Christmas Dawn

The house was quiet and dark, the sun hadn't yet started to warm the eastern sky.  The lights had been switch on so the Christmas tree glowed, shimmering reflections off the gilded wrapping beneath, untouched and unexplored by little hands. 

The house sang with memories of earlier days, the whispering and creaking of young feet approaching the area tentatively, almost expecting to see the big elf himself, hoping not to, and wanting it at the same time. It would be four or five am, the children realizing even in their excitement that it was too early to ask to be up. So they were quiet, at least as quiet as thrilled could be. 

The house remembered. It smelled of Christmas with pine and sweets and reflections of the neighbour's coloured lights peeked in the windows.  It was warm and safe and full of love and good.  Mostly, it was good.  Pre-dawn Christmas morning was a special time even when the now-larger kids slept, as it knew that on this day, memories were etched and impressions that last a lifetime are forged.  The house embraced the moment and was magical in that darkness.  That pre-dawn time and place where all Christmas past lived to be visited once a year, awaiting this years merriment.

2011 - 2012 What did we Learn?

I don't know about you, but I love this time of the year for the lists, the looks back at the year that was, and the look forward and predictions made.  It's a crystal perspective ball on writers - and shows us what they really think about things - in selecting the seminal moments from the last 12 months, or the attempts to seem clairvoyant looking ahead.  With the small chance others also enjoy this, let me do it for you here.

I've put this together around a premise - one that we should all live with - what did we learn, and how does that affect our world going forward..?

1. We saw Social Media mature into mainstream platforms in 2011, from the role it played in the Arab Spring through to various Occupy movements, from Facebook's continued stellar level of growth through to Linked-in's IPO.  The thought that Social media is a fad like pet rocks, or that is restricted to Gen. Z is widely accepted as absurd now.  Seth Godin whom I greatly admire for his eloquence characterized that we shouldn't be surprised when we self-publish (our photos, blogs etc). Rather, a brief respite (that took the form of mass marketing) for a hundred years or so allowed us to forget our self-publishing nature.  2012 will see a higher proliferation of self publishing activity as we don't appear to have our fill of it yet.
2. There was lots of pure science activity, but little in the way of world-shaking results in 2011.  CERN is due to give us big news, as are the various Mars-bound probes. 2012 will be a year marked by news in pure science.
3. Obama will be re-elected in 2012.  While the national split will remain largely in place in the US, there are no huge challengers to him in the horizon, and the end of the war in Iraq, coupled with a re-emergence of the election-pulpit pounding rhetoric that helped him get elected initially will carry the day.  We learned this year that he seems shy of reaching towards the remarkable, and he has favoured the middle of the road so as not to rock approval ratings.  Once it's clear to him that November is the only approval rating that matters, he'll be re-born. Wait for it.
4. Canada's RIM will be purchased by Microsoft in 2012.  I don't have insider info, just a sad, sinking feeling that the one-time darling of the tech world has suffered enough to submit.
5. 2011 saw device convergence in the mobile telephony world. Bad news if you're a stand-alone vendor of digital cameras, GPS units or handheld gaming platforms.  This was largely stimulated by the nice folks at Apple who do have a crystal ball it seems based on their attempts-to-win record.  2012 will see that trend continue, but the base platform will change - it'll go to TV's.  You thought perhaps 3D/4D was enough ?  Wait til the nice Apple folks build in DVD players, DVR capabilities and make TV's without wifi anachronistic.  Who is in Apple's cross-hairs now ?  Sony.  For what it's worth, they're susceptible to the pending attack. 
6. Politically, 2011 was a shaky year - an 'anus terribulus' in the Queen's vernacular for much of the Arab world. Governments fell, instability reigned and the protestor was omni-present.  2012 will continue that trend.  We'll see Syria's current regime crumble and see some structural changes - preventative measures in the quasi-free states - Saudi, the UAE etc.  It may not be enough.
7. 2011 also saw the departure of Kim-Jong Il, our fearless leader (My favourite reference of the week is from the Economist - "Farewell earthlings!").  While there will undoubtedly be a settling in period for his 3rd born as heir apparent, North Koreans should expect some respite in famine terms as he attempts to buy some love from his subjects.  The kid went to school in Switzerland, so it won't have been lost on him how to be neutrally positive.
8. Mainstream entertainment will continue to thrill a smaller and smaller portion of the population at large, which goes to explain why reality TV shows will continue to be dominant.  This is the long tail's gift to the rest of us.
9. The Cubs won't win, neither will Arsenal, or the Leafs.  Some teams just can't get their heads out of their own ...well, you know.
10. Global Warming rounds out the top 10 - the veracity of it will continue to be debated while vast chunks of the Arctic and Antarctic seas break away and melt at ever-increasing rates.   The sunken frozen methane in the tundras of the northern hemisphere will start bubbling to the surface, and it will be clear in 2012 that whether or not we ratify Kyoto and do our part, this was never going to have been enough.   It's remarkable that dinosaurs with brains the size of walnuts will have outlasted us as the dominant species on the planet by hundreds of millions years.  

That's it.  What we saw in 2011, and what we should learn from it looking forward.  I do promise to revisit this in 12 months to see how I scored.

I hope you enjoyed this look into my crystal ball - happy new year.

Canada's 3rd Party - Our Conscience

Canada is different that the US in one major political structure way, and it's an interesting and important difference.  Ours is a three party system, whereas south of the border, there are two.  Of couse in both places, there are peripheral groups that would like to be considered proper political parties, but they aren't legitimate in the sense  that they couldn't be elected to govern due to their geographic distribution or minority group specialization.

This third party provides a wealth of benefits for Canada - it provides for a greater likelihood of minority governments and therefore enhances the level of public debate in the country.  Often, it provides for the actual opposition party on a national or provincial basis - as it stands right now.  This takes place when one of the two dominant parties falters or fragments.  Very occasionally, this third party is elected to govern.  It's usually a disaster as while they have good intentions, the very nature of providing an ongoing critical eye of the governments' affairs doesn't qualify one to actually govern. They are missing the experience and awareness to do the job for real.

Nonetheless, the continued success of the third party in Canada is largely due to their leadership, which I'd like to characterize as the countries 'voice of compassion'.  We've seen this in the form of the late leader - Jack Layton - who recently passed away while in office.  Mourned disproportionately to his role, Mr. Layton embraced a set of values and virtues that was widely admired.  He lived and did his job idealistically, with his focus fixed on the greater good.   In an era of George Bush and Stephen Harper, Mr. Layton was celebrated for his humane character, something most politicos couldn't buy with any amount of money.  There was an outpouring of public grief at his passing as we knew that one of the great ones was now gone.  Jack Layton personified the best of what we think of ourselves, and his death sounded the bell tolling for political virtue.

I was thinking of Jack Layton today, and what kind of a national leader he may have become, and it struck me that there are other leaders in his party - past and present - that embody the same ideals.  Bob Rae and the indefatigable Stephen Lewis.   Both of these gentlemen embody what we consider to be the best parts of our national identity.  They are selfless, empathetic, and champions of the little guy in situations where a fair deal isn't offered.  Lewis is revered for his work in Africa battling Aids, and is probably Canada's most deserving recipient of knighthood - the acknowledgement of greatness that still holds sway in the Commonwealth.

What is it about this third party, these new democrats that attracts and develops national personalities that eloquently capture our spirit, and are the conscience of this country ?   And why can't the major parties see the respect and admiration that Canada holds for this kind of leadership and try to emulate it more.  Shallow, self-serving politicians with skeletons in their closets is the default expectation of many I fear.

We are lucky to have a respit from this political dreariness, and have the benefits of Layton's common sense, Lewis's humbleness and Rae's intellect.   Mostly though we are fortunate in Canada to have three parties and a nurturing environment where idealism and a belief in fair play are equated as the qualities of those we select to lead us.  Let's hope it never changes.

How fast am I moving..?

I'm in a commercial airplane - travelling from here to there, west to east.  I get up and walk from row 20 to row 2 going towards the front of the cabin.   I'm moving at 2mph down the aisle.  The aircraft is travelling over the earth at 500 mph.

How fast am I moving ?

The answer may be selected from the options below..

1)  I'm moving at 2mph
2)  I'm moving at 502 mph
3)  I'm moving at 18mps (where s = seconds)

Which is it..?









Look down here once you select an answer..




The answer, which may surprise you is that all three answers are equally correct, and the answer you arrive at depends 100% on your perspective.

I am moving at 2mph down the aisle, and if in the cabin of the aircraft with me, that's the correct answer.  To an observer on the ground, the aircraft is travelling overhead at 500mph, and if they knew I was moving in the same direction as the plane while onboard, they would conclude I was moving at 502mph.  That's the correct answer from that position.  To an observer standing on the Sun, (very warm feet) the movement I'm making and the aircraft too for that matter are a rounding error on the earth's rotation.  To them, i'm moving at 18 miles per second.  For them, that's the correct answer.

