This hour glass is an estimation of time, not exact. In learning, it is best to develop skills of estimation, exactness follows. Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

https://youtu.be/7QAMrzqeDGM This reminded me of what Jane Bozarth showed us with the ukelele. Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

I saw this chart in Kyoto Station and reminded me of core structure of a lesson. "Eat" is a factual content, while "paradise" is an emotional content. Both are needed for learners to understand content. Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

This hour glass is an estimation of time, not exact. In learning, it is best to develop skills of estimation, exactness follows. Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

https://youtu.be/7QAMrzqeDGM This reminded me of what Jane Bozarth showed us with the ukelele. Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

I saw this chart in Kyoto Station and reminded me of core structure of a lesson. "Eat" is a factual content, while "paradise" is an emotional content. Both are needed for learners to understand content. Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

I am not a Star Wars fan, but I do remember watching the 1999 film The Phantom Menace and was recently reminded of a quote by Liam Neeson’s character, Qui-Gon Jinn: "Your focus determines your reality." I also read a recent article by the Harvard Business Review: Resolve a Fight with a Remote Colleague. And I am about 17% of the way through a book By Sherry Turkle on Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age. All three of these references point to one thing: resolving conflict in the virtual world, when we have only a webcam connection at best — or a phone line at worst — is difficult, often avoided, or postponed until it is too late and permanent damage is done. Fortunately, it doesn’t need to be so difficult or scary if we are thoughtful and intentional (i.e. "focused") in working towards a jointly successful outcome (i.e. "reality"). "There is always hope, my friend, though it often comes in forms not looked for. The key is knowing how to see it and seizing the opportunity." - Qui-Gon to Yoda In the HBR article from November 2015, Amy Gallo clearly sets out the challenges of virtual conversations: no body language or facial expression cues lack of "shared identity" (i.e. experiences shared in common) a focus only on role — the work and work content — rather than an empathetic interaction between two human beings. No wonder that we often resort to emails when we should pick up the phone or connect with a webcam. It’s just too hard! Sherry Turkle sees the same problem happening on a macro-level with our dependency (dare I say "addiction") to written texts, IM, Emails and chat. "We are being silenced by our technologies - in a way, ‘cured of talking’." And yet, "It is when we see each other’s faces and hear each other’s voices that we become most human to each other." At The Ariel Group, we believe being "human to each other" is at the heart of any challenging conversation that has a successful outcome. It begins by being willing to be present to the other person and in the moment. Qui-Gon believed this: living in the moment was the best way for him to embrace the Force, which often put him at odds with the other more conservative Jedi. This is not unlike our own reluctance to be at odds with our conservative inner instinct to avoid a challenging conversation. As a result, we have a model that I believe Qui-Gon, Amy, and Sherry would all approve of as we integrate many The Ariel Group’s concepts of Presence into a challenging conversation, even in virtual situations: Reaching out in Four Acts (or ROIFA, for short).   Having introduced this model to hundreds of people in our courses on Virtual Presence and Leadership Presence, the secrets to the use of this model (and also sometimes the most difficult to implement), are the following: Act I: Being present (and I mean really present - to "channel the Force", as Qui-Gon would say) - the ability to focus only on the other person and nothing else for the duration of the conversation. Act II: Listening and reflecting back what you are hearing - demonstrate that she or he has been heard. Act III: Empathy - the ability to walk in the other person’s moccasins and involve him or her in the process. Act IV: Courage - to speak your truth and ask for feedback at the end. Resolving conflict virtually is never easy, and for sure, it is easier when we are in the same office or we can meet face-to-face. But it is possible if you prepare for and approach the conversation thoughtfully and with focus. May the Force be with you! The post Virtual Conflict: Your Focus Determines Your Outcome appeared first on Ariel Group.        Related StoriesElectronic Presence: How to Have Presence in EmailDo Your Employees See You…as Human?The Employee Engagement Equation 

