Clipmarks | mikecardus's clips

Creativity and the needs for standardization

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:29:04 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

“standardizing” is simply setting down what we believe is our best shot at what should work. Once reality sets in, there are nearly always things nobody thought of – opportunities to learn. Capturing those moments is impossible if there is no consistent baseline in the first place.

And, just for the sake of argument, let’s say that the process, as designed, works pretty well. The question must then be asked: “Are we able to provide our customers exactly what they need, exactly when they needed it, on demand, one-by-one, perfect quality, in a perfectly safe environment?” If the answer to that question even includes a hesitation, then it there is work to be done.

Respect your people. Simplify the things that should be simple. Let them focus their creativity on something that matters, not on how to get through the way without screwing up.

Leaders is to Manager as Stapler is to Staple

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:30:46 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: www.leadershipnow.com

The point here is not that leadership is good and management is bad. They are simply different and serve different purposes. The fundamental purpose of management is to keep the current system functioning. The fundamental purpose of leadership is to produce useful change, especially nonincremental change. It is possible to have too much or too little of either. Strong leadership with no management risks chaos; the organization might walk right off a cliff. Strong management with no leadership tends to entrench an organization in deadly bureaucracy.

Management gives leadership a foundation to work from. Leadership keeps us growing and relevant. If a leader can not manage what they have created, then their leadership is not effective and serves no end.

Team Work is the single biggest advantage for success

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:18:16 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: www.successmagazine.com

Teamwork gets a lot of lip service in business. Is teamwork really as critical for success relative to other disciplines like technology or marketing?
I honestly believe that the single biggest competitive advantage that a company can pursue today is getting its leaders on the same page. I’m not implying that other disciplines aren’t important—they are. But the truth is that without effective teamwork, without a cohesive group of people leading an organization, a company cannot begin to tap into the potential that it has in any other areas.

TeamBuilding Develops Dedication

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:24:10 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: teambonding.com

Just the other day I was reading a meeting publication which included team building in the “hot trends” for 2009-10 and rightfully so. We have all been through an experience of a lifetime we are now coming out of it and as one of my colleagues Trent Schumann said in a new Linked in group for team building providers, “Interestingly enough, the companies that were already focusing on employee engagement are doing even more of it. They are using this as an opportunity to increase loyalty and raid their competitors’ disillusioned high performers. As soon as the turnaround happens, they’ll have a dedicated and tuned team ready to take advantage of it, while their competitors will be scrambling to hire and build new teams.”

Break from the bonds; Shifts in ideas

Sat, 23 May 2009 13:38:52 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: www.illuminatedmind.net

See, we really think that these so called rules of “paying your dues” and keeping your nose to the grindstone, are requirements. But really, they’re agreements.

We think that these obligations, drudgery, and boredom are just the facts of life. It’s called being practical, right?

I’ll tell you what; being practical is the biggest, lamest, excuse ever for not doing something that liberates you and makes you come alive. What we often think of as the necessity of “just being practical” is really a big, fat assumption. Just because a lot of other people choose that template, doesn’t mean you have to choose it, too. It’s an option.

Challenge it. I dare you.

Your life will become so ridiculously awesome, you’ll laugh at the rigid idea of rules.

Because in reality, there are no limits.

Success Requires a Leadership Plan

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:36:37 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: theleanthinker.com

Still, a few organizations are trying to drive change into the way they operate, and many more will fail than succeed.

The reasons why this is true were articulated by John Kotter back in 1995 in his now classic article Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail.

The short list is:

Establishing a sense of urgency.
Forming a powerful guiding coalition.
Creating a vision.
Communicating the vision. (Over-communicating!)
Empowering others to act on the vision.
Planning for and creating short-term wins.
Consolidating improvements and producing still more change.
Institutionalizing new approaches.

The question, then, becomes “Are you deploying effective countermeasures against these known failure points?”

brainstorming

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:24:24 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: www.intersectedblog.com

Brainstorm only with people who are just as bold as you.
Why It’s Bold: You may feel like you want to talk to everyone about your bold marketing ideas, but that’s actually the worst thing you can do. The only people I brainstorm with are the ones who I know are as bold or bolder than I am. I can’t afford to be pulled down by people who are too afraid to go the extra step that I will go.
How to Cultivate It: Take inventory on what people in your life have done in the past. Do they have a lot to say, but not a lot of action? Those aren’t your bold friends. Do they talk the talk, then walk the walk? Yeah, talk to those people.

Group Jump Rope off a bridge using a static rope

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:55:42 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: englishrussia.com

It’s new fun in some Russian cities, to jump from the bridge with the rope in a big group, when there is no water under the bridge but raw firm ice, also they use to jump at that same moment when the train is going thru the bridge - just imagine what the machinist could think when he sees a bunch of people standing on the rails just before the moving train, so he probably starts slowing down and then all those people jump out of the bridge…

Done: The step after action

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:45:50 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: edbrenegar.typepad.com

1. There are three states of being. Not knowing, action and completion.

2. Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done.

3. There is no editing stage.

4. Pretending you know what you're doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing, so just accept that you know what you're doing even if you don't and do it.

5. Banish procrastination. If you wait more than a week to get an idea done, abandon it.

6. The point of being done is not to finish but to get other things done.

Facilitated learning overpowers training

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:52:57 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: www.trainingzone.co.uk

Speaking exclusively to TrainingZone.co.uk at the recent Learning Technologies conference, Jay Cross talks about informal learning, the benefits of social media and why it's time to retire the word 'training.'

Marketing is not Advertising

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:11:17 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: apps.teachu.com

Innovation Inhibited

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:27:37 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: jangandabla.blogspot.com

Western New York Hidden Experts?

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:52:26 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: blogs.buffalonews.com

Do you know any local 'hidden experts' ?

We're lucky in Western New York. We live in a place filled with talented people who know an awful lot about all kinds of subjects.

Many of these experts don't have high-profile names. They are under the radar -- some people know and rave about their expertise, but a lot of people have never heard of them.

In the Spotlight cover story in today's Buffalo News, six of these "hidden experts" from all over the Buffalo region were profiled. We met a shoe-sizing specialist, a skin care expert, a woman who knows all about New York State salamanders, a feng shui practitioner, and more.

But we know our list wasn't complete.

So now we're turning to you. Who do you know, with vast expertise in a particular subject in Western New York? Who's on your short list of "hidden experts"?

Tell us all about them, and where to find them.

     -- Charity Vogel

Posted at 06:25 AM | Permalink

Angry People at Training

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:11:34 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: jangandabla.blogspot.com

A twitter (http://twitter.com/TemBuildingNY) noticed that people were angry at a training he attended. Why was that? No clue really. But it made me start to think.

Trainings are great opportunities for many things. But there are also reasons why people would be angry. Although a natural feeling the anger is counterproductive in the training.

The "potential" anger should have been used in advance to prepare and plan for the training. That could? would? have reduced tha anger. And maybe selection of training and execution of training would have been more productive.

Here are some (basic) models (that could be expanded!) describing my thinking:

Telling Ain't Training

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:23:51 GMT

clipped by: mikecardus

Clip Source: www.willatworklearning.com

As learning professionals, we know that "Telling Ain't Training" and "Training Ain't Performance" (thanks Harold), but we often forget that long-held views are not easily overcome. We need to be more careful and more energetic in confronting them. It's not our learners' fault when they don't make the turn. We have to make it our fault. We have to take responsibility.