by Rick Baker
On Oct 23, 2012
There's a lot of negative stuff out there!
Bad news makes good news. Bad news sells. Crimes and unfortunate accidents get lots of air time. It seems we receive news in a ratio of 5 doses of bad news for each dose of good news.
The reality TV craze shows us an unending string of personal difficulty: interventions, biggest losers, mental illness, fallen celebrities, and workplace dysfunction. As we are exposed to all these poor folks, those less fortunates, we receive regular breaks in the form of TV commercials. The TV commercials show us many new remedies for regular aches and pains and also many new physical and mental diseases we have never heard of. Some of the remedy side-effects described in these commercials are mind-numbing. And, the rule seems to be 'no statement of a long list of nasty side effects then call your doctor'. In effect, we are being trained to contact our doctors to request medications for ailments that people choose not to name on TV. Negative stuff!
Video games and movies, thanks to exceptional special effects and relaxed regulation, are delivering buckets full of violence, blood, & gore.
We live in a continuous bombardment of readily-available information.
And, those who deliver that bombardment make sure it contains a very heavy dose of negative stuff.
Over time, the assault of the Negative Mob affects us...some more than others.
by Rick Baker
On Oct 23, 2012
Thought Tweet #592 An ounce of predilection is worth a pound of objection.
The Thinking Behind The Tweet
Human beings are biased creatures. Our minds are geared to recognize patterns and, sometimes, our minds jump to conclusions. As one example, this happens when we accurately identify a piece of information but conclude, inaccurately, it is part of a certain pattern. In common words, we call that "jumping to conclusions."
When we jump to conclusions we use one piece of information to reach an inaccurate conclusion.
This was a real benefit in prehistoric times...jumping to conclusions saved lives.
In business, often, jumping to conclusions is more problem than benefit.
Sometimes, when we jump to conclusions, we also try to foist our inaccurate conclusions on others. If we happen to be a leader who does this then an ounce of our jumping to conclusions can offset a pound of followers' objections...and this, over time, kills followers' spirit.
[That's the reality of position power.]
by Rick Baker
On Oct 22, 2012
Thought Tweet #591 Leadership is about meaningful stories well told and important actions well done.
The Thinking Behind The Tweet
When good-to-great leaders tell inspirational stories, their stories are laced with personal values and visions of better future situations.
Stories well told: call them Sticky Stories...because they stick in people's minds. Sticky stories are remembered.
Actions well done: the most-productive actions are driven by emotions and guided by true desires and goals.