How can all answers be equally correct ?  It's because I never stipulated where you were in asking the question.  So you have to understand you are in any location.  For that matter, there are other answers if we locate you in the Andromeda Galaxy and ask for the observations from there, and so on.  I think you get the point though.

Perspective rules.  Remember to acknowledge that.

Social Media - Size Matters

When we speak about online interactions - social CRM, we often refer to "communities".  These are nice (small) groups of people with some common interest.  We see them collaborate and contribute in the best examples.

Let's examine a word here though - community.   It speaks to a group or area within a larger area or group of people - the community in the north-western part of the state, or the French community.  It doesn't denote large however - large area are called regions or cities and large groups are often categorized into whatever holds them together - race, ethnicity, religion, language and so on.

Online communities don't seem to adhere to the size rule though.  Facebook - doubtless the largest online community has more than 800 million active members. That's 800,000,000 people.  That's not a community by any stretch of the word.  That's a nation, or more precisely its the world's 3rd largest nation.

A few notes on this...active to Facebook means people logging in at least once in 30 days.  That correlates to 'alive' I'd suggest in a direct population comparison to nations.  Growth-wise, Facebook was at 250Million users in July 2009.  In July 2010, it passed 500,000 and in this past summer, it crested 750 Million.  At this growth rate, how long will it be before it eclipses India, then China ?

About this time next year.    They really ought to get a flag.

The next level down - the Google+, Twitters and MySpace are all growing fast too, with undoubtedly some of the same users.  Dual-citizens as it were.

This platform - any 'platform' that's geographically based, or ethnicity based or anything else that gets this large, ought to be reasonably held accountable in ways we hold nations accountable.  Whether we elect to acknowledge it or not, there's huge amounts of influence at play here.

A Perspective a Day

Stand on your head.

Walk in another's shoes.

Volunteer your time.

Do something different today.  Do something outside your own comfort zone to push another perspective - one you don't normally hold - onto yourself.  

A perspective change is perhaps the cheapest and most effective lesson we can give ourselves.  You will learn something.

Guaranteed.

Discipline, Our Self Image and Objective Setting

It's ok to read this without wearing leather - it's not that kind of discipline.  I refer to the kind were we push ourselves hard when the going is getting tough.  Where we persevere and keep moving, and keep our desire to quit whatever it is we're doing in check. It's the stuff character is made of - at least that's what Vince Lombardi would have said.

Discipline is required as we diet, or embark on an exercise program.  It's required if we elect to go to medical school, or take on another physical or intellectual stretch activity for ourselves. It's required when building a business, or changing course in one.  Discipline's required to put in Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours as in his hypothesis in Outliers suggests - the time at violin practice,  the gymnastics mat or the midnight hours spent at the university library.  Discipline is what keeps us going back, especially when we don't want to.

Discipline works and is reinforced when we make recognizable gains towards our goal.  Long periods of time with no perceptible movement towards our goal taxes our discipline and make us question the effort involved.  And it is important to recall that progress is measured a few ways.

Let's say we're in school, taking a course that's difficult for us.  The attendance in class, completion of homework and measure of our results in assignments and tests are what happens, but the discipline involved is to keep attending, keep doing the needed work.  The passing of each day being us a little closer to completion.  Now, compare this to a goal to lose 10 pounds/kilos.  That goal isn't time bound, it will be achieved when it's achieved.  The fastest though not the smartest path to success is to chop off an arm.  That gives you instant weight loss, though is admittedly quite counter-productive.  The goal more precisely should be - to lose 10 pounds/kilos of fat, and reduce your BMI to X% and become healthier overall.   Spending five weeks on a diet as the only goal statement is no more realistic than electing to go to class only until you feel smart enough in the topic being covered.

So why does this matter ?  Why the remedial overview of discipline..

Because discipline and realistic goal setting should go hand in hand, with an awareness of what's involved, and I'll suggest that too often it doesn't.  

We forget to make goals time-bound, or acknowledge the unimportance of time.  We overlook the commitment required to achieve a goal, or too often under-acknowledge it.  The problem arises when we try to push ourselves to maintain that sense of disincline, when the goal isn't achievable or realistic.  And then when we fail, when we fall short of the goal, our self image about our ability to maintain discipline in our lives is rocked and very disturbed.

I'd put forth that one's ability to maintain discipline in our lives is core feature of how we view ourselves.  We integrate that into our perspective on others as well.  Homeless people are 'too lazy to work' and obese people and 'too lazy to do something about it' is often heard. Not you ?  Think about that next time you pass the person with cup in hand on the sidewalk, or have a smug salad for lunch. Our self-image of discipline is integral to our view of ourselves in the world, and when we fail our own discipline yard-stick, we affect our own view of the world dramatically.  If we fail at something, we lump ourselves into that 'lazy' camp - and that's not a very nice place to be.

So what can we do about this.  The first thing I'd suggest is to be careful about how you set goals, and define your objectives.  Rather than being a proverbial Don Quixote tilting at your windmills, be very careful and invest as much thought into the goal setting phase, as in the thought about what it will take to achieve that goal.  Aim to push yourself by all means, but do so realistically.  Take into account not simply the achievement of the goal - to learn to speak Spanish for example, but how you might maintain that skill going forward.  Where will you be able to practice, and apply what you've invested time into.

Discipline is a wonderful thing, and leads to great feelings of accomplishment and pride - but remember it has a mirror image too, and if you set yourself up for failure you have only yourself to hold accountable for that.

Deceptive Pricing

I'm not a fan of this.  Sadly it's becoming rampant.

Charge me for the services I buy/use and don't include many spurious add-ons as if they're value enhancements in some way.   Airlines do this with fuel surcharges and other hidden fees, and still have the gall to try to get the public excited about $129 airfares that really cost $500.  The local toll road I use occasionally charges an account fee and toll collection fees on top of usage.  Just make the unit-fee larger - it's what you're asking for in the end anyway.  The natural gas providers break out all manner of add-ons   that result in $35 in gas usage really costing $110.

I'm not arguing about the (total) prices here - I'm suggesting transparency in the charging principles and treating your customers like they're intelligent people rather than idiots.

In all cases above, I elect to buy these services - and their prices are not an indicator of what it costs, and that's just wrong.

It makes me want to buy elsewhere.

I wish I was as Perceptive as my Car

I have a new car, and it has some wonderful features on it, really clever stuff to make driving safer and easier.  You've probably seen some of these types of new offerings - the cars that park themselves and have all kinds of new voice-activated functionality and push-button starts.

While all that is interesting, my new car has one specific feature that I wish I possessed, and specifically, I wish I had it for my sales career.  That's an odd statement to be sure - that a car knows how to sell.  It'd put fear into the hearts of used-car salespeople all over.  Obviously the feature it has isn't designed to for selling, rather it's designed to see things that the operator doesn't.  The car has a blind-spot, side-looking radar capability.  It tells the driver visually and audibly when it isn't safe to change lanes, and this very handy especially when the driver doesn't see the other vehicle.

The car uses technology to gain a perception advantage over what people can see, and perception is pretty important when you're driving.  I'd suggest it's also important in sales.  When we sell we tend to focus on what we know, or need to find out.  There are times when we don't see the other things going on around us, and our focus is a disservice to our skills.  If you don't think this is true, take this little test - I certainly failed the first time I saw it, and I'm guessing you may as well.

So why don't we see what should be obvious ?  The answers are many, but I'll put forth that in a sales campaign what we're doing is moving as quickly as we feel comfortable towards an outcome that favours us.  We don't take our eyes off of the players and issues we've identified as important, and see what is really going on.

There is good news here though - and it also comes in the form of assistive technology.  While the automobile offers blind-spot radar to help me drive, in a sales sense I can use something like the TAS Group's Dealmaker, and invoke the Coach Me functionality.   I've been around this software for almost six years, and it doesn't 'teach me' to sell, but it still helps me see the aspects in my sales campaign that I'm not overtly paying attention to - I can proactively deal with issues before they kill me.  It highlights vulnerabilities and I know that I can move faster and safer with Dealmaker to accomplish what needs to be done.

The nature of my work is to help companies deploy this solution to enhance their own sales efforts and in the very many engagements I've had, I have never come across a single individual that possesses this 360 degree perception in sales -  but, that's to be expected.  After all, none of us come with blind-spot radar as standard equipment.

Clown Auditions

I'm not from there, but I still look on in dismay at the early US Presidential positioning and jostling. From wearing claims of sexual abuses as a badge of honour, to the inability to string together three coherent thoughts.

