This clip of dolphins hunting is interesting and has a few parallels to how we humans act, or should act, when we are part of a team.

Team of Dolphins

A few thoughts about the dolphins:

They have found a way to hunt that no other dolphins, nor any other water-based species, have developed. Interestingly, the dolphin team utilizes only the skills and talents that they already possess. However, they have found a way to use them in a different manner that benefits the whole group.

• Lesson: Successful teams learn how to maximize their strengths and look for new and innovative ways to capitalize on them.

Each dolphin knows their role. Only one dolphin swims the circle. More than one dolphin swimming the circle would interfere with the strategy and none would get the reward of the flying fish.

• Lesson: Each member of a team must know their role and the roles of all other team members.

The dolphins wait patiently while the circle is being made. Only when the circle is complete do they move into position to receive the flying fish.

• Lesson: Timing and coordination is key to a team’s success. Remember, patience is a virtue that can help the team reach its goals.

So how is your team doing today? Are there any team lessons they can learn from the dolphins?

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I love to read and usually have two or three books going at one time. Looking back on my year and on what I learned, I thought it might be interesting to identify a few that had the most impact on me.  Here are a baker’s dozen that I found stimulating. I liked the first four so much that I had to make a few extra comments!

Brain Rules by John Medina -Some books are entertaining. Some give good information. Some make you think. Some change the way you think.  This book did all four! I bought it on an impulse and then couldn’t put it down once I started reading it. But then I had to put it down to record some of the insights and ideas that it sparked. So I spent the whole time reading, then dog-earing the page to jot down a note, and then jumping right back into the book.  This one may be my favorite book of 2009.

Superfreakonomics – Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner live up to their reputation in this second Freakonomics installment. I believe that the chief value of their writing comes from the “aha” moments that it creates in the reader. I experienced many of these moments as I delved into each chapter. For me, the value of a book comes from how effective it is at challenging me to think differently. This book did that and more. Check out my review of this book at Amazon.com.

The Back of a Napkin – Dan Roam provides a primer on visual thinking. I have used and taught mind mapping techniques for problem solving and ideation for many years. I am also a big fan of using pictures to tell a story. This entertaining book shows how easy it is to get your ideas across with pictures – even if you have no drawing talent.

Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko– This book is a jump start to improving your creative thinking and problem solving abilities. It’s packed with original ideas that will challenge the way you think and help you begin generating your own creative ideas.  You can’t read this book cover to cover. You’ve got to keep putting it down to apply the concepts. But that shouldn’t be a problem . . . this book makes you want to go out and do something!

Some of the others that were worth the time and effort:

A Leader’s Legacy by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves

The Owner’s Manual for the Brain by Pierce J. Howard

Toy Box Leadership by Ron Hunter Jr. and Michael E. Waddell

Mapping Inner Space: Learning and Teaching Visual Mapping by Nancy Margulies

The Unthinkable, Who Survives when Disaster Strikes – and Why by Amanda Ripley

Sway, The irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman

Unstoppable, 45 Powerful Stories of Perseverance and Triumph from People Just Like You by Cynthia Kersey

Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto by Mark R. Levin

Happy Reading!

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“Choice is good.” In fact, it is a uniquely American core value!

I was recently shopping in a high end grocery store and was surprised to find that I had over 50 choices of coffee flavors from which to choose. Moving on to the refrigerated beer aisle to check out the selection for my other favorite beverage of choice, I was confronted with over 85 brand choices. It made my head hurt. My wife finished all of our planned shopping before I settled on a coffee and beer choice for our dinner party that evening. And I wasn’t happy with my choices! It turns out that I am not alone.

Recent studies have found that when we are faced with too many choices we are often hesitant to make a choice – and when we do we are less satisfied with it. This has serious implications for marketers and retailers. But it also sheds some light on why decision making in organizations often breaks down.For example, as we research business problems or opportunities we usually identify a variety of possible solutions or choices.

Normally, we think of this as a good and worthwhile activity – and usually we are right. But at some point we cross the “line of diminishing returns” and as we continue to add possible options, we muddy rather than clarify the issue. For the majority of individuals, too many options slow the decision making process and often lead to poorer decisions. In companies where I have consulted I have observed this decision paralysis and its negative consequences on the business as well as the staff involved.

Effective leaders and decision makers recognize that while it is important to consider all reasonable options, it is equally important to narrow those options as quickly as possible. It obviously takes a degree of due diligence to consider all options, but it also takes a degree of focused discipline to narrow those options to a manageable few as quickly as possible.To lessen the impact of this type of decision paralysis, consider the following actions steps:

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“Every choice is a renunciation.”

This quote by Thomas Aquinas cited in a recent article by Ronald Rolheiser, a Catholic priest writing in the Texas Catholic Herald, made me literally stop reading and think! I mean that I put down the paper and stared blankly into space for at least five minutes. The starkness of the statement and the simple truth contained in it provided me with a rare moment of clarity.

I had been vacillating regarding some serious professional choices. The choices that I needed to make probably should have been decided a year ago. It was not critical that I decide right then, but there was also nothing to be gained by delaying – except that to decide was to close some doors that I had liked having open.

Deciding to choose a thing automatically creates a renunciation of other options. It is committing to one fork in a road with many forks and even more side avenues.

Perhaps this limiting of choices is why some leaders in organizations fail to make timely decisions. Just last week I worked with a client group that was nearly paralyzed because they could not choose between several options – all of which could yield positive results. The only clearly bad choice was to choose to do nothing – which is where they had been stuck for nearly six months.

