Helping Ordinary People Accomplish Extraordinary Things
As we continue to examine the six fundamental value pairs, today we explore values at work. The Farmer and The Olympian describe how we approach work, how we evaluate our performance, and how we gain and retain motivation. The Farmer The Farmer toils day after day in the fields to cultivate a generous bounty to …
Values at Work. The Farmer and the Olympian: Stewardship versus Achievement Read More »
The reason the underdog overcomes the advantaged is because we fail to realize that power is an illusion. In the biblical story of David and Goliath the power dynamics have much to teach us about leadership. A Misunderstood Story Malcolm Gladwell, in his excellent Book, David and Goliath, makes the critical point that our contemporary …
As we continue with the six fundamental value pairs, we move to the disagreement over truth. But truth is never as simple as fact. We see this debate over truth manifested in a huge swath of critical areas of life–from a debate over western rationalism to eastern mysticism, from the scientific method to post-modern philosophy, …
The Shaman and the Scientist: Holism vs. Rationalism Read More »
As we begin to explore the six fundamental value pairs, we start with one that is well established in literature–the dichotomy of individualism and collectivism. In terms of archetypes, I have labeled these groups Hermits and Healers. The Hermit The Hermit is an individual who above all wants to live life on his or her …
The Hermit and the Healer: The Individualism/Collectivism Dimension Read More »
Heroes and Villains We all see ourselves as the hero in our story. Simple minds cast others as the villain. The moment you come to believe that you unquestionably occupy the moral high ground is the moment you have lost it. Dehumanization of your opponent is easy. Understanding them is difficult, but it’s the only …
Business Ethics is about helping customers to make the choices in their best interest. Are you making their lives better? Cake Mix Several years ago, I watched the excellent four-part BBC documentary “The Century of the Self”. In one episode, the topic of public relations and market research was addressed. Following World War II, there …
Business Ethics: Freeing People or Crippling Them? Read More »
In the first two parts of this series, I discussed the myriad of problems with the game of Monopoly and then some alternative rules that radically improve the game experience and provide for much better learning outcomes. In this final part, I will discuss the key takeaways from the new Monopoly experience. As I work …
Monopoly Part III: Greatness and Goodness Takeaways Read More »
Last time, if the first part of this review of Monopoly, I discussed how Monopoly is an awful game experience which teaches terrible lessons. As someone who believes in redemption, today I will discuss how to modify the game to not only make the game a bit more enjoyable, but also so young people can …
Monopoly as a Game is Terrible Monopoly is the 5th best selling board game of all time … and it’s awful. It’s a non-collaborative game that favors the frontrunner and doesn’t provide for alternative strategies for victory. Monopoly’s “roll-and-go” design leaves people as passive observers throughout most of the game, while others are making their …
Problem Prioritization We all have a desire to solve problems. But we all have limits to our time and energy. We cannot fix everything. Therefore, we need to be selective about what actions we take and what problems we tackle. There are problems that we can solve ourselves, problems we cannot solve alone, and problems …