My colleague Carol Lempert wrote a wonderful blog about spontaneous praise and its important place in your leadership toolkit. Gallup backs up her thesis - the #1 tool for engaging and retaining your employees is to catch them doing something great and acknowledging them right away. There are various schools of thought on how often to do this. A 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of specific, positive feedback to constructive/critical feedback is the average; I’ve seen it go as high as 7:1 if you want to create a superstar team. When I shared this data with my colleague Meghan she sarcastically said, "Do we need to start complimenting people for getting dressed in the morning?" Not quite. But we do need to earn the right as managers to ask for improvement, as counterintuitive as that may seem. We need our people to know that we see what they are doing well and the reason we are suggesting adjustments or changes is that we want them to do better, not just for the organization, but for their own growth and development. There is an old director’s trick in the theater than I learned in graduate school. If you want an actor to repeat a certain behavior, you endorse it: "I love the way you crossed to the downstage table quickly and tossed back the drink as if you were desperate to get away from him." I am here to tell you the actor will do that EVERY time, even if the theater catches on fire. Directors endorse the behavior they want to see repeated. Non-actors aren’t much different. We all need to be seen, we need to be appreciated, and we need to know what we’re doing right, just as we need to know when we’ve misstepped. If we’re only being told when we misstep we tend to freeze, afraid to take the next step forward. I am a huge proponent of catching someone doing something great. You definitely want me in your audience as I have spent a good amount of time refining my eye for what is working, and what is unique about the person who is leading or presenting. Here are a few things I’ve learned and practiced along the way: Be the best audience member in the room. I make a point of making eye contact with the person who’s leading the meeting and nodding and smiling to encourage them. Hundreds of participants in Ariel classrooms testify that positive energy from the audience improves their presentation. It’s such an easy way to help your people get a win. Embrace the paradox. As you are observing the person, or their work, try this exercise: think of an adjective and a noun (or two adjectives) that describes their unique style, i.e. "calm authority" or "rigorous AND approachable." Sometimes we have strengths that can seem contradictory but are actually quite complimentary.  Try putting them together. Throw away the feedback sandwich. It. Is. moldy. The days of couching criticism between two endorsements are over. If you are catching people being great you earn the right to be direct when there is an opportunity for improvement. Actors fight to work with directors who endorse them AND help them grow, and the same will be true for you if you make specific, timely, positive feedback part of your management style. I’m confident you will succeed (and I’ll tell you if you do). The post From the Director’s Playbook: Endorse, Endorse, Endorse appeared first on Ariel Group.        Related StoriesDo Your Employees See You…as Human?Flying Unfriendly Skies: 6 Ways to Manage ChangeWhy Biases Ruin the Workplace 

When we hire new employees, we count on their fresh ideas, new perspectives, and added expertise to help our business grow. In fact, with the right mix of people in the workplace, business won’t just grow, it’ll evolve. But are we providing an environment where their fresh ideas can be heard? Many executives will stop an idea from being executed for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the company culture is resistant to change, and often it’s the executives themselves. Personal biases cause many to be short-sighted and at the same time, overlook huge opportunities. However, if your employees recognize these biases, and use proactive solutions to erase them, your company could become a refuge for fresh thinking and new ideas. "The seven most expensive words in business are: ‘We have always done it this way.’" - Catherine DeVyre, Author, Speaker, and Australian Executive Woman of the Year We acquire knowledge when we are attentive to our experience, intelligent in our understanding, and reasonable in our judgment. This is the only way our decisions can be seen as reliable. According to philosopher Bernard Lonergan, S.J., there are four common biases that prevent insights from emerging: Group Bias These are the "isms" in our society. Racism. Sexism. Ageism. These "isms" are rampant in organizational life. In the workplace, it can lead to an "us vs. them" mentality between departments, or friction and animosity because of age differences, rival alma maters, even former employers, i.e., "Everyone over at Acme Tech is so full of themselves." How to Solve for Group Bias Remove names and college graduation dates from résumés before they get to a hiring manager. Erase "us vs. them" mentality from the workplace. If a project fails, be sure managers don’t go behind closed doors with their team and say, "Well, they should have listened to us." Have company values that everyone gets behind so it’s not about what your team wants vs. what another team wants, but about what the whole company needs. Create interdepartmental monthly lunches to get to know people from other functions. Getting to know others on a personal level can build authentic relationships. Individual Bias Individual bias is a fancy way of saying WiiFM ("What’s in it for me?"). People who suffer from this are often labeled as selfish, shrewd, and looking for loopholes so they can exploit others. They will use anyone — clients, coworkers, etc. — as a means to an end that is good for them. Short version? The essential egoist. How to Solve for Individual Bias If managers need an egoist to cooperate with them, train them to say what’s in it for them (WiiFT) first. By putting things into perspective for your egoist, they will see that cooperation is key for their success, and the company’s. Train managers and employees to show their value, accolades, awards, and intelligence to this person. Have a place on a company blog or intranet to talk about employee’s accomplishments. Many people suffering from individual bias look at everyone else as inferior and not worth their concern. However, if they see fellow employees as counterparts equal to them, they will be open to collaborating more. Build curiosity into your culture. If individuals ask questions about projects — why change is needed, why it’s important to the company as a whole, etc., - people won’t feel on edge when an egoist does the same. By welcoming curiosity (without the culture feeling like a constant interrogation), all employees can have a deeper understanding of everyone’s needs and priorities. General Bias Think about your days in high school or secondary school. What subject did you just hate? That subject suffered from your general bias to it. In simple terms, general bias is the tension between interested and disinterested knowing. For example, if you hated mathematics, you probably rushed through your homework and paid half-attention during class, watching the second hand tick on the clock until the class was over. As a result, you didn’t allow yourself to be curious about the material. You didn’t get excited about sine, cosine, and quadratic equations like you did science or Shakespeare. In the workplace, employees complain about being in a meeting thinking "Why am I here?" or "I have better things to do than listen to this." That’s their general bias sneaking up on them. They are automatically disinterested so you they present or engaged in the material, wasting their time — but more importantly the company’s — because of this attitude. How to Solve for General Bias Train employees to find out why they are on agenda. Fellow coworkers might want their insight about a current trend, or a status on a project. Knowing why their presence is needed will help them prepare. Train employees to stop using the word "common sense" or "it’s always been done this way" to back up arguments. These should be seen as taboo and aren’t going to allow new ideas to emerge. Remind employees about the importance of body language in meetings. Even though they may be present, posture may indicate you have a general bias. Help to identify and adjust blind spots employees may have in how they carry themselves so speakers will feel that the topic is welcomed, and not a burden. Dramatic Bias Dramatic bias, simply put, is the way we kid ourselves. The age old "what’s the worst that can happen?" People suffering from dramatic bias will have loads of answers! Researcher and storyteller Brené Brown alludes to this in her TEDx talk: employees will ‘censor’ things to avoid getting insights about themselves that would reveal the ways they fear, disapprove, or even detest. Fear and vulnerability stops us. To put another way, it’s employees’ unwillingness to be present. They may opt to be blind to a great idea despite the data presented to them. They choose to not understand it data because they’re afraid. Why are they afraid? They might not have the expertise to help the project and are afraid of failing or being "found out." Or they might be afraid of the project’s cost. Either way, they won’t push to make discoveries about an idea, so insights can’t emerge. How to Solve for Dramatic Bias Train managers to do a pulse check to see if everyone gets what’s going on during a big announcement. Have them set time aside during 1:1 to re-explain things so everyone can move forward together. Be real. Be authentic that what you do has a real effect on people. If your company messes up, own it and say you’re sorry and you’ll fix it. Celebrate achievements. Some of the best leaders suffer from "Impostor Syndrome." Managers of these employees should find ways to let employees know how much they appreciate their unique skill sets. So, that being said, do you notice the 4 biases in your workplace? If so, what do you do to counteract them?   The post Why Biases Ruin the Workplace appeared first on Ariel Group.        Related StoriesFrom the Director’s Playbook: Endorse, Endorse, EndorseVirtual Conflict: Your Focus Determines Your OutcomeDo Your Employees See You…as Human? 

