Corporations, our Psychopathic Citizens

in
Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by an abnormal lack of empathy combined with strongly amoral conduct, masked by an ability to appear outwardly normal. In the US, corporations, limited liability corporations, and other types of a business have a clear common goal, to make a profit. That is their primary, and in many cases their sole purpose. While corporations have been assigned many of the rights given to US citizens, such as first and fourteenth amendment rights, they are certainly lacking in empathy and I think it’s fair to say that many corporations act amorally.
Read More

You Mean I Don't Have to be Dumb?

in
Is your IQ fixed? Can anyone learn to play the violin or compete in a triathlon? Is a paticular gift a requirement to learn these things? It turns out that intelligence, sports ablity, music ablity, just about any ability can be learned, according to 25 years of research by Carol Dweck a former Columbia and current Stanford Psychologist. You are what you think. Perception is reality.
Read More

Zappos: Happy People, Delivering Happiness and Shoes.

in
Tony Sheih, CEO of Zappos has just written his first book,’Delivering Happiness, a Path to Profits, Passion and Happiness.’ It chronicles Tony’s life, from childhood entrepreneurial efforts, to college and his time at LinkExchange. In some ways it reads like Ricardo Semler’s’Maverick, The Success Story Behind the World’s Most Unusual Workplace,‘“Both books talk about lessons learned, mistakes made and happy coincidences that lead them to success.
Read More

Flow, Mastery and the League of Extraordinary Dancers

in
The League of Extraordinary Dancers performance at the February 2010 TED is the most amazing performance I’ve ever seen. Have you ever watched the TED videos? How about the performances? I’ve overlooked the performances until last week. I recently stumbled upon The LXD (League of Extraordinary Dancers) performance at this year’s TED. LXD is an example of taking optimal experience to its outer limits. These dancers are fully engaged in their art, they have to be extremely dedicated to develop this level of skill.
Read More

Uncle Sam Goes ROWE!

in
The US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is launching a Results Only Work Environment pilot program for 400 of its workers. Currently there is only one government entity running under ROWE: Hennepin County, Minnesota. Imagine letting government workers work when they want, how they want and with whom they want? What’s a ROWE you ask? From the book, ‘Why Work Sucks And How To Fix It.’ 13 Guideposts of a ROWE:
Read More

If You Want To Hit The Target, Aim High!

in
I saw a Viktor Frankl video this morning on the meaning of life. Dr. Frankl was a neurologist, psychiatrist and a holocaust survivor. It’s a short video and to the point. Aim high to achieve results and that the drive for finding meaning in work and in life is one of our highest drives. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says that to experience Flow, we must have tasks that make us reach just beyond our grasp.
Read More

Are you a stone cutter or do you build cathedrals?

in
Ricardo Semler took his company SEMCO from a 4 million dollar a year venture with one division to 212 million a year with 15 divisions. This is from 1982 to 2003, I couldn’t find any newer numbers, but at that time his staff was aiming for 1 billion dollars by 2008. Sales have an average growth of 24% a year and SEMCO has less than 1% turnover. Beat that Wall Street! Ricardo has some very unconventional ideas about how to run a company.
Read More

Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose, Oh My!

in
Dan Pink’s new book, Drive brings together 50 years of research, and 25 years of practical experience from companies that have been using these ideas successfully and profitably. He says that economists and psychologists agree: carrots and sticks are only good for a very narrow band of tasks, ones that don’t require creativity. As soon as a creative task is tied to a reward or punishment, it will most likely have a long term negative effect on that task. These ideas are not new to the world, but it’s the first time anyone has brought them all together in one place and made them easy to understand.
Read More