April 2010
57 posts
The Transforming Power of Ho‘okipa in Business →
Danny Meyer’s book has sat on my desk since I’d written yesterday’s post (Are we seeking Hospitalitarians?) and I’ve been enjoying reviewing it: In fact, I’ve been adding to my 1st-reading annotations in a very wonderful three-years-later-way.
When I read the book in 2007 I wrote two blog postings for Joyful Jubilant Learning; first a book review, and then an interview with Danny. His book had...
We still consider it “criminal work”
Watched Criminal Minds last night.
There was a sub-plot to its normal offering of catching bad guys who are warped more than usual, and I find I keep thinking about it. This was the episode where Thomas Gibson, who plays Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, (and who’s comedic side I really liked in Dharma & Greg) decides he’ll go back to work at the BAU after the death of his wife even though he’s...
Are we seeking Hospitalitarians? →
That word is a mouthful. I think I like our Hawaiian words for host and hostess better: Are we seeking Mea ho‘okipa?
How to Get Free When You’re Feeling Stuck and... →
Wonderful guest post by Julie Roads. Memorable story given with the gift of practical advice.
“First you get a great idea. Next you crank out a great business plan and shop it...”
– via Wally Bock: Three Star Leadership Blog: Lean Start-Ups, History, and Common Sense
Our study of business models continues, as Wally describes “what a lean start-up really is.”
Say “Alakaʻi” » “Free” never is, so don’t ask →
A reader emailed, asking my opinion of this compromise proposed by governor Linda Lingle:
Hawaii governor asks teachers to return Lingle will release $57.2M, wants educators to work 3 furlough days at no pay.
In short, I don’t think anyone should work for free, because I believe in valuing Ho‘ohana as I do (the value of worthwhile work). So please, don’t put others in that position by...
Rands In Repose: The Twinge →
Rands talks about management. Great article (as all of his stuff is). In part:
“In addition to trusting those who work for you by delegating work that you may truly believe only you can do, management is also the art of listening to a spartan set of data, extracting the truth, and trusting your Twinges… Your failure to heed your Twinge is a management failure.”
Embrace your Systems Thinker | Talking Story →
DO feel good about being a systems thinker, and someone who understands that processes are important, for they make business move. There is no such thing as a good business without great processes…
Attention….the best way to increase anything «... →
Unlocking the Energy – Another Job for Leaders «... →
A wonderful posting in which Gwyn Teatro reminds us that performance energies will stem from the working relationship we have with our boss: “unlocking the energy” is more about setting the stage than anything else.
Rapid Fire Learning ~ Take 5 from April, 2010 |... →
These are top-of-mind for me:
I’ve been self-coaching myself to batch work within my weekly calendar planning and it is working wonderfully, but it’s also surprising me. The learning within this has been that work can redefine itself constantly: My calendar labels for the work I target will capture my intentions, but debriefing is invaluable in seeing what the work itself morphed into.
I am...
Manager’s Skill: Separate Signal from Noise |... →
One of the best skills you can cultivate as a manager is separating signal from noise, understanding what you pay attention to, and what you ignore as irrelevant.
However I’m not going to underestimate the effort it will take on your part: Separating signal from noise is very difficult to do in today’s world. It’s a skill you have to focus on grooming constantly…
The dawning of a new day, 5 years later | Talking... →
A little departure today from my usual workplace-obsessed posting.
As a mom there are two days which reign supreme in my life, and they are the birthdays of my children. One is in March, and one is today, April 21st. There is a post in the Talking Storyarchives which always calls out to me today, and it is my time to revisit it, and remember…
“The boss ain’t always right. But the boss is always the boss. - Dennis...”
– the best business advice i’ve ever received. part 2 | White Hot Truth: because self-realization rocks.
Why you need your own company | Derek Sivers →
CursingMama: How to Be a Gracious Bitch →
Model Me This | Talking Story →
There’s little use having a model you’d get an “A” for in some business course — including one of mine, because those are get-your-training-wheels places that at best, will steady you in your seat. The models you study get your thoughts somewhat less random when you’re wondering where to start, or what to kick-start next. The truly good stuff will be in the detail peculiar to you that you never...