We are in the 2015 home stretch. Now is a fantastic time to rally your team together and celebrate this year’s successes. As a leader, when you think about this year’s accomplishments, you probably go straight to the major business outcomes, from excellent talent acquisition to product launches to client retention. Those all should definitely be celebrated. And here I am encouraging you to go deeper on the individual level with your team members. Understand what they like celebrating and give them the attention they deserve.Here are three exercises to explore. Choose one or do all. Perhaps let each of your team members choose their own activity. The main point is to focus, learn, and celebrate.Reflect in a month-to-month format. Have your team member list their major accomplishments in each month of 2015. Encourage them to look back on calendars, emails, and notes. Oftentimes we are moving so fast that we do not take time to acknowledge a new skill acquired or a big win. Give them some time to do this activity on their own. Then, in your next one-on-one, review their month-by-month. It is great to focus on successes and the "highs". Ask why those stand out. This is a great way to learn about each of your team members in a new way. And at the end of the conversation ask: This time next year, what would you like a few of your successes to be in 2016?Create a strategy with each team member. At Fierce, every employee after six months fills out a growth plan. In this growth plan, we focus on four core areas: alignment with company values, current role growth, career growth, and professional development plans. Focus on those four areas with each of your team members. In each of these sections, dig deeper by asking why. Learning your team member’s why is critical for building a strong connection to everything that you do with them. Help the team member map out goals and next steps for those four areas.Do the 3+1 Focus. This is a very simple exercise to create focus. At the beginning of each quarter, I ask each team member to bring 3 development areas that they want to focus on in the next three months. This is a great way to keep it simple and check in on these throughout the quarter. I also ask them to bring 1 development area for me to focus on to best support them. The goal is to answer the questions: As your leader, what is the one area that I can focus on that would make all of the difference to you this quarter? In other words, what can I shift to make me the best possible leader for you? It is critical in this exercise to listen very intently, and then you MUST act. That is why I suggest only one area, because it will accumulate with the number of direct reports you have. So, which activity are you going to try? Do you have other suggestions?  The post 3 Tips to Celebrate and Develop Your Team Members in the New Year appeared first on Fierce, Inc..