Life’s Three, Hidden Opportunities

Blog, collaboration, Competition, emotional intelligence, teambuilding, trust

As many of you probably know from reading my articles and blogs over the years, I’m a long-time volleyball player. Not that I’m an “A+” player, mind you… At 5’9”, I’m not exactly spiking the ball over people. But whatever the outcome, I do love getting out there and running around with my Sunday group of drop-in volleyballers in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

Over my 20 years of v-ball Sundays, I’ve been repeatedly astonished by how uncannily the game parallels life and, most particularly, the psycho-social dynamics in the workplace.

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Big Hero 6 and the Heroes Quest

Blog, Uncategorized

In my last blog (The “Quest” for Success), I explored the concept of the “quest” and how it relates to both the Indiana Jones films of the 80s as well as the workplace of today. Since them, my fascination with the quest model has further deepened upon encountering my friend, Gail Whipple’s, brilliant take on the hero’s journey, what she calls the “Heroes Circle”. According to Gail’s model, a hero typically goes through five stages on the course of a quest, namely:

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secret page

Uncategorized

Welcome to the Dr. Clue mystery page.

Mystery_machine

 

 

 

 

Your secret password to this week’s newsletter puzzle is “Scooby Doo“!

 

 

The “Quest” for Success

Blog, emotional intelligence, trust

Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m a complete sucker for the Indiana Jones movies, particular parts 1-3. Part four, Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008), never really did it for me – a bit too little too late. But ah, the first three segments, released between 1981 and 1989; they were amazing! In an Indiana Jones film from the 80’s, you had it all: a young Harrison Ford, action, excitement, humor, swashbuckling, exotic locales, beautiful heroines, etc. I put those three movies right up there with the very best Hollywood actioners, series like Star Wars, Back to the Future and Die Hard. But my question for you today is: were any of these stories “quests”? And what does this all have to do with teams and workplace engagement? To answer this, we have to come to some agreement on what a “quest” actually is.

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Out-of-the-Food-Truck Thinking

Blog, emotional intelligence, trust

I recently watched a sly little movie on DVD called Chef (2014), starring writer/director/actor John Favreau, that really brings home the perils of sacrificing engagement for practicality, and which demonstrates how things can begin turning around when you start following your heart.

For you movie buffs, you’ll remember Favreau from his debut in Swingers (1996), a humorous portrait of young wannabe-actors (including a very young, thin Vince Vaughn) immersed in LA’s stylish, neo-lounge scene. In Chef, by contrast, Favreau couldn’t be farther from a swinging, 20-something hipster.

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The Six Basic Needs

Blog, emotional intelligence, trust

There’s a lot of talk in the management world these days about boosting “employee engagement”, and for good reason. People are what matter most in an organization – not capital reserves, not resources, not even products and services. Engaged, inspired, motivated employees are what drive the success of an organization… so why, then, is so little actually being done to increase the happiness and well-being of your company’s most vital assets—your people?

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From Couch Potato to Trail Runner in 6 Months

Blog, emotional intelligence

[Disclaimer: although I AM Dr. Clue, I must confess I am not a medical doctor.  As a result, please consult with your physician before attempting to follow any of the advice I put forth below about exercise and diet.  The opinions expressed are those of an ordinary guy, much like many of you, who found a system for getting off the couch and making some pretty significant changes in his life. ]

So, what is a “couch potato”?

Apparently the term is one of the very few slang words or phrases whose coining is impossible to trace.   Clearly it emerged into public consciousness in 1983 with the publication of a popular book called “The Official Couch Potato Handbook”.  For our purposes, let’s just try this definition:  a couch potato is a lumpy, inert, starchy, vegetative object covered with eyes –

all of them pointed at the television.

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Oakland Zoo Teambuilding Scavenger Hunt

Bay Area and Beyond

A great Teambuilding Scavenger Hunt at the Oakland Zoo   Tucked away in the Oakland Hills, the Zoo is a great little place for a teambuilding scavenger hunt.   The admission isn’t exorbitant, the distance to cover isn’t outrageous (or overly exhausting).   It’s a sweet little zoo that never seems too…

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Emotional Intelligence in Relationships, part 2

Blog, Uncategorized

In my last article, I talked about boosting one’s emotional intelligence. To do this, you need to concentrate on three specific disciplines:

  • Awareness of Emotions
  • Expression of Emotions
  • Managing/Controlling Your Emotions

Let’s break these categories down a bit further.

Awareness of Emotions: Have you ever asked a teenager, “What are you feeling right now?” only to have him respond, “I dunno”. Unless that kid is remarkably ahead of the self-awareness curve, he probably possesses a relatively low level of emotional intelligence. Not that this would be surprising, of course: most teenagers, in general, are struggling simply to understand themselves and the world around them. But what about adults? What’s our excuse? Alas, many “grown ups” are little more than teenagers in grown-up clothing.

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