I know many Americans that are astute, capable and broad-minded.  Any one of them could do a better job that the current rabble standing atop the podiums.

Where are all the intelligent people, and why don't they think this job is worth applying for ?

Objectives for Parenting & Managing

You'd think these might be very different - the objectives you have to successfully parent your child, and those for managing people in your organization, but I might humbly suggest there are many similarities.  Let's start with what we're aiming for as parents.

Firstly, it's an interesting exercise I suggest you undertake as well - coming up with parenting objectives.  It's not something we normally do as our kids are always a work in progress, and the very personal nature of the relationships we share means laying out a structured approach is often not viable.  It doesn't speak to the nature of the role of parents as loving caring, guiding etc - or so it would seem.  While that is a valid perspective, I'd offer a different view to say that if you don't have defined objectives then there's little chance of taking the right steps to achieve the desired end result.  It becomes very grey and hard to pin down.  And while I do like to have a defined set of goals, the magic is clearly in how you go about realizing them, it's not ever about employing an unnatural structure upon your parent-child relationship.

So here goes - what I'd like to have as objectives for my child - rearing.  I've expressed these as capabilities the child should possess as outcomes of my/our efforts*.

1. The ability to think for themselves.
2. The ability to know the right thing to do when presented with a murky situation - morally.
3. An ability to understand and pursue that which makes them happy.
4. Respect for their fellow human being, and their opinions with which you may not agree.
5. A capability to construct a compelling argument in favour of what they believe in.
6. An appreciation for the natural world.
7. An ability to bring all your abilities to focus, and an understanding of what you're capable of.

There's a few more as well that get into the emotional and spiritual side of an individual, but for the purposes of this discussion, I'll leave these out for now.

Now - let's switch gears and look at the same list above with an eye on how to manage staff.  An ideal manager has compassion and an appreciation of what each of their people can bring to the table.  Ideally, we have a set of personal development objectives for each individual as well, as ultimately it helps the organization if your employees are exceptionally capable.

Do any of the above list of 7 criteria strike you as unnecessary in an employee, or perhaps as non-core goals in terms of staff development..?  You're free to think as you wish about the list here - it is personal to me* in a number of ways, and reflects values, experience and so on that I think are goal-worthy.  My point here is to stimulate in you the same thought - create a parental list of what you'd aim for, and compare that to what character you'd like to see exhibited in your staff.  Does it match..?  If not why not ?  Secondarily, what are you doing today to achieve this outcome.?  

Building great people -whether children or lieutenants- is rarely accidental.




** you'll note some asterisks above.  I need to acknowledge that raising children is often done as part of a team, and alignment on goals and objectives is pretty important.  You can imagine the issue if opinons differ here.  Similarly, the development of staff is rarely done in a vacuum in a workplace, so getting the same message out is critical there too.   The core points above work with both single and team direction I believe.

"Occupying" Value

The movements are now breaking up, and some are lamenting the loss of this voice of young democracy. However, the contribution has already been made - the leftover tents and urban encampments now being evicted in cities throughout the west are but echos of the value they created.
Whether you agreed or not, understood or not, or paid attention of not, what we witnessed in places near and far was the perception of a lack of fairness that some in society felt. They espoused leadership, a single voice and demands, and in some ways resembled the screaming child stamping their feet on the ground, unclear as to the instigator that brought them to their cold lonely vigils.
Value judgements aside for a moment, we can all personally relate to a feeling of being mistreated, deservedly or not. Often we quietly vote with our opinions, or wallets or in other ways, swearing never again to take that course of action. This is what we saw I'd suggest - on a scale that resonated far and wide. Websites started, social media kicked into gear and news and support materialized from those around us. It was our neighbours, kids we knew and we recognized them. Insofar as they weren't denounced or thrown out on day one, they received an outpouring of support for something none of us knew we cared about. It piqued our curiosity and we empathized with those that raised their voices, to highlight their perceived injustices.  This was democracy and freedom of speech in its truest form - we may not agree with them, but we'll defend their right to be heard.
So, now it's over. Popular media says it accomplished nothing. Do you believe that ?   I don't.
It brought the discussion about the distribution of wealth in society into our living rooms, and into a US presidential election.  It's very "grass-rootedness" and lack of defined agenda never mixed up the message.  It was brilliantly un-organized.
This key message isn't something we're supposed to be discussing by the way, there's many in powerful positions that could lose significantly if the covers get pulled back on this.   We all know it's not pretty, and we've had the discussion in various arms-length ways in the past, from CEO pay packages, to Enron-levels of greed to needing to bail out a country due to lack of fiscal responsibility.   But all these situations and discussion dance around the fundamental issue that there's cracks in the system of capitalism, and it's not a self-repairing model.  Something should be done to address the concerns of the 99%, as history tells us this is where revolutions are born.
Value ?  I think tremendous credit is due to our Occupy friends for raising the discussion to one that's being had openly now.  That's not just a valuable contribution, that's a responsibility that's been passed onto all 100% of us.

Going Vertical

I think Amazon is currently the coolest company in the world.

Now that's a judgement of mine that changes, depending on how well a company is executing a strategy, and how clear it is to others what it is that they're after. Ideally, a well executed strategy results in an industry game-changer, and catches others off guard...Nintendo's Wii or Apple's original iPhone and now Siri are amongst the best recent examples.

Amazon is doing this now and it's dead-clever.

They have for a while now been at one of the spectrum of the technology play that so many other companies are involved with. Only instead of building consumption devices (pods, pads, laptops, tv's etc), they've been building up content. What Amazon saw (I'm guessing) was that there was only one other player in the space that had content, and coincidentally, it was doing the best versus the others. That player of course being Apple.

If you think it's all about the design and elegance and white earbuds contributing to Apple's success, think again. They have the largest depth of Apps out there for their family of 220M+ iOS devices, at almost 470,000 unique offerings. That compares to the 270,000 unique offerings for the Android world - and they have a larger mobile share overall than Apple. My favourite company to pity - the nice folks at RIM with their Blackberries, thought it was about enterprise email far too long and stumble into the content breadth offering at 35,000 Apps. So, Apple has an advantageous long tail of Apps. Add to that the dominance of iTunes and it starts to become clear what powers the Apple steamroller. Great devices, deep and wide content and some degree of manufacturing efficiency mean the other tech players can't match them. Wonder who owns Samsung Galaxy Tabs..? Me too.

No doubt the good people at Amazon see this, and thought long and hard about how to emulate and take down these companies, to be leaders in the space. The key was content. Amazon happen to have a little bookstore of their own, and if books=music, then it starts to be about the consumption rate, not the technology interface if you're looking to monetize the space. Notably, it isn't about the devices, a fact few have noticed.

That was all fine and reflects the status quo until recently. In fact, Amazon weren't particularly noteworthy until recently. I'm guessing that was the plan. Some time back I bought a Kindle reading App across my own devices and it's better than anything native out there. Amazon was 'co-ompitioning'. Recently however, Amazon showed us what they are up to, and it's astounding. Firstly they unveiled the Kindle Fire which drops the price floor out of the tablet/reader market. Suddenly these are cheap and potentially commodities - beware HP, Sony, Apple etc. Secondly, Amazon announced they were willing to bypass publishers and BE the publisher and the retail storefront for authors. That extends and locks in interest into their content. Then, as icing to the cake, they announced they were willing to lend (as in free, as in library) books as well. Amazon's done a check-mate type move in content, and have marginalized the technical move so many others had focussed upon. They are device agnostic, and have scuttled the tablet market as a by-product of their strategy execution.

It's about the content, and if my crystal-ball on this is correct, this move singlehandedly changes the landscape in this space. Amazon has gone vertical, and unlike the attempts before this (Time Warner + AOL for example) they have a clear solution set for those in need of instant gratification.

In the future, we'll see cheap commodity tablets made in China, Apple as 'record' label for artists and Google moving to secure a major content play - I'm guessing a TV studio such as NBC Universal. All that will help others catch up to where Amazon is today..let's see what they do next.

Magic + Faith = Passion

I wrote recently about the magicians I've been fortunate to work with and last year, I offered an insight into my own work history with a post called "Do You Believe?" I had an epiphany the other day that they're intrinsically linked - the idea of faith and of being around those that seem able to perform business magic.

I suppose it's not much as epiphanies go - I didn't see God's face in a lump of cheese, or discover a cure for cancer, but nonetheless you don't look sideways at original thought. The fact that this popped into my head in the form of mathematics was interesting to me as well - I always seem to give greater credibility to ideas that are able to be expressed mathematically.

Magic + Faith = Passion.

Magic here being the capability to drive an organization along a road no one else sees, and usually having the foresight to predict or guide the marketplace.

Faith in this context is the unwavering belief in what you're doing such that you take on the customer's risk - they can only succeed by coming onboard your way.

