Einstein's 8th Wonder of the World

One of the many interesting guest-posts I will be hosting here. Thanks to Chris Sinclair from AimCFO.com. 

“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it … he who doesn’t … pays it.” – Albert Einstein. Try to picture Einstein as this reality began to hit him.

Most people never pause long enough to consider the significance of this statement. Those that do usually only look at it from one perspective and that being money.

Money

Money is one of those things that we all need at least some of and often seem to be lacking, at least from our perspective. Yet we often treat money as if it rules over us. We cannot seem to control how we spend and often don’t even think about saving. Yet saving money to prepare for the future is really something we all should be doing, and, as Einstein observed, these savings compound.

For example, assume you put aside $2,000 at the beginning of each year and receive 10% interest on the balance at the end of each year. I know 10% may be dreaming, but I’m using it for easy of demonstration. At the beginning of year 1 you have $2,000 but at the end of that year you have $2,200 ($2,000 + $200 interest). In year 2 you add another $2,000 for a total of $4,200. However, at the end of year two you receive interest not just on the $4,000 in principle you have added ($400), you also receive interest on the first year interest of $20 ($200 x 10%). You will have $4,620 after 2 years. If you carry this out for 20 years you will have $126,005. Of that you have contributed $40,000 in principle ($2,000 x 20), earned interest on the principle contributions of $42,000, and earned interest on the interest of $44,005.

Notice that most of your balance at the end of 20 years is from interest on interest. The balance of $126,005 is composed of $40,000 you contributed, $42,000 was earned on the principle you contributed and $44,005 was earned on the interest you accumulated. That is a demonstration of the power of compounding when it comes to money.

Compounding however is about More than Money.

While we typically think about the power of compounding in terms of money, it really applies to other aspects of life. Here are a few:

NETWORKING – As we build our personal and business networks we find that both opportunities and results compound. Each new relationship opens the door to more relationships which in turn open the door to even more. This is a playing out of the concept of six degrees of separation, which says that on average we are approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world. We have more opportunities to help others and more people to help us. On top of that, we have more resources within our reach. As long as we build those networks with the correct motives (that is not just what’s in it for us), we are using the power of compounding in a fruitful and honest manner.

BUSINESS GROWTH – Have you ever noticed how a business suddenly seems to take off? While much of that is attributable to the efforts of management and employees, there is one thing that is somewhat beyond their total control – customers. As customers use a product of service, they frequently spread the word to others. Those people in turn spread the word to more and so on. As you see, this spreading of the word by customers is really a demonstration of the power of compounding. Of course, it is important to remember that this works both ways. If a customer is unhappy with us, we can quickly find the negativity spreading in a compound manner. This is a key reason that we need to be in regular contact with customers to address potential problems before they have the opportunity to compound.

PERSONAL REPUTATION – Just like networking and business growth, the personal impression we make on people has the potential to multiply exponentially. If someone has poor integrity, the word will spread. If another has a reputation for honesty and going the extra mile, this too will spread. This is really the idea behind a company checking personal references as well as business references for potential employees.

It’s Like Magic.

Actually, this heading is not exactly correct. While the power of compounding may seem magical at times, it really is a very logical process. Unfortunately it is lost on many people and companies. That is sad as they miss many opportunities to help others and get the help they need.

Think about it, and I think you will agree with Einstein that compounding is the eighth wonder of the world. Are you considering this as you go about your daily life?

M. (re-post)

Resolutions, goals and codewords

That time of the year again. Everywhere I look I see articles, posts, links about New Year's resolutions. Shame that they punctually don't work and nobody remembers by February. 

Over the years, like many, I have come to realize that New Year's resolutions not only don't work, but provide us with a sense of guilt that we could happily do without. I am not suggesting we let our goals drift away, rather the contrary. Just "having" a goal isn’t enough. We need a plan and a system.

Have a look at this extract from this blog, does anything here sound familiar?

"SAVING ON POINTLESS EXPENDITURES: This is why you see people constantly trying to cut back on lattes or other pointless savings goals…and when it fails, they resolve to “try harder” next time. Codewords: “I did all the right things…and look how it turned out.”
WORKING OUT INCORRECTLY: This is also why you see people who’ve been working out for years but don’t really show any visible changes. It’s scary for them to to admit that perhaps they’ve been working out wrong for years — and that while it makes them feel “good,” they are not getting the results they want. Codewords: “I’m not the kind of person who can lose that kind of weight” or “Lift weights? I’m a girl. I don’t want to get huge!”
SENDING OUT 100+ RESUMES: We have people who send out 100 resumes, then complain about the economy. They never understand that there’s an entire game being played around them, and top performers are snatching the best jobs away before average candidates ever see them. Codewords: “The Baby Boomers and immigrants stole my jobs…I guess I just need to send out another 50 resumes and wait and see.”

