Joyful Jubilant Learning

Steelcase: A Culture of Learning

In my never ending quest for knowledge about design, I came across the Steelcase Web site last year.  It was there I learned of Mark Greiner's blog workit.  workit also was a stop on a Starship Cruiser mission, one of my all time favorite voyages.  That day we were in search of a sense of place.

A few minutes at Steelcase's site pegs the red line on my this-is-a-company-that-values-knowledge meter.  Heck, it breaks the glass.  The entire site radiates this thought and for me it was not anything specific.  From the main site I find Mark's blog and his post on people and culture.  Mark's observations reinforce my perceptions of Steelcase as a knowledge-based company.

James P. Hackett's article, Preparing for the Perfect Product Launch, in the April edition of Harvard Business Review, caused me once again to dwell on the learning culture of Steelcase.  (Unfortunately HBR requires a paid subscription to view this article online).  Jim, who is the company's CEO, describes a critical thinking process that his associates go through before launching a product.  This process which Jim teaches at their corporate university, combines deep thinking with execution. 

Why don't I hire a training company to teach managers critical thinking?  The answer is simple: The lesson sticks better when the CEO teaches it.

The critical thinking course not only is of value to new product development, it helps managers working within groups, reach decisions and come to informed agreements. 

The course is based on four phases:

• Think
• Set the Point of View
• Plan Implementation
• Implement

Think

• Ponder
• Query
• Read and research
• Network
• Document

Set the Point of View

• Conduct a collegial, open-minded discussion
• Determine the direction
• Assign an owner for the point of view
• Stay the course

Plan Implementation

• Clarify, refine
• Consider all stakeholders
• Practice, practice, practice

Implement

• Select a spokesperson
• Play to win
• Celebrate the victory

Each of these phase subsets is rigorous and involved.  But from this snapshot one can easily discern the seriousness that Steelcase places upon the learning process.  Combine intent with content, add discipline and surround it with interested associates and you have a culture of learning.

JJL LP2 Post6: Get Clear

Preface: This posting is part of our JJL Learning Project #2: Learn to Lead with your Strengths, a two-book read and learn project.

Links to all previous posts appear at the end of this article.

---

Oh yeah! I’ve been waiting for this part: We’re on Step 2 of our Learning Project and we’ll all be working on just one question this week. It’s a question that should deliver an answer— actually 3 answers! —to you that will make you FEEL STRONG! Drum roll … the question is;

“How would you describe your strengths?”

I know that’s not the question in the beginning of this step on page 71 of Go Put your Strengths to Work, but frankly, I like mine better, for it describes the task at hand for us— articulating what we’re exceptionally good at. We’re all good at several things; what we must learn in this step is the joyful, jubilant way in which to say so!

Capture, Clarify, and Confirm

From page 89:

“Learning how to capture, clarify, and confirm your strengths is your goal for this step. You’ll learn how to examine the actual activities that fill up your week, look for the telltale signs that point to your strengths, and identify them. More specifically, by the end of the step, you’ll be able to write three statements that describe your strengths vividly.”

Wow, I SO want to do this!

Trombone Player Wanted

Trombone Player Wanted: A 6 set DVD series by Marcus Buckingham.

Chapter 1: So, What's Stopping You? 15:06min

Do you play the trombone? Do you want to play the trombone? Were you ever forced to play the trombone when you really wanted to play drums?

Marcus Buckingham has created and narrated a savvy well designed and informative DVD series on strengths that parallels the book: Go Put Your Strengths To Work. You can work with the book or work with the DVD series, but they work powerfully together to reinforce the message of being part of the minority of people who put their strengths in their work and put their strengths to work.

The DVD series is an exceptional resource for people who are interested in learning more about strengths but lack the time and energy to plow through the 270 pages of the book. The DVDs are engaging with the majority of shots being close ups of Marcus Buckingham sharing personal stories and interesting anecdotes.

Woven through the whole series is a story about a young boy who dreams of being a drummer but is cast as the trombone player in his school band. Often as Marcus is talking we will see images of the boy, the band, and the band's development. Unfortunately, you never hear any vocals or music from the band but the background music on the DVD is captivating.

