Tina Oldham is the Principal of Cowden-Herrick Elementary School in Illinois. After attending a program I did for educators earlier this year, in which I talked about the beauty of ugly cakes, Tina's teachers were inspired to create this Boss's Day cake for her. Nice work huh? (I like the toothbrush, which I imagine came in handy after finishing said cake.) And I especially liked the quote in Tina's email signature: "Show Up, Work Hard, Be Kind." A good strategy for whatever you do in life! …
Sticky Concepts that Stifle Stress and Burnout
I believe the mark of an effective presenter is the level of impact that lingers long after the speech is over. Although I love creating a funny, inspiring and insightful experience, I am most delighted to hear the ways people and organizations keep the message alive years after my presentation. One of the ways I do this is by providing sticky concepts and unique terminology that anchor the principles I share in people’s minds. Perhaps the clearest example of this is my introduction of Adultitis, which represents a bully that is eager to facilitate burnout, sow discord, and stifle innovation. Establishing a common enemy allows a team to rally together in a fun and effective way, rather than pointing fingers of blame at one another. I also encourage people to accomplish big things by being mindful of celebrating the little wins along the way. Recently, an organization I spoke to several years ago reached out to share some ways they continue to keep Adultitis at bay by …
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Insight Springs Forth From Ugliness
Things got pretty ugly at one of my recent speaking programs. I was invited to help the staff at one of Madison's most treasured landmarks adopt a mindset of creativity and innovation. As part of the workshop, the attendees got an opportunity to decorate cookies together. But the goal wasn’t to make Martha Stewart jealous. The goal was to make them as ugly as possible, as a callback to a story I often tell. Mission accomplished. Underneath this seemingly innocuous activity, a number of powerful elements were at play. Chief among them was, well, play. It’s not every day that you come to work and get to decorate cookies. (Unless you work in a bakery, that is!) That alone gets people’s attention, and draws them into the activity more than any predictable ice breaker activity ever could. This level of engagement helped them to connect quickly with their co-workers, breaking down silos, as many of them work in different departments. It also drew them …
The Easiest Way Leave a Powerful Legacy
Mr. Olsen had written a series of math problems across several chalkboards. The avalanche of white scribbles was overwhelming, but not impossible. “Anyone who gets them all correct,” he told his fifth grade class, “will get a sucker.” Sheryl was one of five students who were up to the task. Unfortunately, the teacher said he only had four suckers, and was forced to ask if anyone would be willing to give up theirs. Sheryl said she would. Mr. Olsen thanked her, and proceeded with the rest of the school day.Before the students were dismissed that afternoon, Mr. Olsen asked Sheryl to stay after school so he could talk to her. She’d never been asked stay after school, and she was terrified!After all the other students exited the classroom. Mr. Olsen asked Sheryl to have a seat at his desk. He pulled open the bottom drawer and withdrew a whole, unopened bag of suckers and presented it to her. With a look of shock across her face, Mr. Olsen said, "Sheryl, what you did today was very generous …
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Use art to create an inspiring, empowering, and innovative culture
I’ve had people tell me that they love what they do, but they hate where they work. When you operate in an environment where it’s difficult to find and keep good people, your culture — and an environment that supports it — matters. A lot.The artwork I use in my presentations does more than just serve as a pretty picture to illustrate a story. It creates a mental anchor in the mind of the participant, establishing a visual shorthand for the principle I’ve shared. Since we all think in pictures – not words – this is an extraordinarily effective way to help provide a long term impact that goes far beyond a single speech. I’m thrilled that a number of smart organizations, from school districts to financial institutions, have utilized my artwork to enhance their environment and support the positive, dynamic culture they have built. When Summit Credit Union built a new, state-of-the-art corporate office building, they were very intentional about the artwork they used to …
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Why You Should Only Make Decisions While Wearing 3D Glasses
