I think I am going to add a section titled "Failures" to my resume. The more I rustle this idea around in my head - been about 20 minutes at time of this writing - the more I like it. Everyone hears about how we should learn from our failures...that we learn more from failing than succeeding, etc etc. Logically, one can then conclude, that our failures may actually may be our successes. So why shouldn't it be on a resume?
In my life, I can count a good solid three or four real mess-ups (plus about 8 million small ones). Investments that went wrong, relationships that were ruined and events that nothing good, but what I learnt, came from them. Why NOT display them? This section will share the real estate after my education and work experience; if you think about it, its all basically experience anyways.
I will post my resume in an upcoming post that will include this Failures section. While I don't see myself searching for a job anytime in the near future (you never know tho!), it may turn out that my Failures section is, in itself, a failure. Which I then could include in my Failures section...hmm...wait a second...anyways. I heard a quote once, I like it - "If you aren't failing at something every day than you aren't trying enough". That would make a nice long resume!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Tell a Damn Good Story
I have started reading "The Dream Society" by Rolf Jensen. Six pages in and its amazing. The message so far has been tremendously revealing and as far as I can tell, true. Jensen communicates that we are leaving the Information Era and entering the Imagination Era.
In the Imagination Era, it is no longer the company with the right product or the best market research, companies with the best stories will win. Its no longer the product but the story behind the product that will drive its success. Think organic eggs. We are paying companies to be inefficient (more space for chickens), why? Because we like the idea (read idea as 'story'). These eggs we are buying are not commodity products any longer, they are stories, stories of us helping the chickens live better lives. Will we ever see this chickens or even go near a farm, not likely, but our imaginations can picture the happy little chickens with more room.
While the story behind a product will drive its success, its also applies to people as well. Nobody cares anymore what material goods you posses. Owning a Porsche on a micro level is fun, on a macro level, nobody gives a shit. What matters is your story. What you possess on the inside and what you have experienced are worth far more than what you have. So...whats your story?
So often we are in a race to get the material things that we forget that it's now the stories that will get us there (stories drive us to the material possessions). Stories are experience and people will pay for experience. Look at the next five years of your life and ask yourself, whats my story going to be?
Nasty link below to the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Society-Information-Imagination-Transform/dp/0071379681/ref=sr_1_1/102-7583050-6720922?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175739892&sr=8-1
In the Imagination Era, it is no longer the company with the right product or the best market research, companies with the best stories will win. Its no longer the product but the story behind the product that will drive its success. Think organic eggs. We are paying companies to be inefficient (more space for chickens), why? Because we like the idea (read idea as 'story'). These eggs we are buying are not commodity products any longer, they are stories, stories of us helping the chickens live better lives. Will we ever see this chickens or even go near a farm, not likely, but our imaginations can picture the happy little chickens with more room.
While the story behind a product will drive its success, its also applies to people as well. Nobody cares anymore what material goods you posses. Owning a Porsche on a micro level is fun, on a macro level, nobody gives a shit. What matters is your story. What you possess on the inside and what you have experienced are worth far more than what you have. So...whats your story?
So often we are in a race to get the material things that we forget that it's now the stories that will get us there (stories drive us to the material possessions). Stories are experience and people will pay for experience. Look at the next five years of your life and ask yourself, whats my story going to be?
Nasty link below to the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Society-Information-Imagination-Transform/dp/0071379681/ref=sr_1_1/102-7583050-6720922?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175739892&sr=8-1
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
If your not pissed off then you dont care!
I got pissed off last week. Really pissed off.
Takes a lot to get me there too! Mess with my work, my family or my health and I get mad. I have made a concentrated effort to take swearing out of my vocabulary (can express myself better) but I more than made up for the past few months. So why did I get so mad? All came down to someone being late for a very important meeting.
This person was bringing some crucial stuff and was late. It was the turning point for the whole deal and we almost messed it up. The time that I didn't spend swearing was spent trying to think of an excuse. There were none, my pants were down.
Fortunately it worked out well, albeit barely. We got the contract and our revenue is going up. But what if hadn't worked out? It all would have came down to this person being late (unnecessarily too!).
Looking back, I kinda wish I hadn't sworn or yelled as much. But the more I think about it, the more I don't mind. Lots was on the line, I had the right. Maybe it wasn't so bad that some of the employees (and bosses) saw me getting mad. Emotion is passion and I had lots of both. Sometimes it pays not to be in control and steady.
The lesson I learnt: Use being pissed off very cautiously (once quarterly). Be steady and in control the rest of the time. Don't let be being pissed off get in the way of your effectiveness and do your best to get mad at the situation, not the person.
And the advice from my mom, use the "next time" rule. Tell the person that screwed up what would be better for next time. The past is the past, help them learn from it.
Takes a lot to get me there too! Mess with my work, my family or my health and I get mad. I have made a concentrated effort to take swearing out of my vocabulary (can express myself better) but I more than made up for the past few months. So why did I get so mad? All came down to someone being late for a very important meeting.
This person was bringing some crucial stuff and was late. It was the turning point for the whole deal and we almost messed it up. The time that I didn't spend swearing was spent trying to think of an excuse. There were none, my pants were down.
Fortunately it worked out well, albeit barely. We got the contract and our revenue is going up. But what if hadn't worked out? It all would have came down to this person being late (unnecessarily too!).
Looking back, I kinda wish I hadn't sworn or yelled as much. But the more I think about it, the more I don't mind. Lots was on the line, I had the right. Maybe it wasn't so bad that some of the employees (and bosses) saw me getting mad. Emotion is passion and I had lots of both. Sometimes it pays not to be in control and steady.
The lesson I learnt: Use being pissed off very cautiously (once quarterly). Be steady and in control the rest of the time. Don't let be being pissed off get in the way of your effectiveness and do your best to get mad at the situation, not the person.
And the advice from my mom, use the "next time" rule. Tell the person that screwed up what would be better for next time. The past is the past, help them learn from it.
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