Sir Ken Robinson

Sir Ken Robinson devoted his professional life to education. He fought tirelessly for a global overhaul of how we teach each other how to think but fail to encourage each other to dance, sing, paint, write, and worst of all, imagine.

Sadly, Ken passed away in August 2020, and we lost a good one! He had a razor sharp sense of humour, gets us to imagine Shakespeare as a 7-year old boy, and shared his unwavering passion for helping people realize their talents. I have included his three TEDTalks - which have been three of the most watched in history.

These are all well worth your time.

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How Does That Work?

We live in a plug-in-play world. The gadget comes with an instructional manual but few of us take the time to read it. Our collective impatience is too strong. We want to open the box and start using it. If there’s a problem, we’ll call someone or research the answer online. But what do we do when we can’t figure out how people work?

There is no owner’s manual with human interaction and relationships. Decades of experience can only give us a guide but each person is wired and motivated differently. We can’t simply apply one rule for all yet often the business world tries to do just that.

People are Complex

You hear claims such as; “millennials behave this way” or “women 25-49 don’t like that” which are a generalizations. Marketing companies try and predict habits and companies attempt to guide behavior. No two people in history are identical.

If you have kids, you may have taught them how to ride a bike. At first, you put on training wheels, and then over time you raised them off the ground so your child could slowly learn how to balance.

Then the day came when the training wheels were removed. You may have stood nervously as they started to pedal off without your help or the help of two extra wheels. That’s trust in them, the system, and yourself. You gave them the tools but eventually had to let them find their way. Take time to find their motivation

Or you may never know how the gadget works.
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Sure We Can

We can learn. We can teach. We can hear. We can stop. We can know.
We can act. We can drive. We can grow. We can cry. We can do.

We can switch. We can help. We can call. We can bend. We can try.
We can play. We can like. We can think. We can stretch. We can live.

We can gift. We can swerve. We can go. We can dream. We can touch.

We can move. We can thank. We can shape. We can win. We can fall.
We can lend. We can run. We can draw. We can reach. We can love.

The key may not be whether we can but whether we will.
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Customized Motivation

We live in a plug-in-play world. The gadget comes with an instructional manual but few of us take the time to read it. Our collective impatience is too strong. We want to open the box and start using it. If there’s a problem, we’ll call someone or research the answer online. But what do we do when we can’t figure out how people work?

There is no owner’s manual with human interaction and relationships. Decades of experience can only give us a guide but each person is wired and motivated differently. We can’t simply apply one rule for all yet often the business world tries to do just that.

Leadership and People are Complex

You hear claims such as; “millennials behave this way” or “women 25-49 don’t like that” which are a generalizations. Marketing companies try and predict habits and companies attempt to guide behavior. No two people in history are identical.

If you have kids, you may have taught them how to ride a bike. At first, you put on training wheels, and then over time you raised them off the ground so your child could slowly learn how to balance.

Then the day came when the training wheels were removed. You may have stood nervously as they started to pedal off without your help or the help of two extra wheels. That’s trust in them, the system, and yourself. You gave them the tools but eventually had to let them find their way. Take time to find their motivation

Or you may never know how the gadget works.
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Learning for Life

Summer vacation is over. It's time for a new semester, new topics, and new learning. I had some great teachers when I was a kid and helped shape my curiosity to this day.

I had Mr. Balcaras four times for science in high school. He taught us how to dissect a frog and explained how much energy was inside a peanut by setting it on fire. I can still see the periodic table on the wall by his desk. Ms. Young was my grade one teacher. A woman in her 60’s who was like a second grandmother. It was grade one, we weren't doing much, but she was cool.

Lasting impressions

I had Mr. Peters for grade six. I ran in to him years after high school and he still remembered me. I never did ask him if that was a good or a bad thing. The delightful (and hot) Ms. Rolo was my grade ten English teacher who had patience with a fidgety geek who was bored with English. I'm glad she persevered.

Replace the word teacher with coach or mentor and have a look at your career. Give some thought to those who have helped you. Now give some thought to those you’ve helped along the way.

While we lament the near end of summer, increased traffic, and a full fall work schedule, let’s salute teachers, leaders, and mentors today.

