Management Craft

How to Launch an Idea

I love this post from Raj Setty called, The Three Stages of and Idea. Check it out. I would add a fourth potential stage called "stalled" (doubting, overplanning, false urgency) and it could go anywhere in the process.

The NEW Vision Board

Bill and I were watching a rerun of Oprah yesterday that was on the law of attraction. They talked about the power of creating a vision board.

A vision board is like a collage of all the things, people, and experiences you want to enjoy and/or manifest in your life. A lot of people I know have created vision boards. I can relate this to my favorite practice, the butterfly effect. Each time our mind focuses on a positive and forward reaching image or thought, we tune our actions and thoughts to possibilities versus a need to problem solve. Each butterfly flap in the right direction causes a reverberation.

I think vision boards are a great idea, but I had not made one myself. Last night, I created a new-fangled vision board.

On my mac (I assume you can do this with Windows, too), I can select a folder of pictures for my desktop image. And it will automatically switch pictures from within the folder. I created a new folder called "Vision Board," and put pictures of things I want to manifest or enjoy in the folder. I set the preferences to switch pictures every one minute. Because I have both my laptop screen and another Apple monitor attached, I get to see two different pictures every minute.

This is my new vision board and it is pretty cool. I have pictures of people I would like to meet and places I want to go and other achievements. I have a cover of the New Yorker (because I would like to get one of my essays published in the New Yorker) and pictures of Marshall Goldsmith and Carl Hiaasen (because I want to work on a book with the former and meet the later). I also have pictures of butterflies - of course - and of my motorcycle as a way of anticipating future adventures. And I have pictures of health and vibrancy. I have pictures of Bhutan to help me prepare - physically and mentally - for our trek in Bhutan in November. I have a picture of Hemingway's writing space in Key West. I have pictures of homes in New Mexico because I would like to spend more time there. I have a picture of a Grey Wolf because I would love to have my essays published by Graywolf Press.

I need to add more pictures, but this is a start. Because the pictures are a mix of sizes and resolutions, I have chosen to tile the pictures and see lots of little versions.

This vision board travels with me wherever I go because it is on my laptop. No glue or scissors required!

The Creative Space - real space and the space in your head

I have been thinking about the act of creation. Or should I say recreation, since everything spring forth from something else.

The dilemma we have, is that we need to unplug to create. Some of you might argue with this point and say that you can create while the email ping sounds, your cell phone vibrates with a new text and you overhear ten different cubicle conversations. I would argue that you could be creating at a much deeper level if you focused more effectively.

Note: My email just pinged. I went to look, deleted the new message and now I am back. It is taking me a few moments to get back into what I was writing for this post.

I was saying that we need to unplug to create. I know this to be true for my writing. The best writing comes when I shut down all outside influences for at least four hours. This is tough with all the plugged in things we have in our lives and the people and pets who seek our attention.

And then there are bodily functions and thirst and temperature and other physical interruptions that pop up.

Note: My writing was just halted by thoughts of being cold. I could not decide whether to turn the heat on because it will be hot later and so it is best to keep the room cold and put on a fleece pullover. Or perhaps I should get on the water rower and generate heat.

Creation demands our undivided attention. And yet, so many of us find this a hard gift to give ourselves. Even the little red squiggly line that pops under misspelled words can disrupt thinking.

Note: Another ping. Should I look? Heck, I have already diverted my attention, might as well look. Two messages, deleted them both. Where was I?

Perhaps instead of a sensory deprivation tank, we need a disruption free module in our backyards. We could remodel an Air Stream Bambie and make it a safe zone. Or get one of those new office sheds. But the key would be to NOT bring cell phones, email, phones, or other potential distracters into the module.

Note: Another ping. It's OK, I am still distracted because I am still cold and have not put on another layer.  This email is good - the REI summer sale starts today.

