"If you think you can do a thing ... or think you can't do a thing; you're right."
I love football season, and I'm a sucker for plot devices like this.
Here is a clip from the movie "Facing the Giants".
There are times in life when it is hard to imagine finding a path to victory.
So often the answer is as simple as committing to the outcome desired, showing-up, playing full-out, and giving your best until there is absolutely nothing left.
Bill Gates recently predicted that the Internet would be a better source of education than any single university.
The video in this post is an example of how good Internet content is getting. Watch the "Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" from Dan Pink. It is very well done.
Don't let the cartoons fool you; you can learn a lot in a little over 10 minutes. I really like the visualization technique (of drawing what is spoken); it is surprisingly effective.
This video comes from RSA. You can find other videos like this one at their website.
Is Money the Best Way to Motivate Performance?
In today's business environment, is it optimal to entice people with a sweeter carrot, or threaten them with a sharper stick?
In his book, Drive, Pink calls for a different approach ... one that is built much more around intrinsic motivation. Around the desire to do things because they matter, because we like it, because they're interesting, because they are part of something important. The new operating system for our businesses should revolve around three elements: autonomy, mastery and purpose.
In other words, the main point is that when someone is already intrinsically motivated, applying extrinsic motivation (in the form of reward for good behavior or punishment for bad behavior) is self-defeating because it detracts from the intrinsic motivation, which is a much more powerful force.
If you like this, then click here to see his TedTalk video too.
This video made me laugh out loud.
It shows a "motivational" speaker attempting to break a piece of wood over his head.
There might be a deeper point worth capturing; but it is worth watching purely for the entertainment value.
via Tony Robbins.
Is the glass half-empty, or is the glass half full?
It's easy for cartoonists to make fun of how long it took to stop the oil leak.
Nonetheless, it will certainly be a lot easier to clean up the mess now that were not making more of it.
Here's to progress.
A simple flow chart caught my eye this week.
There is a bit of truth in that; isn't there?
I've been reading a pretty good new book that is an interesting mix of stories, life-lessons, and business content. It combines a behind the scenes peek into the situations, emails, checklists, sample interview questions, and "Happiness Framework" that led to some surprising results.
For example, here are Zappos' Core Values from which they develop their culture, brand, and business strategies:
In 1999, Tony Hsieh (pronounced Shay) sold LinkExchange, the company he co-founded, to Microsoft for $265 million. He then joined Zappos as an adviser and investor, and eventually became CEO.
In 2009, Zappos was listed as one of Fortune magazine's top 25 companies to work for, and was acquired by Amazon later that year in a deal valued at over $1.2 billion on the day of closing.
So, you might guess that he learned a few things about what worked, and what didn't.
In his first book, Tony shares the different business lessons he learned in life, from a lemonade stand and pizza business through LinkExchange, Zappos, and more. Ultimately, he shows how using happiness as a framework can produce profits, passion, and purpose both in business and in life.
Here is a video of Tony Hsieh on Delivering Happiness.
Zappos is Famous For Their Culture. Here's a Taste of It.
Here is Tony's BigThink video explaining his company's culture and belief that managers should "hang-out" with staff after work.
Other Resources.
My kids are getting older. So Father's Day looks a little different than it used to.
But as I look back, there is an investment I made that paid-off in a big way, and I want to share it with you.
Like many parents, I wanted to teach my children that, to a large extent, they control what happens to them. One of the first ways I did that was to set up a "compensation system" for them to earn video games.
Some parents try to limit the amount of time their kids spend watching TV or playing video games. I tried something different. Instead, my kids earned their games by reading books. Here is a photo from way back then.
Here's how it worked. When they were younger, 10 books was enough to earn a small game. When they finished a book, it was their right, and my obligation, to take them to the bookstore for us to pick up the next book together. Likewise, when they finished the requisite number of books, it was their right, and my obligation, to take them to the computer store or game store for them to choose any game they wanted.
I got what I wanted, though; both my boys love reading, and know that they can accomplish anything they put their minds to … one step at a time.
That's an investment that will pay dividends for a long time.
Here is a link to short video by Mac Anderson of Simple Truths.
It is a collection of quotes and simple truths set to music. Hope you have a good week.
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Recently, the concept of "Focus" keeps coming to mind when I try to make sense of what's happening in the markets.
As I review stories, news, and data, I'm trying to be more aware of where the bias is (even if it is unintentional).
Focus, Bias and Perspective.
The photo series, below, is an example of how our perception can be easily shaped. The far left version looks violent. The far right version looks compassionate. It could be both (or neither).
Each of us perceives the world through our own filters. It is as if we're producing a film (which could be edited into a comedy, drama, or thriller ... based on what we focus on, highlight, or ignore). Except that we often don't know it's just a film, edited by an amateur ... Instead, we perceive it as truth because it is what we perceive.
The point is that perspective matters.