An Erosion of Trust | Talking Story →
A pointer to an interview with David Maister by Charles H. Green.
We have a great number of challenges within the practice of business today, and I bundle them up into the belief that we have to “get softer and not harder” and focus on our people. This is what the “sensibility of Aloha management” is all about.
However the global recession of the past two years (still continuing, in my view,...
Are You A Literary Force To Be Recognized? (AWP... →
Christina Katz writes,
Understand what platform means.
“A platform communicates your expertise to others. It includes your Web presence, any public speaking you do, the classes you teach, the media contacts you’ve established, the articles you’ve published, and any other means you currently have for making your name and your future books known to a viable readership.”
“Basically, your platform is...
What is the Future of Reading? | Freelance Writing... →
From Deb Ng:
Yesterday, on Twitter and at the Freelance Writing Jobs Facebook Group, I asked: “If you had to choose between books or the Internet which would win?” The answer, hands down, was books.
This surprised me.
In our hypothetical world, I think “books” is the easy answer. If faced with this dilemma in real life, it’s more complicated. For example, books aren’t our livelihood. As a...
Time lost and found by Anne Lamott | Sunset.com →
I sometimes teach classes on writing, during which I tell my students every single thing I know about the craft and habit. This takes approximately 45 minutes. I begin with my core belief—and the foundation of almost all wisdom traditions—that there is nothing you can buy, achieve, own, or rent that can fill up that hunger inside for a sense of fulfillment and wonder. But the good news is that...
The disappointment of things →
viafrank:
bobulate:
Research shows that buying objects is ultimately more disappointing than buying experiences
Psychological research tells us that this disappointment is particularly pronounced when people buy things like mp3 players or watches, compared with experiences like vacations or concert tickets (see: experiences beat possessions).
The researchers explore six reasons why objects...
Creative & Modern Office Designs Around the World... →
Wow!
Your challenge of course, is to get the same result - supporting the creative and collaborative spirit of your people - without a budget for “architectural design enhancements”
State of the Art - Transferring the Taped Past to... →
I am such a making-a-video virgin that reading this (Personal Tech from David Pogue) was like reading greek… however I am more determined to learn. Perhaps iMovie has to be the next class I take at the Apple Store before my One-To-One year runs out.
Going Humble with the Amish | Great Leadership by... →
More on Ha‘aha‘a, the value of humility and what it looks like in the workplace.
How Alaka‘i Managers get work to Make Sense |... →
How about an intention/energy audit today?
“In case you missed the first part of our show, the future of marketing is based...”
– Seth’s Blog: Cannibalism and spam
I’ve been a longtime Seth Godin fan, and if there’s 1 thing his teaching has impressed on me it’s to honor permission.
The Organization Is Alive | Strategy + Business →
Over the past 30 years, management thinkers have largely come to accept the idea that organizations are not machines; they are as unpredictable, unruly, self-organizing, and even sentient as any living beings. Gareth Morgan, Arie de Geus, Peter Senge, Meg Wheatley, and others have written eloquently about this. Even those who don’t buy the idea of organizations being literally alive are bound to...
Revamping your Business Model? Enjoy the Study |... →
Are you studying other business models? If you’re a business owner or manager, you should be…
Do You Like the Work You Love? | The Art of Great... →
Jeffrey Tang:
Do you like the work you love?
That’s a question we don’t ask often enough. Instead, we focus on productivity, schedules, organization, simplicity, systemization, being more responsible, getting more done.
But fun is also important, because it’s the close cousin of passion. It’s hard to stay passionate about something if you never get any fun out of it.
People say that suffering...
Teaching with Aloha: Constants and Changes →
This is long overdue! It answers the question some have wondered about since last December: What is going on with TeachingWithAloha.org?
Two views on business models on the internet
Both remind us that FREE really isn’t.
1. Let Me Pay. Let Me Tip. by Frank Chimero
I get worried when I can’t pay for things.
2. Take my money. by Merlin Mann
Once you’re prepared to take one penny from one person, you need to also accept that you just became a REALLY different kind of company.