When I think about great writers - Hemingway, Steinback, other dead guys - I imagine they went to secluded places where they could write undisturbed. I have been to Hemingway's home in Key West and, other than the genetically mutated extra-toed cats, it seems like a place that would have allowed him to focus while writing.

Note: I am now distracted by my own mental interruption. I can't help but wonder why there are BOTH too many wild chickens and too many street cats in Key West. It seems as though one would take care of the other and they would just have too many freak fat cats. Having an extra toe means having an extra claw, too. One more weapon against the chickens. But this has nothing to do with creativity.

Note: The heater just kicked on, which tells me that I was not being a sissy, it was cold in here (we have the thermostat set at 67, so it must be colder than this).

I am trying to think back to the last time I was able to create in a

Note: Another ping. Looked. It's my daily Publisher's Lunch email.

I am trying to think back to the last time I was able to shut out the disruptions to create. It has been a long time. I have read about famous writers who said that they took years to write a book. I always marveled at this because it seems like such a long time. But maybe this is because it takes that long to string together bits of uninterrupted writing time.

an hour here
25 minutes there
two hours last week
etcetera

Note: I am distracted by the fact that this is likely the first time I have ever typed out the word etcetera in a sentence. It looks strange. We get so used to abbreviations.

Note: the heater is still going, which tells me that it was VERY cold in my office. No wonder I was having a hard time thinking. Geezze.

What is the solution to this conundrum? How can we possibly create within the mess that is our everyday lives? I think we need to do the best we can to reduce distractions. Turn the ping off, the cell phone off, go to the bathroom, dress comfortably, go for a pre-thinking walk, pet the cats, fill up a large mug of coffee and try to create.

Making Unreasonable Requests

I think it is time for my periodic tune-up related to making unreasonable requests.

Making Unreasonable Requests

Ask and ye shall receive, right? Making unreasonable requests is not as unreasonable as it may seem. I use the term unreasonable here to mean big. Unreasonable requests are big requests that you are generally too chicken to make. Outrageous requests make great things happen. And talk about a bridge! A well formulated request, when accepted by the person you ask, can reroute your progress and enable you to zoom to success. Unreasonable requests that are turned down can also serve as important catalysts because often a compromise solution is offered that is still higher than you would have normally expected. Mahatma Gandhi said, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get,” and I believe this to be true.

An unreasonable request is something you do that is OUT there a bit. Not ins a selfish "it's all about me" way because the best unreasonable requests are win-win propositions.

I wrote a half-page email a few days ago that pitched an unreasonable request. And while it is still too soon to call it a done deal, the person I sent the email to not only said, "yes," he also kicked up the idea a couple notches making it a potential career and life changer.

Give it a try this week!

I wrote about making unreasonable requests in Two Weeks to a Breakthrough because I believe that powerful, generative conversations can move mountains.

Make Reverse Requests

Here is another great way to have an impact and make things happen. Make reverse requests.

What's a reverse request? A reverse request is what happens when you help others make requests. It can look and feel a few different ways:

1. You know what someone wants and you offer it (or some version of it).
2. You engage in a conversation that helps someone articulate what he or she wants. Then you ask what you or someone else could do that would be most helpful.
3. You provide the courage - courage on loan - that helps someone else make something big happen.

I have a pal who is very conservative when it comes to being assertive about her hopes, dreams, and wishes. She does not want to be a bother and feels a bit selfish to ask (I am not putting words in her mouth, we have talked about this).

Here's the thing - it's not selfish to make requests, because when we are at our best everyone wins. Anyway, that's her struggle and she never asks. Every now and then, I put myself in her shoes and share what I think she would ask if she had the courage. I have been right, I offer the help, she says "yes" and things surge forward for her a bit. You have a friend like this too and you can do the same.

Here's another example - totally true. When Bill and I decided to get married, I asked him a question that changed our lives. Here's the question:

If you could live anywhere and be doing any kind of work, where would you live and what would you be doing?

