Brain Power

Our brains are amazing things.  Even the worlds most advanced supercomputer, with the processing power of 1,000,000 desktop computers, wouldn't come close.  IBM predict hat in 10 years time they could build a computer with the power to rival our human brain.  Even if that were true it would still need the output of a nuclear power station to run it, substantially more than 3 shredded wheat!

That's because our brains have a few neat tricks up its sleeve.  Keen photographers will be familiar with the RAW format, which contains far more data than the more commonly used JPG format.  The brain does a similar thing.  It takes the raw visual image and compresses it to reduce the amount of data, while preserving the key details.

And the image the brain receives is also subject to some power saving trickery.  The common understanding is that the whole 'picture' is captured on our retina and then streamed to the brain.  Some say that the brain progressively scans an image much like an up-scaling DVD player. Now it seems the brain uses something called predictive coding to speed up recognition.  It works like predictive text on a mobile phone. The brain guesses what it thinks it's seeing and then then processes the detail to check and update the guess.

The brain is pretty clever then, but there's more.  Our brain not only controls our thinking and perceptions, it also controls our behaviour and our emotions.  The cerebral cortex  takes care of all the logical rational thinking. However, beneath our rational brain sits the limbic system.  This controls emotions and drives behaviour.  It is the more instinctive and intuitive part of our brain and operates at a deeper level.  Have you found yourself thinking that something doesn’t feel right, can’t put your finger on it, or put it into words? That’s your limbic brain at work.

It's easy to see why communication can be so problematic. With the billions of bits of data being processed, compressed and compared, it can be easy for it to be interpreted differently depending who is doing the processing.  While everyone has a brain they are all wired up slightly differently.

The Hermann Whole Brain Dominance Index (HBDI) is a great tool for understanding individuals communication preferences.  These preferences drive behaviour and impact on all kinds of things from career choices to decision making and problem solving styles. 

I use a simple but powerful card game in leadership and team development programmes to show people how their own thinking style impacts on communication and behaviour.  It’s also a good introduction to the psychometric profile you can complete. If you like to know more about how HBDI can be used, drop me a line.

Building Sand Castles

Did you catch the BBC series Wonders of the Universe presented by Brian Cox? In the first episode Brian explained The Second Law of Thermodynamics and it struck me that it applies to business as much as it does to nature.

The world continuously slides towards disorder and chaos. You only have to go into one of the leading retail multiples on a Saturday lunchtime to see chaos at work – clothing previously neatly stacked, litters the floor like a mosaic rug. Staff come round to refold and rehang the garments, only for the items to be scattered once again. A constant stream of energy and enthusiasm is required to keep the displays looking neat and tidy, otherwise things become increasingly chaotic

Brian cox used sand castles as a way of explaining this. Grains of sand on a beach exist in a completely random order. The effect of wind, rain sun and tides may move them around, add, move, remove or replace individual grains, but its still random and requires relatively little effort or energy.

Take those same grains and put them into something highly structured, like a sand castle. Now there are far fewer variations in the way the grains can be ordered and the effect of the weather is far greater. Maintaining the sand castle requires greater and constant energy. Any lapse in attention results in the sandcastle disintegrating as chaos once again takes over

The 2nd law of thermodynamics has some interesting implications for work and our personal lives. Take your desk for example. An untidy desk requires little effort to maintain, but tidying mine up and keeping that way can be exhausting.

Tidy desk = lots of energy input = high entropy
Untidy desk = little energy input = low entropy 

However, I have to able ato find things when I want them, so like many people, I have a simple system. Simple is good - I like simple.  The more structured and complex your systems and processes, the more energy required to maintain them.


So, what can you do to simplify your business and at the same time focus on what's most important?  There is only so much energy to go round, use it wisely.

ciao Marco

like many, I was up early last Sunday to watch the MotoGP.  I was full of excitement and anticipation, but what happened just 2 laps into the race, left me numb for the rest of the day.  Low side crashes are a regular event in motorcycle racing.  Riders normally walk away unharmed and are often seen running after their bike to jump bank on it to finish the race.  Sadly, on this occasion a combination of unlikely circumstances turned a common rider error into a horrific and fatal accident.


Marco Simoncelli was a controversial rider.  He was super talented, completely committed but also took risks that some other riders felt were not acceptable in their eyes.  And that's what made him a contender to be a future world champion. Top level sport is one of extremes - that extra 1% that separates the best from the very best.  Steve Jobs was quoted as saying "stay young, stay foolish"  Today, I think I know what he meant.

Has Apple Bitten Off More Than It Can Chew?

