Life - Servant of Chaos

One Wish – The Charter for Compassion

If you had a wish, what would it be? Would you direct it inwardly or towards others? Would it be personal or would it be communal? Would it be larger? Would your wish be transformative, transactional or fanciful? Could you name it, nail it down, write it on a sign? Is it something you could share or would it remain a personal secret? Would you wear your wish upon your sleeve or swallow it like a burning truth?

Karen Armstrong has a wish. The TED Prize winner’s wish is as follows:

I wish that you would help with the creation, launch and propagation of a Charter for Compassion, crafted by a group of leading inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and based on the fundamental principles of universal justice and respect.

From this one wish a movement has been spawned. Around the world, people from all cultures and religions are coming together to affirm The Charter for Compassion. The charter:

The Golden Rule requires that we use empathy — moral imagination — to put ourselves in others’ shoes. We should act toward them as we would want them to act toward us. We should refuse, under any circumstance, to carry out actions which would cause them harm.

For me, compassion is feeling, thought and action. It is something we feel, something we consider – but perhaps most importantly, it is something we must act upon. We don’t show compassion by clicking a button, joining a cause online or digitally signing a petition. We show it by moving out of our comfort zones, stepping beyond our deeply worn paths of apathy and acting in a way that transforms (even momentarily), the life of another.

November 12 sees the launch of the Charter for Compassion and along with the celebrations and events that will be taking place around the globe to mark the launch of the Charter, a number of Australians were asked what compassion means to them. These individuals shared their time and their thoughts on compassion. But you can do more. Visit the Charter for Compassion website (or Facebook page) to learn, share and act.

Oh, and you can view the Australian video below. In order of appearance, it features: Adriano Zumbo, Cathie McGinn, Dr Stephen Saunders, Neil Perry, Melissa Leong, Barry Saunders, Mitzi Macintosh, Mark Pollard, Julie Posetti, Venerable Sujato Bhikkhu, Gavin Heaton, Reverend Raymond Minniecon, Bronwen Clune, Reverend Bill Crews, Rabbi Mendel Castell, Graham Long and Tim Burrowes.

Australians on Compassion from TED Prize on Vimeo.

What’s Your Story? Here’s Part of Mine

Life, Storytelling

I don’t know about you, but I find it REALLY hard to write about my #1 client (ie me). No matter whether you are looking at my LinkedIn profile, my Twitter profile, the presentations that I have released on Slideshare, or my About page, it feels that nothing quite comes close to capturing my real story. There is always something missing. Some hook left un-baited.

A little while back I created a page where I can keep track of my various online activities. It doesn’t tell a story. At least not in words. It speaks of participation and engagement. It speaks of outcomes – things that I have achieved and am proud of. And, of course, each item, each link, has a story, a drama that could fill a novel. But we are short of time, breath, energy and attention. Our lives are reduced to links on a screen.

But today I am profiled in the Digital Ministry’s Digital People section. Denise Shrivell from MediaScope asked some interesting questions that really got me thinking – and gave me the space to play with the answers. It helped me fill in the gaps between the links – that otherwise makeup our digital careers. I hope you enjoy it.

But what about you? What’s your story – and how do you best tell it?

Swallowing the Truth

Authenticity, Community, Innovation, Life

Anyone involved in marketing, in transformation or change management knows that there is a simple fact – change is hard. Getting someone to understand that their product, job or world has changed is an enormous challenge. It requires not just logic, but also an emotional response. We need to change our hearts as well as our minds – and it is easy for us to KNOW something but very difficult for us to ACT on that knowledge.

What we need to do is swallow the truth. We need to consume it, to bring it into the depths of our beings. We need to give “new truth” the chance to spread through every fibre, infect every synapse and tingle each fold of skin.

And you know what? Our “gut” tells us a great deal about the “truthiness” of truth. Items that are unsavoury are expelled quickly in an impulsive response. “Heavy” items are digested slowly and over time.

Seth Godin suggests that the future is just like the past, but shinier:

Your industry has been completely and permanently altered by the connections offered by the internet. Your non-profit, your political campaign, your service business. Not a little different, not just email enabled or website marketed, but overhauled.