So yes, we want to change, but don’t know HOW to do it. So we do what’s easy, and what the media tells us to do: Make a New Year’s resolution!" 

For years I have failed to reach many of my annual "resolutions" until I realized a few things:

- I had to be clear on the motivation behind my goals.
- I had to get a clear buy-in from myself, work on my mindset and have a plan with deadlines (this book by Carol Dweck was revealing for me).
- I had to be realistic. Who knows me well knows I am a fan of diaries and to do lists. By the end of the day/week/month/year whatever is on them needs to be marked as "done". Or else it won't be on my list.
- I have to get some decent rest here and there or I will just not function well.
- I somehow got better at managing my time (more on this topic in January).

I have also learnt to let go, so rather than a list of things I will do more, I have now a yearly list of things that I am letting go.

- Donate more. Less clutter somehow makes me sharper. Clothes, toys, anything we don't really need goes to the Red Cross or equivalent (on-going hopes still here as every birthday party, every family reunion sets me back!)
- Control. I just can't have it over many things so I have learnt to let go of what I can't change, sometimes thinking karma helps…
- Perfectionism. There was a time where especially in my house I wanted things to be done my way. Then I read once a quote from Sheryl Sandberg "Done is better than perfect" and it immediately resonated with me. As long as it is done, it does not matter whether that shirt was not washed the way I would have wanted it (I am useless at that anyway), who cares if the baby was dressed with mismatched clothes or the playroom looks like we had an earthquake. 
- Too much reading. I love to read. I used to be able to read a huge number of books. Then kids came. I still make long lists of what I want to read, save articles, pile up books. I will have to let go. Read the excellence and just scan through half of what I have saved.
- Fears. I refuse to live in terror. Yes we got broken into a few years ago, yes I am scared of terrorism and ignorance and of many other things. But I won't change my life for fear of any of that. 
- Excuses have stopped. "Sorry, I can't" will have to do.

My hopeless open resolutions? 

- Getting better at social media (whatapps, emails, FB messenger, sms, emails, work emails, ….. some days I just lose track and forget to get back to friends and family!)
- Convincing myself that I do not really need daily sugary drinks from Starbucks…
- Getting my baby to sleep through the night!

One more thought. My company organized an interesting event with a "mindset trainer",  Caroline Ferguson, might be worth checking her profile and work here. 

Caroline Ferguson, trainer to high performers who want to stop sabotaging their potential and start living fully and deliberately. She equips her clients with proven mindset tools to overcome limiting beliefs, behaviours and emotions that are blocking them from being successful and happy. Before training as a Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist, Caroline worked as a Corporate Communications Consultant, specialising in business transformation. This has given her a deep understanding of the challenges facing business leaders, and the effects of change on people and culture.

Have a fantastic holiday season and start of 2016!

M.

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Inspiration: We Heart It

Cara Milano...

Quando si capisce il valore delle cose? Purtroppo, spesso, quando non le si hanno piu`. E delle citta`? Quando si percepisce il valore di dove si vive?

Sono andata via da Milano, mia citta` per 25 dei miei allora 27 anni, nell` ottobre 2007, un`offerta di lavoro a Londra, "...parto ma sto via solo un paio d`anni, seguo un`opportunita` di lavoro..." poi tre anni, "ma torno!", non si rinuncia cosi` al marocchino e al corriere alla mattina, al tuo barista, al Duomo e all`"ape" in Corso Sempione..., a poter vedere i propri genitori e amici di una vita quando si vuole (i genitori!! quanto valgono? Non esiste valore per loro, troppo alto! Ripenso a come mi hanno salutata a Malpensa quel 5 Ottobre di 8 anni fa, sapevano molto piu` di quanto sapessi io...) poi un nuovo ruolo, poi incontro il mio vicino di casa a Notting Hill, ci spostiamo a Zurigo...and the rest is history.

Nuovo ruolo in una grande azienda, ci sposiamo, arrivano cost center nr 1 e cost center nr 2 (thanks Mrs Moneypenny), rispettivamente 3 anni e 7 mesi e, lo sappiamo, la prospettiva cambia e per ora Milano e` casa, anche se non quella dove vivo, ed e` un "energy top up" dove tornare una volta al mese. Chi l`avrebbe mai detto che sarei dovuta andare via per poterla apprezzare cosi` tanto?

Ma Lei, Lei rimane sempre nel cuore. Anzi. Sara` che il passato in qualche modo si idealizza, sara` che da lontano sembra ancora piu` bella.... Insomma noi italiani a volte abbiamo nel DNA quello che gli inglesi chiamano "whining", pagniucolare, lamentarsi di continuo ignorando i lati positivi della faccenda. E invece, specialmente quando si tratta di Milano, dobbiamo ricordarci che una citta` del genere non "capita", una citta` cosi bella, cosi europea, che nel giro di pochi decenni e` passata da "industriale e grigia" a capitale della moda, del design, della vita si` dolce ma produttiva, una citta` che ad oggi sta al passo con le altre grandi capitali europee, da Parigi a Francoforte a Vienna, una citta` cosi` la si crea giorno per giorno. Milano da` lezioni di vita alle cugine europee, fine e silenziosa.  