Passion is an active approach to your marketplace, getting the ideas spread and helping them gain traction. It's unstoppable, and devours adrenaline.

When these two attributes are combined, it brews up a passionate organization. It can't help but due so, as focus is present, clarity is a requirement and the need to evangelize you're core proposition begs to be done.

This is interesting to me (and I'm hoping you) as the recipe for passion has eluded me prior to this. Knowing that there's a way to unleash it is very exciting.

Of course like all good math equations, it should work in multiple directions. Does passion less the magic just leave us with (blind) faith ? Does passion without any faith leave great ideas alone to dangle (magic) ? I think it stands up to both these tests, and holds water in an algebraic sense.

Fun with math aside - knowing how to stir up passion - where do you let it loose ? What situation that you're involved with requires the people to be lit on fire, and burn with passion over the core ideas and vision ? This is a tremendously powerful force, and one that most places never enjoy.

You have the power now - the secret ingredients to create passion. What's your next move ?

Magicians

The Economist cover this week resonated for me, as they used a word to describe Steve Jobs that I also use, to give due credit to those I've worked with that have done extraordinary things. "Magician". In my life, I've come across a number of individuals who are uncommonly capable and seem to have achieved some incredible things. I joined Expedia to work with the magicians there, and when they left (that's another story) the magic in the place left. Steve Jobs fits my own personal definition of magician too, and for that I'll personally miss watching him as he uncannily created those things that have become essential for me. Without guidance and all the while breaking new ground.

Before you tune out and stop reading what's starting as yet another effusive love poem to the late Mr. Jobs, I will warrant that this isn't that. There's enough of that floating around - in some ways almost too much as my friend Donal points out. I'm not here to create St. Steve, as like any of us, he was a person with flaws, and challenges, and notwithstanding that he gave the world some incredible gifts, at the end of his day he was just one of us.

There's an irony to the public mourning taking place about Apple's founder, insofar that while protest covers the western world financial centres about executives that bilk the common person in the guise of corporate greed, this billionaire CEO was loved it seemed. One can deduce that the key is the kind of contribution one makes then - if we can enrich people's lives through personal conveniences as well as our own wallets, then its ok to be "the man". This is a facetious statement to be sure, but there's an uncomfortable kernel of truth in it. Steve himself would be quite unsettled with it I'm sure, with his hippie roots.

The magician aspect though is what fascinates me. Specifically it's the motivation to be a magician every day. The title is earned surely not by doing something great once, but through an ability to accurately predict where markets are moving and make plans to be there ahead of that pace. It's the business equivalent of the Wayne Gretzky quote: "skate to where to the puck will be, not where it is". The problem with magicians is that there isn't enough of them, and they are rarely given due credit for the magic they impart. They are often replaced with non-magic normal people, who while capable do not share that ability to guide towards success when the path isn't yet laid down. It's the drive to continue to push a direction through, when there is no support and prudence says do something else. I admire it, I'm impressed by it and we are all awed by the results. Sure sometimes there's a 'newton' in the outcome, but as another of my favourite phrases to live by goes...you aren't trying hard enough if you don't fail 20% of the time.

The 'show that was Steve Jobs' will be missed.

Finding Yourself

I always hated this phrase, as it implies you're lost, or at best undiscovered. As a piece of guidance to a young person, we should tell them not to find themselves, but to become comfortable with who they are and understand what they are capable of and enjoy.

The artist who dreams of business success or the barista that wants to dance isn't lost, they simply haven't yet committed to what they want, instead of what they're doing.

You are not unfound, so much as unacknowledged, and that doesn't come from other's it happens from within.

What's in a Name

One of my favourite organizations just re-branded. GAP Adventures became G Adventures on October 1st. They dropped the 'ap' (there's a joke there I'm certain) They modified their name for reasons I'm not clear on and I think as a consumer and avid follower of them, it's a bad idea. Here's why.

Sometimes when we see this type of change it's to reflect changes the company has gone gone through - two companies becoming one, or taking on whole new services. That is understandable and reflects to the audience that things have been modified. The consumer of their services should modify expectations as well. Examples are all around us and pop up daily. Other organizations re-brand but don't change their name, and one of the mildly more interesting things in the travel business is to see new livery on airplanes - the enormous expense of re-painting hundreds of airplanes and pieces of ground equipment as "the blue hue previously used didn't convey the global aspirations of our traveller", or some such spin. Laughable unless you're a shareholder.

So, the marketer in me understands and applauds a re-brand or refresh when appropriate, or when there's just a need to get some attention.

Name changes however are seismic in marketing terms - literally in a SEO sense, and figuratively in a recognition sense. What is a Google, an Oracle, or a Microsoft anyway. Think about the words themselves, rather than the organizations they've come to reflect. It's hard isn't it ? That's because we look beyond the words once the companies are established and just see the organizations. If you're truly established in a marketing sense and had some good foundational ideas on branding, your name becomes synonymous with your space - Ski-doo being my favourite example. That's aspirational for marketers in the brand role.

GAP Adventures is one of those companies that sets themselves apart from the background noise, and was changing perceptions of what 'gap' meant..not the beige chino's after-all, but the life altering experiential stuff. Making it "G Adventures" probably set them back a few years on that path as like learning a new skill, I and others like me need to now re-establish all I think of for GAP and try to re-align it with G. That's an uphill climb for their marketing team for years to come.

Value

I recently went through a drawn out effort to buy a car. While I had some preconceived notions about what I wanted, I tried to approach the effort with an open mind. I was interested in how well the salespeople I'd encounter could capture what I was looking for and how well they positioned their own products.

I experienced a very mixed bag of results. In general, the more experienced individual was better at talking about what mattered to me (in order one hopes to refer to that while closing the sale), while the younger people were all about price. I saw this across brands, and in fact the more established (pricier) brands were where the poorest sales efforts existed in some cases.

People don't buy cars based on price. We buy based on a series of intangible factors that range from sensibility, practicality, to sex appeal and ego stroking. One of the keys for the seller is to understand how those motivations manifest themselves in an individual buyer and work to those. It's the same way in B2B sales, though more factors influence the individual - ego, politics, career aspirations etc.

I was saddened to see the two most senior people (in terms of their titles in their organizations) I was dealing with focus almost exclusively on price. This bodes poorly for them and their businesses and is in stark contrast to what the brands they represent are about. Forgetting value is a cardinal sin in sales.

Someone in Your Life

Do you have someone in your life that you look up to ? The person you can count on, that provides clear guidance, and helps you help yourself in a manner only possible through clear understanding of who you are, combined with their own experience and wisdom. This is obviously a special person to you, one who is both confidant and mentor. It's your go-to-person for counsel and opinion.

I hope you do. The individual can act as your external conscience for moral dilema's and provide you with the upside of their life experience. It doesn't matter if their life was lived when TV was black and white (or there was just radio) as our core issues are unchanged by the movement of time. Our modern word isn't so modern that wisdom is ever out of place.

I would offer that in the past it seemed an unfair trade to me. I would offer issues, situations and opportunities to choose from, and they would (only) get to advise. I was the player that didn't want to coach. Seeds were planted though and I grew and saw the benefit of guidance and helping someone lay the foundations to harness the potential that they have within themselves. Perhaps the greatest gift given to me was this understanding of how to help make a difference for someone else. For that I am grateful beyond words and I can only hope to be as unobtrusively impact-ful to others as I've been fortunate to experience for myself.

I really hope for your sake you have such a person in your life. I do, and count myself lucky every day for them.

Those Moments in Our Lives

Sometimes we're reminded of our mortality. We're reminded that through the grace of God, or fortune, or whatever else we believe in, that our time on earth is finite, as it is for those around us that we care for. We're reminded harshly, blindsided usually, and the reminder has all the subtlety of being hit by a truck.

A brush with a difficult sickness, the death of a friend or family member, or perhaps some other awareness-quaking event in your our lives brings us back to this conclusion. We lament that we were surprised again when it happens - this feeling - that we haven't held it dear in our hearts since the last time this knowledge visited, and we pledge to do better. It's a bitter but real taste - these moments - and ones that each of us know to be absolute truths. It's the ache of loss, and the regret at missed chances to have done better. It's wondering what your last words were, and if any actions you might have taken could have changed the outcome.

And we pledge to do better - we will have more profound conversations, we will let those we love know it regularly, and we will cherish the small things in our lives that make any day worth celebrating. And we do....for a while.

Then routine, our old friend that helps the days pass unnoticeably creeps up again. The ache fades little by little and our thoughts turn away from the profound and towards the mundane.

And life goes on.

Where Were You ?

There are certain seminal moments in our civilization. Older folks speak of their whereabouts on hearing the news of JFK's assassination, that shot from a grassy knoll that seemed to mortally wound a generation's blossoming hope. I myself have a vivid recollection of Neil Armstrong's first lunar steps signalling our intent to formally approach that final frontier.