Are you ready to teach?
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Will we?

We can learn. We can teach. We can hear. We can stop. We can know.
We can act. We can drive. We can grow. We can cry. We can do.

We can switch. We can help. We can call. We can bend. We can try.
We can play. We can like. We can think. We can stretch. We can live.

We can gift. We can swerve. We can go. We can dream. We can touch.

We can move. We can thank. We can shape. We can win. We can fall.
We can lend. We can run. We can draw. We can reach. We can love.

The key isn't whether we can but whether we will.
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Gadgets v People

We live in a plug-in-play world. The gadget comes with an instructional manual but few of us take the time to read it. Our collective impatience is too strong. We want to open the box and start using it. If there’s a problem, we’ll call someone or research the answer online. But what do we do when we can’t figure out how people work?

There is no owner’s manual with human interaction and relationships. Decades of experience can only give us a guide but each person is wired and motivated differently. We can’t simply apply one rule for all yet often the business world tries to do just that.

Leadership is Complex

If you have kids, you may have taught them how to ride a bike. At first, you put on training wheels, and then over time you raised them off the ground so your child could slowly learn how to balance.

Then the day came when the training wheels were removed. You may have stood nervously as they started to pedal off without your help or the help of two extra wheels. That’s trust in them, the system, and yourself. You gave them the tools but eventually had to let them find their way.

Without investing time in people's motivation, we may never know how the gadget works.
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We Can...

We can learn. We can teach. We can hear. We can stop. We can know.
We can act. We can drive. We can grow. We can cry. We can do.

We can switch. We can help. We can call. We can bend. We can try.
We can play. We can like. We can think. We can stretch. We can live.

We can gift. We can swerve. We can go. We can dream. We can touch.

We can move. We can thank. We can shape. We can win. We can fall.
We can lend. We can run. We can draw. We can reach. We can love.

The key may not be whether we can but whether we will.
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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

playdoughtoplato

No Instruction Manual

We live in a plug-in-play world. The gadget comes with an instructional manual but few (none) of us take the time to read it. Our collective impatience is too strong. We want to open the box and start using it. If there’s a problem, we’ll call someone or research the answer online.

What do we do when we can’t figure out how people work? There is no owner’s manual with human interaction and relationships. Decades of experience can only give us a guide but each person is wired and motivated differently. Yet often the business world tries to do just that.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Leadership is complex. If you have kids, you may have taught them how to ride a bike. At first, you put on training wheels, and then over time you raised them off the ground so your child could slowly learn how to balance.

Then the day came when the training wheels were removed. You may have stood nervously as they started to pedal off without your help or the help of two extra wheels. That’s trust in them, the system, and yourself.

Letting Go

You gave them the tools but eventually had to let them find their way. Survey Says You hear claims such as; “millennials behave this way” or “women don't like that” which are a dangerous generalizations.

Marketing companies try and predict habits and companies attempt to guide behavior but it won't help with your day-to-day personal and professional relationships. Data won't provide a short cut to human behavior.

Making time for each other may be a good place to start.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership and management consultant helping leaders, teams, and companies get clear on their goals and results.

allion

There is No Owner's Manual

We live in a plug-in-play world. The gadget comes with an instructional manual but few of us take the time to read it. Our collective impatience is too strong. We want to open the box and start using it. If there’s a problem, we’ll call someone or research the answer online. But what do we do when we can’t figure out how people work?

There is no owner’s manual with human interaction and relationships. Decades of experience can only give us a guide but each person is wired and motivated differently. We can’t simply apply one rule for all yet often the business world tries to do just that.

Leadership is Complex

If you have kids, you may have taught them how to ride a bike. At first, you put on training wheels, and then over time you raised them off the ground so your child could slowly learn how to balance.

Then the day came when the training wheels were removed. You may have stood nervously as they started to pedal off without your help or the help of two extra wheels. That’s trust in them, the system, and yourself. You gave them the tools but eventually had to let them find their way.

Without investing time in people's motivation, we may never know how the gadget works.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

istock

The Power of Grit

What does success, excellence, and 7th graders have in common? Consultant, teacher, researcher, and psychologist Angela Lee Duckwork decided to figure it out.