But the future – or more precisely, the true future, is not just shiny. It is tasty. We are hungry for it and for the sustenance it brings. Ask yourself not just how you are forging a future for yourself, your business and your community – also ask exactly what it is that we should swallow. If it’s not the truth, it won’t stay down for long!

What Motivates You?

Creativity, Innovation, Life, Rant

Earlier this week I spent some time talking to a recruitment agent. It wasn’t for a new job – I was providing a reference for a friend who used to work for me. It was an interesting conversation – not the run of the mill kind of discussion, but one which delved deeper … into motivation, needs and how they manifest for us in the workplace. It made me think about success – about why some people achieve things that others don’t or can’t.

Whenever I have been in charge of teams, I instinctively seek out those who have the type of energy that I can work with. I am attracted to those who have intrinsic motivation – a sense of drive – and tend to make a hiring decision based on the way that people walk into a room.

In this video, Dan Pink, talks about autonomy, mastery and purpose – and how they combine in an individual – and what this means for those of us who manage, direct or energise teams as part of our daily work. Sure there are times where we can take the standard managerial approach – offering rewards for good performance and disincentives for poor performance, but Dan Pink suggests a need to adjust our management styles according to the type of work being performed.

Mark McGuiness also points out, that while the carrot and stick approach works for simple working arrangements, when it comes to complex problem solving and challenging or creative industries, we need to think outside the box:

… the rules are mystifying, the solution, if it exists, is surprising and not obvious – [for this kind of problem] those ‘If… then’ rewards, the things around which we have build so many of our businesses, DON’T WORK!

This is not a feeling… this is not a philosophy… this is a FACT!

There is a double edged sword here, of course. We all like to be paid handsomely for the work that we do – but few of us are willing to prioritise our desire for autonomy, our mastery and skill and our sense of purpose above income. Or am I wrong?

What’s your motivation for doing what you do? And what would you change if you could?

Bufori – It Takes Your Breath Away

Branding, Life, Storytelling

You don’t notice it happening, but the effects are instantaneous. Your pupils dilate, your heartbeat quickens and your jaw drops. Is it love? Perhaps. Lust? Grrrr. It is an emotional and a bodily response.

When Ian Lyons, Jane Glasson and I pulled up to park, we happened to stop next to Cameron Pollard, marketing manager for Bufori. A comment, led to a conversation – and next thing you know, we are blocking traffic as Cameron gave us an impromptu tour of his beautiful, hand crafted car.

From the stitched leather seats to the meticulously laid out dashboard gauges, it was clear that this was no ordinary car. I would catch, moment by moment, a smile flicking across Ian’s face. We were all gasping at the design features – monogrammed toolkits embedded in the long engine cover, whisper quiet engine idling, chrome more dazzling than Miranda Kerr’s smile … with every moment we were, each of us, falling in love.

Reluctantly we parted ways. Cameron to talk to AC/DC, and we to our work days. But on reflection, there is much for brands to learn from Bufori – from the attention to detail, the craftsmanship and the passion that fires your imagination. Think about the story of your brand. Think about the way that people SHARE your story – who, how and where. Consider the way that you can use the P-L-A-Y framework to craft your engagement strategy:

P — for power
L — for learning and curiosity
A — for adventure
Y — the yelp of surprise and delight

Most importantly, think about that element that is intrinsic to your product, service or experience. Distil your features list and turn them inside out. What is that one thing that makes your fans pant with excitement? That is what you should be marketing – forget the rest.

Who’s The Old Dude in the Mirror?

Life

I can remember, even as a very young child, thinking that my parents were old. Really old. And they were giants. They could lift me off the floor with ease, stride across the room in moments and eat plates of food that were larger than my head.

And later, when I was in my early twenties, I realised that I was fast approaching the age when my parents became parents. This made me realise that my perception was far from reality – I had imagined the lives of my parents only from my child’s point of view. But now I had questions. Surely, my twenty-something parents felt the same urges and stresses that I did. Wasn’t the world as open to them as it was to me?

Now, with every year, I look at the world through different eyes. I see the mistakes of my youth for what they were. Stupid, sometimes. Reckless, occasionally. But where I could, I only made them once. I learned not just from my own mistakes, but from others that I knew or observed at close range.