Il due maggio 2015, ventimila cittadini sono scesi nelle strade con lo slogan "Milano non si tocca", hanno dedicato la loro domenica a pulire la loro citta` dopo i danni dei No Expo all`apertura del 1 maggio 2015. Che esempio di civilta`, che orgoglio. Siamo il fiore all`occhiello di un` Europa che inizia a muovere solo adesso i primi veri passi. 

Quali altre citta` avrebbero dato questo esempio di umilita` e orgoglio? Da cittadina italiana ed europea, credo, nessuna. 

Ecco due articoli interessanti di repubblica e del corriere. Cara Milano, ci vediamo nel weekend, i miei bimbi, anche se meta` tedeschi e svizzeri di nascita, devono sentirsi a casa anche nelle tue strade. Riconoscere i tuoi tesori, il tuo ritmo e la tua storia. 

Il mio piccolo treenne durante la nostra ultima colazione al bar lo scorso ottobre, ha ordinato un "mini cappuccio e briosche please", mission accomplished?

M.

P.S. 32 reasons to never visit Milan - Milan in the middle of the future - FT: the city reinassance

#workingparents

I have now been back to work for a month from my second maternity leave.  Well, I have never felt more energised and ready to do, work, be committed, pull pieces together, prioritize and be ready to throw enthusiasm into new and old projects, at home and at work.  

I now have one of those fitness trackers which tells me what my husband and I have known all along. We do not sleep enough, it is probably safe to say that we have not had in the past three years more than 3/4 straight hours of sleep.  And yet somehow we, as spouses, professionals and parents have never been more on top of our life. We have learnt to make friends with stress and exhaustion, find energy, make "miracles" happen, work full days then once home bath, feed the kids, play and put them to bed, maybe work some more or catch up with our private and social life, then carve a pumpkin (or a turnip for our first Räbeliechtli!). What is incredible is that like us, hundreds of colleagues and friends are running the same silent marathon.

Once again questions are asked. "Don't you work too much? Where do you find the time and the energy? Are your kids going to be OK with you not being there most of the day?" Typically these questions are asked to me (a "working mum").  

I will elaborate another time on the answers. What is clear to me is that as parents and as professionals, it is about having the choice, it is about doing in the best possible way whatever it is that we are good at, and it is about feeling satisfied with our lives.

A few weeks ago the genius #manwhohasitall hashtag hit a nerve with his (her?) twitter posts targeting the endless amount of advice given to working mothers "about "how to have it all" with 'all' meaning happy kid, successful careers, great hair, healthy diets, immaculate wardrobes, the perfect beach body, good girlfriends, a supportive husband and a pristine house. But what if we applied the same type of inane language we use when discussing women in the workplace to men?"

http://www.breakingnews.ie/discover/if-we-gave-fathers-the-same-nonsensical-advice-we-give-working-mothers-700862.html

No wonder the pressure is on for many women. Over and over in all the diversity conversations, events, studies I have heard of, the topic "self-confidence in women" has been indicated as one key trait to perform and stay on top of their lives, careers, etc. At some point early in life, we build a reserve for a life of self-confidence. Families, social surroundings and corporate life have a deep effect on the amount left by the time a woman can thrive in business and private life. This 60 million youtube views video from Procter & Gamble goes straight to the point. Enjoy. #likeagirl.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs

M.

Just don't wait

Last summer during our holiday my older son, 2.5 years old, spotted a dead fish in the fountain. Immediately he ran to me and my husband: “Mami, Papi, the fish is “kaputt”, we need to fix it!!” Bless our children and their innocence. 

Last week I lost a friend to cancer, a wonderful woman, and mum of a two-year-old little boy. 

We met when we were 10 in school and spent the most beautiful, fun, carefree years together. Oh our hopes for the future, our dreams, our hobbies. Our innocence. After secondary school we chose different paths and slowly grew apart, life took over, new friends, first boyfriend, university, jobs, life abroad for me. At first, we always made time to see each other, then to speak, then we kept in touch via email, she was not a fan of social media. I knew she was well and she was there. Then kids came, and the concept of busy took on a new meaning. I knew she was happy,  her baby was doing well, my mum met her a few months ago at the post office in their hometown, agreed we would catch up as soon as possible. But really, I had not seen her in years. Recently I had found some diaries and the cutest letters we used to write to each other. I made a mental note to show her all this as soon we had time, on my next trip to Milan, or maybe in the spring, as soon as the kids were a bit older. She was not physically present in my life anymore but she was always there, in the corner of my happy memories, as a friend put it. I thought we would have had time to sit there at some point and chat about our stories of all those years ago. To have the kids playing together, to share experiences on motherhood. I thought we had time so I was just waiting to see her. Waiting and putting things off.

