Wednesday, September 1, 2010

CO2 Partners new blog can be found www.co2partners.com/blog

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Sunday, March 21, 2010

Employees people or objects

One of the most over used lines in business is, "our people are our best assets." It is catchy and it embrases a point of view. People are as important, no make that more important, than other less touchy feely assets unless you're in the plush toy business. It also slides you mentally into a single catagory. This slide may not work out as well as the writer of this quote intended. Seperating people and assets might help you in begining to think of people as sentient beings and not as objects to accomplish tasks.
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Friday, March 19, 2010

Be the Hero, Not a Victim - Interview of Author Noah Blumenthal Part III

(Click for Part II) This is Part II of a three part blog interview with Noah Blumenthal author of Be the Hero: Three Powerful Ways to Overcome Challenges in Work and Life.

Gary B. Cohen: Mary Oliver wrote the poem, "Wild Geese," which starts:
You do not have to be good. 

You do not have to walk on your knees 

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. 

You only have to let the soft animal of your body 

love what it loves.
How do you prevent yourself from the trap of…having to be good…and not accepting yourself?

Noah Blumenthal: First of all, I love the sentiment in this poem. The thing about being a hero is that it is a pragmatic tool for moving forward, not for being perfect. In this moment, right now, what would the hero do? This question isn’t an evaluation of what you’ve done before. It’s a tool to guide you toward a better next step. Who would beat themselves up over their past? The hero or the victim? Obviously the victim. What would the hero do instead? Forgive himself and others if he can. Either way, look forward at what positive action he can take next.
Gary B. Cohen: Some say that a "victim" mentality is instilled early in life (you are a product of your environment) and tough to change. What is your response to that?
Noah Blumenthal: We are certainly influenced early in life, but the mentality of hero or victim comes down to behaviors that you can train yourself in or out of. It’s like muscle memory. If you grew up driving on the right side of the road and then move to a country where they drive on the left side, you will find yourself constantly looking the wrong way when you make turns. But over time this will lessen, and eventually the new driving patterns are second nature. You may have a momentary lapse back to your old ways every once in a while, but your fundamental behavior pattern will have shifted.

The victim and hero mentality is no different. Immerse yourself in heroic thinking for a time. Surround yourself with people who embody heroism. Practice the new behaviors. Before long it will be second nature.

Gary B. Cohen: Noah, after reading many questions that your tribe wrote (in response to our request), it appears that they have an image of you that may be inflated as it relates to your own shortcomings. This is certainly natural given the transference that happens between a writer and speaker to their tribe. Can you help your readers by sharing a bit of your own struggles as another person facing the difficulties of living on earth?
I’m a parent. Need I say more?

Noah Blumenthal: Seriously, I struggle with patience with my kids, understanding with my wife, acceptance with career situations that don’t go as I’d like. I’m human, and human emotions of anger, frustration, and anxiety are all normal and valuable. They tell us what is happening around us. If there is anything that makes me different, it isn’t that I have a perfect family and career and life. It’s that when things aren’t perfect and I feel these negative emotions I understand them and reverse them quickly, turning them into positive action. And that’s a skill anyone can learn.

Gary B. Cohen: Noah, as a writer this is frequently asked so I have to ask it: Is there anything you would have written differently or would have added to the book?
Noah Blumenthal: I am extremely proud of the parable and so grateful to my editor, friends, and family for all of their comments on all of the drafts – helping me make it what it is. The thing I would change is the resource section. I don’t think we learn very well from books. They are a starting point, but too often they are viewed as the entire journey. So I would have added more to the resource section for people to refer back to. Fortunately, the book’s website (www.be-the-hero.com) has a resource section where I am able to put all of the new ways I can think of to support people in their efforts.

Gary B. Cohen: What disciplines/theories/philosophies/religions have you studied/embraced that have provided insight into your book?
Noah Blumenthal: The concepts of Be the Hero come from several places. Buddhism tells us that our lives are the creation of our minds. Positive psychology shows how empathy, gratitude, and hope are extremely powerful forces in building resilience and experiencing greater happiness. Cognitive psychology shows us how mental routines can lead to more effective emotional and behavioral responses. Emotional Intelligence tells us that self-awareness of our and others’ emotions helps us react effectively to various challenges. And neuroscience, specifically the field of neuroplasticity, tells us that consistent behaviors and routines can actually reprogram our brains for long lasting effects.