“3D Panda” by Jason Kotecki. 40″ x 40″. Oil on canvas.Original is SOLD. Prints available here. Too often, we look at our plans and big dreams with rose-colored glasses. We only see the upside, the pros, the best case scenarios. But if our dream – whatever it is – actually comes true, there will be downsides as well. As author and entrepreneur Mark Manson has pointed out, everything sucks, some of the time. Every dream – no matter how wonderful or glamorous it first appears – comes with some flavor of what he calls a shit sandwich, a lousy side effect that you have to deal with.That’s not to say we shouldn’t dream. We just need to do it with 3D glasses. When we look at something with 3D glasses, we see it from all sides: the good, sexy, photogenic slide, and the ugly, unfavorable, hideously-lit side. This allows us to behold a more realistic appraisal of the situation. In the early days of our business, I dreamed of creating a giant online retail store that …
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How an Improv Rule Can Improve Your Life
My brother used to be in an improv group, participating in a series of unscripted games for the entertainment of an audience. He was pretty good. The ones who weren’t seem to have the same thing in common. It wasn’t a lack of talent or that they were missing a funny bone. It was their refusal to adhere to the “yes, and…" rule. It’s the difference between success and failure in an improv skit. If a fellow performer suggests that your shoes are made of marshmallows, and you say, “No they aren't. What are you talking about? These are normal shoes,” the skit dies a hard, painful, and unfunny death. Instead, you need to accept the premise, and add to it. "YES, my shoes are made of marshmallows, AND they enable me to jump over cars!” What is vital to the success of an improv skit is also the key to a successful business or a happier, more fulfilling life. It’s possible to become more resilient while positively responding to challenges with grace and effectiveness, and we …
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The Simplest Way to Turn Trash Into Treasure
Eating lobster used to be a punishment reserved for prisoners.I was reminded of this during a recent trip to New England. I had a speaking engagement in Connecticut, and took my oldest daughter with me. I had three different lobster dishes on the trip (in between samplings of clam chowd-ah).The fact that the inclusion of lobster makes any dish more expensive is quite a turn of events from its humble beginnings. A few hundred years ago, lobster was plentiful, washing up on shore by the hundreds. The so-called “cockroach of the sea" was eaten only by the poor and prisoners, who considered it cruel and unusual punishment. It was commonly used as livestock feed and fertilizer. Said essayist John J. Rowan in 1876, “Lobster shells about a house are looked upon as signs of poverty and degradation.”But in the late 19th century, canning became a viable way to get food rations to soldiers in the Civil War. Enterprising railway companies rebranded the lobster as an exotic dish to travelers in …
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This Post Makes No Sense
We like to pretend that we are rational creatures. That’s cute.In his book, Predictably Irrational, behavioral economist Dan Ariely digs deep into the reasons why smart people make irrational decisions every day. It’s a fascinating read, and proof that we are not as logical as we think we are.Logic is the default mode of Adulthood. We pride ourselves on being rational and realistic.Children, however, do not shy away from the illogical, irrational, and (seemingly) unrealistic.The reason I think we grown-ups should be more like kids goes beyond making our lives more fun (although that’s a great by-product). It’s because it can help us solve big problems and achieve our most important goals.Another book that has gotten me fired up about this recently comes from advertising legend Rory Sutherland. In Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life, Sutherland argues that logic and rational thinking are not always the best way to solve our most …
Managing by Magic 8 Ball
The leader of an organization was preparing for a long overdue two-week vacation. He had spent a month preparing for his absence by setting up systems and training his second-in-command to step up while he was gone. But still, his protégé was nervous. She proposed several hypothetical scenarios, wondering how she should respond. The leader calmly explained the processes he set up to handle each situation. “Don’t worry, you’ve got this,” he reassured her. “But, if you find yourself in a spot where you don’t know what to do, let me show you something I rely on in situations like that.” He led her into his office, and grabbed a Magic 8-Ball from his desk. “If you’re stuck, just state your issue in the form of a yes or no question, shake this, and do whatever it says.” She looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face. "By the way," he said, "If it says to ask again later, just give it a little time before trying again.” The young employee wondered aloud, “But …