Sept 11th, 2011 was another defining moment for our generation, the aura of untouchablesness in "other cultures' issues " snapped like a twig, awakening us in North America to the reality that you can't mess with dirty problems and escape clean. It was Vietnam come home to roost.

I was on a business trip when I heard the news, having a business dinner with my boss and an important, friendly customer on the riverfront in Singapore. Within moments, all of our phones rang, from family, friends and colleagues across the world. The stories we got then were confused, muddled and reflected the early understanding of what was going on...an accident, or something sinisterly worse. We found a TV (still outside somehow) and watch as the second tower was hit and the understanding that the world was changing in front of us started to dawn. Our customer had primary US offices on Wall Street, and my own trips there and the people I knew in that location came to mind. Our dinner stopped, disbelief replacing appetite and we were riveted to the images being replayed and the unfolding carnage.

We were in Singapore for a conference to be held the 12th and 13th, and we'd planned for it for some time beforehand. While I stayed up all night watching the news unfold and talking with various colleagues around the world - evacuated buildings and fear permeating the day, I was struck by how the ground had shifted under us. I wondered if I'd have trouble getting home, and when these attacks would be over. I wondered about our business - we were in the business of global travel and I recalled all too well the empty planes and hotels during the first gulf war.

The next morning, our conference and the thousands of delegates due to attend were re-routed and the event cancelled. At the very least, it was in poor taste to continue and many had travelled from the US to be there. My boss and I headed to the airport as well, having little now to keep us in Singapore. We were unsure what the situation would be there, but it takes some time to react, and Singapore Airlines had no added security, or obvious special precautions in place. We boarded and flew as if nothing was amiss. That was surreal in light of the complete shutdown in North America.

The ten years since Sept 11th has seen our world morph and the need to be 'secure' replace many personal freedoms. The actions being taken (love them or hate them) are still reactions, which speaks to the magnitude of the event perhaps more so than the actual decisions being made today. Ten years on, it was still quite a day to remember.

Seasons

Summer is over and that saddens as its a wonderful season, perhaps the best in our repetitive cycle. However it's the cycle itself that helps rationalise why we live here. The constant changes, the varying daytime length, and wonders each quarter brings.

We can ponder the length of winter (it's no surprise there are no groundhog sightings in late August telling us how long we have to wait to don the long underwear), and the precise days that our canopy will be most vibrantly orange, yellow and red. We celebrate the new leaves erupting in their various shades of green, new life exploding around us and suffer the mixed emotions of the return to school and all that means with cooling days and colder nights.

I've spent some time in non-changing climates recently, and it's dull. Nicely dull to be sure, always warm and sunny, but dull all the same. I welcome the changes and evolving landscape we live in, watching the dynamic before our eyes.

So summer is over - bring on a vibrant and exciting autumn and its offerings of gold.

And Then There Were Three

A temporary situation ends today, one I'd quite gotten used to, false as it was.

It's a good situation, one I enjoy and makes my life better, but alas it ends today.

It's curious how we can forget to look at some things as benefits, and instead only see the downsides of them not being present.

That doesn't help make it better, but it does help rationalise how we feel about it.

I'll miss you. Come back soon.

Amazon-ing, A Diary

We had signed up for some volun-tourism and it wasn't until we were on the plane approaching touchdown that the value of added research into the Peruvian Amazon and sponsoring organization started to become apparent. It wasn't an idea we had even naturally arrived at, rather it was highlighted in a magazine article we happened coincidentally to pick up.

"Number 1 - carefully research your destination and the organization you are signing on to work with." Well, I suppose that's a fail starting off, but we won't let that deter us. We shall overcome this lack of preparation with extra amounts of flexibility, a strong sense of humor and open minds. We also do have some travel experience so aren't that green going into the jungles of Peru. That's an evocative turn of phrase isn't it ? "the jungles of Peru".

We had discussed (with some trepidation on my part I might add) the idea of doing this as compared to some other options. "We" in this case, is my son and I, and for the sake of anonymity and ease, let's call him John. We had discussed the Amazon and it seemed exotic to both us, neither had been before but via public television, many books and a natural level of curiosity we felt familiar with it - conceptually anyway. I think I'd feel the same way about traveling to the moon, a very grey, dusty area with a pock marked landscape. The Amazon meant buggy overgrown bush, a lazy river with muddy waters and the frequent screeching of birds and monkeys. Watery, soggy land that was difficult to move through, forcing you back to the river and the impenetrable wall of green.

John was eager for the Amazon and I was accommodating. Don't get me wrong, I want to be here. But if we had done something else I wouldn't have been heart broken. The natural world is but one of the many areas of our planet I find thrilling to discover. My small trepidation as mentioned was more about venturing into the unknown. En Espanol.

Luckily the first night passed upon arrival in Peru without incident and in fact we watched Animal Planet to get to sleep. Thank goodness at times for 3* hotels and global cheap-to-make/sell-TV. After what seemed an incredible brief few hours we found ourselves back at the airport - a fine airport by the way - and on the way to Puerto Maldanado, or PM for short. Post a short intermediate stop in Cusco, we arrived at the kind of airport you know signifies the developing world. Concrete floors, a tin roof and the ability to see the lawn tractor pull your baggage up. Needless to say it puts the glass and concrete 22nd century airports of the world to shame in terms of simplicity and ability to get the job done. Bag safely in hand we proceeded into the hordes. Does 30 greeters count as a hordes ? I guess not but for a place this small proportionality ought to count for something. At this point the trip moved into primo territory. We were approached by a small man driving a Tuk-tuk. Thats our name for it by the way. It's a 3 wheel motorbike contraption, a covered small engined urban assault vehicle from the Indian army in the 1930's. Cute, funky and very local. Top speed might be 25 if it weren't for the two large Canadians in the back.

We broke some of my own cardinal travel rules on this Tuk-tuk transfer. We went down abandoned dirt trails and we exited the vehicle with bags inside as it couldn't climb a steep hill. (Silly us thinking that exiting was enough, we had to push it up the hill!). It was pretty magnificent though. A fine and fitting start to the days ahead.

Our destination was the Amazon Shelter and it is run by Magila Salinas. An amazing lady that has had many lives and yet remains both young at heart and spirit. Greeting us with two baby howler monkey clinging to her, she immediately evokes both kindness and caring for the place she created with her jungle friends. As we would learn over the coming days, it's all about helping the sick, injured, displaced and 'humanized' jungle animal for her. She's quite happy to set it free immediately if it's ok, but is also happy to feed it - uncompromisingly should it wish to hang around. As you might imagine with a place like this, there are some creatures that roam freely but elect to stay close. A wild howler monkey named Karen is never far, while some local bright macaws fly in and out to keep company with the sheltered birds that have had their wings clipped to make them someone's ornamental pets. Our days are filled with the primary care of the animals, twice a day feedings of them as well as minor improvements such as creating new green space in shelters, replacing or creating enclosures for the animals and doing small improvements to the Shelter overall such as making basic items like doors to close the animal food supply area. The whole area is one vast DIY project waiting for capable, creative types to volunteer here.

We made it to town a few times. And "town" nicely covers off the best and worst of Puerto Maldanado. It had the look and feel of the frontier about it. There are services - the banks and simple lawn- chair variety Internet cafes of course and the townies that have elected to make their livelihood from those pushing farther and harder as Magila does. Markets that formally exist on Saturdays in stalls (and we think these are quaint in our home areas) sit informally in dirt by the roadside at all other times. We buy a few pounds of loose apples and onions for 4 Nuevo Sol - about a dollar eighty. Some commodities are cheap. We also visit the hardware store where a drill power tool we would see in Home Depot for $49 is listed at $500. Some commodities aren't cheap. Town with it's dust, whizzing motorbikes, people milling aimlessly and their focus on very basic capitalism and the least effort required, make us want to give up the cell phone coverage and get back to the jungle, our idealized vision of Amazonia with mother earth herself and her humanized creatures.

The nature of running a reserve like this though requires town to be close though. One day we make three trips, looking for food for the animals- these animals eat well, fruititarians of the world would jealously envy their diet. The Vet is also 12 kms away down a dirt trail that pretends to be the main road. (A main need not be paved, but should allow 2 cars to pass and should not require a machette in the car to clear the path when trees fall). The Vet is on retainer and is asked to diagnose lethargic Maccaws, swollen paws on Howler monkeys and all else. Being Mother Earth means no animal comes to harm if avoidable. The Darwinian principles in effect in the jungle without human interference are set aside at the Amazon Shelter, as the presence and impact of people on the creatures is giving them the full benefit of the doubt. It's affirmative action in a pure form, delivered in a context of love. It's both touching and humbling to see in person.