The DVD appeals to a very diverse audience. My 17 year old son caught some of it while I was watching and said , "cool." Now that's a compliment from the next generation for the workplace.

Marcus Buckingham exudes charisma as he appears to gaze right at you as he looks into the camera. He shares examples ranging from the competitiveness of his young son Jack to how Marcus worked and worked on his confrontational weaknesses and eventually went from being terrible to really bad! He firmly believes a much better use of his time and energy would have been on his strength development.

So What's Stopping You is an overview of the strengths perspective in the workplace with Marcus Buckingham encouraging you to be in the 2 out of 10 people who use their strengths at work. He believes what is stopping you are 3 common myths:

1. As you grow, your personality changes.
2. You will grow the most in your areas of weakness.
3. A good team member does whatever it takes to help the team

Watch the video to learn how these myths undermine a strength approach and how you can replace these myths with 3 strength-based truths. (Related JJL Post: Bust The Myths)

Marcus is on a mission to get you to play to your strengths. I think the child images woven through all the videos is to encourage us to be young at heart and find the inner strength that has always resided in us. The video ends with Buckingham encouraging us to put more of our precious minutes around our strengths not our weaknesses.

The video has a link to the simplystrengths website. You can get a handout for each DVD that offers powerful questions to prime your strengths quest.

The series makes an ideal 6 session lunch and learn program at work.

---

David Zinger, M.Ed., has been writing about strength based leadership for a year and a half at http://zingeronleadership.blogspot.com/. 

His blog began, November 11, 2005, the day Peter Drucker died. David writes the blog to honor Dr. Drucker's contribution to create a workplace that capitalizes on strengths. David also writes an employee engagement blog at: http://davidzinger.wordpress.com/.

Photo Credit: Jordan makes light music by - http://flickr.com/photos/jasoneppink/80772526/

Using Google & MS Office together

Google's move to an online version of Office continues with the announcement that they have purchased an online presentation system. Later this year Google Docs and Spreadsheets will also include something akin to Microsoft Powerpoint.

In most discussions of Google Apps it's considered a rival to Microsoft Office, where you have the choice of using either Google's online offerings or Microsoft Office - not both.

We'd like to suggest a middle ground - you can use Microsoft Office plus Google Docs and Spreadsheets to fill gaps that Office alone can't do.

As many of us are users of both of these products, using them together is a next step. Read the remainder of these insights at Office Watch. I like that Google is adding a presentation product. This will help complete the package.

Steve Sherlock is your collaboration teammate who believes commencement begins everyday

Rapid Fire Learning | April 2007

"April is the cruelest month" wrote TS Eliot. April is usually the onset of spring and the rebirth of nature; plants, trees, and the grassy lawns come to new growth. April is also one of twelve opportunities for Rapid Fire Learning.

1 - Action is required

In the Franklin (MA) Town Council chambers, the town seal hangs on the wall. A portrait of our namesake, Benjamin Franklin, fills the center with one of his quotes printed underneath; “Industry need not wish”. When he wrote that particular set of words, industry had a different meaning. Industry in his day meant hard work. If you worked hard, you did not need to wish. You could work for it, you could earn it. I will be working to help spread some information and generate a discussion on the Franklin Budget problem. My local community is facing a budget problem that has not been created over night (it has been growing for several years) and will not go away even with the passage of the first override vote in Franklin’s history (three have failed) currently scheduled for May 22. It will take a lot of work to create a self sustaining income stream to support the needs of the community.

2 - Conversation is fuel

I had the pleasure of taking the "blog off the blog", to meet with Felix Gerena recently. He came from his home in the Basque Country of Spain to the USA to participate in a conference at Harvard. For an opportunity like this, it was not to be missed. We had dinner near his hotel in Cambridge at the Cambridge Beer Company. Did you know that the Basque language is “believed to be a language isolate: it is not an Indo-European language, meaning that it does not belong to Germanic, Slavic, Celtic, or Romance, Baltic nor to any other family” ? Basque is one of four languages that Felix can speak. I feel so helpless in this arena as I can only speak American English. Fortunately, this is one language Felix is pretty good with and our conversation flowed.