And slowly experience crept up on me. I learned to be neither daunted nor exhilarated by the unknown. I found pleasure in the slow, unfolding of relationships. And I realised that generosity required more courage than I had ever thought necessary.

And while these are things that I “know”, I still wonder, each day – “who’s the old dude in the mirror”. And you know what? He answers to the name, “Mr Heaton” – and I always thought that was my dad.

Via Marta Kagan (the marketing genius).

Tripitaka Gets a JaffeJuice Makeover

Life, Smart Bloggers

When Joseph Jaffe was in Sydney recently, we had the chance to meet for drinks and for dinner. It was a great opportunity to speak one-on-one, outside of the hubub of the ADMA Forum … and we were joined by Ian Lyons, Katie Chatfield, Jye Smith, Emily Baxter, Fi Bendall and Kristin Rohan, making sure that a great night was had.

During dinner, Joe asked about the Twitter avatar that I was using. It was an image of Tripitaka from the 1980s Monkey Magic TV series. Most people in my age group from Australia knew exactly who the avatar represented, but Joe was lost. It reminded me that even our pop cultural references can be exclusionary.

So, in order to help bridge the pop culture divide, I sent Joe a Monkey Magic T-shirt which he proudly wears in the latest episode of JaffeJuice TV (thanks to Jasmin Tragas for finding the shirt). Oh, and if YOU want one of the shirts, you can order it from RedBubble.

The Perfect Gift for a Man – Join Us!

Books, Community, Good Works, Life

UPDATE: You can sign up to the Perfect Gift for a Man project here.

Towards the end of last week, it felt like the ManWeek efforts of Reach Out and Triple J were just starting to gain some traction. There were standout posts from Mark Pollard, Scott Drummond, Julian Cole, Jye Smith, Trent Collins and Gavin Bollard – but then it just stopped. And yet, it feels like there is more to be said, more to be shared, more honesty to be uncovered.

Over the last week Mark Pollard and I have been scheming … about what happens next. And we have come up with a plan – to produce a book in time for Father’s Day here in Australia. Yes – that is the first Sunday in September.

And we want YOUR submission!

That’s right – if you have written something for ManWeek you may already be way ahead. But if you haven’t, you have a week to get your thoughts, ideas, pictures, photos etc together.

Under the working title of “The Perfect Gift for a Man” we want you to share your personal (yes, very personal) stories of becoming a man – the joys, sorrows, challenges, regrets and triumphs. We want to hear about your Dad, your Son, your first job, admitting mistakes, overcoming challenges, living with issues, illness etc. Whatever your story is, we want to hear it.

Why?

The Inspire Foundation research indicates that:

Young men are at increased risk of suicide, drug and alcohol problems compared with the general population and age matched young females. They commit suicide almost three times more often than females of the same age and are also two to three times more likely to develop schizophrenia. These problems often start in adolescence, go undiagnosed and continue into adulthood placing a major burden on Australia's health care system and society.

We want this book to show that it is possible to share, honestly, the intense emotions and experiences of “becoming a man”. We want men to read the stories of others – to find strength in knowing that others have lived through issues and gone on live a rich life. And to realise that it is ok to reach out and ask for help when it is needed.

How?

You can send us:

Stories: 500 or 1,000 words
Photos
Illustrations
Designs
Anything – make a song, t-shirt if you want. Whatever you’re good at – just make sure it’s yours.

As we have only just hatched this plan, we will let you know how to submit early next week. BUT to give us an indication of your interest, leave a comment here or join our Facebook page.

What’s going to happen?

This has to come together quickly. If you want to be involved, you have to send us your submission by July 20, 2009. If you don’t get us your entry by this date it cannot be included. Don’t ask.

Oh, and don’t exceed the word limit – we will either edit it down to size or discard it. If you create an illustration, photo etc, contact us for format requirements.

You will need to SIGN a release form that gives us permission to publish your work. In return you will see your name in a book, be part of a project that we hope will help make an impact on men’s mental health AND raise money for Reach Out / Inspire.

100% of the proceeds of the sale of these books will be donated to Reach Out.

Who can contribute?