Until yesterday. I only knew two days after the funeral. She is gone. She was 35. She was diagnosed in July and died last week, three months only, nothing could be done. Beyond the shock, the sadness for her life cut so short and for a little boy who will have to grow up without his mum, I feel so sorry for all those times we could have seen each other, could have made time, could have hugged each other one last time.

A lot of things can wait, but I will never let time go by again without doing everything I can to see the great people of my past and my present whenever I can. I just won't wait.

M. 

Stress. How to get good at it

"The message that stress is always harmful, and life is fundamentally toxic—that is, I think, a big misread on reality." (Prof. Kelly McGonigal)

As my return to work draws near, as the challenges of balancing childcare, family and professional life, start again, I can feel it, it is the elephant in the room. 

It is the knowledge that stress will come back in our daily life as my husband and I start again the ballet of balancing it all, this time in four: a 5 months old, a nearly 3 year old, long days at work, nursery germs, erm, I meant nursery schools et all. 

But luckily, being this my second maternity leave I think I know better and I hope we are more prepared for what`s to come, for the “house of cards” feeling that majority of parents know very well. And I know that I have been in the best possible school in these past few years, the school of life with children (if you are not a parent, just think karma and trust me :-)

So in preparation for this, beyond securing all the house help I could, I have done some reading on it. Yes. I researched the topic stress.

The month, the week and the night before each and every exam I took in university, before each test in my old beloved Liceo Scientifico, were filled with it. And yet, the more under pressure I felt, the more I knew that if I kept it under control it would help me to perform. As an adult, before every presentation, opening speech I had, I knew it was good to feel that "pressure". Yet it stressed me. I tried not to but did end up complaining about it. Was that “good” stress?

I ended up with an emergency operation when I was 19 because my stomach twisted, literally. Doctors said back then I was lucky as they could put everything back in order easily, I was just left with a scar and the knowledge that this is a very common thing to happen and it can be caused by “stress”.

The stress we experience when we see our loved ones suffer, when we lose someone, when we expect the results of a test, or even simply when our kids are sick. That can`t be surely "good" stress?

So how many types of stress are there and how can we recognize them? Stress is the lining of every day life, we need to learn to live in balance with the pressure that comes from it and that we experience every day.

What follows is an extract of one of the most interesting articles I have read about stress, my main take-away is the following:

"If you understand that what you experience as stress is the biological mechanism by which you are going to learn and grow and develop your strength, now that’s a totally different way to understand why your heart is pounding, or why you’re having trouble falling asleep at night because you’re thinking about something stressful that happened."

For a full list of my summer reading on the topic, just PM me!

“We’ve been so inundated by this belief, this mindset, and this message that stress is toxic, that stress is harmful, that you should avoid or reduce stress, that in moments of feeling stressed out, we think: ‘I shouldn’t be stressed out right now.'”

“And just like with a placebo effect, when you recognize that your body and brain are capable of responding in a way that is helpful or healing, you actually enable it to happen more effectively.”

 “I  was beaten over the head with the concept that stress is a toxic state, that while helpful in the short-term, has long-term effects that are damaging. This was based on a lot of animal research from Hans Selye (see below), which doesn’t really translate to the experience of being human. Ultimately, I think it was all based on a misunderstanding of, or a very narrow definition of stress in terms of what happens in your body and in your brain. I had been taught that every time you experience anything we would call stress, your body shifts into this state that is fundamentally toxic—that flight or fight survival mode, which impairs your insight or ability to make decisions, that’s toxic for your body, that increases inflammation and hormones that in turn suppress your immune system and kill brain cells. We’ve all heard that.

If you go back 10 years to look at interviews I did about stress, I was saying all those same things in magazines and newspapers.

I’ve come to realize that there are many things about that point of view that are not true. The most basic one that’s faulty is the premise that there’s only one stress response, and that every time you experience stress you’re in a toxic state. That’s fundamentally not true. The body has a whole repertoire of stress responses. Sometimes when we experience stress we’re experiencing a state that is healthy, that makes us resilient, that makes us more caring and connected, that makes us more courageous. The experience might be physically similar in some ways to stress states that we would describe as debilitating anxiety or other negative stress states, but they are not toxic. There are a lot of different ways to experience stress.” 

(Prof. Kelly McGonigal, The Upside of Stress)

Full article here.

M.

Do – Rest – Do

I have always been a fairly active person. The to-do-list and whats-the-deadline type. When I hear people say “I have nothing to do today” my face turns into a question mark.  Even if for whatever reason I am off work, I have always plenty to do. 

