For my friend ‘K’RB. "We’re not here to see through each other; we’re here to see each other through." _____________________ IF IF you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, ‘ Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch, if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And - which is more - you’ll be a Man, my son! - Rudyard Kipling 1,647 total views, 3 views today Dan's Related Posts:For Don …I Have Never Worn a WatchI Unfriended You On Facebook. Are We Still Friends?42-24 … I’m 42 Today: What I’d Say to a 24 Year Old MeFlat Army Dedication

We recently released a free update for Adobe Captivate 7 and it includes some stunning new features and enhancements like support for iOS 7.0.3, Android 4.2 and later, Mac OS 10.9, and Windows 8.1, color swatches, lock size and position of objects, star shape, millionaire interaction, and this list doesn’t end here… The most awaited […]

Proportionally speaking, of course. The post According to Basic Math, Pluto is Hotter Than Justin Bieber appeared first on WIRED.

Calestous Juma is Professor of the Practice of International Development and Director of the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. Harvard University of course is in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Professor Juma tweeted the following on Saturday, which I thought was both poignant and appropriate for the purpose of my pending prose: Meghan Biro and Kevin Grossman - as they previously state: "were comparing notes about the many forces reshaping today’s workplace. They wondered aloud about how talent-minded professionals could connect and support one another through chaotic and exciting shifts in business, technology and workforce dynamics." Thankfully, in Cambridge, they started up the TalentCulture "world of work" community that includes the highly popular weekly #TChat Twitter chat and #TChat Radio show.  With Meghan based in Cambridge and Kevin in Santa Cruz, these two have undoubtedly run into a few enemies as they began TalentCulture, but more importantly, they have created an awe-inspiring collaborative community of professionals desperately yearning for — and in many cases practicing — a new and improved way in which to operate our organizations. <insert happy dance> … because we need more Meghan and Kevin’s. In December of 2008 I joined an organization with an employee engagement level of 53%. I knew it could be turned around if many of us banded together, although I knew I would encounter enemies along the way. In early 2012, I wanted to broaden my reach in an attempt to help others outside of the organization I worked at full-time. So, I sent an email out to 20 people asking for their help. I wanted to write and publish a book even though I knew full well I might create more enemies, whether in the organization I worked at or through the final result of the book itself. The power of my network and my willingness to try something new despite knowing I would create enemies ensured I published the book. This past week those forces collided. (and what a positive experience it was for me personally) Earlier in 2013 I was fortunate to be introduced to Meghan and Kevin (and their co-conspirators Kathleen Kruse and Tim McDonald) by one of the brightest interlocutors out there - Nick Kellet - founder of List.ly and one incredibly bright spark. After publishing Flat Army in March in Canada (the USA and Europe followed in April and May) Nick (based in beautiful Kelowna, British Columbia) was kind enough to send a note expressing his sentiments that me (and Flat Army) might be featured through the TalentCulture community. And at that point, the #TChat Leadership Train of Meghan, Kevin, Kathleen and Tim was steaming towards me whistling gleefully down the track. Their enthusiasm and willingness to share the Flat Army story of a connected and engaged organization (and leadership style) was maple syrup to my pancakes. I know, I’m mixing metaphors. But trust me, these are very, very good people. Kathleen effortlessly worked with me on a post for the TalentCulture community Kevin provided all sorts of guidance and encouragement Tim recorded a Google+ Hangout with me (and offered me tips for my own timeslot) Meghan wrote a post for Forbes linking to our theme for the week and interviewed me for a 30-minute TChat Radio segment Of course everything culminated with me moderating the #TChat Tweetstorm for 60 minutes where it landed on the Top 10 Twitter Trending list in the USA during its Wednesday timeslot. Meghan has taken the final step of recapping the entire week of ‘open leadership’ in a masterfully written summary. (ie. no point in trying to duplicate excellence) To the entire team, my many thanks. Not simply for inviting me as a guest, but for what you are doing to help hundreds of professionals get on the ‘open leadership’ bus. You are open leaders … you are role models for many to look up to. I’m glad you tried something new despite potential enemies in your midst. So many people out there are better off as a result of your courage and openness. #kudos #tchat … You are #openleaders 1,964 total views, 5 views today Dan's Related Posts:Future Of Work: A Flat Army Of Open Leadership via A.G. LafleyThe Harmonic Leader: Stage 5 of 5 in the Leadership Tonic ScaleWHY I Wrote Flat Army: The Flat Army Golden CircleDon’t Be a FOOL: Fear of Open LeadershipRethinking the Work of Leadership

