Carista

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We Are All Weird - Seth Godin's latest 'book'

"I'm actually listening too it on my Kindle as an audiobook.

Thats Weird eh! So a man that has brought physical books all his life (cause he likes them and collects even) in one weekend not only started using a Kindle with downloaded books - but just went to audio when he had a choice of the latest book in this format - and it was instantly playable.

Weird and my choice - not exactly main stream yet - or is it?

What is main stream - well its what we feel safe in, its where most TV, Sport, Malls, Fast foods etc. are. Its were Banking, Finacial services and Coporate companies live. Its main stream and 'normal'. It doesn't change much, in fact the point is NOT to change as the need is to stay in this place as thats their market.

But then people arn't living like that any more. We are not main stream at all went YOU LOOK CLOSE. From a distance we look similiar and in the middle of the bell curve (normal) -  but actually we are all very different. We are being encouraged to be different. We make choices for what we really want, and now we can get what we want because there are billions of choices available, and accessable through the web.

Normal wants to tell you though that 'weird' is not right. But then 'normal' was Tower Records, Borders & Whitcolls, the UK unions, 'i only brought Sony' and shortly the video shop.

Thats what this book is all about." 

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Teaching people to change - use fun!

http://youtu.be/2lXh2n0aPyw

Simon O'Shaughnessy
simon@carista.co.nz

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Blow away by this Film and music

Got to tell you about this 'find' - a deep and wonderful Italian film (Tilda Swinton learnt Italian for it) matched by the superb music of John Adams.

If you try it, give yourself a couple of hours when you can watch and get involved with this power struggle of hierarchal family life.Full of sub texts and filmed beautifully. The last 5 mins literally made me hold my breath, and the images linger for days.

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My Top Leadership Books

Great Leadership books.pdf Download this file

Simon O'Shaughnessy
simon@carista.co.nz

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Whats holding you back?

I just read a story. Its about a top executive who excels at everything she does. 

Her latest success was to learn to fly and so she invites my friend to go on a flight.

He arrives to see her starting to do all the preflight checks on the aircraft. 

Its on the tarmac and has a couple of ropes holding the wings down, in its park position.

They get inside, she goes down the check list, lights flash, total efficiency reigns, the tower is called, flight plan lodged, and the engines started. 

She revving up, and they are ready to go.

He's thinking 'what about the ropes?' - silly him, there must be a special release, a safety feature he doesn't know about - she must have it sorted, she is so successful.... and they continue gaining power, she looks intently forward, but they are going no where!

What about the ropes?

This modern parable is funny but pretty near the mark. What is holding you back? 

Many of us have more than we need to make a difference- Probably years of training and education - mobility, health and ways to communicate that cross the globe in seconds. But we constantly achieve little thats remarkable (even though we want too)

We can blame the boss, the organisation, the fiancees or the weather but how about looking at ourselves and our thinking?

I'd suggest two areas to examine ourselves on:

Firstly - just doing it IS doing it. We can spend hours planning, processing, trying to make perfect and thinkings about it all in meetings. 

Often with the result that someone else does it before us. We have to DO IT. 

So start writing, start making phone calls, make connections, start delegating etc.

A colleague of mine has a great saying: Bad plans carried out violently many times yield good results. Do something (Chuck Blakeman)

Secondly - you might need to go beyond yourself! Often in coaching I notice the extremes clients go to, to avoid having to think differently. Its painful as you see them justify their position. Their mode of thinking and pour cold water on a suggestion of working by synthesis or abstracts or (Oh! my goodness) feelings. Often the more successful they are, the worse they are in changing. And yet anything new will be in places they haven't been. These areas are likely to lead to the greatest value. Create the most change and value.

So we have a choice - find the ropes and cut them to create new life, or carry on revving up the engines but actually standing still.

S

Simon O'Shaughnessy

simon@carista.co.nz

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Innovation?

I'm looking at aspects of innovation, creating cultures that help people thrive.
This is one of the pictures I got when I Googled it!
Unfortunate but really true.

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Unique sites

Just saw this and had to take a photo. What a great unreasonable idea to float a steel ball 50ft up in the air. Many would say its a waste. But how much pleasure this brings - memories from a city.

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A new year - a change or same old?

The real question in starting a new year is will be it 'new' - what will be changed? - or are we just doing the same old but in a new version?

Much of my life I've been involved in groups that portray great vision and drive. Often the vision was restated annually and some significant structural change made every 2 yrs (which will make all the difference guys if we get into it and give our all) .
Guess what? Actually it was just the same with a new wrapper. The same problems arrived in 18 months time which initiated another round of structural changes and team pumping (guys come on, lets get guilty!)

Real change needs clarity of focus, determination through actions and some pain. But it also needs NEW EYES.
We need to have the courage to see our work, home, lives in a fresh way. To actually contemplate the possibilities of our dreams and ask 'why not'?

The most stretching times in my life have been when I have started again. I said goodbye to being a dental surgeon in private practise after 8 years, knowing I needed more in life. Seventeen years later I said goodbye to my company which had led the market in multiple areas in the UK. Three years later I said goodbye to the charitable trust I had been foundational in rebuilding. None of these changes were easy, but they produced a euphoria of possibilities and freedom. They all denied continuation on the basis of all the good reasons my mum would have given me! Sometimes I could have done a lot better. But it was real change and I am grateful.

Simon
www.carista.net

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2011 starts today

Great and beautiful day in NZ - welcome

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Jordon finds a whole ship!

Scandretts Bay 29th Dec
Busy eh?

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