Me Myself and Them?

In grade school, we were new at the relationship thing, so we usually gravited to kids who shared our interests and were just like ourselves. As we grew older, we hung out with kids who liked what we like just like ourselves.

As we entered the workplace, we grabbed a drink with the people who seemed to be cool just like ourselves. As we built our careers, had grown up relationships, and even raised a family, we would spend our fleeting spare time talking and hanging out with old friends just like ourselves.

What do you think?

When we ask for opinions, it's easy to ask for input from people just like ourselves. The challenge is to break through those norms we have built since grade school and ask new opinions, fresh perspectives, and maybe even contradictive points of view.

I don't remember who said it, but the adage goes like this: when you're building your business, tell your friends and family all about it; get that out of your system; then get the real work of building your business. I'm not sure we should gloss over the first part. 

We spend our formative years with people just like ourselves and then we are told to be open to people who are not like ourselves. That might be wise counsel as long as we don't devalue our own opinions and thoughts.

Our opinion counts too.

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Just Like Me

In grade school, we were new at the relationship thing, so we usually gravited to kids who shared our interests and were just like ourselves. As we grew older, we hung out with kids who liked what we like just like ourselves.

As we entered the workplace, we grabbed a drink with the people who seemed to be cool just like ourselves. As we built our careers, had grown up relationships, and even raised a family, we would spend our fleeting spare time talking and hanging out with old friends just like ourselves.

What do you think?

When we ask for opinions, it's easy to ask for input from people just like ourselves. The challenge is to break through those norms we have built since grade school and ask new opinions, fresh perspectives, and maybe even contradictive points of view.

I don't remember who said it, but the adage goes like this: when you're building your business, tell your friends and family all about it; get that out of your system; then get the real work of building your business. I'm not sure we should gloss over the first part. 

We spend our formative years with people just like ourselves and then we are told to be open to people who are not like ourselves. That might be wise counsel as long as we don't devalue our own opinions and thoughts.

Our opinion counts too.

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Where It All Starts

We know ideas are the beginning of everything. The keyboard I'm using to write this started with an idea; the laptop I'm using started with an idea; this website started with an idea; the internet started with an idea; you and I deciding to connect though we may not know each other started with an idea.

But what do we do with a hunch?

It's not an idea yet; it's just a feeling or a nudge. It's a pause or a quick wave of inspiration we can't even form into an idea yet. Stephen Johnson explains how ideas are born and executed.


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Non-Verbal Clues

We know ideas are the beginning of everything. The keyboard I'm using to write this started with an idea; the laptop I'm using started with an idea; this website started with an idea; the internet started with an idea; you and I deciding to connect though we don't know each other started with an idea.

But what do we do with a hunch? It's not an idea yet; it's just a feeling or a nudge. It's a pause or a quick wave of inspiration we can't even form into an idea yet.

Stephen Johnson explains how ideas are born and executed.


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You Have Great Ones Everyday

We have them every day; often several times each day. We're faced with a problem, one pops to mind. They are plentiful and everywhere. We are doing something innocuous, and one breaks our consciousness. But what do we do with them?

This video is a few years old and just as valid as the day it was produced. Stephen Johnson discusses how ideas are born, incubated, and ultimately acted upon. He studies how we think about ideas and then actually execute them.

What will you do with your next idea?


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Inspirational People | Simon Sinek

We recently started a feature on this site. It began with the desire to find out who inspires readers, friends, and colleagues. If someone comes to mind, send me an email

The Three Rules: Is the information valuable to my work or life? Is the author doing actual work to back it up? Do they challenge me, make me think, and/or make me move to do something?

Simon Sinek | Re:Focus

For my entire career, I subscribed to a business mantra I thought was bolted to concrete. You devise the strategy then add tactics to accomplish your ideas. Build the plan then execute what you need to do to get it done. But Simon Sinek changed it with a box of markers and an easel.

Without knowing why we do something, all the strategy in the world won't help us. Simon also challenges the concept of leadership and reminds us in order to be a leader we need to find those who believe what we believe.

Laptop Begone

While many of us pour over PowerPoint slide decks for speaking engagements, Sinek utilizes simple tools to get us to think clearer and make things better. One man, one hour, one easel, three markers, and one captivated audience.

Simon Sinek uses clear thoughts on his site, with clients, and on stage to simplify concepts which may appear complex. And he will definitely create a reaction.

What matters most is what we do about it.

Kneale Mann

Simon Sinek

What Do You Do With a Hunch?

This video has been circulating for a while. In fact, it has close to 900,000 views so there is a chance you’ve seen it. If not, it’s worth four minutes of your time.

In this video, Stephen Johnson discusses how ideas are born, incubated and ultimately acted upon. Stephen studies how we think about ideas and then actually execute them.

Talking a Big Game

This is about how we harness those ideas, those hunches, then share them with others and collaborate with their ideas and hunches and things become reality. We can lock ourselves in theory and ideas, we have no shortage of them. But as Seth Godin puts it - is what we need more action, more shipping.

What happens to your great ideas?


Kneale Mann

video credit: stephen johnson

Busy Is Not Our Friend

There is nothing so annoying as to have two people talking when you're busy interrupting.
Mark Twain

I was speaking with a colleague this week and we got to talking about the four-letter word that is used as a crutch, an excuse and the stance of a victim – busy.

Unless you are Barrack Obama, it’s safe to say that you’re only as busy as you need to be. If you work for a company and your name isn’t on the building, your work time is not yours to dictate. In that case, you are not busy you are being told how to spend your time.


If ants are such busy workers,
how come they find time to go to all the picnics?
Marie Dressler

It's moments after you read this post. You are outraged at how I could possibly make light of your very busy life and suddenly your phone rings. It’s me informing you that I have an extra all-expense paid trip to the British Grand Prix this weekend. The plane leaves in an hour. How busy are you now?

They usually have two tellers in my local bank,
except when it's very busy, when they have one.
Rita Rudner

This is not to suggest important tasks and deadlines don't exist. This is not to diminish hard toil and other commitments. This is to point out that we tend to use the word busy like it’s some rented storage unit in the industrial basin of our lives.

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
John Lennon

We never seem to have a shortage of busy. When we need it, it’s always there. Busy comes in all shapes and increments. It’s such a universally accepted word – or perhaps mind space – that we are able to pull it out of nowhere when needed.

Busy this weekend is a great way to avoid unwanted activities. Busy when that creepy guy in the office wants to have some one-on-one time.

Busy is a badge of honor. If you get a call or an email from someone asking if you can see them that afternoon, busy is the first word that comes to mind. You can’t possibly be available on such short notice, what will they think?

We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us
that we don't take time to enjoy where we are.
Calvin & Hobbes

Busy is not our friend; it is our crutch. Busy is the cure-all for when we are genuinely busy as well as when we want to keep up with the rest of the kids in the group.

Beware the barrenness of a busy life.
Socrates

We as a society give no credence to thought, dreaming or sitting quietly. There is no way your boss will allow you to just sit in your office and think. You are obviously lazy or you don’t know what to do.

About five years ago, a friend said that he would get much more out of his employees (not co-workers or colleagues that just happen to directly report to him) if they realized that customers were profit and they were overhead. He wondered why turnover was so high.

Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.
Lao Tzu

I know you’re busy – everyone is. But are you really busy, all the time, every time you say you are? Really? Did I mention I may have an extra pit pass to this weekend’s British Grand Prix? ;-)

@knealemann
knealemann at gmail dot com

Helping clients better utilize all media.
How to make it, use it and profit from it.

Photo credits: chucklefoot.co.uk | guardian.co.uk