The Shelter itself exists within the elements. If it's cold, then it's cold here, as it was for us for the first days. 10C/50F doesn't sound cold but with no heating or window glass and an admittedly summer wardrobe, it's chilly. The animals hunker down too and the jungle becomes quiet. That's apparent when it does warm up and the place springs to life, vibrant with noise and movement. The comparison with Canadian wilderness is almost startling as Canada remains so large that the animals have vast territories, leaving a given chunk of boreal forest to the odd chipmunk and toads. It's eerily quiet in Canada's north and a symphony in the Amazon. When it's warm.

Movement too becomes apparent as the presence of people (and food) brings the scavengers in close. We slept with rats and there were nightly raids on the kitchen too. These little beasts are also loved, but perhaps slightly less so. The roofs are authentic and porous to any creature with some persistence and teeth/claws. There's a reason we don't do thatch roofs any longer it seems. In the forests (and rooms) lizards and frogs abound as well. All abound in the great mosaic that makes up life here.

While here, we went to the beach and John even swam in the river. Beach is perhaps a touch optimistic as a way of looking at the stretch of clay/sand that constitutes the other river bank but it was interesting and squishy. I know my feet and ankles got a hot mud treatment I'd have to pay big money for in a spa at home. Here the challenge is how to get the sludge off. The boat to get across was also interesting as it was a dugout canoe with sides no higher that 4 inches, but then there are no waves here. Paddles were 1x3 wooden boards and we sat on the muddy floor. Amidst all this authenticity, some things in our world don't change. Hector our guide immediately pulled his mobile out upon reaching the other side (500 feet perhaps) to see if he had a signal. The Shelter sits at the very edge of usable phone service it seems. Our modern world superimposed on the Amazonian people here. Nice one Nokia.

Life and death are the common themes here while we visit. One Maccaw is cured then dies the following day, a parrot arrives and then also dies. Local night monkeys voluntarily catch themselves into newly cleaned enclosures and the struggles of the resident king of the property - Pepe - a 12-14 year old blind Howler monkey - to stay well in the cold, occupies the hearts and minds of Magila and those who help her. Other concerns seems to fall to insignificance as maintaining life for all becomes the focus.

Help comes in many forms though. There are students regularly appearing doing the equivalent of volunteer hours in biology, veterinary science or even tourism while at University. There are some kind-hearted locals that give food, and there are the local other tourism business owners recognizing that the Amazon Shelter has a value proposition no one else in the area matches. It's a handy hour or two side trip from a local lodge and these other Eco-business owners see it's in their own best interests to see Mother Earth succeed. Mostly though the place is driven from the seemingly boundless passion that is Magila herself. Fiercely independent, loving and focussed she knows how to survive in Peru's system. I imagine someone like Diane Fossey had a similar aura. But it's fascinating to see the unquestioned passion for yourself. It's chaotic and unquestioning, as moment by moment priorities shift on a dime and her own needs never come first. Health, wealth and fame aren't the desired outcome, and are not even the wanted side effect. It's all about the good that can be done at that moment for her animals. She is selflessness personified.

We leave the Amazon Shelter with mixed feelings. On one hand our week of roughing it in our jungle lodge hut, sleeping with rats and other marsupials around us leaves us wanting a small degree of our pampered western lives. To be fair, any creature discomforts (funny?) are outweighed by the great food and hospitality shown to us. I know we did good work and contributed, making a small long term improvement in the situation for the Shelter. It's the proudest I've ever personally been of a completed DIY project. But we see the position we leave them in, and grand passion and design notwithstanding, it's a small operation in a big jungle. I recognize in myself that I've never felt as strong a desire to do more for place than I have here. It needs more help and my own fear is that I'll return to the details and commercial shallowness of my life and forget. I can't speak for how John feels but I see it's affected him too.

We move and spend two days at Posada Amazonas - a local jungle lodge featuring guided touring of various jungle environments. It feels like arriving at the Four Seasons and satiates our need for luxury and pampering. The need for comfort runs deep it seems. It's farther into the jungle and very remote, accessed by bus and boat. The rooms are elegant and feature an open wall to the jungle - but by now we are used to sleeping with the noise of the scuttle of little paws in the night around the bed, secure in our nets.

The lodge hikes are varied and interesting and while we don't get the animal proximity of the Amazon Shelter, we do get to see them as they really are in the wild. Giant River Otters, Caiman, Agouti's and Capybara sightings are highlights but the need to view animals pre dawn means we are treated to the haunting chorus of wild Howler monkeys just before the sun rises daily. It's unearthly in tone and in the pre-dawn darkness. As wonderful as the Lodge is, the 40 degree heat and early starts and late nights to view active game take it's toll in two days. We leave happy to be on the way home, humming from our time in Peru.

I have travelled extensively but rarely have I come away from a trip as stirred as I have been here. Peru is special as I imagine all places are, but the natural abundance here combined with some very special people make this a place worth exploring. You will fine amazing things out about yourself.

Pushing

I pushed this week.

I pushed very hard. We were tripping in the wilderness and that's inherently an arduous couple days, but you can take it slow & easy, or you can push. And we pushed. We had 45lb packs on our backs, and then loads atop there - your choice of a heavy food bag or a canoe. In the water, canoeing with that load isn't so bad, it helps keep the boat stably afloat and we can distribute the weight just right. But portaging - a unique approach to movement that has you carry all your gear and boat through the woods, up and down rock-strewn hills and rooty, uneven ground. Through puddles and swamps and around densely growing trees, all the while watching out for the critters that live there. I say unique as few in their right mind would elect to do for 'fun'. Fewer still look at a 1.7km hike this way as a challenge to see if they can do it all at once, and without stopping.

And we did - as I said, we pushed.

We covered almost 90kms in 2.5 days in the wild, 70 of so paddling hard, and 20 on our feet. We ate well, camped fine and enjoyed the down times. We saw the largest bull moose I'd ever come across with antlers from here to North Dakota, and we also came across the animal situation that I fear the most - a female moose & calf in the woods. Thankfully, she elected to move away from us rather than look at us as a threat. My favorite creature up there are the loons, and there were plenty, thrilling with songs and displays both up close and lingering in the distance.

Why did we do it, and why push so hard..? I'm not sure I know. Partly because we wanted to see if we could, or if we would just collapse. Partly because our double-time approach seemed right for this week, having budgeted 5 days, but really wanting a little more time for other stuff.

Regrets ?

We asked ourselves that repeatedly. It seemed like we elected to have a whip at our backs, and we justified it with the sense of accomplishment it would create. I can't help but think sitting back at home in a comfortable chair, that it would be nice to be sitting at a campfire tonight, swatting the odd mosquito and wondering if the weather will smile upon us the next day. Life is simpler there, and above all else there's a single mindedness and clarity of purpose. I think peaceful was something we never did catch up to though - it may have required an extra day or two.

A Leave of Mind

I've had some time off to think and relax and recharge and it's been welcome. It's interesting to me that without the stimulation of 8-6 work and having to push one's intellect daily, the requisite interesting ideas to write about are few and far between. It seems very much like a vacation- from the need to think. Ironically I've started to read a book where one of the premises is that the wealth and relative abundance of free time that the clergy had in 18th century England gave us a thinking class that made tremendous contributions to society at large, scientifically, socially and intellectually. Of course there is more to it than that, but it has made me ponder how much vacation one needs, before one starts to get twitchy and needs to contribute again.

The sarcastic streak in me wants to challenge myself to explore that, while the realistic person that I am knows I couldn't twiddle my thumbs until I got that edgy. I'd break mentally first and dive into something new. Which is what I suppose I find myself doing this month, with three mind- blowing adventures planned. Lots of wilderness - some known and some not known - looms in my immediate future as I move to busy my restless head as it attempts to keep up with my body in new and strange environments.

I will provide an update when its over but for now understand I'm on a quest to see the future, my own in this case. I wish each of you the flexibility in your own lives to do the same.

The Evolution of Protest

Back in December last year, I wrote about how the protesters of world seemed thwarted by the very nature of open communications that they depended upon. Read it here. At that time I suggested that what what was needed was media consultants to ensure the message got to the protesting participants through the media, not the other way around, as was traditional in this space.

Well, I'm happy to say I was incorrect, or at least and more accurately, I haven't been proven correct yet, but the situation has changed. In a real-world 'nature will find a way' sense, the very definition of what constitutes protest has morphed. See the article from this week's New York Times on protest in Easter Europe. It postulates that provided we all agree a given act is considered a protest, then whatever innocuous thing we do, will in fact be a protest - a clap, a phone ring, baring one's breasts etc. The act of protest itself has evolved, and in a clever twist on darwinism, it can be whatever we all agree it is. The key is that we know it, and the authorities don't. It does place a whole new spin on the situation, and one that those wishing to "crack-down" on protests are finding hard to keep up with.