We want a broad cross-section of men. So far we have the support of people within the marketing community, but we want to go far broader than this. We want doctors, lawyers, bricklayers, stay-at-home dads, artists – anyone can contribute.

Who is in the book?

So far, it is just Mark Pollard and I. Luca Ionescu has kindly agreed to create a logo for the project. But we think it will be far more interesting if you were involved too.

How can you help?

As Mark says, there are some things you can do to help us – even if you don’t want to contribute:

1. Contribute something super sweet (by Monday July 20, 2009)
If you don’t have time or don’t see yourself as a content-maker, consider adding some ideas to the project: marketing, PR, events, stunts, anything. Pull some favours.

2. Get someone interesting to do the above
So far, most ManWeek bloggers have been from the marketing, advertising, technology sectors. We want people from all backgrounds to have a stab at this. If you have a granddad with an incredible story, get him to tell it. If you know or are a musician, sportsperson, policeman, farmer, miner, journalist, tattoo artist, biker… please have a go.

3. Tell someone about it
Tweet away. Blog about it. Tell friends about the Facebook page. Please do not feel obliged to link to this blog post.

4. Help us break out of the internet
If you have contacts with journalists, bloggers, politicians… people with influence. Tell them about this project. If you’re watching your kid play soccer this weekend and find yourself standing next to a man, tell them about it.

5. Buy the book (or e-book) when it launches
Give it to a husband, a son, a dad, a granddad. Maybe consider buying bulk to give to your male staff.

So what are you waiting for? Get writing – the clock is ticking!

What’s Your Job Again?

Jobs, Life

I don’t know about you, but I have always had a hard time explaining to my family what I do for a living. Well, there was a few years where I was working in an accountant’s office – but apart from that, my working life has been a mystery to my parents.

At family BBQs I would find myself “dumbing down” my job role to explain it to uncles and aunts. I would rephrase, repeat and reinterpret every new job role at each and every family gathering. In the end I gave up.

Thankfully, these days I no longer also have to explain what “blogging” is. Even my mother seems to understand blogging.

But marketing, branding and even advertising still seems to confound everyone (despite the best intentions of The Gruen Transfer). And I am sure, next Christmas, I will get the same old question – “what’s your job again?”.

ManWeek #4: Another Word for Father

Good Works, Life

I found a small urn today
it held the conversations which
for you
fell from my mouth like riddles

The story of my disappointment carries the
   weight of broken doors
and YOU?
   You wait on the other side
All conflict aside
   All affection left at the doorstep
Was that what it WAS all for?

You were never there, never there
   I searched for a tract, for even the smell
of where you had been
   Finding instead
      the anger in me in me

I have never shown this poem to anyone else. It was written 12 or more years ago, but its fury still takes my breath. I am only sharing it with you because of the astounding bravery of others who have written so eloquently during ManWeek. In fact, it was Age Conte’s post this morning that tipped me over the edge.

Obviously the relationship with my father is nothing like what I have read in the posts of others this week. In fact, it is non-existent. We have not spoken for a decade – and I can honestly say, now, that I am not bitter about this. In fact, it was a conscious decision on my part.

And while we often hear about the importance of fathers and the often difficult relationship that men have with their dads, I can also tell you that they do not define the person you become (unless you allow it to). Now I am not saying that my own father was a bad man – but perhaps he was just a man, with all the attendant weaknesses, honours, fears and hopes that we are all prone to. Perhaps he wasn’t the father that I wanted, but like Age, in my dad I did learn “everything about what my journey to manhood has to involve”.

And this is the point. It is MY journey. No one can do this for me. No one can take away the pain or embarrassment or own the joy and excitement that comes our way. The best we can do is the best that we can do. And the worst we must learn to live with – and maybe, just maybe, forgive.

Participating in ManWeek has been both confronting and humbling. It is far harder to do than you might imagine. And while this #ManWeek campaign appears to be an echo chamber, think for a moment about what you can do to change that situation – how you can extend or continue the conversation, open it to those men who need to hear/read these stories. And if you want inspiration, check Mark Pollard’s site for a list of great posts. Check also Harry O’Brien’s article.

But at the end of the day, if any of this has helped just one person, then that is reward enough.