of what we eat is defined by what we know.  Try a new recipe every week!  Go book yourself into a cooking course and expand your knowledge about cooking and nutrition.

5. Meditation metamorphosis



I have to admit took me a long time to get what meditation is about. Now it excites me! 



Just like you go to the gym to work on your muscles and endurance, meditation is exercise for your mind.  It allows you to practice controlling your thoughts.    You meditate not for the 15 - 30 minutes of quietness, you meditate for how it makes you feel for the rest of the day and the strength it teaches you about controlling your mind.



The benefits of meditation are extraordinary - less anxiety, decreased chances of depression or anger, boost in your immune system, better focus and increased your wellbeing. And all this can be attained in just eight weeks of consistent meditating!



It’s not easy though.  It’s pretty hard to control your mind and your thoughts in the beginning.  But like anything, with practice you get better!

6. Be a Revolutionary Role Model



We need people to make the world a better place. Think global, act local.  What are you doing to become a better social citizen?



Are you taking care of the animals and environment around you?   Could you volunteer at your local homeless shelter?   Perhaps you could help out at the local primary school?  There are limitless ideas to help the world become a better place.



I would ask yourself what are you passionate about? And how could you use and practice your strengths to help the community.   Share your passions, talents and leadership with the world.
 
Alicia Curtis, Founder Revolutionary Lives. Alicia can also be contacted on +61 (0) 8 9313 2880 or alicia@aliciacurtis.com

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Leader Changing What's Normal Tribe


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.