Years ago I would have not hesitated one minute to think that obviously, if you want to get anywhere, you need to get and keep going, and fast if possible. In short, I was more focused on the goal and less on the journey. Thank God, like everyone, I aged, and learnt. 

I have learnt that rest is as important as action, and that our bodies, as well as our minds, need the occasional day off to better perform. How much time do you allocate to the “dolce far niente” and how much to planning and doing? Do you run parallel projects close to your official job? What do you do in your "time off"?

Today, as a working mum of two, I see my time off work as a good occasion to get more done, but also to take a little break and think of myself. A massage, sitting by the lake doing nothing, one hour on a book during the day? Hey why not. My personal to-do-lists are now done on a weekly basis and I give myself plenty of  more time to “get there”, remembering that if I am well rested I can get double done, be more patient, and walk through my day with a smile.

I still believe in the “getting things done” and “making things happen” motto as, incredibly, when I step back and let things go…well, either I delegate or things just don`t happen! A new investment, a trip planned, a real estate project, fixing a broken toy, writing, sorting family pictures, volunteering for an association, keeping in touch with old and new friends or work acquaintances, keeping strong bonds with the people I love. This too requires effort. As a wife and a mum, I now prioritize family time above everything, but still try and cut out of my day a few pockets for what I call my “hobbies”.

So how do you find the right balance between "slowing down" while "making things happen"?

A few learnings from the past few years (no I do not manage to stick to them all the time, I just try :-)

1. Private victories come before public ones. Keep the promises you make to yourself (that work out, that language course, that healthier diet, etc)
2. If you have a good idea, try to take some action right away (a new house, starting your own company, changing job, etc)
3. Don`t get defensive.
4. If you are serious about something, do not lose attention. Stay focused.
5. There is something valuable to be learned from everything. Make it a habit of finding it.
6. If you are achieving 100% of your goals you should think bigger.
7. If an opportunity arises, seize it.
8. Put yourself in other people`s shoes.
9. Take time for yourself and to be yourself if you feel your body is running out of fuel. The magic recipe for me is sleep (with a 2 months old that`s often interesting!), exercise (Pilates) and shiatsu.
10. Cut as much as possible time spent with negative or false people. They are drainers!
11. If your husband says you are doing too much...you probably are :-)
12. Use diplomacy but be honest to yourself, and to others, some won`t like it, some will thank you.

How to MakeThings Happen in Your Life

Rest: The importance of slowing down

M.

Quiet. The Power of Introverts.

A few months ago, I sat at lunch with two colleagues who, like me, volunteer some of their time for our company`s “women business network” and its events. We discussed chairmanship options for one of our upcoming events and general public speaking-related topics. To the outside world, the three of us would have probably come across as extrovert women discussing business. How wrong can perceptions be? All three of us, in different ways, would probably come across as extroverts in our daily business life too but what we were discussing that day, besides the event, was the effort that is required in our world, to "become" an extrovert, along with the new book by Susan Cain, “Quiet”,  its great success and the meaning of this phenomenon.

When asked, years ago, if I was an extrovert, my initial reply was “yes!”. Surely I am not an introvert? Am I?  I don`t really like standing up on stage, giving a speech, drawing too much attention to myself or wearing bright colors or loud jewelry. Typical signs of an extrovert for many psychology tests. I do like time alone, I like to listen before I make up my mind and as a teenager I would shy away from too much attention. But I now have no problem giving presentations, standing up on stage with a microphone, talking to a lot of different people at events and parties, organizing social get-togethers or feeling comfortable around others. So, what happened? I trained myself over the years, I guess. Now I  fall within the “ambivalent” group.

At a more or less unconscious level,  society sends out clear signs that associate extroverts with winners, with happy people and with people who are successful in business. Society rewards extroversion, unlike Eastern European and Japanese cultures and all the cultures of regions where Orthodox Christianity, Buddhism, Sufism etc. prevail, where much more importance is placed on introversion than extroversion.

“Extroverts think out loud and on their feet; they prefer talking to listening, rarely find themselves at a loss for words and occasionally blurt out things they never meant to say. They are comfortable with conflict but not with solitude.”

“Introverts, by contrast, may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings but, after a while, they wish they were at home in their pajamas. They prefer to devote their social energies to close friends, colleagues, and family.”

However, humans are complex and unique and because introversion-extroversion varies along a continuum, people may have a mixture of both orientations. A person who may be an introvert in one situation may be an extrovert in another and people can learn to act "against type" in certain situations, falling within what Cain calls “ambivalent types”.

Can introverts be leaders? Is our cultural preference for extroversion in the natural order of things or is it socially determined? Should you devote your energies to activities that come naturally or should you stretch yourself? 

