September 21, 2006
Improv Wisdom
I believe in the 80/20 principle. Ultimately this can mean that you achieve more by doing less.
Patricia Ryan Madsen's book Improv Wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up aligns well with this vibe.
(there are not many reviews on Amazon UK but the Amazon.com has many 5* comments)
Here are Madsen's thirteen maxims (for more info - buy the book!):
* The First Maxim: Say Yes
Cultivate all the ways you can imagine to express affirmation. When the
answer to all questions is yes, you enter a new world, a world of action, possibility, and
adventure.
Invent a new proverb by speaking it one word at a time. Take a group of people; each adds the next most logical word to what has gone before. Do this quickly without "thinking" of a good idea. When it is clear that the proverb is finished everyone is to put on a "knowing, wise look," tap their fingers together in a prayerlike mudra, and say, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes . . . ," affirming the wisdom of the new proverb, which could be utter madness or perhaps pearly joy.
Keith Johnstone from his book, IMPRO: "There are people who prefer to say 'Yes,' and there are people who prefer to say 'No.' Those who say 'Yes' are rewarded by the adventures they have, and those who say 'No' are rewarded by the safety they attain." These words remind us of the power of the positive.
* The Second Maxim: Don't Prepare
* The Third Maxim: Just Show Up
* The Fourth Maxim: Start Anywhere
The realization that you don't have to start at the beginning can be a real "Aha" moment. You don't even have to figure out where the beginning is! If you take one action a second step will naturally reveal itself as needing to be done.
* The Fifth Maxim: Be Average
* The Sixth Maxim: Pay Attention
* The Seventh Maxim: Face the Facts
* The Eighth Maxim: Stay on Course
* The Ninth Maxim: Wake Up to the Gifts
* The Tenth Maxim: Make Mistakes, Please
* The Eleventh Maxim: Act Now
* The Twelfth Maxim: Take Care of Each Other
* The Thirteenth Maxim: Enjoy the Ride
Posted by Mark at 03:29 PM | Comments (0)
Fast-track degrees attract career-minded students
THE new nine-to-five degree, which spells the end to three-month summer vacations, is proving a hit with lawyers, hoteliers and professionals keen to get ahead in the job market.
The National Center for Education Statistics points to soaring numbers of students over thirty-five seeking degrees. Today the adult education MBA has become the twenty-first century solution to getting ahead for mid-career professionals who feel they've hit a wall in their career progress. If you want to pursue a mid-life MBA, today's MBA schools are competing to offer you adult education options that put an MBA degree in your hands without disrupting your established career or your home life.
See more in The Times
Posted by Mark at 02:57 PM | Comments (0)
September 13, 2006
How to deter junk mail
- Contact the Royal Mail on 0845 774 0740
- Put a notice on your letter box - "No Junk Mail" - this really does seem to work
- Ask your credit card company to mark your account "Do not sell or trade my name to another company"
- Try to avoid giving out your address if possible, when signing up for things
- Warn firms etc to stop sending you mail or you'll stop supporting them (you could ask them nicely, first...)
- Get your name on the Mailing Preference list; contact the Mailing Prefence Service 0845 703 4599
- Choose a fake middle name or initial when you sign up for things - this will indicate the culprit if someone starts illegally distributing your details
Posted by Mark at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)
September 06, 2006
Shoot the Puppy
If you're a cubicle monkey who eats lunch al desko, you may already be familiar with office speak. If not, this article introduces extracts from Tony Thorne's essential jargon-busting guide.
You could even read the article - it wouldn't be like kicking dead whales down the beach.
One of the better suggestions, to avoid vanillacide, blanding or excessive blandwidth, is to use a techinique known as "wild-carding" which consists of giving your client (or boss, or interviewer!) a list containing your favoured suggestions, plus at least a couple of ultra-radical, even crazy solutions. In rejecting the most extreme, they are likely to compromise on something that is still fairly daring.
Posted by Mark at 01:50 PM | Comments (0)