Humour-training

Some of the top comedians in Sweden are starting a humour-training for CEOs. They believe that if you add just a little more humour in your communication, it will make a positive impact on the business and your businessrelations.

Humour is great. However, I appreciate personality, charm and good intentions more than just plain humour. Being able to create a great working environment is essential for the success of a company.

Meeting in space

While the flightcompanies fight to survive, there are other winners when it comes to communication. More and more meetings are being held through videoconferences.

The equipment is quite expensive. So far there are mostly large companies among the users. However, the technique is growing better and better. This opens up for smaller companies.

I believe that there may be lots of advantages of meeting this way, when it is not possible to travel. Our goal to reduce the environmental effect of flying is surely a good reason to stay home and meet in space. However, this can not replace the need of meeting face to face. People need to interact! Use videomeetings when you already know the people and want short and effective discussions. When it comes to important decisisons and new contacts - you may consider meeting in real life.

Picture: Skiptrip

Co-branding claims common values

I can only smile at the example of the margarinbrand trying to sponsor the Swedish national chefteam. Swedish chefs usually use natural products like butter, not margarin. What were they thinking? This resulted in badwill for both brands, unfortunately. As far as I can understand, the cooperation has now ended.

When it comes to co-branding, there has to be common values between the brands and both brands need to be committed. If not, the cooperation will not be trustworthy to the customers. That is a rule which can not be broken.

Think it through before you sign a co-branding agreement. I guess it´s a bit like getting married. You need common values and mutual commitment in order to handle and enjoy a longterm relationship.

Handing over the baton

Picture: Bellmanstafetten

I was running a relay race with friends this weekend. It was a good and sunny day, and the place was crowded with happy runners. One of the challenges of the race - besides running - was to find your buddy in the crowd and hand over the baton as smoothly and quickly as possible. It may sound easy, but the place was crowded and we lost a few minutes looking for eachother at the shifts. To us, this was not a big issue. We were there to have fun, and we did. However, next year we will know more about how the relay race works and we will be more prepared for the shifts. Maybe we´ll put baloons on our heads or something, in order to find eachother easily...

We have similar challenges in all projects and processes in work and private life - handing things over to the next person as smoothly as possible. We may loose time, energy and efficiency when this happens. Often it is more important that everything works smoothly, then it was for us on this sunny Saturday. So why does this happen then?

* We may not know who to hand over to
* There may not be anyone to hand over to
* The next person isn´t ready to take over
* We can´t find the person to hand over to
* We don´t know what to hand over
* We are not ready to hand things over in time
* We don´t have the same picture of the process as the next person

If we can eliminate some of these challenges beforehand, we will save time and energy. Prepare, research for information that will help you out and communicate throughout the whole chain of individuals so that you all have the same vision of the process. Then everyone will be moving on with great energy and focus.



Picture: Bellmanstafetten

Communicate your strengths

You may feel that you have many hidden strengths in your personality, but if you are not able to communicate that picture of you - from a personal branding point of view, those strengths are non-existent.

Managing Brand Me

Choices

When it comes to your personal image, the places where you choose to live and spend your time say a lot about you. Of course you may not be staying in your first-choise-home at the moment, for various reasons. Still, your home at the moment gives a clue about who you are.

I am spending the weekend in Rättvik, one of the most beautiful places in Sweden. As I am looking out over the lake Siljan and the blue mountains beyond, I think about the people who have chosen to live here. They get this fantastic view every day. It is probably an important part of their wellbeing. The stress of a larger city is far away from this idyll. There may be other issues to relate to though.

Since the world is growing smaller based on our well developed technical aid, we can live almost anywhere and still stay in touch with knowledge and social networks. I am happy that some people choose places like this to be their home.

Learn from the geese

"If you ever happen to see (or hear about) geese heading south for the winter – flying along in “V” formation – you might consider what science has discovered about why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew by itself. Any goose that falls out of formation suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into position to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the set and another goose moves up to fly point. And the geese in the back honk to encourage those in front to keep up their speed. Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen teammate until it is able to fly or it dies. Only then do they launch out on their own – or with another formation – to catch back up with their group.

Like geese, people who share a common direction and sense of community, who take turns doing demanding jobs, and who watch out for one another, can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of their teammates. Geese are defined by how they stay connected with one another. Successful teams – and excellent leaders – are defined the same way. "

Lee J. Colan