Balancing Act

We’ve heard it for decades – we need a healthy balance between work and life. Family, sports, hobbies, down time, relaxing, all the stuff we enjoy doing outside of work are some of the reasons we go to work so we can afford such luxuries. Nigel Marsh shares some ideas of how we can tackle this critical issue.


__________________________________________________________________

I'm Weird. You're Weird.

The great Mark Twain once quipped; "Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story”, which is funny at first but quite correct with a closer look. We all have our own truths. Sure, most of us agree gravity keeps us on the ground and the sky is blue, but how many truths do we hold on to that may or may not be in fact true?

If you multiply that by hundreds or even thousands of employees, you can see how we get into trouble in the business world. Michael Shermer examines why we believe and hear weird things in science, relationships, and music.


__________________________________________________________________

Striking a Balance

We’ve heard it for decades – we need a healthy balance between work and life. Family, sports, hobbies, down time, relaxing, all the stuff we enjoy doing outside of work are some of the reasons we go to work so we can afford such luxuries.

As we struggle with the boundaries between work and life, Nigel Marsh shares some ideas of how we can tackle this critical issue.



__________________________________________________________________

We Are Weird

The great Mark Twain once quipped; "Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story”, which is funny at first but quite correct with a closer look. We all have our own truths. Sure, most of us agree gravity keeps us on the ground and the sky is blue, but how many truths do we hold on to that may or may not be in fact true?

If you multiply that by hundreds or even thousands of employees, you can see how we get into trouble in the business world. Michael Shermer examines why we believe and hear weird things in science, relationships, and music.


__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

Work Life Energy Balance

We’ve heard it for decades – we need a healthy balance between work and life. Family, sports, hobbies, down time, relaxing, all the stuff we enjoy doing outside of work are some of the reasons we go to work so we can afford the luxury of such activities.

We’re all going to die so there’s no sense immersing ourselves in a work-work imbalance. If you are working long hours at a job you hate, it’s time to look hard at alternatives. That is no way to live.

But as we struggle with the boundaries between work and our lives, Nigel Marsh shares some ideas of how we can tackle this critical issue.

__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Progress

TED | Nigel Marsh

Whiskey is a Tool

Everything we create begins with an idea. And once that idea is shared, it can grow into the cure of a disease, a new business, tools to help us build things, and entire cultures and habits.

Nate Garvis shares his thoughts on how ideas, tools, and laws could create better culture and common good.


__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Progress

TED | Ted Garvis

It’s Time to Sit Still

The mere concept of doing absolutely nothing is foreign to many (most) of us. Meditation has been around since we began walking the earth but despite ourselves, we continue to cram more into our lives than is possible and necessary.

A worse affliction than hurried lifestyles, busy work spaces, and smartphones glued to our hands, is our minds. To that end, this is definitely a book I’ll be picking up.

The Art of Stillness by Pico Iyer reveals; “How stillness can act as a creative catalyst, and advocates for a way of living that counters the frenetic design of our modern lives.”

Perhaps it's time we got a lot less busy.


__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

Pico Iyer | TED

It's More Than a Theory

The Big Bang was the event which led to the formation of the universe. Based on the best available measurements as of 2010, the original state of the universe existed around 13.7 billion years ago, which is often referred to as the time when the Big Bang occurred. The theory is the most comprehensive and accurate explanation supported by scientific evidence and observations. Wikipedia

Your Universe

Now take all that big brain stuff and apply it to your life, your career or your business. I’m often asked whether I can help prospects get from where they are, to where they want to be which points to our collective impatience. They want a guarantee, today.

We put these numbers and gauges on ourselves as if they are some sort of finishing line. Now some would say I should simply say yes and grab the money. After all, most clients want a quick win now over a long win later. Logic would deny that statement, action proves it.

Who’s Buyin’? Who’s Sellin’?

Let your mind drift back to all the jobs you’ve had, people you’ve worked with, people you’ve dated, people you went to school with and imagine they are all in one large venue. Now do the same with only the people you interact with now. It may be smaller but perhaps stronger; it may be wider in some areas and deeper in others. If we fast forward a few years, it may look much different than today.

But unlike the big freeze, the big bang, the big rip or the big crunch, you only have to worry about your network which continues to expand and contract. We are not collecting numbers like dusty trinkets on the mantle, these are people who touch our lives if even for a moment when they click “follow” or “friend”.