Growth Family Style!

I am finding all sorts of ways to apply this "myth busting" chapter! On the Teaching with Aloha site, tomorrow's reading focuses on teachers and students. In this article, I am focusing on strength-based parenting.

Myth: You will grow the most in your areas of greatest weakness
Truth: You will grow the most in your areas of greatest strength

As a parent you have strengths! And, these strengths come out through your individual, creative parenting style. One of my strengths is peacemaking.

My wife, children and I lived in Indianapolis, Indiana in the early 1980s. It was one of those spring Saturdays when it was cloudy and rainy and cold. The boys were fighting about everything; my wife's eyes communicated, "Do something!" So, I informed the family that we were going to McDonalds for lunch. No argument with this decision. We piled in the car and drove toward the freeway. No one could figure out what I was up to since the closest McDonalds was just a few blocks from our home. I told them that we were going to McDonalds...in Cincinnati! My wife asked, "Do you know where a McDonalds is in Cincinnati?" I replied that I had no idea but I am sure we would find one downtown. Two hours later we found a beautiful two story McDonalds. This simple activity changed the entire day. I responded to a need by using one of my strengths and made a memory at the same time!

I am naturally energized toward becoming a better peacemaker. This journey has involved learning lessons in listening skills, being tactful yet truthful and being more observant. I have developed this strength more than I have grown in my area of greatest weakness against which valiant effort has been aimed.

Considering your growth places, where do you see change taking place? I venture to say that you are growing most naturally (and enjoyably) in an area of strength. So, go forward! Indulge your natural curiosity. Walk on the cutting edge of the unknown. Innovate! Dream! Parent from your unique strengths! Your children deserve the strengths that make you a Designer Original!

Holistic Learning: A Free Resource from Scott H. Young

Recently I came across a very interesting free ebook by Scott H. Young, all about holistic learning. I really didn't know much about this topic, so I was very interested to read what Scott had to say about this.

"People who learn effortlessly, ace their exams without studying and easily understand concepts don’t just learn better – they learn differently. In this free e-book, I detail the process of how smart people think and how you can replicate those results yourself."

Very interesting. Reading through this nice 27 page, fully illustrated ebook, I learned a lot more about holistic learning, as well as HOW to be a more holistic learner. For the cost of only your time, there's a lot to learn from Scott's ebook. It took me about 30 or so minutes, but your mileage may vary. I will go back and re-read this one, and may even print it out. It's that good!

Download your copy of Holistic Learning today!

More from Scott H. Young

• Phil Gerbyshak's interview with Scott
• Habitual Mastery Series
• Energy Management
• Goals! Program

[Phil Gerbyshak is the author of 10 Ways to Make It Great!, and can be found changing the world most days over at Make It Great! Phil is one of the original contributors to JJLN, and a listing of the articles he's written can be found here.]

Celebrate!

Preface: Teaching With Aloha and Joyful Jubilant Learning  are partnering together for a project. JJL Learning Project #2: Learn to Lead with your Strengths, a two-book read and learn project. Read Post 1 to start, then Post 2, and Post 3, then come back to this one! You are invited to join the conversations at each site. The TWA site is focused on teaching from your strengths and helping students to learn from theirs. The book we are studying is Go Put Your Strengths to Work by Marcus Buckingham.
__________________

Step 1: Bust the Myths - So what's stopping you?

Teaching and learning can shut down! As teachers and students we have experienced this and it's no fun! According to studies at the University of California Santa Cruz, teachers (and students in my opinion) pass through a series of phases each year. Often, the first shut down is experienced in the Dissolutionment Phase. The illusions of the best year ever are hijacked by reality. Becoming dissolutioned is not necessarily a negative process; it is much better to work with reality than illusion. However, along with the passing of illusions, dreams can dissipate as well and come to a dead stop!

Buckingham opens the chapter with a story about Heidi. She is described with words like burn out, frustrated, dragged down with activities resulting in a toll on her attitude. She is carrying a heavy, depleting weight. Can you imagine how such a teacher impacts students? But, the good news is there is hope!