Two years ago I jumped the Microsoft ship and moved over to apple.  My main reason was the famous "it just works functionality.  No more crashing, freezing and wasted hours tracking down conflicts. I wanted simplicity and Apple provided it with style.

Today however, I lost a little faith.  Apple's release of IOS 5 and iCloud have turned my iPad into a very expensive Kindle.  My iPhone is now just a phone.  Despite spending the best part of 3 hours talking to the very friendly and apologetic Apple Support staff I still have the best part of £1,000 worth of equipment that just doesn't work.

Are Apple a victim of their own success, or have they forgotten what made them successful in the first place?

Stay Hungry Stay Foolish

Today is one of those days that I'll remember. One of those days when someone says where were you when Steve Jobs died? It's come as a bit of a shock and that surprises me. I've never met him, I don't know him. All I do know is what I see and read in the media. But what I read today struck a chord or maybe touched a nerve. I'm definitely still foolish, but am I still hungry?

In 2005 Steve Jobs gave the commencement address at Stanford University, where he told three stories, The first one was about his early years and education, and hoe following his passions unintentionally provided him with the inspiration for the first Mac's typography.

The second story was about love and loss, being fired from Apple, creating Pixar, falling in love and finally his return to Apple after they bought NeXT.

His final story and the part I have written out below is about death. It's so poignant today listening to him when speak about his battle with cancer and seeing death as life's change agent. I find it both moving and inspiring:

"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much."

Thank you Steve. In death, as in life you are still an agent of change.

Read or watch the full speech here http://bit.ly/q5rcvx

How Angry Birds can Improve Business Performance

For anyone who hasn't heard of Angry birds (where have you been?), it's the gaming phenomenon that has taken the world by storm.  So strong is the Angry Birds brand that companies like Starbucks are using it to raise their own profile. But how can Angry Birds improve business performance?


Taking some of the principles of game theory and applying them to your business can reap big rewards for little or no investment.  Here are a few ides to get you started:


Angry Birds has a clear achievable goal - kill the pigs and claim your golden eggs
How clear are the goals in your business and what do they mean to your employees and/or volunteers?  If people don't understand them, find no meaning in them or believe they unattainable; you'll never get the best from them.


Angry Birds is easy to understand and play
Is everyone clear about your expectations?  Have you provided the guidelines and resources to enable your staff to easily engage with you and the business?


Failure is not punished, it's an opportunity to learn from mistakes
In Angry Birds, if you dont' complete a round, you get to have another go.  You are encouraged to learn from your failed attempts by making it easy to start the round again, even part way through. The puzzle element of the game promotes creative thinking.  How does your business utilise failures and mistakes?


Angry bird characters have different skills and qualities.  Using them in the right combination solves the puzzle.
Angry Birds promotes team working.  By recognising and learning about individuals' skills and qualities, you learn to make the best use from them.  what are your team members' hidden strengths?


You get unexpected achievements to keep you motivated and interested, encouraging you to complete the game.
This was the inspiration for writing the blog.  As you move through the Angry Birds game, you are rewarded for your perseverance and determination, as well as your successes.  Everyone knows the importance of rewarding performance, but how often does it happen?  Small tokens and gestures with little or no monetary value have an amazing effect.  Try it!

Short Steps (not short cuts) to Making Good Choices

Some decisions are easy, others hard.  Here’s some steps that can help make a few of them a bit easier, rather than leaving them to chance:

1. Keep you eye on the prize.  What is the outcome you want and how do the options fit with it? If you’re not clear about your goal, spend some time to clarify what you want. visualise what you want
2. Use your head and your heart. If you tend to be a rational/logical thinker, allow your intuition to come to the fore and visa versa. 
3. Take your potential decisions into the future.  how does the the future look, feel, sound, taste and smell once they’ve been made? Are there any unintended consequences? How do they align with your desired outcome?
4. Plan the choice you've made.  If there's a big step to take, what would half-way be?  If it's ok, move on, if not, what would half-way to half-way be like - I think you get the idea.
5. Act now.  If you find yourself hesitating, what is holding you back? Is it physical, intellectual or emotional? Imagine for a moment what would you do if you weren’t afraid.  There is no failure only feedback.

Imagine what you want, plan what you imagine, do what you plan 

Are You Tuned In To Change?

A friend of mine turned their tv on this morning, only to be greeted by the dreaded snow storm screen of televisual death. After a brief moment of panic, she remembered that it was her turn for the bis switchover and her digibox simply needed retuning.  Five minutes later, Adrian Chiles' face was smiling happily down on the assembled family and normal service was resumed.


