No doubt about it, Adultitis runs rampant in the workplace. Dilbert does an excellent job of displaying that fact on the comic pages, and perhaps the best television show to do it is the NBC hit, The Office. This eBook examines the Adultitis levels of ten characters from the show. I wrote it a few seasons back (before Jim and Pam's marriage and baby), but the lessons still apply. It can serves as a handy guide, giving you the opportunity to learn from each character while providing tips on how you can avoid contracting Adultitis at work. Conveniently formatted for both easy screen viewing …
Workplayce
How to Converse Like a Crazy Person
So here's a fun game to play with friends, family, co-workers, or fellow mental patients. It's an idea that was shared with me by a woman at a nursing home social workers convention I recently spokeat. What I love about it is that it doesn't cost a dime, you can play with any number of people, you don't need any special props, and you can avoid boring small talk. (Score!) It's perfect for road trips and family get togethers. Here's how it works: One person starts the conversation with any random statement. Immediately, the next person has to follow that up with a statement or question that …
What Business Card Design Has to Do With Making Your Life Better
How many business cards have you collected over the years? A handful? A hundred? Enough to wallpaper the bathrooms of every house on your block? Even if you're not involved in "Business," chances are you've received a number of business cards over the years, from the auto mechanic to your neighbor who sells Mary Kay. Most business cards are, frankly, forgettable. …
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What You Can Learn From the Making of “Where The Wild Things Are”
On the plane coming home from New York the other day, after the flight attendant told us to turn off our portable electronic devices, I reached for the Delta Sky magazine in the seat back pocket. I was delighted to find an article on the upcoming movie adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book, Where The Wild Things Are. [Fun Fact: When the book came out in 1963, parents and teachers tried to get it banned. It was controversial because kids aren't supposed to be sent to bed without dinner. Pretty scandalous, huh?] The article featured interviews with two of the actors from …
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Unlimited Fun for a Quarter
So an employer decides that his team needs a little cheering up. It's Christmastime, nearing the end of what has been a tumultuous year. He remembers his daughter's recent birthday, and a simple party favor he purchased that was a huge hit with the kids. It was also a huge hit at his own birthday party, some twenty-five years earlier. A simple red clown nose. He bought enough for every one of his employees -- he had to visit three different stores to collect enough for everyone. Because of the holiday, the clown noses became "Rudolph Noses" and everyone was encouraged to wear one. …
EA #35: 6 Tips to Make Your Workplace More FUN
In this episode, brought to you from studio 303 in Greeley, Colorado, we talk about the secret to living to 112, yearbook pictures, Jason's first trip to Fenway Park, and share 6 tips to make your workplace more fun. Just click "Play" to listen to the show... …
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Beware Common Knowledge
One of the advantages children have over adults is that they are not yet bogged down and limited by "common knowledge." For children, everything is on the table. They see life in a colorful kaleidoscope of possibility. As they get older, the world is all too eager to impart its "common knowledge," informing them of what's really possible, and what's really not. Talking heads -- folks with fancy degrees, oodles of experience, and impressive titles -- squawk their opinions on our TV sets and "Internets" and we are expected to accept their guesses as factual truth. If only their track record …
Dance Little Bird
Ever notice how whenever you hear a story of someone who is presented with life-threatening news, you never hear the person say, "Well that's it. I obviously haven't spent nearly enough time working. I'm heading to the office –- I don't have a minute to spare!" Pretty ridiculous, huh? Then why is it, when we're NOT faced with life-threatening news, our actions suggest that work IS the most important thing in our lives? Notice I said actions. You can talk a big game about quality time and keeping first things first, but the proof of your real priorities is in your actions. Always. Bob …
Questioning the Shoulds
How's your job? A thrilling and exhilarating adventure, or little more than an increasingly boring way to bring home the bacon? Passion Catalyst Curt Rosengren is an awesome chap and a generous contributor to our latest issue of Kim & Jason magazine (on its way to Club K&J members as we speak...or as I write?) I have been reading his book, 101 Ways to Get Wild About Work, in small bites on airplanes as Kim and I have criss-crossed the country flying to speaking engagements. There are so many self-help books out there that it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between them, …
Interview On Entrepreneurship
Akemi writes a blog about life purpose, passion, and entrepreneurship. She recently posted an interview she conducted with me and Kim about our journey as entrepreneurs. Here's a taste: What were the three biggest challenges when you were starting off as a new entrepreneur? Kim: 1. Funding. Jason and I were straight out of college with empty pockets and big dreams. There were a lot of upfront expenses, but not a lot of income at the beginning. We grew slow and steady, though, which enabled us to stay afloat. 2. Patience. We had grand visions, but weren’t exactly sure which steps to take …