As a recent business TV commercial, featuring an office worker losing out on a plum assignment ran:

BOSS TO TED AND ALICE: “Ted, I am sending Alice to the sales conference because she thinks faster on her feet than you”

TED: (speechless) …

BOSS:  So, Alice, we will send you on Thursday….

TED: She does not!

As Cain puts it, “If we assume that quiet and loud people have roughly the same number of good (and bad) ideas, then we should worry if the louder and more forceful people always carry the day. This would mean that an awful lot of bad ideas prevail while good ones get squashed.” Studies of group dynamics suggest that this is exactly what happens. We perceive talkers as smarter than quiet types even though intelligence test scores reveal this perception to be inaccurate.

Introverts can indeed be leaders. It might be more difficult in our society for them to emerge as such but once there, they will have a sharp set of skills an extrovert probably won’t be able to count on. An introvert leader is likely to show more empathy for his team and be willing to listen to their ideas and implement suggestions. This could motivate the team to work harder. Extrovert leaders, on the other hand, have a natural ability to inspire, will end up doing all the talking and might be able to get better results from more passive workers.

The above topic is now a line of research, still in its early days.

So, should we devote our efforts to improving in activities that don’t come naturally to us? Pushing ourselves out there if we are born or have a tendency to be introverts and trying to keep quiet and listen more if we are born extroverts? 

Research on the topic is ongoing and, while we wait for more studies, we could probably say that becoming aware of who we are and how we come across and pushing ourselves a little further surely can`t hurt us.

Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Take this quick informal quiz to find out!

M.

Sources: Quiet (S.Cain), Wikipedia

About sharing knowledge

Four weeks ago I asked you in a post to share stories, send interesting blogs and posts you have come across and love reading and to name people you would like to know more of.

Two days after that post my second baby was born and since then I have taken a little leave from the blog while watching my inbox grow :-) Thank you to those who sent me thoughts and ideas, there are so many interesting stories and so many people I will be connecting with and write about! And thank you for all of your well wishing messages for our family, it is a busy and happy time.

Here is my first “guest post”: I met Daniel, a communications guru among other things, nearly two years ago during a company event and thanks to social media I got to know him a lot more since then!

Who: Daniel Martin Eckhart

Jobs: Head of Community Management at Swiss Re, screenwriter and author

About him: “As Head of Community Management at Swiss Re they call me collaboration platform and social media guru and I'm spending my days doing my best to motivate and empower colleagues around the globe. How? By blogging, by sharing and by teaching the whys and the hows of collaboration and open knowledge sharing. I see it every day - the value, the sheer power of just how much we can do for ourselves as individuals, for our teams and for the company as a whole when we openly and smartly share our knowledge.”

Bio: His work as a screenwriter has been Grimme-Prize nominated. He is the author of the novels The Champ and Barnaby Smith. 

Date of Birth: 9 December 1962, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Trivia:

Was a Swiss Guard in the Vatican, protecting Pope John Paul II.

Worked for the United Nations in Israel, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq.

Narrowly avoided being kidnapped by Iran's Revolutionary Guards ... his friends didn't.

Why I love reading his work: He is a Maestro of one of the greatest arts: sharing powerful knowledge. His writing is fresh, direct and honest.

Where to find him: www.theworldaccordingtod.com

His last two posts:

On knowledge sharing and virtual collaboration:

"(…) 18 reasons to show why virtual collaboration and engagement in your company makes sense for you, your team, your project, your leadership and your location. The list applies to anyone, across the board, across the locations, across the hierarchies. While a hierarchical leader's engagement may reach more people, it isn't about numbers. Virtual collaboration and engagement is about each and every individual taking ownership, being a leader within one's own realm of influence and sharing one's knowledge in the best interests of the company." Read more here.

On happiness: “Do more of what makes you happy”

“We can't flick a switch and change everything on a dime. But we CAN do more of what makes us happy, in little ways, in big ways, here and there, more and more. And the more we do the things that fulfill us, the happier we'll be, the more motivated we'll be to give our best for our community/company” Read more here.

M. 

Learners and Doers

“Being happy doesn`t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you have decided to look beyond the imperfections” - Gerard Way

Despite what you will be reading in these first few paragraphs, this post has nothing to do with being a parent or raising children, not directly at least. But as mentioned a few times before here, given I find parenthood an educational and formative experience, some of my latest learnings come right from the fact that almost 2.5 years ago I became a mum (while staying everything else :).

As many who prepare for the birth of their first child, during my first pregnancy I invested way too much money and time in all sorts of books, pregnancy books, first months books, books about routines, sleep patterns, feeds, clothes. All sorts of experts, mostly childless, where lined up on my bedside table for months, all ready to share their…opinions, based on their, often little, experience.