A free Mac Only update to Adobe Captivate 6, (Adobe Captivate 6.0.2) is now available for download and installation through the following link; http://www.adobe.com/support/captivate/downloads.html Mavericks users may download the update directly using this link. Mavericks Installation instructions To install the downloaded patch, you must first have Adobe Captivate 6.0.199 OR 6.0.1.249 installed. This update is […]

Hot damn, it’s great to hear that theme song again. After a three-month break—irregular episode scheduling has become Disney’s M.O. with this show—Gravity Falls is back to finally explain the mysterious reappearance of the other Stan Pines, the author of the cryptic books Dipper has been using to illuminate the paranormal around town. The lingering […] The post Gravity Falls GIF and a Graf: Mystery Stan appeared first on WIRED.

Flat Army? What the heck is a Flat Army? Work environments need not feel like a military camp or a ruthless command-and-control operation. The process of work should be fun, innovative, creative and very engaging. I believe that the best way to create a connected and engaged organization is by invoking a "Flat Army" mindset. Why? Let’s unpack that analogy: To be flat is to be on a level surface, not in a hierarchy. To be in an army (from armata, the Latin term referenced in 1533, meaning a flotilla of vessels) is to be part of a large group of people who are committed to similar aims or beliefs. An organization with a Flat Army ethos benefits from an unobstructed flow of coordinated, constructive, creative behaviors that arise from the common interests of employees, leaders, partners and customers. It is a shift from "me" to "we," using collaborative, participative and growth behaviors. Flat Army is a playbook that moves organizations toward increased engagement and innovation. Profile Of A Flat Army Leader In our Flat Army model, a harmonious, connected leader creates a situation where both the team and the leader are as open as possible to performing business tasks and achieving objectives. In an environment where even mundane day-to-day tasks are conducted in this open manner, there is harmony among all contributors, regardless of rank. Openness — both as a quality of the leader and an expectation of the team — fosters a harmonious relationship among all parties. It’s arguably a step in the right direction towards higher levels of engagement, productivity and business results. A harmonious, open leader connects with the team — parlaying the culture as if it can only be successful when all parties are united, equal in nature and committed to openness. And if we agree that leadership is for all, we also wish that everyone in an organization will participate as a harmonious, open leader. Getting Under The Hood With Open Leaders I define open leadership as the act of engaging others to influence and execute a coordinated and harmonious conclusion. Therefore, open leadership is essential for every Flat Army organization. A.G. Lafley comes to mind when I think of stellar Flat Army leadership. His name may not ring a bell, but I can assure you, he sets a standard of excellence for openness and collaboration. Between 2000 and 2010, Mr. Lafley was the highly successful president and CEO of Procter & Gamble (P&G) — the consumer products conglomerate with over $80 billion in revenue and over 125,000 employees worldwide. Throughout his decade at the helm, he helped double total sales and quadruple profits, while increasing P&G’s market value by over $100 billion. Furthermore, he helped grow P&G’s portfolio of billion-dollar brands (such as Gillette, Pampers and Tide) from 10 to 24. How did he do it? In his book The Game Changer: How Every Leader Can Drive Everyday Innovation, co-written with management thought leader, Ram Charan, Lafley refers to the unique relationship between openness and ideas: Open architecture is the organizing principle that enables a business and its people to open themselves up to get ideas from anywhere at any time. P&G collaborates with anybody, anywhere, anytime. P&G likes unusual suspects. It will even compete with a company on one side of the street, and cooperate with it on the other. In an open innovation system, anything out there is fair game, even if competitors are sitting on it. And that’s fine with both partners because it works. At P&G, Lafley opened up everything. He wanted his leaders to be more collaborative, and just as importantly, he wanted his employees to be open. As a results, magic happened. He branded this open architecture "Connect and Develop" or "C&D." The framework reached across all employees, regardless of title, and it drove not only revenue and profitability, but also employee engagement. Lafley and Charan explain: The single characteristic of C&D is the willingness of all people at P&G to be psychologically open and to seriously consider new ideas, whatever the source, thus building a truly open global innovation network that can link up — and be first in line — with the most interesting thinkers and the best products to "reapply with pride." Lafley’s leadership example demonstrates what’s possible when a harmonious environment is created through a culture of open initiative. That is Flat Army in action. And perhaps that’s a key reason why P&G just rehired Lafley last month to lead the company forward. The Open Leader Toolkit Hopefully now the concept of open leadership is clear. But what are these social business and collaboration tools everyone keeps talking about? An open, Flat Army environment can’t thrive if leaders suffer from technology blindness or ignorance. In truth, tools for communication and collaboration are as integral to a Flat Army mindset as they are to employee engagement and productivity. If your organization doesn’t embrace tools that support dynamic exchange of knowledge and ideas, then be a catalyst for change. Look for ways to integrate capabilities such as blogging, micro-blogging, expert networks, discussion forums, video sharing or instant messaging into existing platforms and workflows. Start using them to demonstrate that you are a connected, collaborative and participative leader who assists your team (and your organization) in achieving their goals and objectives — even as you strive for a high level of employee engagement and customer satisfaction. What are you doing to help your organization embrace a Flat Army ethos? I invite you to share your ideas and experiences. Flat Army Leader Examples Listly by Dan Pontefract Flat Army Leader Examples A list of leaders who I believe demonstrate the Flat Army leadership mantra. 262 Views crowd rank curated alpha newest queue Richard Branson 0 0 0 Tony Hsieh 0 0 0 Vineet Nayar 0 0 0 Nick Howe 0 0 0 Karie Willyerd 0 0 0 Karen Kocher 0 0 0 Marcia Conner 0 0 0 Lisa Brummel 0 0 0 Wendy Arnott 0 0 0 Cam Crosbie 0 0 0 View more lists from Dan Pontefract Originally posted to TalentCulture: World of Work 3,129 total views, 7 views today Dan's Related Posts:The Harmonic Leader: Stage 5 of 5 in the Leadership Tonic ScaleDon’t Be a FOOL: Fear of Open Leadershipthe FLAT ARMY cheat sheetWHY I Wrote Flat Army: The Flat Army Golden CircleThe Fifteen Habits of a Connected Leader

