Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Why?
...why do we expect those so-called leaders (politicians or whoever), to possess nobler personalities (or we say or argue or write so)? Haven’t we in this system already implicitly agreed that it’s acceptable for them to work for their self-interests as long as that doesn’t cause serious harm to all of us? The trick is, behaviour that may create catastrophe to all of us doesn’t seem dangerous at the beginning, especially to those ‘corrupt’ beneficiaries...so let’s drop the false expectations & ideals, stop unrealistic assumptions & arguments & education that often lead to subsequent disappointment & resentment...and focus our energy on the efforts to innovate & re-invent the system into a more incentive-compatible one...
one more thing to leave behind
Password to your mailbox (not business mailbox, but the one that you connect and interact with friends and important people in life) can be a precious bequest to your posterity. It may be a key for your grandson’s grandson to see your genuine insights & wit & sincerity & spontaneous humor & creativity. It may be a piece of gem that inspires people for generations to come. If possible, consider it.
"Put Your Life into The Speech"
I don’t know from whom this line originally is; I don’t know how many people really noticed or believe in it, but it struck my mind when a fellow public speaking club member mentioned it. He quoted this when giving suggestions to another fellow member. This sentence pretty much summed up what I believe a great speech preparation/execution should be.
Speech. Greatness. It’s not about awards; not about showcase of skills. It’s about something from your heart & soul. It could be your life.
And greatest lessons come often not from known prominent figures, but ‘average’ people (precisely, people whose passion & potential not yet fully discovered & displayed) who care and give a damn.
Thank you, Ger.
Again, You never know who’s going to change your life; and you never know whose life you are going to change.
Speech. Greatness. It’s not about awards; not about showcase of skills. It’s about something from your heart & soul. It could be your life.
And greatest lessons come often not from known prominent figures, but ‘average’ people (precisely, people whose passion & potential not yet fully discovered & displayed) who care and give a damn.
Thank you, Ger.
Again, You never know who’s going to change your life; and you never know whose life you are going to change.
Mission: Attack!
Now, launch an Attack on your mission.
For many, mission is nothing but dead dull statement (with unnecessary twists & turns for accuracy/embellishment) lying lifeless in ‘formal’ documents.
And many organizations (and people) are doing pretty good with it. But if your goal (or the goal of your org) is beyond ‘doing ok’ and ‘pretty comfortable’, you’ve got to do something about your mission.
You either live it, or you dump it.
For a real-life example of living the mission, read the story of Middelfart Sparekasse at Mavericks at Work blog.
If an organization can do ‘pretty ok’ with a lifeless mission statement (which no employee, including the managers, take seriously), it may even do better with no mission at all.
Erase the lifeless mission statement; clear some space for today’s exploration and soul searching, for a true mission that matters. For a mission of today and tomorrow that gets your team excited, that makes your team proud, that makes you larger than yourself (ves).
You may not even know what it is yet, but before you do, clear the lifeless corpse. At least you may save some paper for the mother earth, or some space for the growing internet community.
What do you do with your mission? Attack!
For many, mission is nothing but dead dull statement (with unnecessary twists & turns for accuracy/embellishment) lying lifeless in ‘formal’ documents.
And many organizations (and people) are doing pretty good with it. But if your goal (or the goal of your org) is beyond ‘doing ok’ and ‘pretty comfortable’, you’ve got to do something about your mission.
You either live it, or you dump it.
For a real-life example of living the mission, read the story of Middelfart Sparekasse at Mavericks at Work blog.
If an organization can do ‘pretty ok’ with a lifeless mission statement (which no employee, including the managers, take seriously), it may even do better with no mission at all.
Erase the lifeless mission statement; clear some space for today’s exploration and soul searching, for a true mission that matters. For a mission of today and tomorrow that gets your team excited, that makes your team proud, that makes you larger than yourself (ves).
You may not even know what it is yet, but before you do, clear the lifeless corpse. At least you may save some paper for the mother earth, or some space for the growing internet community.
What do you do with your mission? Attack!
Friday, 9 January 2009
Some More Ammunition...
A. 2 Ideas abt Innovation
Include to Innovate
Does this require explanation? No. We all know people often can surprise us with what they can do while given an opportunity. This cliche requires lots of practices, labor to weed out our ego and vanity.
cognitive diversity
What is diversity? Different skin colors different background different nationality? How about people in the same neighborhood in the same company but spending weekends reading different stuff & interacting with different people behind computer screens? Internet is changing everything (yeah another cliche), including the definition of diversity. Think about it.
B. Why changes just don't happen in our world?
1. People are lazy;
2. People think others ("they" or "??? NGO") will/should take care of the world for them;
3. People are willing to give 150% & sacrifice Only for things they have strong emotional connections to.
Forget about 1 & 2, it's 3 that makes a difference.
