So Kim asked Lucy if she wanted to help her make grilled cheese sandwiches. Convinced it would be like frosting a cake, Lucy signed on. Kim gave her a butter knife and told her to make sure she just buttered one side. And this was the result. One of my favorite things about hanging around kids is being regularly reminded that there are always new ways to look at things. When confronted with old problems that demand new solutions, our first step might be to develop a new way of seeing. …
Workplayce
Every Company Needs a Swing Table
If I had an extra $11,000 sitting around, I'd totally want this Swing Table designed by Duffy London. The video is simple and contains hardly any motion at all, but it somehow ratchets up the "I want that" factor to 11. What would happen if EVERY company had a conference table like this? (Not just the cool, trendy web companies with vowels missing in their names.) I have a hunch that levels of fun, morale, and groundbreaking ideas would skyrocket, while employee turnover, conflict, and lawsuits would plummet. Think about it: picture two parties at odds with one another, on a seemingly …
The Power of Bam
Yep, it's official. We need more "Bams" in the world. I don't care whether you work at Wal-Mart or on Wall Street, you are viral. More than ever, little things are big deals. In the fight against Adultitis, you can either be part of the problem or part of the solution. Which do you choose? …
Children’s Hospital Hires Spiderman to Fight Grime
It seems ridiculous at first. What if we dressed our delivery drivers like the Flash? Or the crowd control team at the stadium as Stormtroopers? Or our window washers as...Spiderman? That's exactly what John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital did a few months ago. …
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Small Rebellion #6: The Ugly Treat Initiative
According to the Interwebs, the first week of April is Laugh at Work Week. If there’s one thing work could use more of, it’s laughter. Inspired by our most recent Champion of Childhood award winners who made an epic ugly cake for a co-worker, we are introducing a new Small Rebellion and we'd love to have you join us! It’s called The Ugly Treat Initiative, and the instructions are very simple: The MISSION: Step 1) Make a delicious dessert that also happens to be really, really UGLY. Step 2) Bring it to work to share. Step 3) Enjoy laughter and improved morale with your colleagues. (And …
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Sendoff of Co-Worker Gets Ugly
Kathleen Molland, Jeanette Raab, and Susan Withey were at a speaking program I did in Williston, North Dakota. I told the Ugly Cookie story. Then these three took it to a whole new level. Here's what happened, in the words of Kathleen: …
Play is Napalm for Great Ideas
Wes Naman is a professional photographer. Like many professionals, he was a little burned out with the "professional" side of his work and needed a break. So he grabbed some Scotch tape and got silly. With the help of some open-minded friends, he used lots and lots of tape to wrench their faces into ridiculous positions. Then he asked them to try and remove the tape using only their facial muscles. It resulted in 33 photographs like the ones pictured above. Which led to the project becoming a viral sensation, the attention of the Scotch brand itself, and an unlimited supply of rolls …
Hey Congress. Legislate This.
I couldn't agree more. Imagine these being installed in airports. Imagine these being installed in the offices of all law firms and insurance companies. Imagine these being installed in every single government building, especially the ones in Washington, D.C. I dare say that these could bring peace to the Middle East. Get on it, Congress. …
Mustache Straws Make Everything Better
I don’t know what it is about mustaches, but they’re quite the trend. The best I can tell, fake ones are still more popular than the real ones (with apologies to Mr. Tom Selleck.) You may remember a post a few months back in which I suggested the idea of having a mustache cookout. This week I’m sharing another mustache-related project because it’s fun and funny, and a ridiculously easy way to upset Adultitis. Which pretty much covers our M. O. around here. …
We’re Waiting for Your Revolution
Last year, Amazon.com sold more ebooks than printed books. It’s been a fascinating rise, ushered forth by the iPad and Kindle. Even more fascinating is seeing how the industry is reacting to it. In many ways, ebooks are upsetting the apple cart, and people with businesses geared toward the old way of doing things are not happy about it. So it was with great interest that I read an article in Mental Floss magazine about the advent of paperback books, and their similar assault on the status quo. In 1939, Robert de Graff introduced softcover books to America, offering them for just 25¢, while …