"You did what?" Those were the words echoed by several young bucks (and does) when I shared the news that Denise and I were engaged … over the Christmas holiday season of 1993 and at the tender age of 22. No, she wasn’t pregnant. And yes, I’m certain my in-laws are still recovering. But we *were* sensible enough - to those in our various circles - to schedule a wedding date for July 1, 1995 giving us time to complete our undergraduate degrees and maybe even find a job. Which, when you do the remedial math (arguably difficult for some of those we were hanging around with at the time) means we got married at the age of 24. Twenty-four. I know. It’s as though we were born in the 40′s and 50′s and got married in the 60′s. Call us Mr. And Mrs. Cleaver. (Although Denise being Denise she kept her last name so what do I know?) That’s what you did ‘back then’ in the 50′s, 60′s and even the 70′s; you got married young. It was unheard of in 1995, or at least within our friends and family plan. We hadn’t even graduated from McGill University so why on Earth were we getting engaged? Oh, the horror. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. Today, I turn 42 and when I looked at the numbers - four and two for those of you playing the online version - it reminded me of that fabulous day in 1995 when we got married. I was 24. Denise was 24. It was a 24-hour day that will never be forgotten. I mean c’mon, we had a stripping gorilla at our wedding. Did you? And if I had the chance, what more would I say to myself as a 24-year old knowing what I know today at the age of 42? For people in Western Canada, a case of beer is 24 not 12. Dan, you can continue to embarrass and make fun of those that believe it in opposite terms You’re moving to Vancouver in five weeks. It is a fabulous place. Dan, you will try to move back to Ontario, but it’s futile. Just stay put - Vancouver is the most magical place in the world. In a few years you will begin to enjoy — even fancy — Scotch. Dan, don’t tell people it’s a drink for aristocrats only. Those beer swigging idiots that show up at The Tragically Hip concerts mosh pit ‘dancing’ causing trouble and embarrassment will continue to be beer swigging idiots later in life. Dan, don’t be a hero - let them be. Fatherhood is the single most important role you will have in your life. Dan, trust your instincts, you won’t screw things up. Islands are surrounded by water and for all intents and purposes prove difficult to get off of during inclement weather. Dan, everything always works out so enjoy the moment. Even if you are yourself - a truthful, open and passionate self - there are evil corporate citizens who will seek to sabotage or undercut your beliefs. Dan, grow up … you can’t get to great without going through a few hornet nests. Things will change. For example, for some unknown reason you will no longer enjoy open patios, balconies or bridges where you’re more than 30 feet off the ground. Dan, fear is ok … it’s a natural part of life, just don’t let it consume you. Ever. Your Achilles tendon will become your Achilles heel. Dan, you should take up cycling now at 24 not at 34. Possibilities are endless. They might even invent a razor-thin laptop the size of an 8 1/2 x 11″ piece of paper. Dan, your mind will continue to race like a Disney Imagineer … it’s ok to constantly dream and envision what will make the world, organizations and your family better … just know not everyone will see the world as you do … and that’s ok. You are getting married in 10 days. Dan, that’s the best decision you will ever make in your life. (yes, even better than what you will do in your mid 40′s) Good luck with your next 24 years Dan. I hope you make a true ‘case’ for yourself. 2,870 total views, no views today Dan's Related Posts:An Example of the Flat Army CLAM in Action: BC Ideas2ActionWHY I Wrote Flat Army: The Flat Army Golden CircleI Don’t Do GolfDon’t Be a FOOL: Fear of Open LeadershipOur Three Young Children Blog … Here’s Why