C. another perspective on "How to maximize efficient usage of talents (to change our world)?"
Do Not burden Devoted Baby Seal Rescuers with Guilt and Obligation to save war victims.
D. in search for ideas abt Next-generation Markets
Selling ideas like selling peanuts just won't work anymore, but we human beings are good at dragging...delaying changes...we make do with status quo until we have to innovate or die...
Why people can make a living selling ideas? Because they attach ideas to tangible things like books or CDs (whose markets are as tangible as markets for peanuts). Because they attach ideas to "live" experience (confined by time & space) like a concert or seminar. However it's not news that we no longer need to pay for the copyright to read about your brilliant ideas, we no longer have to buy the tickets to see you from 150 meters to get motivated...
Copyright laws just increase social costs,especially in an era of the Web. It's not incentive compatible (many things are not,by the way), how long into the future can it work?
We human beings have been buying and selling intangibles using the market concept based on tangible goods for a long long time...can we do it for another century or will we be thrown into total confusion in 10 years and forced to innovate + create a Next-generation Market for ideas?
There's no answer yet at this moment, but we do have a box to jump and think out of...
Will you be part of the innovation?
Include to Innovate
Does this require explanation? No. We all know people often can surprise us with what they can do while given an opportunity. This cliche requires lots of practices, labor to weed out our ego and vanity.
cognitive diversity
What is diversity? Different skin colors different background different nationality? How about people in the same neighborhood in the same company but spending weekends reading different stuff & interacting with different people behind computer screens? Internet is changing everything (yeah another cliche), including the definition of diversity. Think about it.
B. Why changes just don't happen in our world?
1. People are lazy;
2. People think others ("they" or "??? NGO") will/should take care of the world for them;
3. People are willing to give 150% & sacrifice Only for things they have strong emotional connections to.
Forget about 1 & 2, it's 3 that makes a difference.
C. another perspective on "How to maximize efficient usage of talents (to change our world)?"
Do Not burden Devoted Baby Seal Rescuers with Guilt and Obligation to save war victims.
D. in search for ideas abt Next-generation Markets
Selling ideas like selling peanuts just won't work anymore, but we human beings are good at dragging...delaying changes...we make do with status quo until we have to innovate or die...
Why people can make a living selling ideas? Because they attach ideas to tangible things like books or CDs (whose markets are as tangible as markets for peanuts). Because they attach ideas to "live" experience (confined by time & space) like a concert or seminar. However it's not news that we no longer need to pay for the copyright to read about your brilliant ideas, we no longer have to buy the tickets to see you from 150 meters to get motivated...
Copyright laws just increase social costs,especially in an era of the Web. It's not incentive compatible (many things are not,by the way), how long into the future can it work?
We human beings have been buying and selling intangibles using the market concept based on tangible goods for a long long time...can we do it for another century or will we be thrown into total confusion in 10 years and forced to innovate + create a Next-generation Market for ideas?
There's no answer yet at this moment, but we do have a box to jump and think out of...
Will you be part of the innovation?
stuff I should have posted long time ago
stuff I should have posted long time ago...are they related? I forgot.
1. Let’s admit, we are all arrogant farts, we are all racists (google Implicit Association Test, try it, and find out why)...so if we want to continue to fake it (till we make it, hopefully), there’s work to do and things to bear in mind...
2. Read John Kay’s article Kudos for The Contrarian here
highlight:
…when people said, “We really want you to challenge our ideas,” they mostly did not. They wanted instead to be congratulated on their wisdom. Similarly, when they ask, “What is going to happen?” they seek reaffirmation and reassurance rather than insight into the future.
…people preferred to be told they were right than to be told what would happen.
…a good story is more compelling than the search for truth. The American political scientist, Philip Tetlock, has studied the prognostications of pundits over several decades. He finds that the better known the forecaster, the less accurate the forecast...
…Business people, politicians and journalists value clarity and certainty of view more highly than acknowledgement of the uncertainty of a complex world. But it is mostly people who appreciate that complexity who have worthwhile things to say about the future.
3. Do you remember?
The last time you felt humiliated because one person insensitively harshly sarcastically pointed out your stupidity or the hole on your integrity?
Write a note to thank him/her. Now.
4. There was a quote...by Friedrich Hayek if my memory's right (but couldn't find it anymore)...roughly means: "...the problem with social sciences...is that human beings who propose theories also have the ability to change the reality/results..." It seems to me then, there's no right or wrong theory, only theories that are made reality and those that are not.
1. Let’s admit, we are all arrogant farts, we are all racists (google Implicit Association Test, try it, and find out why)...so if we want to continue to fake it (till we make it, hopefully), there’s work to do and things to bear in mind...