That's great. I mean it - that's really wonderful that faced with a difficult situation, those that care to express their opinions have found a new way to have their voice heard. It's how we change, grow, challenge and understand one another. Even if it's just your phone ringing - wink.

19

Some days are more important in our lives as we grow up, and this is one of them - the day we turn 19. You see, legally where I live, certain rights are bestowed upon the newly 19 year old citizen, which indicate adulthood. Very important if you're a young person it seems, and reasonably so. I think in just about all cases, the primary urge of the youth is to be considered 'adult'.

The wisdom that breaks upon us as a tide coming in, later in our days only bestows the knowledge that youth was actually the elixir when it's too late to go back. Sad and ironic but true. The surest proof yet that whatever deity exists has a sense of humour.

Today is one of those days - when dreams of adult-hood come true and we celebrate. Not that youth is departing - for only parents see the departure of innocence as a loss. Rather we celebrate the achievement of a goal for the individual and quietly acknowledge to ourselves that they do grow up so fast.

The Long Way Home

While writing this, I am on a series of long flights (today and tomorrow). Multiple 10+ hour trips that test the airplanes range and one's own sanity. Luckily for the sake of being able to stretch and relax, I have a series of long layovers on the trip which serves to lengthen the trip, but removes the stress associated with being late and worrying about tight connections. As an anecdotal study in how to kill two days time, here's what I did.

Flight #1

Ate lunch

Watched: The Adjustment Bureau. 8/10

Read a Time Magazine

Layover #1

Went for walk and got a couple small things from a local shop

Ate dinner in lounge

Did email and completed some errands online

Grabbed new Apps for The Economist, Car & Driver (Thanks iOS)

Fought off sleep

Flight #2

Crashed and slept - well even, for close to 9 hours

Ate breakfast

Watched: the whole of the TV series: "Episodes" 7/10

Watched a couple summarized World Cup matches from 5-10 years back

Layover #2

Changed into hiking gear

Skyped to home

Went for walk up local mountain in bright sunshine and intense heat for a couple hours

Back at Airport, changed into travel clothes, showered

Ate lunch in lounge

Did more email and completed some other errands online

Flight #3

Ate again, didn't need to. Felt too full

Crashed and slept poorly for 4-5 hours

Watched: Red Ring Hood. 5.5/10

Read book ( K2 by Ed Viesturs)

Watched: HappyThankYouMorePlease 7.5/10

Read more book

Broke glasses, fixed glasses

Home

:)

A long trip. Besides gaining a few pounds and getting sitting sores, did I learn anything ? I will leave the obvious comments about finding a better travel agent out for the time being. I did have to practice patience which is always a good thing - we as a society in general and myself in particular aren't patient enough. I learned (and practiced) to make the most of the time and opportunities given to you. I reminded myself how different cultures offer different advantages and challenges and not to see one without the other. And lastly I was quite happy to be getting home, to my family, and my own bed and my own rhythm.

Travel is a wonderful thing and I'm thankful for it, but a core element is its finite nature and the knowledge that its temporary. There is no place like home.

Walking in Heaven

One of the first things that strikes you is the silence. No birds singing just a quiet wind jumping over the low plant life.

The steps that form your path, which tell you that you shouldn't even dream of thinking you're the first here, are all large stones and easily weigh 100 lbs a piece. It's a little humbling when "only walking" to think of who might have assembled this stairway to heaven.

The upside is the temperature. As yours goes up though exertion the outside temperature drops. You're out of the humid closeness of the jungle below and into fresh air, free from the clutch and tug of the heat.

You're enveloped and shrouded in cloud and it's moving not static. There's a perpetual cloud machine on one side and it flows over you. No doubt you smell of cloud from the immersion. You'd drown if not for the lightness of it.

As you ascend there is no bearing or landmarks for you, and little indication of progress other than yet another step. The cloud has it's way with your senses, obscuring even the nearby man-made noises. It's trance-like and etherial.

Hiking cloud-shrouded mountains is a lot like life in general. You can't see where you are going, there are few guideposts and it's very exerting. While you may be one of many, the clouds mean you can't see one another so you're effectively alone on the trail. You are rewarded with small breaks and stunning vistas - occasionally- and these are neither predictable nor frequent. The reward is in the continued progress, recognizing it's not the destination but how you move through the journey that counts.

You're alone on this path and that's the way it's supposed to be it seems. And that's all right.

I got an iPad or, Why I waited to get an iPad.

I'm happy with my new little iPad - I really am. I enjoy Apple's products and think highly of the end result of the integrated software/hardware approach they have.

Part of me craved the newest stuff they offer too - and I know I need to control that internal fan-boy. I'm not an Apple fanatic - I swear. You probably don't believe me, but as they promise to deliver so much, I hold them to extremely high standards, and am quite unimpressed when they fall short. I'm much less forgiving of Apple than other computer manufacturers, which is I suppose a key reason I give them my money - they usually impress me and exceed my expectations.

But I hadn't bought an iPad yet, and that's not because it was lacking features, rather it was lacking benefits for me. I couldn't see a role for it in my life, and being somewhat attached to my hard earned money, I elected to keep it rather than have yet another set of white patch cords to manage.

I decided though to move forward as the key ingredient for me was the UI - as compared to the standard laptop/keyboard or handheld device approach. I wanted to explore what it would be like to have a mid size screen to read, write and such, and to view the world through. I haven't been disappointed at all. The user experience is indeed one of the high points of the device - I encourage you to play with one yourself to 'learn the touch'.

This one aspect - the U/I - became more and more important to me as I'm egotistical enough to think I know where the world is going in tech, and the growth I see in certain sectors (and shrinkage in others) tells me we're moving towards a mobility enabled world - to the detriment of having land locked devices. Accordingly, learning to work and interact in this world became increasingly important to me.

Here's my hypothesis by the way: There needed to be three prerequisites for mobility enablement to take hold in my opinion - battery life had to be possible for prolonged usage without re-fueling; there had to be widespread and strong bandwidth capabilities, such that the devices themselves were never constrained by connection ability; and lastly, we had to see some breakthrough devices that re-defined the way we interact with the technology. The iPad has come along at the right time.

So I bought one finally. And I love it - but frankly I had a pretty strong inkling that I would.

Light Switches and the Cloud

My favorite piece of tech is a light switch.

Odd, probably to some, but let me explain.

A light switch (read this part literally) is a device whose user-interface is about as simple as it comes - it's either off or on. A 1 or a 0 to you binary types. There's no maybe, there's no other options. But the trick isn't the switch, it's what it does..it brings light to a room. A simple enough trick that no one is ever confused by it, reads a manual or has to go take a course to figure one out. It's elegant in a U/I sense.

Behind the scenes, it's a complex little box with varying wires, poles and an ability to complete or continue circuits. But that's what makes it great - none of that is presented to the user. All the 'detail' is hidden and just handled. You want local light ? Just touch here.

Most other technology we interact with is not as elegant. We're presented options and a requirement to configure thing to achieve a desired response. A close parallel to light is sound..a radio. At it's absolute simplest as well, touch the on button and music or other noises fill your space. But that's if the antenna is picking up signals, which you sometimes have to manually adjust or fine-tune. And we're all fussy about volume, so that adjustment needs to be made too. If you start to look at a more advanced home stereo system, I'll admit confusion on the latest Hi-def theater receivers and how to operate them optimally for sound, let alone hook them up correctly.

Which brings me to the cloud. We all know the cloud right ? It's where all of us will have all of life's information available to us, on demand. It replaces local storage of data, which as a design feature offers local accessibility (only). The cloud is the next wave in IT enablement - an area not reknown if we're honest with ourselves about elegant design (and I'm not talking Bang & Olufsen type design).

At this somewhat early execution phase, we are at a critical juncture I might suggest. Someone can go to one end of the design spectrum and realize the Cloud should just "be" available to us everywhere with whatever interface device we have; or they can make it hugely tailored, and customizable. Make it so it's like having to configure a server in the real world.

Which way is best ? I'm not going to venture an opinion too obviously here, except to offer that this is a critical point - and one we'll all live with for a long time, so choices here ought to be carefully considered. There are design options coming forward, and the smart money isn't on those early adopters of technology happy to write C++ code to enable a degree of usability in their newest stuff. The market says light switch.

Fear

What are you afraid of ?

Spiders, needles, heights, being unemployed, being single, being married or appearing foolish or perhaps all of the above..

I put forth that fear is good for us. It warns us away from various forms of stupidity, and acts as an intellectual brake when we might do something that's ill-conceived.