On reflection, my friend thought her reaction to tv failure was hilarious, but also brought home a serious point:  For months the media have been telling everyone the changeover is going to happen, support lines have been set-up, information websites created, advertising campaigns pushing the message out there and what do we do? We ignore it and then panic when it happens!


So how do you manage change?  Do you plan and prepare, let it happen and go with the flow, or ignore it, hoping it will never happen?  It's your choice, but your choice affects not just you but all those around you. Corporal Jones made a career out of shouting "Don't Panic", but it's unlikely to work for you.

OK Computer

It's official, computers have changed the way we think.  or to be more specific, computers have changed the way we use our memory.  Rather than remember the information itself, people are starting to remember where to find the information.  Our brains are becoming huge search engines, locating the source but not the info itself. No doubt there are people already working hard at how to wirelessly network our brain to Google or Bing, and as soon as Apple can, there will be an app for that, which will be launched by a small gesture or facial expression.


More importantly, are we in danger of losing something vital for human and organisation development? Will the changes in our brain degrade the creative thinking that is the catalyst for change, or will this evolution lead to something better ?  Current research in the USA suggests that children there are becoming less creative.  What does this mean for the next generation of businessmen and women and how will organisations need respond to the decline in creative thinking?


All too soon we could all be passengers on a super space liner, being waited on hand and foot by automated robots, managed by Skynet, oblivious to the reality that is delivered to us by a hyperband, cerebral cortex connection.  Pixar has seen the future and all we have to do to live it, is do nothing.

How High Performance Happens

Photo by clix www.sxc.hu

The most successful sports teams focus on performance not the outcome. How often do you hear football mangers talk about performance regardless of the result? Great performances will ultimately lead to success but poor performances will not. Focus on the performance and success will follow, focus on the result and success will continue to be elusive.


Success is not controllable but performance is.


Performance is all about decision-making and execution. Decision-making is a skill that can be analysed and developed in the classroom, but execution happens on the pitch. It can be practised in training, where the outcome is more controllable, but ultimately it’s on the pitch where high performance is put to the test and where the least amount of control exists

It’s common amongst high performing sports teams to analyse key moments (critical incident analysis), but how that analysis takes place and where the emphasis lies, will have a decisive impact on what is learned. The intent has to be from a positive perspective; otherwise the outcome is destructive rather than constructive. Here is a simple template for a discussion:

• Experience
• What happened
• What were the consequences

• Analysis
• Why
• Controllable (internal self)
• Uncontrollable (external)

• Learning
• Beliefs
• Feelings
• Future action

What is fundamental to developing high performance is the culture. There has to be a culture where the focus is on the positive intention to use analysis and measurement as a development tool, rather than to highlight shortcomings. Research by Losada and Heapthy (2004) discovered that when teams focus on positives and on each other, performance improves.  Critical and negative feedback had a detrimental impact on performance.


This brings us to the question of leadership and how leaders build a culture of high performance where development is at the heart of improvement. Leaders create the climate and the culture that leads to high performance. What leaders often lack is a framework, the tools and techniques to create the conditions where high performance can emerge.


The Four Stages of Contribution model is a great template for developing and managing high performance. Over 30 years of research has gone into defining what high performance looks like in organisations.  The answer to the question what does high performance really look like is, of course, "it depends", and you're right.  It depends on where someone is in their career.  A football apprentice wouldn't be expected run rings round1st team players, but they do have to meet expectations appropriate to their stage of development.  The same is true for a graduate entrant in their first role.


what is important is to be able to articulate these expectations and give them a clear line of sight about how those expectations will change as their career and performance progresses.  To learn more about the Four Stages of Contribution download and  read this really useful guide  Developing and Maintaining a Competitive Career and if you want to know more contact me at ememex 

Imagine this was true

After a visit to the Anthony Gormley statues on Crosby beach, I travelled over to Southport – mainly because I’d never been there before.  It’s a pretty town and apparently the Champs Ellise in Paris is modelled on Southport’s main shopping street.

Another claim to fame is Southport’s pier.  It’s the second longest in England, although that sounds like a runners up medal – close but no cigar.  At the end of the pier is an old fashioned penny arcade full of early 20^th century amusements from one armed bandits to the very scary laughing seaman (remember the film?).  And of course the fortune telling machines.

I tried out a few slot machines, penny rolls and finally had a go with a palm-reading machine.  After ‘scanning’ my hand with what felt like ball bearings, out popped a card with the analysis.  As I read the results, I was thinking “this sounds just like me, how could it be so accurate?”  Was this just a mechanical toy, or something more?