How will you embrace and nurture your universe?
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture strategist, writer, speaker, executive coach engaging leaders, collaborative teams, and strong business results.

moolf

Your Idea Could Save a Life

That may sound like a provocative notion but think about all those ideas that are rolling around in your mind. Yesterday we discussed thinking big versus doing big.

Sebastian Thrun is a professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Stanford University, where he also serves as the Director of the Stanford AI Lab. His research focuses on robotics and artificial intelligence.

He led the development of the robotic vehicle Stanley which won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. Stanley is now on exhibit at the Smithsonian. Sebastian has been working toward a time when we no longer drive our cars. You may think this TEDTalk is about technology and gadgets. It is about a far more important idea.

It's also really freakin' cool! [video]


Kneale Mann

visual credit: TED

Your Expanding and Contracting Universe

From Wikipedia: The Big Bang was the event which led to the formation of the universe. Based on the best available measurements as of 2010, the original state of the universe existed around 13.7 billion years ago, which is often referred to as the time when the Big Bang occurred. The theory is the most comprehensive and accurate explanation supported by scientific evidence and observations.

Followers, blogs, influence, friends, podcasts, connections, the list goes on and on and grows with every passing opinion. Our individual universe may be expanding and contracting and heating up and cooling down. Yet we often look at right now as the way it will always be while we worry about yesterday and tomorrow. Some say it’s about the numbers, others claim it’s not about the numbers. You need to use this device, that platform, this interaction, that design. We seek answers outside to confirm or deny our theories and beliefs.

Your Universe

Now take all that big brain stuff and apply it to your life, your career or your business. I’m often asked whether I can help prospects get from where they are, to where they want to be which points to our collective impatience. They want a guarantee, today.

We put these numbers and gauges on ourselves as if they are some sort of finishing line. Now some would say I should simply say yes and grab the money. After all, most clients want a quick win now over a long win later. Logic would deny that statement, action proves it.

Who’s Buyin’? Who’s Sellin’?

Let your mind drift back to all the jobs you’ve had, people you’ve worked with, people you’ve dated, people you went to school with and imagine they are all in one large venue. Now do the same with only the people you interact with now. It may be smaller but perhaps stronger; it may be wider in some areas and deeper in others. If we fast forward a few years, it may look much different than today.

But unlike the big freeze, the big bang, the big rip or the big crunch, you only have to worry about your network which continues to expand and contract. We are not collecting numbers like dusty trinkets on the mantle, these are people who touch our lives if even for a moment when they click “follow” or “friend”.

How will you embrace and nurture your universe?

knealemann

image credit: moolf

The Cobbler and the Three Year Old

Up On The Hoist

I wrote about the Cobbler Complex a while back. I am the giving the issue serious thought with regards to my business, client work, fellow colleagues and the tone of meetings with prospects.

Humans have the collective patience of a three year old. When I mention the cobbler and the three year old, I have yet to find someone to disagree.

You Are A Client Too

You are in marketing but you fail to make time for marketing efforts of your business. You are a plumber but your bathroom desperately needs remodeling, or a teacher who never has time to read new books.

We want this quarter to be better than last quarter. We want this year to kick last year’s butt. We want more clients and more revenue. We want it now! Patience is a virtue, not a business plan.

Where am I going with this?

Well, I am here to admit in the open nakedness of the online world that I am ashamed. I have let it go on far too long and it’s time to fix it. I help clients aggregate their web presence and build stronger strategies, assist them with the application of social media tactics to their overall marketing thrust and I wake up every morning staring at one big item on the to-do list.

So after far too long and a few kicks in the pants from dear friends, I am building my new website. It will be on my company's domain - YouIntegrate. It's about you and integrating all that you do with all that you do.

Walk A Mile...

I am putting myself in the place of a client and as one of my clients goes through the same thing, the process has been cool. I am sifting through design ideas and color schemes. Where will this button go and how will I organize hundreds of One Mann's Opinion posts. How long should the bio page be and should I include this widget or that widget.

Feel free to add your thoughts on this space or perhaps some of the fun you had redesigning your space. We cobblers need to stick together.

@knealemann
strategy. marketing. social media.

photo credit: apple2org