“9. There is nothing keeping you from doing the sort of work that you wish. What...”
– Frank Chimero has a blog. (10 Principles That May Make Your Work Better Or…)
Katamari
Another of those random things I learn about because I have this Tumblr. Things pop up on my dashboard, and take me on a journey of discovery.
I want this for no logical reason: Magnetic Katamari Pattern. (Want to make it… seems it will be part of the experience :)
Then learned more on Wikipedia: We Love Katamari:
The gameplay follows the same core mechanic: To gather material, the...
David Shapiro's remarkable influence | The... →
Little known fact: It was Dave Shapiro who did the copyediting on Managing with Aloha for me - a blessing for me, and for everyone who reads it! I was reminded of his good work recently as I keyboarded my manuscript for Kindle formatting.
This article is about Dave’s induction into the Hawaii Publishers Association Hall of Fame: Very well deserved honor.
Let’s Love Experts Again | Chris Bailey ::... →
The photo Chris chose for this post is perfect too :-)
As I commented for him there:
Interesting take Chris. I caught your tweet the other day about wanting to wrap your head around this issue and was curious to see what you’d come up with!
While the word ‘expert’ can grate on the sensibility people claim to have with humility (a very misunderstood value, Ha‘aha‘a…) I also see the world of...
A Ho‘ohana Talk Story: April 2010 | Talking Story →
Hau‘oli Pō‘akahi kākou, happy Monday! [We like Mondays :-) another photo and great quote.] I ended my Friday post with this:
As for Talking Story, I’ll hold off on jumping to another theme: I think we’ll take it slow and easy during the 5 weeks to come so we can all work with the ebook for now. How does that sound?
Not to worry: I’m keeping that promise, for there is much room to wiggle-work...
Own Your Brand! » Don’t “keep it simple, Stupid”! →
Mike Wagner gives us a great take on the KISS acronym:
Replace the word “keep” with the word “make”. Then, replace the world “stupid” with the word “expert”. Final result: “Make it simple, Expert!”
HBS Cases: iPads, Kindles, and the Close of a... →
“Traditional trade book publishers are scared,” says Harvard Business School professor Peter Olson. “The world that they have known, of print books and brick-and-mortar bookstores—the whole physical distribution system—is on the cusp of changing fundamentally.”
Olson has a particularly informed view of the issue. Before arriving at HBS in 2008, he was CEO of Random...
"Regret" /rɪˈgrɛt/ (v.)
Merlin Mann says this well for all of us on Twitter, and all of us who blog, all of us who publish ebooks… all of us who write and speak - period. When in doubt at all, ask permission - especially in this case when there is profit in it for you, but even if there isn’t. It’s a matter of respect. And Aloha.
[This contains some profane language, but still makes the point well, I...
Top 150 Management & Leadership Blogs - NOOP.NL →
Wow, I can imagine the hours of work which went into doing this compilation, especially with Jurgen including the Twitter handles for everyone!
The value of Humility in our workplaces | Talking... →
This past Tuesday we compared initiative and humility a bit, mostly from that place of Alaka‘i leadership, where Ha‘aha‘a (humility) encourages initiative wholeheartedly, especially in respect to Kākou (inclusivity) and Lōkahi (collaborative teaming invitations):
Initiative, Humility and “the local way”
Let’s look at Ha‘aha‘a today thinking a bit more about our individual behavior. Tuesday’s...
Creating Jobs? Let’s start with the Job Maker |... →
Isn’t it wonderful how Ho‘ohana intentions can come together? Back on March 15th, we leapt into our current theme, The Alaka‘i Manager as Job Maker, determined to tackle job creation in some way without any real plan, just strong, STRONG Ho‘ohana intentions.
Mix in a Kindle publishing project, and voila! The ‘job’ we end up tackling is that of the Alaka‘i Manager him/herself!
Initiative, Humility and the Local Way | Talking... →
Having initiative is a good thing, right?
So why then, do we squash initiative so much?
And why do we claim our squashing it is humble, and is the local thing to do?