Topic: The exciting new features and enhancements in Adobe Captivate 7.0.1 Description: Join Dr. Pooja Jaisingh, Adobe eLearning Evangelist, to learn about the new features and enhancements in Adobe Captivate 7.0.1. She will demonstrate the enhancements related to HTML5, Advanced Actions, Variables, Color Swatches, new Millionaire interaction, and a few more enhancements. Recording Link

Being a rookie author I have no idea whether (or when) a second edition is contemplated. If you’re from Wiley and reading this, please fill me in. But if a second edition of Flat Army is in the cards, then I have the chance to update the myriad statistics and data points that envelope chapter one around the topic of ‘employee engagement’. Gallup recently released their annual findings on employee engagement. The short version summary? Not much has changed. Take a peek at the following graphic, courtesy of Gallup: Over a twelve-year period, the percentage of ‘engaged’ employees in the workforce has see-sawed between 26% and 30%. That, my friends, is pathetic. And our friends at Aon Hewitt (see one of their graphics below) have submitted a similar trend. That is, over the past five years there has only been a 3% deviation in employee engagement between 2008 and 2012 flipping between 57% and 60% - on the global roll-up number. (in fact, North America is on the decline over the past four years from 67% to 63%) With both Gallup and Aon Hewitt indicating employee engagement is poor and it’s still not really making any positive inroads, does it actually matter? I’ve previously written on this site that customer satisfaction can be improved by a more engaged workforce. There is also a litany of further evidence that I document in Flat Army. But I was grinning ear to ear when I saw the following graphic (and accompanying words) from a recent Gallup report entitled "How Employee Engagement Drives Growth": Gallup states: Gallup researchers studied the differences in performance between engaged and actively disengaged work units and found that those scoring in the top half on employee engagement nearly doubled their odds of success compared with those in the bottom half. Those at the 99th percentile had four times the success rate of those at the first percentile. These kind of performance differences are always important to businesses, but they are especially crucial during a recession. Work units in the top quartile in employee engagement outperformed bottom-quartile units by 10% on customer ratings, 22% in profitability, and 21% in productivity. Work units in the top quartile also saw significantly lower turnover (25% in high-turnover organizations, 65% in low-turnover organizations), shrinkage (28%), and absenteeism (37%) and fewer safety incidents (48%), patient safety incidents (41%), and quality defects (41%). Simply said? It’s (yet) further evidence — and thus another smoking gun — that an engaged, collaborative and open workforce does in fact help the bottom line. What say you? 7,496 total views, 19 views today Dan's Related Posts:Can Employee Engagement Improve Customer Satisfaction?WHY I Wrote Flat Army: The Flat Army Golden CircleGive Piece a ChanceFlat Army Graphics on SlideshareFlexible Working Works