2. Read John Kay’s article Kudos for The Contrarian here
highlight:
…when people said, “We really want you to challenge our ideas,” they mostly did not. They wanted instead to be congratulated on their wisdom. Similarly, when they ask, “What is going to happen?” they seek reaffirmation and reassurance rather than insight into the future.
…people preferred to be told they were right than to be told what would happen.
…a good story is more compelling than the search for truth. The American political scientist, Philip Tetlock, has studied the prognostications of pundits over several decades. He finds that the better known the forecaster, the less accurate the forecast...
…Business people, politicians and journalists value clarity and certainty of view more highly than acknowledgement of the uncertainty of a complex world. But it is mostly people who appreciate that complexity who have worthwhile things to say about the future.
3. Do you remember?
The last time you felt humiliated because one person insensitively harshly sarcastically pointed out your stupidity or the hole on your integrity?
Write a note to thank him/her. Now.
4. There was a quote...by Friedrich Hayek if my memory's right (but couldn't find it anymore)...roughly means: "...the problem with social sciences...is that human beings who propose theories also have the ability to change the reality/results..." It seems to me then, there's no right or wrong theory, only theories that are made reality and those that are not.
Thursday, 1 January 2009
My New Year Wish
Every World Changer realizes her/his potential and Mission, and get together to Make Changes Happen.
Yours?
Wish you a Meaningful 2009.
Also: click here to see SG's "Greeting"
Highlight:
The opportunity this year is bigger than ever: to lead change, to create a movement in a direction you want to go. While the rest of your world huddles and holds back, here's a golden chance to use cheap media, available attention and great talent to make something that matters.
Yours?
Wish you a Meaningful 2009.
Also: click here to see SG's "Greeting"
Highlight:
The opportunity this year is bigger than ever: to lead change, to create a movement in a direction you want to go. While the rest of your world huddles and holds back, here's a golden chance to use cheap media, available attention and great talent to make something that matters.
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Said Mr. Drucker...
Peter Drucker said (something like) Corporations as they are will die in 25 years (couldn't recall the exact wording, if you got the original quote pls share with us here, thanks!).
He said it in year 2000.
So where are we now?
He said it in year 2000.
So where are we now?
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Idea of the day – Blogging 2.0 (or 3.0?)
Story as process, not product.
In the spirit of my previous post and Jeff Jarvis' insight in Replacing the Article, I’m onto a large project to empty the arsenal and blaze away all my ammunition, including those still lying on production line...
highlight of Jeff Jarvis' insightful post:
To recap, I think the new unit of coverage needs to include:
1. Curated Aggregation. Do what you do best, link to the rest…
2. A blog that treats the story as a process, not a product, with continuing coverage and conversation, asking and answering questions, giving updates, filling in gaps…
3. A wiki that give us a snapshot of current knowledge…
4. Discussion. Where do you think the best – most intelligent and illuminating – discussion is going on?
Blogging 2.0. Are you ready?
In the spirit of my previous post and Jeff Jarvis' insight in Replacing the Article, I’m onto a large project to empty the arsenal and blaze away all my ammunition, including those still lying on production line...
highlight of Jeff Jarvis' insightful post:
To recap, I think the new unit of coverage needs to include:
1. Curated Aggregation. Do what you do best, link to the rest…
2. A blog that treats the story as a process, not a product, with continuing coverage and conversation, asking and answering questions, giving updates, filling in gaps…
3. A wiki that give us a snapshot of current knowledge…
4. Discussion. Where do you think the best – most intelligent and illuminating – discussion is going on?
Blogging 2.0. Are you ready?
Genuine Authenticity?
It’s been uplifting seeing the trend for authenticity in modern business thinking; yet worrying while many people wired with ‘skills’ (+zero-sum game) mind-set are so keen with learning & using this new ‘skills'...
It's kind of funny being genuine & authentic now becomes something we have to pay to learn..
...and in the worst case scenario, it could turn out to be something like what we’ve seen in movies for years, skilled & charming jerks cheating young innocent virgins...
Highlight of a recent FT article:
Comedian Stephen Colbert coined the term “truthiness” to describe the authenticity that Americans yearned for. Truthiness was not, he explained, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but rather “something that seems like the truth – the truth we want to exist”.
Revealing. At least to naive people like me.
So the convergence of material/commercial benefits and virtue is not yet under way. It’s just development in the field of strategy & tactics.
Reality shows, I realized, are still shows.
It brings back the question: what’s the role of ethics in our society? Does it matter? Does it Really matter? Anymore?
Update: Just a guess
Ethics/morality/virtue, could just be a tool for social elite. Needless to say, it’s to facilitate their governing/leading/managing you and me (are we really free?).
It's kind of funny being genuine & authentic now becomes something we have to pay to learn..
