How Mangers Can Damage Innovation Through Discouraging Curiosity

I'm reading through the October version of the Harvard Business Review and I came across two great articles on curiosity and innovation. According to these two articles managers often kill off innovation by discouraging employees from being creative by implicitly giving signals that asking questions is not acceptable. They further push employees to be silent and work toward what makes them look good to people higher up the food chain.

That pushes employees to be quiet, not look for alternatives, review processes, or understand the bigger picture of what is going on within their organizations. Thus, the employee becomes the worker and the boss becomes the gatekeeper to benefits. Strong employees may leave and the weaker one's stay. The entire organization starts to die.

The problem is that bright, intelligent, and capable employees don't rely on their bosses for much other than information. Their boss could easily be replaced as high quality employees work on their own without direction. Micromanaging bosses destroy self-directed creativity, learning and performance. They turn something wonderful into something that is not rewarded within the organization.

Thus such bosses actually suck the life out the organization in the long run. They don't allow cross collaboration, don't allow bright minds to move into new positions and often hamper the whole organization. Innovative companies need a new way of thinking and methods of flattening the road blocks that some bosses put in place.

They don't know this though.  Insight into one's own behavior is very difficult. They can't see that their decisions and constant push on projects that promote themselves slowly take away from the full functioning of their employees and the long-term competitiveness of the organization. Any employee who raises such objectives against task oriented self-gratification is likely to be punished in terms of promotion and opportunities; at the very least by negative feedback.

The near term takes precedence over the long-term, the employee is silent, and leaders are ignorantly happy until it all comes crashing down. Most companies have no clue how their culture and choices of managers improves or hampers their business. Once they start loosing money they begin to hire consultants to tell them things their common sense should have told them a long time ago.

Herein is the biggest crime of all. The smartest, brightest, and most competent are punished by the selfish that regularly choose themselves over the needs of the organization or others. Those employees simply leave instead of having clash after clash with their bosses who have more formal power. Dominant, high quality, employees with the most creative capacity and the highest intelligence do not find paths for success and put their talents to work for people who appreciate them.

Creativity and exploration should be encouraged. Cross collaborative projects are also helpful. Poor bosses should be demoted, removed or counseled. The boss is only an information giver and collector. While they do provide direction for work they are generally information bound on what priorities to work on. These priorities should include the needs of the entire organization beyond their own needs to be promoted. Of course, we know this on a theoretical level but rarely do we find enough insight to implement it in an organization.

Learning to Play Polo in San Diego-Easy Steps to Competitive Play!

The hooves are throwing dirt in every direction like mud bound ATVs as a herd of speeding horses canter down the field at break neck speed. Polo players battle it out swiping and smashing their mallets in an frenzied effort to provide a power hit that launches the little white ball through the goal! Polo is for those who love horses and action as adventurous personalities make their way onto the field.

For interested students the speed and agility of players can seem overwhelming. You may even think, "I could never do that!" ....but that isn't true. Anyone can learn to play polo when they have knowledgeable coaches and a safe environment that can take you step by step into the process. Whether you don't know how to ride, or are a seasoned player, there are classes for you!

Instructors have experience and offer private and group lessons. The good news is you don't even need a horse! They will have it groomed, saddled and ready to go by the time you get there! One of the perks of riding polo at the San Diego Polo Surf Club is that you can focus on learning and not have the expense and maintenance of your own horse.

While I had acquired Western riding experience I never played polo before. To be honest, I was a little unsure of my skills but after the first practice I began to feel very comfortable. It didn't take me long to pick up the basics and by the second class I was already competing on the field. That may not mean I was the best player, far from it, but I did score 4 goals!

If you are interested in learning polo I would suggest San Diego Surf Polo Club for their expertise, facilities and social aspects. Staff are encouraging and they can find the right balance between practice and game play so you don't get bored. Prices are some of the best in the area and are better than competitive.

San Diego Surf Polo Club

Gillian Young
619.977.1875
gillian@sandiegosurfpolo.com
14989 Via de la Valle, Del Mar, CA 92014
https://sandiegosurfpolo.com/about/

Product Descriptions in Online Retail Marketing

In the online world of market-spaces and places your product description is going to have a huge impact on your success rate. Considering that people want to know and understand what they are purchasing they will inherently scour these descriptions for information. Without being able to inspect the products before purchase they will rely on whatever information is present and therefore writing a strong description is necessary.

Clear and concise make sense here. Be specific in the beginning and let them scroll down for lengthy descriptions. Attention span is short in the online world and having the most common questions answered quickly will improve conversion rates.