Too much fear though - when living in fear...that's not good. That's hiding and the trick as always is to know the difference. I'd also put forth engaging our fear a little isn't a bad thing either as we grow as people in the process.

Try it, challenge your own fears within limits and you will feel very alive.

It's the Single Best Thing I've ever Done

I came out with this statement, quite without thinking yesterday. I wasn't even really something that needed to be pondered for me, seemed like something I just knew. I've been thinking about that automatic response since saying it, and have analyzed 'how I really think about it'...but my conclusion remains the same.

If I step aside from my emotional bias for a moment, it's an interesting thing to have said out of the blue. Even more interesting is the fact I wouldn't have consciously acknowledged this, had I not been asked the question. It started me wondering what else I feel this way about, and what that says about where we hold those things most dear to us.

Clearly you can see the lead up to the question I'd pose to you - but if you don't mind for a moment, this isn't about you, it's about me.

When asked the question that prompted this response, a number of options did pop through my head - my jobs, relationships, accomplishments and the usual stuff. I did a micro-second validation of the answer that I instinctively knew to be right, but it really did only take the time it takes to blink. And while I answered the question with the answer above, I did hear another's perspective of the conversation repeated back afterward, and the 'add-on' joke that I also offered got the spotlight - not my statement above, which raised more interesting thoughts about how some of the most important things we say aren't heard.

I believe it's important though that I specifically understand the ramifications of what I said, as it does represent something hugely intimate and personal to me. Other people we all have to admit to ourselves, tend not to care so much about some of the things we hold dear. (That's not a criticism, just a fact of life)

So, here I was, sitting in the empty room that is my brain, and wondering about all this, and adding to it by considering how important it was that this thought is formalized and communicated. I've clearly decided (via the act of publishing into the ether) that it is important. And if you'll forgive some self-indulgence, I'm writing this for me today, not you. You see I want to mark this spot, and celebrate what I felt as I rather like the whole idea and suffer as we all do from some pride-sin. (you can get the man out of the church, but it's harder to get the church out of the man).

The question I was asked for those of you who've indulged me and read this far..?

What did I think of being a Dad, posed by my daughter.

Purging

When we've eaten something bad, we purge. It isn't pretty, but it's the best choice to make in that situation. It can save our lives.

When we've had too much to drink, we purge then too. This self inflicted purge often means we're much better in the short-term after our alcohol-induced judgment gives way to the rising sun of a new day.

Sometimes we need to emotionally purge as well. Get rid of those things, relationships, roles and expectations others thrust upon us (or we do to ourselves) when we know ultimately they aren't good for us. This is the most difficult type of purge, as it requires a step into the unknown - being single again, finding a new job, or re-defining yourself in a way others can newly appreciate.

For this latter type of purge, you need courage, and a willingness to fail. This may sound scary, but we all learn from our mistakes, and insulating ourselves from mistakes creates a false sense of comfort and security. Embracing the risk is at the heart of what makes life worth living and helps us grow.

I'm on the verge of a purge (wait until that's a famous movie line, and come back here to recall you read it here first). It's frightening and exciting, adventurous and unclear and is what I know I need.

It's not for everyone, but I encourage to look at where you might purge. Look to where you feel staleness and bitterness have crept into your life and make your own choice. Because that's the key difference between food poisoning and something emotional in your life that requires a purge...choice. Don't shy away from it as the end result can be the same.

Self Valuation

Each of us values ourselves - how we look at ourselves and judge how we're doing day to day - differently.

For some it's our contribution to others, sometimes it's our job (or even more specifically our salary or title), sometimes it's the car we drive, or house we live in. These days no doubt, someone looks at the number of Facebook friends, or Twitter followers and that determines their view of their own self-worth. It can be how we perform our role - mother, father, manager, doctor - and how many accolades we receive from others. Perhaps it's our time-served, or our commitment to another person or ideal. It can be our moral standards, our adherence to ideals we think are important or quite blandly, how much money or stuff we have.

It's likely a combination of a few of these and other things..

Who cares..?

Well, you do. And that's pretty important. If "I" as an individual haven't ever thought through how I value myself, then I'm likely on a bit of a roller-coaster in this area, and that can't be easy or fun.

My suggestion to you - each of 'you' - is that you take a moment and have an honest quiet think about this. Come to grips with your answer and understand there isn't a right or wrong answer here. Decide if you like the answer you come up with, and then with that understanding, protect that area a little. Invest in actions that will drive out success for it. Feed and nurture it and don't let yourself feel victimized by circumstance or others and see your own image of yourself reduced in value.

At the end of the day, you are your own primary investment. Don't undersell yourself.

On the Road

It's been a bit of a blur lately. Multiple hotels in a week, new airlines and strange cities.

Been there done that...or exciting new opportunities to stretch our minds, see new sights and have new experiences...? We each get to decide I imagine, for while we may not "control" our reactions, we are responsible for them.

Sometime we forget that, and elect to be victimized by our situations. Force Majuere aside, (my first reference for lawyers) we should acknowledge that we own our reactions, and while we might not be able to manage that, that doesn't negate our responsibility of ownership.

For what it's worth, I marveled at the views, and elected to enjoy the new brothers and sisters I met. It was a wondrous week.

Crazy Animals

There's a polar bear in a zoo near me and it's nuts. You can tell because it does the same lap, the same path over and over in it's enclosure. It even wags it's head the same way on every circuit. This is a tremendous shame and effectively removes the sense of wonder and awe you ought to feel when seeing one of nature's greatest creations in the flesh. Polar bears shouldn't make you feel pity.

The bear in question is suffering from a lack of stimulation in it's environment and this affliction is not restricted sadly to those in literal cages.

It can strike any of us. I know working in a home office I've certainly had my fair share of stir crazy over the years.

I think this is understandable though and in a sense we are in better shape than our friend the bear, for we understand the condition and can hopefully preclude it's onset.

Our human spirit requires some degree of dynamic. Look at our history. When we are left to our own devices in a static situation what do we do ? We kill and try to dominate one another. We display territoriality and indulge in all kinds of political activities, positive and harmful. As a species we are about growing - our knowledge, our experience and contribution.

Now let's get a little intimate.

The key to avoid going truly around the bend is to understand ourselves well enough to see when we start to exhibit signs of needing some new stimulation. Note I said need, not want. I might like some changes well before I actually need them to be in place. That's usually a sign of good judgment more so than a critical path item. When I need change I may be well down the path of already being deep in a rut, and have no vision as to how to get out of it. Then I need it. We can provide help to those around us that we see others in those situations - recommending a proverbial and literal change of scenery. But it's ourselves we ought to be aware of to avoid the outcome in the first place.

Ask yourself, "What am I bringing into my environment to stimulate a new way of looking at things, or to change my behavior?", "What have I approached differently (on purpose) to help me see new perspectives?" or even "Can I do the same task in a different way, and end up with different results - and what's the implication of that ?".

Each of us owns our own sense of sanity, and being smarter than the average bear we ought to be able to help ourselves to avoid being in a cage- even one of our own design.

Your Business Tongue

We all grow up (in a working sense) in one industry or another. There is some job somewhere in our impressionable young lives that imprints upon us, and becomes 'what we know'. It's not the first job - cutting grass, babysitting, camp counselor stuff, but rather where we first had to work in a real commercial environment. Where we are first treated as a fellow adult, and given the benefit of the doubt for having some common sense, professionalism and capabilities that are valuable. (clearly, that doesn't happen to everyone, and you know who you are) When we mature in a work sense it has the effect of stamping us - defining our psyche and helping us establish who we are in a workplace vision of ourselves. All well and good if this idea I'm writing about was personal psychology, but I think there's more to it than that.

This first (proper) job imprints upon us it's business model, major players and customer needs - it evolves to become "our industry". By default when we go looking for the next place to work to pursue career advancement or take account of some physical move, we remain in 'our industry' as that's where our skills and contacts reside. Later in life - days or years - we find ourselves doing other things outside of our industry, and realize that there's a whole new set of variables, customer desires and competitor pressures. There's probably a new business model that needs to be learned, and hopefully, there's some advantages that you can bring from your previous experience to this new role - allowing some form of innovation in a great or small sense from what you knew and applied in that other context. You may love the new environment, but whether it fits or not, you will miss the original industry - it's your business tongue - the one you can easily speak, move within and understand the dynamics of almost intrinsically. Sometime we go back, and sometimes we elect to continue to leverage what we learned before, and simply value the experience.

That last bit - experience - is the key I think. After-all, none of us is anymore than the sum of our experiences and its what makes us individuals and interestingly unique. My own character traits, exposed over my experience is what has defined who I am - what each of us are. So look at your experience and specifically your business tongue and ask yourself - What can you bring to your current situation from what you grew up as a worker knowing ? Your personal uniqueness makes this a value that you are probably pretty singularly able to offer.