Perhaps what teachers and administrators believe stops them from being the very best they can be. Even with surmounting evidence a teacher is doing a quality job, I have known teachers who truly did not believe it. And, sadly, when we choose not to believe the evidence, we eventually get to the point where we cannot believe.

So, let's start with a couple of easy assignments:

1. Stop comparing yourself with someone else; compare yourself with yourself. Notice your progress and plan the next steps. Celebrate your progress!
2. Start communicating to those around you the excellence you see in them. All of us need encouragement and, as Chuck Swindoll has said, "We'll die without it."

I think that is enough for now...more tomorrow!

Excellence and Failure

Teaching With Aloha and Joyful Jubilant Learning are partnering together for a project. JJL Learning Project #2: Learn to Lead with your Strengths, a two-book read and learn project. Read Post 1 to start, then Post 2, and Post 3, then come back to this one! You are invited to join the conversations at each site. The TWA site is focused on teaching from your strengths and helping students to learn from theirs. Your input and ideas matter! To get started, let's process a foundational phrase and three pictures.

On page 5 of Go Put Your Strengths to Work there is a marvelous statement that every teacher needs to hear for themselves and then say to their students. "...excellence is not the opposite of failure...". Wow! Who of us in the education world has not needed to hear those words?

With this in mind, what do you think about these pictures? The one to the right says, "Failure - when your best just isn't good enough." I suppose this means that a runner is successful only if he wins, comes in first place, the best. Do you agree? Now, insert the word excellence. Can you not run with excellence and still not come in first? Which is most important...best, first place or excellent? Best restricts and limits. Excellence is for everyone!

This picture caption says, "Failure is an event never a person." How do you process this one? I like the idea that people are not failures, even during failing times or events. Would you agree that failure is an event alone?

One more picture. This one says, "You always have to give 100%, because if you don't, someone, someplace, will give 100% and beat you when you meet." What is being said is that excellence equals best which equals winning. Therefore, according to this picture, the opposite of excellence is failure. Sadly, this is ingrained into our thoughts.

And, if teachers believe this to be true, their students will come to believe it as well. If that happens, we'll have a lot of lessons to reteach.

JJL LP2 Post5: Bust the Myths

Preface: This posting is part of our JJL Learning Project #2: Learn to Lead with your Strengths, a two-book read and learn project.

Links to all previous posts appear at the end of this article.

---

Anxious to get past the Introduction stuff and into the heart of being a strengths revolutionary? Me too!

A psychiatrist friend of mine recently made this distinction in a discussion we were having on how change happens in organizations: he said, “Evolution is good; revolution is disruptive.”

To give this a bit more context, we were talking about how change is perceived to be good or bad, and how smartly chosen communication can make all the difference in the world. The discussion got pretty lively as someone else responded, “Evolution is too slow; I vote for the disruption. We just gotta believe in what we’re doing.”

Eventually everyone agreed with him, signing up to be revolutionaries because they had a cause they believed in. They were confident they could deal with the disruption. As the next order of business we were back to communication, and how we’d get the rest of the organization to take the same leap of faith first —to believe too— before the really hard work of making the change systemic began in earnest.

Yesterday I watched the video clip of Marcus Buckingham on the Today Show (mahalo to Tim Milburn for sharing it with us via trackback in the last post) and watching how “Marcus Buckingham has become the rock star of the business world” I thought about that group’s conversation again. In reflecting on the work we did with the SET in the Introduction, and after doing a quick read to preview what we’ve got coming up for us this week with Step 1, it strikes me that MB has chosen the role of Chief Revolutionary because the more intellectual evolution he started with First, Break All the Rules seven years ago is just too slow.

With Step 1 of his GPYSTW program for us, it becomes increasingly clear to me that MB is recruiting more revolutionaries, and if it’s disruptive, so be it. Leading with your strengths means deciding you’re strong enough to deal with it.

So at this point of our read-learn-act project, I ask you; are you in this with us just for you, and your own personal evolution, or have you decided to bring your whole work team into the project, leading the way as a revolutionary?