Provide diagrams, pictures, and other displays that might help them visualize the product. While market-spaces like Amazon only allow the first picture with a white background it is beneficial to include pictures of the product in action. These pictures make impressions and motivations.

The word usage should be active and encourage a purchase. Don't be too vague as it may seem like you are offering a solid product. People who are searching for information to make a purchase might be looking for sizes, specifications, and other information so they don't have to return the item. It will help you in the long run.

Fencing as a Cardio and Quick Reaction Sport

Fencing is a fantastic sport if you want to improve your cardio and your pin-point reaction times. It is fast and quick and with all of that gear on you will sweat like crazy. If you are really going after your opponent I would suspect it is much like sprinting but with also wearing a snowmobile suit! However, if you are looking for a fun way to get in shape and enjoy romantic sports this one is for you.

Maybe I should rephrase romantic here. Let us say stab your opponent with lots of different rules and right-a-ways. Lots of great style but sort of still stabbing in one way or form. The beauty of this sport is that it has a long long long history. It was once based on necessity to train combat soldiers and knights.

Why is it important today? Beyond just the health aspects it is important to ensure that you are creating eye and hand coordination. The movements are bullet fast and the smallest movement can make a big difference in the outcome.

When someone has mastered the foil, saber and epee they in effect very skilled at using bladed weapons. While these types of weapons have long lost their appeal the skill can be important as an augmentation to enhance skill in other sports and training the mind to see small details that others can't see. This could be anything from anticipating an attack from someone to reading body language.

Organic Wine by Shaw?

Wine snob alert! This Cabernet Sauvignon wine is pretty good but doesn't cost $50 a bottle. I know, I know...that will probably mean the wine snobs will reject it, because there is no way to produce a good wine without jacking up the price to the ceiling. Well turn your noses high and bust your bank account because economic shoppers got a great thing going!!

You may want to read an article on the wine from Wine Economist

This wine retails under $5 but has a $20 dollar taste. I must admit I'm a little picky about my wine. While I will drink what I buy I won't necessarily buy some products again. This wine is rich, bountiful, and you can taste the lush environment the grapes cultivated in. You can sort of get a hint of the soil.

As organic grapes they must be a touch hardier than average and likely were picked at a slightly riper age making the wine a touch darker and more fruity than other wines. Not a lot of tannin aftertaste which suits me just fine. I would consider this on more of the wetter side and slightly sweet.

Its definitely a table wine that could be served at supper. Some under-taste of spices but not really sure of what they are so I probably shouldn't mention it. For the most part it is a clean and simple wine manufactured for a specific market. Organic grapes but not organic process still has its appeal!

This wine would get a thumbs up as a repeat buy.

Does Building a Successful Business Have Something to Do with Repetition?

Repetition is not seem highly in many business development patterns but it should be. We sometimes overlook the obvious in the attempt to create innovation. Yet...we should be honest and realize we can't improve unless we do something enough to actually improve it. Repetition allows us to delve deeper and deeper into a process and come to new conclusions that can push our business forward.

Let me give you an example to ponder. Let us say you are desperate to make a profit so every time something doesn't immediately work you radically change what you are doing. This is exploratory behavior that can be effective at times but often simply bounces from bad idea to bad idea.

There are times when it is necessary to make these radical changes but often it is only after you have understood your current process. Perhaps it isn't about radical change but about putting together the right "mix" of different aspects of the business processes. You may need a better supplier, better descriptions, stronger advertising, etc...

Doing the same thing when the production process is logical and sound is important in the analysis of what part of that process needs to be adjusted. It is important to remember that its a bunch of small steps and you should use some scientific reason to understand them before changing. In many cases, it may be the small adjustments that improve the overall process and profitability of the organization.

Polo-Poser or Practice?

Polo is the game of kings and attracts all types of different people. Most will never touch a mallet or be on a horse. Ever since the movie Pretty Woman people have flocked to polo for opening day never to be heard from again! Now, it is completely acceptable to love polo and never play the game but I do want to bring up the idea of "poser" and the difference between loving the game and pretending to be a master at it!

I once went to a polo game with a few friends. It was fun. We talked about how beautiful the horses were and most of us enjoyed our time. However, there was one gentleman that was bragging about how he loved the sport, engaged in it all the time, and dressed so perfectly to the game you would think he was a wealthy sponsor for it.

That is all ok because people have the right to do what they want and wear what they want. Poor taste and false impressions are not yet illegal. The clothing was a touch too perfect and seemed to be put together all for impression. Little Polo Association shirt, colored pants, and the perfect shoes with no socks. Just out of the Pretty Woman movie!