Given the times we live in, what do you say to the millions of Americans who studied hard, worked hard, saved hard and did everything right and yet are now finding themselves in a serious lurch because of the economic downturn?
Define lurch. Most Americans are still living in heated homes and eating well. If we all have to spend a few years (or even many years) living a less luxurious life, that isn’t the worst thing in the world. This will pass. Most of the jobless will eventually return to work. Those living with friends or relatives will eventually be able to afford their own place to stay.

If you worked hard, saved hard, and did everything right, go back to doing those things. Reset your expectations and focus on doing what you can today. Even in this economy there will be those who respond well and find success. In fact, this could very well be your greatest opportunity to be the hero.


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Thursday, March 18, 2010

5 Steps to Be The Hero - Interview with Author Noah Blumenthal

(Click for Part I) This is Part II of a three-part blog interview with Noah Blumenthal, author of Be the Hero: Three Powerful Ways To Overcome Challenges In Work And Life.

Gary B. Cohen: What steps would you take to build the hero's mindset in an organization or larger community?

Noah Blumenthal: This is a question of culture change. You could read 100 books on this topic and still have more to learn. But if I were going to distill this down to steps anyone can begin today that can pay some immediate dividends it would be these.
1. Examine your own behavior and be more of a hero yourself. If you don’t lead by example then all of your efforts will be for naught.
2. Recognize and praise heroic attitudes and behaviors. People need clear indications of what is valued.
3. Invite people to join you in your own efforts to be more heroic. As opposed to telling them that they should change explain that this is an area you are working on and would like them to try it with you.
4. Search for alternatives to the victim stories. Instead of criticizing people when they fall into victim mode help them to explore other points of view.
5. Share Be the Hero with your team. Having a collective knowledge base can help you and your team hold one another accountable and increase your learning.

Gary B. Cohen: As a leader, how do you handle those co-workers whose stories may never change?
Noah Blumenthal: I don’t believe such a person exists. People generally want to improve but don’t understand how to do so. My first book, You’re Addicted to You, is about how to make and maintain changes to unwanted ingrained behaviors.

Specific to this issue of heroism I suggest you follow the steps I described above relative to creating a heroic culture. If after that you are really convinced that someone will never change, then get away from him/her. If it’s your boss, look for a new job. If it’s a colleague, angle for projects that don’t involve him/her. If it’s an employee, coach them out of the role or let them go. That may sound harsh, but in my experience most people who are let go from jobs in which they are miserable find a better alternative. It might hurt short-term, but the end result is positive. And the fewer victims you have in your life, the easier it is for you to think and act like a hero.

Gary B. Cohen: What advice do you have for those having a difficult time "being the hero?"
Noah Blumenthal: There are two things to consider. First, “a difficult time” is relative. I’ve seen a single mother who was laid off with little savings and two small kids talk about how she has the strength to overcome her challenges. I watched a man whose son needed brain surgery and wife was diagnosed with breast cancer say he was filled with hope. The people we see really do make a difference. If your situation seems difficult look around at the people facing much tougher challenges and draw inspiration from them.

Second, understand that “being a hero” is a skill. The more you practice the better you’ll be. It drives me absolutely crazy, but I wrote the book for crying out loud. And I still catch myself going into victim mode at times. That said I don’t go into victim mode as often as I used to and I get out of that mode much faster today than I ever did in the past. Keep practicing and you’ll get better every day.

Gary B. Cohen: Mary Oliver wrote the poem Wild Geese that starts:
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees 

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. 

You only have to let the soft animal of your body 

love what it loves."

How do you prevent yourself from the trap of…having to be good…and not accepting yourself?

Additional Blog Posts on this topic:
  1. Noah Blumenthal Be the Hero - Interview Part I
  2. 5 Steps to Be The Hero - Interview with Author Noah Blumenthal Part II
  3. Be the Hero, Not a Victim - Interview of Author Noah Blumenthal Part III

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