I love this question and recommend that you ask your significant other this question tonight. Bill said he'd like to have his own consulting company (he's a geologist) in Seattle. We lived in New Mexico at the time. My response - "why don't we do that," and the rest is history. We have been living in Seattle for 9 years and his consulting business is thriving. This conversation put focused actions into motion. I got a job at Amazon.com (I needed a real job while he took time to build his company) and four weeks after we got married the relocation began. Bill resigned from his stable state job he had held for 10 years. We dove into the unknown.

Here's the funny part - I had never been to Seattle before we decided to move there - never been to the northwest. It did not really matter because I could see this was a dream of his and I had confidence he would not be attracted to a lousy place. The first time I touched Washington soil was for the interview with Amazon.com.

Would we have moved to Seattle one day anyway? Perhaps, who knows. Did it happen much more quickly because of the reverse request - absolutely. Here's the point - Bill had it in his head, probably for years, that he would like to live and work in Seattle. Your friends and family have dreams too, and I bet some would surprise you.

When you can make something BIG happen for something else - BAM! - that's cool and feels great.

We can all make a big difference by using reverse requests. Reverse requesting is a tool we can use to help catalyze breakthroughs - it's a way we can help and serve others.

Be a Yes Person

When someone encourages you to go for it, to take that next step, to spend the money to make it happen, to sacrifice one thing for a potentially bigger thing, to be selfish (in a good way) for a while, your whole world can change. When someone supports you fully without asking questions or doubting you, it feels great. When someone takes the initiative to think about your dreams and nudge you in the right direction, that's love.

Why not be that someone? The world is filled with "no" people, restrictive procedures, red tape, delays, and good intentions. When we encounter a yes person life feels warm and smells like spring.

I love being a yes person. I have to remind myself, mind you, we are all so well programmed to slow people down and tell them why something is not going to work.

Everyone has goals, dreams, and many people let their dreams sit in the distance out of a sense of duty or routine. We can help catalyze breakthroughs by being the person who encourages them and supports their journey.

Don't wait until someone comes to you - many people never will. Take the time to ask your friends, teams members and loved ones what they want to accomplish - the new reality they want to create. Here's a favorite question of mine:

If you could be living anywhere, doing any kind of work, where would you be living and what would you be doing for a living?

I think I have mentioned this question before but it is worth mentioning again. Ask this question of three people this week and then be a yes person. Talk to your significant other about this question and then identify the changes that need to be made to make the dream come true.

"we can do that"
"why don't you go ahead and book the trip, I think it's a great idea"
"I'm behind you 100% if you want to ____"
"you can do it, I am sure - go ahead and get started and let me know how I can help"
"why not give it a try"
"don't worry, we can adjust a few things, I think you should do it"
"do you want to make arrangements to do that next week?"
"can I help you research the options?"
"what a wonderful idea, I think you should go for it"

I feel very fortunate because I feel totally supported for all my hair-brained ideas. "Take 40 days and ride around the country on your motorcycle alone. I will worry a bit, but go ahead, it sounds fun." When you have yes people in your life, you do different things and manifest bigger possibilities. And when you are a yes person, you help change the lives of those around you.

Psychic To-Do List

What's on your psychic to-do list?

You know, the gnawing things that you think about on a regular basis, "I gotta do that," or "when am I going to find the time to ___?"

We have our written lists and then we have the stuff that invades our brain and is not written anywhere.

Recently, I have been using an hour or two of TV time to handle some nagging issues. I am not actually watching the TV, and I am NOT multitasking - you know how I feel about that. But this is usually the time when Bill and I sit in our two leather recliners in the living room at the end of the day and process and chat. We might read at bit, watch TV, or listen to music.

And now I tackle my psychic to-do list. I pick one thing, often a small thing, and do it while in the recliner. Chat with Bill, do a wee thing. Chat with Bill, do a wee thing.

Even wee things, when on our psychic to-do list, take up big brain space and clog progress.