Still no problem! Where there was a problem was his condescending attitude to others who didn't understand the sport. If they asked him a question he would sneer a little as though he had more knowledge and give them simple answer. Yes, he would respond with delight, "They hit those mallets". Asking about a little more detail would result in a quick distraction with no real answer. He delighted in being "Mr. Polo" for the day. Unfortunately, his answers were wrong and not well informed.

 Posing is when you try and look the part and don't really live that lifestyle. It is all for impression and show. It indicates that the person hasn't developed a deeper sense of self and needs this outward appearances to find value. It is a lack of genuineness that will filter throughout their thinking and relationships making them untrustworthy. ....and yes the same person has been accused of selfishness in other areas of his life.

I suppose it didn't help much when I indicated that most polo players don't look like the "once a year" fans. Pointing to the polo player's families and their wearing of jeans and t shirts just beyond the wall next to the horse trailers didn't go over well with this group. Commenting, "those are the fans who come to play day after day because they love the sport and they look nothing like us."

Well...I decided not to be a poser and joined up for a polo class. I love horses, I love competition, and I love the outdoors. Because I already knew how to ride a horse I was offered to play some amateur matches after my first class. They must make sure you won't fall off your pony. Graciously I accepted and scored 4 goals in my first match! The fundamentals of the game will take longer to learn but certainly it was fun. For me I would rather play the sport than shop for the clothing.

How to Deal with Potentially Rude People-Engage, Reject or Confront

We live in a world where there are plenty of very good people dotted with a number of rude people that project their perceptions on others. They unfortunately have no problem with violating a sense of peace that is needed in society for social cohesion. You can use three strategies that can be used at work or in your personal life. They include engage, reject or confront.

First understand that while rude behavior has been sensationalized in popular media as a sign of confidence it is actually a character flaw. It is the exact opposite of what it portrays. People who are rude are either deeply wounded or lack the ability to accept social rules and therefore are unable to fully comprehend their behavior.

Engage: Engage with the person by saying "hi" or "how can I help you?" which often puts them on notice that you understand their behavior. It also shows that you do not shy from conflict and is often the best way to diffuse bad behavior.

Reject: Of course there are some people that don't respond well at all to engagement, friendliness, or anything else. They are jerks and should be avoided. This means don't acknowledge their comments, don't communicate with them, and generally give him/her the cold shoulder.

Confront: There are some people who are persistent in their rudeness and this may occur if you share social networks. If you can't engage, or avoid, and they continue to be rude then feel free to confront and let them know this behavior will not be tolderated.

The Skill of Sculling-Learn Quickly

Sculling, or the use of small thin boats, to row and race is a pretty cool skill to have. It takes a little practice. Its not easy to balance and there are all types of tips and tricks to getting onto them. Without the ores it is likely you will simple tip and fall into the water. So there are a few things you should do before you take off into deep water.

For one you will need to learn how to get onto the boat without falling over as well as how to feather your blades for stability. Trust me I almost tipped the first time I got on.

After this you can learn to stop, turn, and go back in the other direction. Having some level of mobility is important for staying away from obstacles.

It is also beneficial to learn to get on the boat if you fall off. That can be tricky as you will need to sort of hop up and balance on the center of the boat as you swing your legs over. It doesn't work well if your ores are not in the right direction.

There is also the need to learn how to actually row. Easier said than done. You have to use your legs much more than your arms and back. Without some practice you will have less power and will wear out quickly.

If you do well then you will likely lose weight and get into fitness as it does take a lot of endurance and cardio effort.


Dr. Murad Abel has a yoga and fitness trainer certificates. You can contact at murad.abel@gmail.com

Price, Quality and Service as Fundamentals to Competing Online

Companies that sell online have a limited array of ways they can differentiate themselves and draw in customers. While relationships might work well in neighborhoods the customers sees price, quality and service as paradigms that are important to them. Each can be used as one method of competing online and creating a name for your brand.

Price: The ability to stay in the lower quarter quadrant of prices. Online consumers often buy at the cheapest price no matter what. Being the lowest helps you to get the "buy box" and stand out compared to the competitors. This is not possible with all products so seek to stay in the bottom quarter of all prices.

Quality: Quality is a consideration for some people who don't want things to break quickly or who plan on using materials multiple times. There is a subset of the population who wants to buy a product like a hammer to last a lifetime while others think of it as disposable.

Service: Excellent services, information, returns and repair are others ways of competing. When people are buying products they do weight return ability for cheaper items and repair/return/service for more expensive products. The more technical or mechanical the product, the more likely they will need help.