Of course it’s all very nice to be hear that you have such positive qualities, but we all know that it’s just a game, nothing more.

But wait.  Imagine for a moment that everything on that card was true.  All of those qualities were mine in abundance.  How would that change thing for me?  How would that impact on my confidence and performance?

So, here’s my gift to you.  I’m going to read your palm.  

Hold up your palm to the screen so I can see it.  No it doesn’t matter which one.  That’s right, perfect. Now hold it still ….  

Done!

Here’s what I see.

You hand denotes great ability for business details; hence you are bound to succeed in whatever you take in hand.  You are freehearted and know how to make and spend money.  You are slow to make friends, which is a very good quality.  You have great determination, which should stand you in good stead.  Life for you will not be a bed of roses, but you have courage to overcome obstacles as they arise.  You are logical and have splendid willpower, which is a great asset.  You are fond of the good things of life and like comforts to an advanced degree.

Imagine this is true.  Imagine you are courageous, determined and have great business acumen. What would change for you, what would you do new or differently? 

So what is stopping you?

Think carefully about your answer, it may be the start of making your dreams come true.

Performance Under pressure

Golfing's greatest competition has been taking place this year at Sandwich.  The Open Championship is one of the great tests in the sporting calendar.There will be some truly great performances and some surprisingly poor ones.  Already the 2 top ranked players in the world have been eliminated and a 20yr old amateur has held the lead.

So what makes a Claret Jug winning golfer?  Here are a couple of quotes from some famous golfing winners:

• Bobby Jones - Golf is a game that's played on a 5 inch course, the distance between your ears.
• Tom Watson - Talent doesn't make a winner.  Two of the worlds most successful golfer miss more fairways than anyone else.  What you need is tenacity and focus.
• Gary  Player - The harder I practice the luckier I get

Dr Bill Gerrard is a technical consultant for Saracens rugby club, who won the Aviva Premiership this year. Using his performance analysis methodology he looks at two keys aspects:

•  -the ability to make the right decision during a game play and
• - the level of execution of that decision.

The best athletes don't just execute well, they are able to think clearly under the intense pressure of a game and make the right decision at the right time.  I'm reminded of some advice from Master Yoda - Be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the present.

PS. I wrote this before the final round, so well done and congrtulations Darren Clarke

The Power of Words

A friend recently sent me a link to a YouTube video.  It was a moving film, but the ending credits revealed the source as a viral ad from a marketing company.  Comments from other viewers pointed out that the film was actually closely based on the 2008 Cannes Short Film Award winner Historia de un Letrero (The Story of a Sign) by Alonso Alvarez Barreda.  I tracked down the original and linked to this rather than the viral ad.


For me, the film a powerful reminder of the power of words and how reframing a context can change peoples' thinking and actions. Reframing is an important part of a coaches toolkit and elegantly used, can be a game changer.  I'll leave you to watch the film for yourself, and while you watch think about what you can do to reframe a current situation for yourself or someone you know, where it would make a positive difference.

Bad News - It Works Perfectly

I’ve just had to change my mobile.  I have been using an iPhone 3g, which I loved, until the software updates eventually made it unusable.  Fortunately my contract was up, so I took the plunge and got an Android phone.  I was happy.  Very happy.  I could make calls, and although finding my way round the phone was a bit of a challenge it was fun.

Sadly it wouldn’t sync with all my other Apple tech and a little reluctantly I went back to the iPhone, but this time the latest version.  Now everything works perfectly.  It’s faster, slicker and everything I wanted from a phone, but I wasn’t excited about it.  Everything worked, no hassle, no tweaking settings, but it’s now just a phone.  What happened?

I was thinking about that today and a career management tool I use popped into my head.  Career Orientations helps people understand what motivates them in a career.  It’s really useful both for the individual and their organisation to help increase individual contribution and engagement.  It’s based on research by Brooklyn Derr who identified 5 distinct orientations:

Advancement. This upwardly mobile career orientation is usually associated with advancing up a hierarchy of positions or status system. More influence,

Security. Some people are driven by loyalty, organisational identity and the desire for a sense of order. In return for dedicated, hard-working service, they seek long-term employment, benefits, recognition and appreciation from the employer.

Freedom. Instead of moving upward in career direction, the careerist following this strategy seeks to move out toward the margin. The emphasis is on gaining personal autonomy, “space”, loose supervision and responsibility for outcomes rather than being bound by another’s process, norms and rules.

Challenge. Some careerists are driven by the need for excitement, risk and the engaging process of work. In such a career, one seeks to move – often laterally – to the centres of action, adventure and creativity.