What's on your psychic to-do list?

And she's off....

I started my Year of the Breakthrough Tour today. Well, actually, I will head out in a couple minutes. I will be blogging during the tour over at the Two Weeks to a Breakthrough blog, including pics and stories, so hop on over and put that feed in your aggregator. I have a few things cues up here at Management Craft, but the posting will be very light over the next six weeks.

This week I have three public events and two private events. Here are the public events. If you live in the area, I would love to meet you!

City	Date(s)	Event
Brookings, OR	May 22, 7:00pm	This is a special event - a combo performance with my singer/song writer brother Perry Devine (listen to "Breakthrough" here). Best Western Beachfront Inn Conference Center, 16008 Boat Basin Rd., Harbor, Oregon. Sponsored by The Book Dock, call 541-469-6070 or email bookdock@nwtec.com to register.
Santa Rosa, CA	May 23, 7:00pm	Santa Rosa Barnes & Noble
Cupertino, CA	May 24, 6:30-8:30pm	Event at HP, Oak Room, 19447 Pruneridge Ave. Registration details here.

Ride your dreams.

My Events and Questions About Your Town

Only three weeks left until I hit the road for the Year of the Breakthrough Tour. This weekend I did a test ride with Hazel loaded up will all my tour bags. I have one dilemma not yet solved - whether to bring my laptop. I think I need to bring it but my Apple iBook is pretty heavy and I am not looking forward to adding this weight.

The tour is pretty well set, but I do have a few time slots that are not filled. Let me know if you have any ideas! They are:

• Dallas area - June 1st
• Mid-Atlantic - from Charlotte to DC - June 7-10th
• Chicago are - June 15th
• Salt Lake City area - June 25

Here's the latest map - click on it to pull it up in Google Maps and zoom in. Please note that the route is not actual - Google assumes highway driving, but I won't do that if I have time.

I'd love to meet up will people on an informal basis all along the way. A couple/few people in a coffee shop type thing. Let me know if you want to meet.

Here are a few of the public events scheduled (private/in-company events are not listed here) - I'd love to meet you! All of the events will be appropriate and beneficial for managers, entrepreneurs, trainers, HR pros, and anyone interested in generating breakthroughs and achieving goals.

This Saturday, May 5th, I will be at the West Seattle Barnes & Noble speaking at 11am.

Note: I know this chart looks kind of wonky, HTML is not my strong suit, if you know how to make it more readable, drop me an email. Thanks.

City	Date(s)	Event
Seattle, WA	May 5, 11am	West Seattle Barnes & Noble
Brookings, OR	May 21-22	Event Details Coming!
Santa Rosa, CA	May 23	Event Details Coming!
Cupertino, CA	May 24, 6:30-8:30pm	Event at HP, Oak Room, 19447 Pruneridge Ave. Registration link coming.
Dallas, TX	June 1	Available!
Birmingham, AL	June 4, 9-11am	ASTD Birmingham Chapter, Location and registration link coming.
Atlanta, GA	June 5, 7-7:30pm	Fayette County Library
Charlotte, NC	June 7	Available!
Winston-Salem, NC	June 8	Available!
Roanoke, VA	June 9	Available!
Chevy Chase, MD (DC Area)	June 10	Available!
Baltimore, MD	June 11, 6:30-8pm	Pratt Library, Main Branch
Philadelphia, PA	June 12, June 13	Event Details Coming!
Chicago, IL	June 15	Available!
Milwaukee, WI	June 16, 2-3:00pm	Schwartz Business Books in Brookfield, 17145 W. Bluemound Rd.
Des Moines, IA	June 18	Event Details Coming!
Fargo, ND	June 19, 5-7pm	Women's Business Exchange, Location and registration details coming.
Fargo, ND	June 20, 11:30-1pm	ASTD Fargo Chapter,  Location and registration details coming.
Salt Lake City, UT	June 25	Available!
Boise, ID	June 26, 5:30-7:30pm	Event from Workplace Excellence, Business Review, Idaho Business Forum, The Owyhee Plaza Hotel, 1109 West Main Street, Boise. Register here.