Once we came back from the hospital with our little bundle of joy sleeping in his car seat, I realized that none of what I had read for months was based on the two things that in my opinion matter most when you become a parent: gut feelings and research based advice. I am now expecting my second baby and the only `baby` book I have gone back to over and over again in the past months and years is “Brain Rules for Baby” (J. Medina). This is because the whole book offers a wealth of knowledge and research based advice on how to raise happy children while being a happy parent who needs to also very much rely on his/her instincts and experience. The book goes beyond the mere babyhood and childhood years and gives great insights on many different aspects of the so called behavioural sciences.

As someone interested in the topic I researched a little bit beyond the book what could give me more knowledge on the topic, how can the principles of the book be applied to more fields, to different types of people. And mostly…what does behavioural science cover anyway?

I started asking myself the question: if I took a professional course in behavioural sciences, what would I learn and for what reasons, useful to whom, myself, my employer, my family? It turns out there is a huge offer out there when it comes to learning all about this discipline and its latest discoveries.

I ended up “choosing” an “Executive MSc Behavioural Science” at the London School of Economics (LSE). Here is what it offers:

“The Executive MSc Behavioural Science is offered jointly by LSE’s Departments of Social Policy and Management. The programme is delivered in a modular format and aims to provide a suite of high quality integrated courses for individuals seeking to advance their career in behavioural science while continuing to work.

The MSc Behavioural Science executive cohort will have a diverse academic background, such as – but not limited to – economics, geography and environmental studies, management, medicine, philosophy, political science and government, psychology, public policy, social policy, and sociology.

Executive students will have relevant work experience in the public, private or third sector, including businesses, charities, government, local authorities, and international organisations (such as the OECD, the European Commission and the World Health Organisation).

Many organisations now engage with the idea of applying behavioural insights to their organisational challenges. After all, these challenges ultimately require behaviour change of some kind. Further, many companies, charities and public bodies are recognising the power of ‘live testing’; testing their products and policies in real world environments. The motivation for this comes from increasing recognition of the limitations of traditional research methods, like market research and customer insight.”

It sounds promising and fairly impressive, especially given the increasing number of organizations looking into this. Also studies on the topic do seem to be of fairly high importance for pretty much everyone around us.

“Behavioral science is the systematic analysis and investigation of human and animal behaviour through controlled and naturalistic observation, and disciplined scientific experimentation. It attempts to accomplish legitimate, objective conclusions through rigorous formulations and observation. Examples of behavioural sciences include: psychology, psychobiology, criminology and cognitive science.” (Wikipedia)

While I would love to attend different courses and list a few more masters on my CV, I have very little time currently to enroll in any of the many interesting formative offers out there, so books, interviews, podcasts and reaching out to a few experts are the key activities that for now allow me to expand my knowledge and satisfy my curiosity.

Why would more knowledge on behavioural sciences be of interest to me personally? The answer to this allowed me to drill down and select the parts of this discipline that at this point in my life would be more beneficial. In short, behavioural sciences are directly linked to the way we (and our children, families, colleagues, etc) observe and perceive the world and in turn behave, learn and develop. Enough for me to decide it was worth to find out more.   

In the past two years I have read different books and listened to different experts on the topic, here is my current line-up of top three “luminaries” when it comes to this topic:

Dr. Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., is one of the world's leading researchers in the field of motivation and is the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Her research has focused on why people succeed and how to foster success.

Olivia Fox Cabane, a Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT and United Nations lecturer, executive coach to the leadership of Fortune 500 companies. From a base of thorough behavioural science, Cabane extracts the most practical tools for business, giving her clients techniques she originally developed for Harvard and MIT.

Alex Ikonn and UJ Ramdas, the creators of the Five Minute Journal.

I could add many names, books and lectures to this list, but I think the above names and their work sum up the key points I have learnt to carry with me daily.

One of Dr. Carol Dweck`s masterpieces is “Mindset”. I had already read about many experiments on children`s mindsets in Medina`s work, here I found a comprehensive research-based work on how the type of mindset you are born with could influence your life. 

As a young researcher Dweck was obsessed with understanding how people cope with failures, so she decided to study this by watching how students grapple with problems, specifically with easy first, then hard to solve puzzles. She expected the children to cope in different ways with difficulty, but was not prepared for what she saw. Confronted with hard puzzles, some of the children seemed to enjoy and be excited about the challenges they were facing. What was wrong with them? One either can cope with failure or can`t, so were these children onto something? They seemed to love failure! 

These children, many children, and many adults of course too know that human qualities, such as intellectual skills, can be cultivated through effort. And this is what these kids were doing, getting smarter. Dweck, on the other hand, thought that human qualities were carved in stone. Either you were born smart or you were not and if you failed it meant you weren’t.  So what are the consequences of thinking that your intelligence or personality is something you can develop, as opposed to something that is a fixed trait?