Balance. Some people seek to balance their work, relationship and self- development lives. For these individuals, work is just one important dimension of a total lifestyle orientation, even though such careerists may emphasise different dimensions at different seasons and given different pressures.

I’m a Challenge and Freedom person.  I like autonomy and I particularly like challenging and exciting relatively short term projects.  My experience with my iPhone brings this home to me.  The Android phone was new exciting and posed a challenge to get it to work with my existing technology.  The iPhone put simply, just works.  Where’s the fun in that?

Translate that into a work based scenario.  It’s really important if you want to engage, motivate and develop someone that you not only find the right projects and assignments for their capabilities, but also that you position the assignment with their career orientation.

The Oxygen of Management Life

For almost 2 years Google have been working on Project Oxygen - their research into what makes a good manager. The New York Times recently published an article about what they have discovered - Google’s Quest to build a Better Boss

What they found – and it isn’t surprising – is that building a strong relationship between managers and their team, gets better results. Soft skills can get mixed up with being a soft touch and this isn’t the case. It’s simply that being Technically brilliant isn’t the pre-requisite for being a good manager or Leader.

Here are google’s 8 rules.

1. Be a good coach 
2. Empower your team and don't micromanage
3. Express interest in team members' success and personal well-being 
4. Don't be a sissy: Be productive and results-oriented 
5. Be a good communicator and listen to your team
6. Help your employees with career development 
7. Have a clear vision and strategy for the team 
8. Have key technical skills so you can help advise the team.

They also highlight 3 pitfalls that managers can easily be trapped by:

1. Have trouble making the transition from individual contributor to manager
2. Are inconsistent in managing team member performance and career development
3. Spend too little time managing and communicating

Another organisation that recognises the importance of relationship management is professional services firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. The CEO Giam Swiegers is very clear “We focus on people who are good with people when we recruit and promote.” You can read more about Deloitte in the Management Today Article, The Cultured Organisation http://bit.ly/erzaK5




Both Deloitte and Google backs up the work I have done with the four stages of contribution model. The four stages model defines the behaviours associated with high performance for individual contributors and managers; and provides a framework to help manage and promote the transitions across career stages to overcome the barriers Google have identified.

Novations four Stages of Contribution model

Google could have simply used exising research to come to the same conclusion, but it’s good that they had the resources and energy to fins out for themselves what makes a good Google manager. It’s good for everyone else too, to know that when it comes to careers and what’s important we’re all on the same page.

Leading From the Inside Out

You may already be a TED regular, but if not, make some time to visit the site and watch or listen to some great speakers.  One that  recently got me thinking is Simon Sinek’s presentation on How Great Leaders Inspire Action.

The message I took from it was the importance of communicating meaning to gain commitment and loyalty from customers and employees alike. His Golden Circle encapsulates simply and elegantly why some leaders and organisations are more successful than others.

Everyone knows what they do. Some know how they do it, their USP or differentiators, but very few know why they do it i.e their purpose, what business are they in?

Most orgs communicate from outside in.  Inspired orgs think from outside in.  Simon uses Apple Inc to explain his model.  Apple don’t do this:

• We make great computers (what)
• They’re beautifully designed simple to use (how)
• Do you want to buy one? (Why)

They do this:

• In everything we do we believe in challenging the status quo, thinking differently. (Why)
• The way we challenge the status quo is make our products that are beautifully designed and are simple to use. (how)
• We happen to make  great computers (what)
• Want to buy one?

How and Why statements tap into our emotional brain and that drives behaviour.  It also generates feelings such as loyalty and commitment that are a key motivator in increasing discretionary effort and contribution.  Leaders have to be able to communicate meaning, be clear about why they do what they do, and why they believe in what they believe.  Without this, their leadership is diminished.

So, If you don’t know why you do what you do, how can you foster loyalty?  What would you rather have, people who do their job just to get paid, or people who do  the job because they believe in it and are passionate about it?

The Golden Circle reminds me of Novations TOP model, which is a great tool for explaining the importance of Passions and Talents in achieving Organisational (or personal) goals.  People are only fully engaged at work when they are being stretched with projects and assignments they can really buy into.  


It part of a leader’s role to understand what an individuals talents and passions are and it’s equally important for leders to understand their own natural abilities and motives.


By aligning Talents Passions and Organisational needs, you get the best out of someone and they feel rewarded, valued and engaged too.  It's a tripple win and that's what makes the real difference in organisations.


The saying goes, before you can lead others know thyself.  If you haven’t already, begin your journey to inspire others, from the inside – out.