Watch this.


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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

TED | Angela Lee Duckwork

Assumptions and Humans

We live in a plug-in-play world. The gadget comes with an instructional manual but few (none) of us take the time to read it. Our collective impatience is too strong. We want to open the box and start using it. If there’s a problem, we’ll call someone or research the answer online. But what do we do when we can’t figure out how people work?

There is no owner’s manual with human interaction and relationships. Decades of experience can only give us a guide but each person is wired and motivated differently. We can’t simply apply one rule for all. Yet often the business world tries to do just that.

Leadership is Complex

If you have kids, you may have taught them how to ride a bike. At first, you put on training wheels, and then over time you raised them off the ground so your child could slowly learn how to balance.

Then the day came when the training wheels were removed. You may have stood nervously as they started to pedal off without your help or the help of two extra wheels. That’s trust in them, the system, and yourself. You gave them the tools but eventually had to let them find their way.

Survey Says

You hear claims such as; “millennials behave this way” or “women don't like that” which are a dangerous generalizations. Marketing companies try and predict habits and companies attempt to guide behavior but it won't help with your day-to-day personal and professional relationships.

Data won't provide a shortcut to human behavior. 
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Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture strategist, writer, speaker, executive coach engaging leaders, collaborative teams, and strong business results.

shutterstock

Are You Happy at Work?

We are stressed and overwhelmed. Information and deadlines are coming at us faster than our minds can comprehend them. Multitasking has become the new badge of honour. And being busy is apparently a good thing.

The reason why unhappiness in the workplace has become an epidemic may not be about the work. It may not be those around us. It may be the attitudes we bring to our work. Leadership and culture are key components to how well we enjoy what we do and with whom we do it.

The numbers prove it

Overwhelming data show our relationship with the people around us profoundly affects our work and careers but it's what each of us brings to the relationships that remains the key element.

Shawn Achor is a psychologist who shares his experience with happiness, work, people and the magic of unicorns.

Find time in your busy to watch this.


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Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture strategist, writer, speaker, executive coach engaging leaders, collaborative teams, and strong business results.

Lattitude | TED | Shawn Achor

Read the Instructions

We live in a plug-in-play world. The gadget comes with an instructional manual but few of us take the time to read it. Our collective impatience is too strong. We want to open the box and start using it. If there’s a problem, we’ll call someone or research the answer online. But what do we do when we can’t figure out how people work?

There is no owner’s manual with human interaction and relationships. Decades of experience can only give us a guide but each person is wired and motivated differently. We can’t simply apply one rule for all yet often the business world tries to do just that.

You hear claims such as; “millennials behave this way” or “women 25-49 don’t like that” which are a generalizations. Marketing companies try and predict habits and companies attempt to guide behavior. No two people in history are identical.

Leadership is Complex

While working with enterprise teams, there are times when they seem lost or unsure what to do next. Another member of our leadership group reminded me recently to trust the process. To me, it meant trust the work we put in to build it and trust our choices in those who we include to work with us on it. This is not to suggest we don't refine the process. In fact it is exactly why we have to pay close attention to the input of others so we can create better solutions together.

If you have kids, you may have taught them how to ride a bike. At first, you put on training wheels, and then over time you raised them off the ground so your child could slowly learn how to balance. Then the day came when the training wheels were removed. You may have stood nervously as they started to pedal off without your help or the help of two extra wheels. That’s trust in them, the system, and yourself. You gave them the tools but eventually had to let them find their way.

Without investing time in people's motivation, we will never know how the gadget works.

Kneale Mann

kupps

One Giant Leap

The world is reflecting on the life of a quiet man who spent more than four decades reliving an event that will forever be on the list of human accomplishments.

Neil Armstrong lived 82 eventful years that could have gone unnoticed by most of us. But in July 1969 he was forever etched in history.

Armstrong was the first to admit it wasn’t his triumph but rather the accomplishment made by thousands of dedicated people who worked tirelessly for many years to make it happen. Leadership, ideas, and hard work continue to teach us to dream and push to create more small steps and giant leaps.