Robert Sternberg, the present-day "guru of intelligence", says that the major factor in whether people achieve expertise “is not some fixed prior ability, but purposeful engagement”. Or in other words, it is not always the people who start out the smartest who end up smartest. So what does this mean for us? For over 20 years Dweck`s research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value. But how can a simple belief have the power to transform your psychology and as a result, your life? We have seen a similar principle in the Placeboeffect, a  cognitive bias. 

Believing that your qualities are carved in stone – the fixed mindset – creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over. Our society values intelligence, personality and character, so you want to have these traits, and you want to have a healthy dose of these. But what if you fail, if you are not always accepted, if you don`t look and sound always as smart as you would like? Frustration kicks in at best.

There is another mindset, based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts: the growth mindset. People with this mindset believe that a person`s true potential is unknown, that it is impossible to foresee what can be accomplished with years of passion and training. Dweck`s research confirms that the willingness to take some risks and to put extra efforts into projects, to challenge yourself, come directly from the growth mindset, a mindset that can be learnt and achieved. The many self help book out there telling us what the “secrets” of many successful people are, do not give us a reading pattern, they are often scattered points (believe in yourself, enjoy life, etc) but they do make a whole different sense if you think of how (some) of these “successful” people might approach life and with which mindset.

Similarly, “The Charisma Myth: Master the Art of Personal Magnetism” (Olivia Fox Cabane) is another of my all time favourite books. Olivia Fox Cabane is an inspiring source for me for effective, frills free meditation and concentration techniques (a post on this soon, watch this space) and for her theories on charisma.

Can charisma be learnt?

“Charisma can be a huge asset if you're applying for a job, improving your relationships, or leading other people. The Charisma Myth shows you how to become more influential, more persuasive, and more inspiring. Soon you'll be able to move through a room and have people say: 'Wow, who's that?'"

Many believe that charisma is unchangeable, and now we know that this sounds like a fixed mindset approach, you either have it or you don't. But is that really the case?

Far from many of us (and far from me) the wish to move through a room raising constant attention. But from networking events, to gatherings, to meetings, to presentations, to family conversations, we want to come across and express ourselves in the best possible way and to show we can draw the right attention and discuss our reasons with a little influence, we want to have that amount of charisma that seems to work magic for some. This book shows us that this is too a skill we can learn, if of interest to us. We are born to learn.

“The Charisma Myth is a mix of fun stories, sound science, and practical tools. Cabane takes a hard-science approach to a heretofore mystical topic, covering what charisma actually is, how it is learned, what its side effects are, and how to handle them.” 

Finally a little gem I have found very useful over the past few months and that I would like to share with you, the Five Minute Journal.

What is it and why am I mentioning it here?

The Five Minute Journal was created by Alex Ikonn and UJ Ramdas and is based on the most recent researches on behavioural sciences. They designed a type of diary that helps to achieve concentration, have more productive days, and possibly, to feel happier. Before jumping to conclusions, it is suggested to try it out for at least 5 days.

The Five Minute Journal is available in both a paper version and an app (my personal choice). The diary is built on proven principles of positive psychology: priming your brain, cultivating gratitude, having a growth mindset.

Begin the day right: When you start the day on the right note, things automatically start to fall in place. (At least on most days?) 

Cultivate Gratitude: Gratitude is the opposite of depression and anxiety. It's the conscious experience of appreciation of the gifts in our lives and the results are tangible.

Introspection: Ending the day on the right note can be essential to a good night's sleep, eliminating negative thought loops and learning more about yourself.

It’s been proven that shifting your focus to the positives that many life events bring with them can dramatically improve your happiness, or the way you perceive it. The key is consistency. This journal has been created by combining the different elements of what is known as positive psychology: it might not work for you and if it does it might not work daily, but surely it is worth a try?

It is probably not a coincidence that, among many, Tim Ferriss, author of the “4 Hour week” (see post here), is a big supporter of this type of diary.

The key parts of this diary are the following:

1.   What would make today great?

2.   List 3 amazing things that happened today

3.   Weekly Challenges

4.   Gratefulness

5.   Affirmation

6.   How could you have made today better?

Of course not all parts need to be written daily. For “affirmation” I often ask myself, “where do I see myself in 1 year? In 3? In 5?” “What project should I invest time on next?, and so on.

Question nr 6 is particularly important for me: projecting our minds towards self-improvement, especially at the end of the day, is a powerful tool for our brains to elaborate the main facts of the day, visualize them, gain clarity and assess again what could have been done better or just differently. This is no pseudo-science, our brains are wired and obsessed with questions, they need to answer them, it is just a matter of feeding them the right questions and answers.

M.

Sources: “Mindset” by C.Dweck, “The Charisma Myth: Master the Art of Personal Magnetism” by Olivia Fox Cabane, “Five Minute Journal” by Alex Ikonn and UJ Ramdas.