As I gather together all my information, I'd love to get a few bits of information regarding the towns along my route. Please take a look at the above map, and it if looks like I might be coming by your town (or one you know very well) please check out the questions below. Thanks!

Imagine you are me, riding through town on Hazel. I generally have some time, but not days, to enjoy the towns I pass through:

1. What sights should I NOT MISS seeing - what's extraordinary about this town?
2. Roads I definitely want to avoid
3. Best casual food, best coffee shop
4. Are there sections of the area I should avoid because they would not be safe for me or my bike?
5. Other interesting tidbits.
6. Does your state allow motorcyclists to drive in the HOV lanes?

Leave a comment or email me at lhaneberg AT gmail DOT com. Thanks!

Year of the Breakthrough Tour Update

Hello!

Although it's still snowing along the east coast, it is starting to look and feel more like summer here in Seattle. Time to get ready for a nice ride!

Here's a quick update about the 6-week tour I am doing on my motorcycle as part of my celebration of The Year of the Breakthrough and my new book, Two Weeks to a Breakthrough.

I have lots of events booked and will be sharing those that are open to the public soon. There are a couple places where I still have some availability. They are:

Thursday, May 24th, northern California
Friday, May 25th, southern California
Friday, June 1st, Dallas area
Thursday June 7th, northern GA or Charlotte, NC area
Friday, June 8th, Charlotte, NC or Greesboro or Winston/Salem areas
Sunday, June 10, DC area
Tuesday, June 12th - Phili area
Wednesday June 13 - Phili or Pittsburgh areas
Friday, June 15th - Chicago
Tuesday, June 25th, Salt Lake City

Let me know if you would like me to speak with your company or organization. Email me at lhaneberg AT gmail DOT com for more information.

And if you live along my travel route and want to meet up for a chat, let me know. If there's not an event in your town, I would love to meet you for an informal coffee or iced tea if it's possible. Check out the latest route map here.

I recently took a few pics with Hazel. Here's one of Hazel:

And here's another one of me:

I'm on You Tube!

Well, not ME specifically, but my video. I have loaded the breakthrough video up - it combines great visuals with great song. It's just 6 minutes - please enjoy it and pass it along! Let me know what you think! Thanks again to my brother Perry who wrote the song Breakthrough. You can hear my podcast with Perry about this project here.

(If you don't see the small You Tube screen, click here to watch the video)

Fireside Chat with Perry Devine

How can you generate breakthroughs within creative processes? - Chat with Perry Devine

In this inspiring 23 minute podcast I chat with singer/songwriter Perry Devine, who used the processes and techniques found in my latest book, Two Weeks to a Breakthrough to create a song about generating breakthroughs. I think that music can inspire and serve as a powerful catalyst, so I am thrilled to have this song all about breakthroughs. As you can imagine, I was doubly thrilled when Perry told me that he used many of the suggestions offered in the book and experienced several breakthroughs while writing and recording this song. During the podcast, Perry tells listeners how he applied the book's concepts to the writing and recording of the song and which techniques made the greatest difference - catalyzing breakthroughs. At the end of the interview, you will hear the song "Breakthrough," by Perry Devine.

Join us in making this the year of the breakthrough!

By the way, I am happy to tell you that Perry is my brother. It was better than an ice cream sundae to work with him on this project. I cannot tell you the delight and humble pride I felt when I first heard the song and when Perry told me that my book was helping him push his music and process to new heights. Very cool. Thanks, Perry, for doing this with me! Here's a pic of my guitar pickin' brother in action.

Want to know what Perry means by the ultimate breakthrough catalyst? Listen to this podcast!

You can listen to my podcast with Perry Devine by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here: MP3 Download

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.

You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.