Kneale Mann

nasa

Work Won’t Make You Happy

We are stressed and overwhelmed. Information and deadlines are coming at us faster than our minds can comprehend them. Multitasking has become the new badge of honour. And being busy is apparently a good thing.

The reason why unhappiness in the workplace has become an epidemic may not be about the work. The cause could be something other than the economy. It may not be those around us. It may be the attitudes we bring to our work.

Shawn Achor is a psychologist who shares his experience with happiness, work, people and the magic of unicorns.

Find time in your busy day to watch this.


Kneale Mann

visual credit: TED | Shawn Achor

Finding Inspiration

It was the end of a long day. Anyone who owns their own business knows the feeling. You’re being torn in a hundred different directions and half of them are created by you. So I was looking for some inspiration.

I found some.

Brad Koepenick is an actor, director and producer. He along with a group of very special people created Kids with Cameras which came out a few years ago. The work continues. Find a few minutes and watch this video.

Then go inspire someone.



Kneale Mann

video credit: Kids with Cameras

Teachers, Mentors, Coaches and Leaders

In teaching, you cannot see the fruit of a day's work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years. Jacques Barzun

Some colleges, universities and private schools got rolling last week. Today is the first official day of school for the rest of North American students .

Summer vacation is over. It's time for a new semester, new topics and new learning.

Some parents are taking their kids to school for the first time.


While others worry as their babies are in other cities following their career dreams.

The best teacher is the one who suggests rather than dogmatizes, and inspires the listener with the wish to teach themselves.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

I had Mr. Balcaras four times for science in high school. He taught us how to dissect a frog and explained how much energy was inside a peanut by setting it on fire. I can still see the periodic table on the wall by his desk.

Ms. Young was my grade one teacher. A woman in her 60’s who was like a second grandmother. It was grade one, we weren't doing much but she was cool.

A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron.
Horace Mann

I had Mr. Peters for grade six. I ran in to him years after high school and he still remembered me. I never did ask him if that was a good or a bad thing.

The delightful Ms. Rolo was grade ten. She was a great English teacher who had patience with a fidgety grade ten geek who was bored with English.

So glad she persevered.

To teach is to learn twice.
Joseph Jouber

Replace the word teacher with coach or mentor and have a look at your career. Give some thought to those who have helped you. Now give some thought to those you’ve helped along the way.

While we lament the near end of summer, increased traffic and a full fall work schedule, let’s salute teachers today.

Are you ready to teach?

knealemann
Let's create experiences not campaigns.

image credit: nj

The Power Of Words

All our words are but crumbs that fall down
from the feast of the mind. Kahlil Gibran

Words are important.

But not simply because they are needed for one of our most utilized forms of communication, but because of how much they can pique our other senses.

Words can come to our aid, hurt us and make us fall in love. They can bring joy and cause tears. Words have started wars and ended marriages. They can be enough to lift a team of people past any lack of resources or experience and crush any deficiencies there may be on paper.

Words can help us heal and can stifle our dreams before even leaving our minds.

All this chatter about toys and gizmos, thingamajigs and doohickeys, websites and interfaces, this site that site, profiles and apps, without words we ain't got much.

Here are 17 words that I like, maybe some are on your list too;

Think Create Smile
Desire Listen
Passion Share Live
Dream Believe
Thanks Do Magic
Enjoy Decide
Teach Laugh

What are yours?

@knealemann

Thirty-One Days. Thirty-One Ideas.

Last month I listed thirty ideas for thirty days. A friend sent me an email yesterday asking if I had practised what I preached.

I'm workin' on it.

So here's another reminder for me and you. Since there are thirty-one days December, I thought we'd add one ...and try it again!

In random order…

Enjoy the ride • Don't procrastinate • Say thanks • Decide • Trust yourself • Share often • Learn from everyone • Be bold • Imagine • Make magic • Fight hard • Expect more • Don’t settle • Love what you do • Hum along • Smile • Crush the box • Dream • Mean it • Wonder • Teach someone • Be brave • Laugh often • Inspire • Live now • Worry less • Think action • Create • Don’t wait • Fear less • Sleep in

km

December 2008