Ideas to talk about

 Culture  No Responses »
Sep 092011
 

Listening to new ideas is an absolute pleasure.  

The problem: I don’t think there are enough conversations that really discuss great ideas.  

As Tom Peters puts it, ‘If you can’t say, a couple of times a week, “I had my mind twisted like a pretzel today,” you are sliding down a slippery slope to stale thinking and staleness in general. (Both mind & body must be fit and stretched!)’

Consider this from Eleanor Roosevelt*:  “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people” 

The challenge: for the next 24 hours, pay extra attention to every conversation you have. Make a note of whether it’s about a) people, b) events or c) ideas.  Once the 24 hours are over, make a decision, what is it that you’ll be talking about more of from now on?

Ideas. Think about them, talk about them, learn to love them!

*Dispute exists as to whether Eleanor penned or simply used these words


How long is ‘a while’?

 Culture  No Responses »
Mar 132011
 

‘A while’ is not something I say, but I’ve noticed that many people do.  I’ve also noticed that ‘a while’ has an infinite number of meanings.

I’m not very good at reading minds and when I guess how long your ‘a while’ is my strike rate at guessing right is pretty low.  So… I ask.   When I’m told something is going to take ‘a while’ my very next question is “so how long is a while?” 

‘A while’- sometimes it means a minute, sometimes it means a month.  Asking works for me.

Interested. Really?

 Culture  No Responses »
Jan 292011
 

Today I spent about an hour with a bloke who honestly believed he loved learning new things. I’m not so sure…

He told me a couple of times that he loves hearing about his customer’s jobs, lives and businesses. BUT, in an entire hour, he only asked me one or two questions about what I do – in an entire hour!  Approx 56 minutes of our time together involved him telling me, in great detail, about HIS life.  

Brad’s stories weren’t boring.  But that’s not the point.  He did the complete opposite of what he said.

Be aware of what you say. It’s important.