...and in the worst case scenario, it could turn out to be something like what we’ve seen in movies for years, skilled & charming jerks cheating young innocent virgins...
Highlight of a recent FT article:
Comedian Stephen Colbert coined the term “truthiness” to describe the authenticity that Americans yearned for. Truthiness was not, he explained, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but rather “something that seems like the truth – the truth we want to exist”.
Revealing. At least to naive people like me.
So the convergence of material/commercial benefits and virtue is not yet under way. It’s just development in the field of strategy & tactics.
Reality shows, I realized, are still shows.
It brings back the question: what’s the role of ethics in our society? Does it matter? Does it Really matter? Anymore?
Update: Just a guess
Ethics/morality/virtue, could just be a tool for social elite. Needless to say, it’s to facilitate their governing/leading/managing you and me (are we really free?).
Monday, 29 December 2008
Blaze away your ammunition...Now!
I bet many of you dudes/bloggers/dreamers out there have behind your head an arsenal full of ammunition. I mean a ton of ideas that overload your head. And for some reason you haven’t yet turn it into a concrete blog post...
If one of your reasons is, ‘I’m still not quite ready’, ‘I’m still not quite sure how to present it in the right way’, ‘I may as well wait for a while’, ‘I may need a bit more time to figure it out’ etc… read point 8 & 9 of this post by Seth Godin.
8. Show up. Not writing is not a useful way of expressing your ideas. Waiting for perfect is a lousy strategy.
9. Say it. Don't hide, don't embellish. (Read the post here)
Don’t worry about grammatical mistakes or imperfect analogy or messy reasoning or inaccurate quotes or possible stupidity, in Seth’s words, you can, and should, always “edit yourself ruthlessly”; in John Wooden’s words, “he who makes the most mistakes wins.”
Blaze away your ammunition...Now!
If one of your reasons is, ‘I’m still not quite ready’, ‘I’m still not quite sure how to present it in the right way’, ‘I may as well wait for a while’, ‘I may need a bit more time to figure it out’ etc… read point 8 & 9 of this post by Seth Godin.
8. Show up. Not writing is not a useful way of expressing your ideas. Waiting for perfect is a lousy strategy.
9. Say it. Don't hide, don't embellish. (Read the post here)
Don’t worry about grammatical mistakes or imperfect analogy or messy reasoning or inaccurate quotes or possible stupidity, in Seth’s words, you can, and should, always “edit yourself ruthlessly”; in John Wooden’s words, “he who makes the most mistakes wins.”
Blaze away your ammunition...Now!
Thursday, 25 December 2008
Christmas Launch:"Change the World with Ideas"
What causes changes in our world? A lot. It starts with ideas. PLUS: tons of action, experiments, failures & persistence. Ideas, however overrated or underrated nowadays, are not enough.
"...ideas are easy, try to do it - that's the test..."
--Guy Kawasaki
Not enough, not deciding, yet absolutely necessary. Inspirational ideas are the origin (see related post) of all great changes. And we can all contribute to this and be part of the changes.
"Change the World with Ideas" is not just a grand yet empty statement, it's not just the business of so-called gurus or innovators. It's something we can practice every single day and yes, it's Our Business. We all have a role in it, if we give a damn.
We develop or refine or improve ideas ('Think'); we experiment new ideas and put 'em into practice ('Innovate'); we share brilliant ideas and encourage innovative practices ('Spread').
We don't have to be thinkers with superb ideas or innovators with hyper elastic minds to do our part. The easiest way for us to contribute and "Change the World with Ideas" (and what this blog attempts to do), is to spread those brilliant ideas & practices, value-add a bit if possible, and pray for someone with great potential out there to get inspired, then go on to create something and change our world for the better......and that someone, ladies and gentlemen, may very well be You.
Wish You A Merry & Meaningful Christmas!
"...ideas are easy, try to do it - that's the test..."
--Guy Kawasaki
Not enough, not deciding, yet absolutely necessary. Inspirational ideas are the origin (see related post) of all great changes. And we can all contribute to this and be part of the changes.
"Change the World with Ideas" is not just a grand yet empty statement, it's not just the business of so-called gurus or innovators. It's something we can practice every single day and yes, it's Our Business. We all have a role in it, if we give a damn.
We develop or refine or improve ideas ('Think'); we experiment new ideas and put 'em into practice ('Innovate'); we share brilliant ideas and encourage innovative practices ('Spread').
We don't have to be thinkers with superb ideas or innovators with hyper elastic minds to do our part. The easiest way for us to contribute and "Change the World with Ideas" (and what this blog attempts to do), is to spread those brilliant ideas & practices, value-add a bit if possible, and pray for someone with great potential out there to get inspired, then go on to create something and change our world for the better......and that someone, ladies and gentlemen, may very well be You.
Wish You A Merry & Meaningful Christmas!
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