Move From Consensus to Alignment
Here is another tip from my new “innovation tips” book. There are two extremes of innovation culture. One is “the right of infinite appeal.” This is a culture where anyone, anytime, has the right to veto any suggestions, bring the process back to the starting point. In this environment, very little gets done, and innovation […]
Quote of the Day
In particular, he sought to restore to his life several qualities he had shunned as a businessman — spontaneity, patient acceptance of the uncontrollable, and an uncluttered awareness of each moment. To his surprise, this new mindset seemed to slow time down. Rather than rushing through life fixated on goals, he gained a richer perspective […]
Why It's So Hard to Be Happy
Have you noticed more and more literature supporting the goal-free concept? I have. And nearly every day, someone writes to tell me about an article they read that touts the benefits of “not focusing on your goals.” One such article entitled,”Why It’s So Hard to Be Happy” by Michael Wiederman, appeared in the Feb/Mar 2007 […]
When a Map is a Compass
In Goal-Free Living, the first secret is “Use a Compass, Not a Map.” Today, someone sent me an interesting article by Donald Berwick (President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement) that recounts a story told by Karl Weick in his book, The Collapse of Sensemaking in Organizations: The Mann Gulch Disaster. Weick tells […]
Quote of the Day
It stands to reason that if we direct all our efforts towards reaching a goal, we stand in grave danger of losing everything on which we have based our daily activities. For when a goal is superimposed on an activity instead of evolving out of it, we often feel cheated when we reach it… If […]
Ethos, Pathos, Logos
Today’s blog entry is from my new “innovation tips book.” But this is also an extremely useful concept in every day life. In fact, anyone who knows me eventually hears me say: “ethos, pathos, logos.” Selling is fundamental to your success – personally and professionally. Ethos, pathos, logos is a simple recipe for selling anything […]
Move Your Innovators to the Front-Line
I am writing a new book on innovation that contains over 100 tips for turning creativity into profitability. Every tip is bite sized (typically one page in length) in order to be easily digestible. Each week I will post at least one tip from the book. Here is tip #1 from the book: Move Your […]
Are You an M&M or Chocolate Covered Peanut?
I lived in London for 4 years. I found the British to be a bit more proper and reserved than the typical outgoing American. In an effort to explain the differences between these two cultures, I sometimes use my favorite dessert metaphor: chocolate. The British are like M&Ms. Their tough outer coating (“stiff upper lip”) […]
Goal-Free Time Management vs Covey
This past Friday I gave a Goal-Free Living speech in Chicago for a group of meeting planners. At one point, someone in the audience asked for my perspective on Covey’s goal-based time management concepts versus the Goal-Free Living compass-driven approach. As I was once an instructor for Covey’s “Principle Centered Leadership,” I felt quite qualified […]
How To Be Goal-Free When You Have Obligations
“How can someone be goal-free when they have obligations?” This is a great question and one of the most frequently asked in regards to leading a goal-free lifestyle. The essence of Goal-Free Living is about being present and having the life you want now. But when you have obligations, it may often appear necessary to […]