February 26, 2014

The Twelve Common Archetypes

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I like to dabble in psychology and sociology. As such, I like anything that helps me break down the human psyche to better understand who I am dealing with. Knowing how the brain works is a valuable tool when dealing with people: from an individual all the way up to large groups. I believe anyone aspiring to lead would find useful the following summary on the Twelve Common Archetypes.

Click on this image to view the PDF Summary.

February 18, 2014

Csikszentmihály's Flow Model

Mihaly Csikszentmihály (pronounced me-hi cheek-sent-me-hi-ee) - the brilliant man with the name like someone was banging on a keyboard, who developed what is called the Flow Model: 



FLOW is when we lose ourselves, move forward on instinct, and are completely devoted to the task before us. You are so engaged, you lose track of time and become immersed. You feel energized and possibly even joyful about what you are doing.

The graphic consists of 8 emotional states we're likely to experience when trying to complete a task, depending on the Perceived Skill Level (or how well we think we can do it) and the Challenge Level (or how difficult it actually is to accomplish).

If we view our skills or ability to complete the task as low, or not adequate enough, Apathy, Worry, and Anxiety result as the task becomes more challenging. If we view our skills as mediocre - in between low and high - then Boredom or Arousal (this means engaged with stimuli - get your mind out of the gutter!) will result.

But if we view our abilities as high, or very positively, then easy challenges result in Relaxation, medium challenges we feel in Control of.

To find our balance and perform at our best, we need a challenge which is significant and interesting, and we need well-developed skills. This puts us into a position where we can "Flow". Those who have mastered Flow often make what they are doing look easy and they are totally engaged in it.

February 10, 2014

The Seven Habits of Hightly Effective People

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey is, to be honest, a dreadfully long book which covers only a few points. Granted, the points are extremely important!

I here summarize the points - they make an excellent "jump-off" point for personal development and changing your mindset.

Certain basic principles and values make people more effective
▪ Fairness
▪ Integrity
▪ Equity
▪ Caring
▪ Human dignity and worth
▪ A spirit of service
▪ Excellence
▪ Courage
▪ Patience
▪ Honesty
▪ Nurturance
▪ Encouragement
▪ Can-do attitude that recognizes potential

The Seven Habits
  1. Be Proactive: Do not impose limits on yourself that prevent you from acting
  2. Begin with the End in Mind: Draft a personal mission statement that outlines your goals and describes who you want to be
  3. Put First Things First: To change who you are, change how you act; don’t confuse the important with the urgent
  4. Think “Win-Win”: Two wins make everyone better off
  5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: Always understand what the other party needs / wants and why
  6. Synergize: Listen, reflect, respond, cooperate
  7. Sharpen the Saw: Take the time to care for your body, soul, mind, and heart

February 5, 2014

Holstee Manifesto

When I first read this, I fell in instant love with it. I printed it out and it now hangs at my desk - a continual reminder about how I should live my life.

The story behind the Holstee Manifesto is short and quite interesting. Holstee, a start-up founded in Brooklyn in 2009, sat down (as many companies do) and formed a quick manifesto - a mission statement, if you will - about what they stood for. They put it on their site and then forgot that it even existed (like so many companies also do). Visitors to the site found it. It struck a chord. It became posted all over social media as other people encountered it and resonated with it.

And then one day Holstee woke up and found that their greatest product wasn't the apparel they were selling, but the idea that their manifesto encapsulated. And so they began selling it and using it and enterprising upon it and now it is their greatest selling product.

Read it for yourself and discover why:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8jMNydU8Dk3Zkt2UF9VY2N6Q3c/edit?usp=sharing
(click the photo for a .PDF copy)

February 4, 2014