Renouncing choices and closing doors may make us nervous, but I think that failing to do so can make us feel impotent and lead to mental and psychological paralysis. In work teams, failing to decide can drain the energy out of the group and lead to disillusionment and unnecessary conflict. Failing to decide can have serious and costly ramifications for both the individual and the work team.

So, for you own mental health, or maybe for the health of your team, go out there and renounce something today!

You can check out Ronald Rolheiser’s article at

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Since today is the 39th celebration of Earth Day, I figured it is a good time to look at an earth friendly problem solving technique: Biomimicry. Problem solving is such an important part of our daily life that we sometimes fail to consider how we actually go about the task of solving our problems. We get locked into a mindset and limit our options. At work, most teams consider only a few of the many options that are available when they are working through the problem solving and decision making process.

The best problem solving involves breaking free of the normal thought limitations that tend to frame our problem solving process. Jane Benyus, a biomimicry design consultant, has made a business out of challenging this conventional process. She is the author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, and she works with companies to guide them in their problem solving and product design process. Check out her video Twelve Sustainable Design Ideas from Nature.

Biomimicry is basically the process of borrowing nature’s design ideas and applying them to the problem solving process.  Problem solving is primarily about asking the right questions. When looking to nature you might ask such things as: “Has a similar problem existed in nature and how was the problem solved?”  or “Does a similar process  or design exist in nature and how can we adapt it to our situation?”

This kind of problem solving can bring unique and creative results. Of course it is not possible to use this methodology with all problems, but this kind of “outside the norm thinking” should be at the heart of every problem solving process.

Perhaps the most popular product resulting from biomimicry is Velcro.  But there are extraordinary things happening today that call upon the unique designs of nature.  For example, scientists are testing a synthetic  glue product that can repair human bones. The glue mimics the glue-like substance used by sandcastle worms to construct their tube-shaped underwater homes. If you like this kind of stuff, check out The 15 Coolest Cases of Biomimicry or Biomimicry News for articles that will challenge your thinking.

Remember, problem solving gives us our best results when we challenge our basic assumptions and expand our thinking. Have fun!

Happy Earth Day 2009!

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In my work in helping clients deal with team communication issues, we often spend time talking about the unspoken communication that takes place between team members. We all know that in many cases it is our body language that tells the real message rather than the actual words we use.

People are always asking me about how they can become more proficient at reading and understanding the nonverbal messages of others. There are several good books out there on this topic, but my favorite for readability is The Definitive Book of Body Language by Allan and Barbara Pease. This book is full of illustrations, examples and pictures that will help you to more effectively recognize and decode the nonverbal messages of others. If you are a meeting facilitator, trainer, team leader, manager or just a person looking for a way to improve your communication effectiveness, this book is worth your time.

The book covers a wide range of nonverbal behaviors such as hand gestures, body postures, and eye signals. The section on the thirteen most common gestures is interesting, providing tips on the meaning of different head nods, stances and sitting postures.

Another of my favorites on this topic is The Power of Body Language by Tonya Reiman. If her name sounds familiar it is because you have probably seen her offering her opinion on The O’Rielly Factor, Fox News, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, The Today Show, or Access Hollywood – to name a few.  She provides helpful tips on:

• Reading the messages on a person’s face
• Understanding the message sent by the body during conversations
• Understanding proxemics and personal space
• Gauging truthfulness in the other person

But it gets even better. Not only does she help you to better read the unspoken messages of others, she also provides practical information on how to master your own nonverbals and controlling the messages that you send to others.

For those interested in a deeper analysis of how emotions are displayed on the face, I recommend Emotions Revealed by Dr. Paul Ekman.

Communication is at the heart of all that we do. Whether you are a team leader, manager, meeting facilitator, or trainer, it is essential that you master the art of communication. Understanding how to use your own nonverbal signals as well as interpreting those of others is a skill that very few take the time to perfect. Those that do are most likely to enjoy greater personal and professional success.

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I just started using Slideshare and it is a really great source of PowerPoint slides on tons of topics. Check out this one on Change. It is really cool - and a little scary!

If you are a meeting facilitator or if you have to make a presentation, this site should be a first stop as you serach for content. Many of the presenations can be downloaded and modified to meet your specific needs. This is also a great place to upload and share your own presentations.

Just a two days ago, they added a really slick feature that allows you to directly imbed Youtube videos into your slides. To see how easy it is, check out this short tutorial or this sample. 

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Check out this Perception Test video clip before you read the rest of this post. While you are watching the video count the number of passes between the players in the white shirts.

Perception Test Video Clip.

Did you notice anything unusual about the video? If not, you are not alone. About half of the people who watch the video miss the interruption. If you missed it, go back and watch again, but this time don’t concentrate on the passes but rather observe the whole picture.

One of the biggest obstacles in effective problem solving is focusing on the wrong things as you seek a solution. Often, we look at a problem and immediately begin to focus on a set of possible solutions. Sounds good, right? Maybe not!  If we focus too narrowly or get caught up in one type of solution, we may miss the best solution or even arrive at the wrong solution. Our narrow focus short circuits our problem solving actions.

In the video, you were asked to focus on the white-shirted players. And for many of us, we saw only their passes and totally missed the walk through by the man in the ape suit. (Full disclosure – I missed the ape suit guy twice!) It is the same in problem solving. When our focus is drawn too quickly and/or too narrowly, we often miss crucial data or fail to observe other ways of viewing the problem. We get “locked in” or “boxed in” to a way of thinking about a problem and miss data that might be obvious to others who do not have our observational bias.

Two Questions:

As you go about your problem solving task, ask yourself two questions:
1) What am I focusing on?
2) What am I missing?

When facing a difficult problem it is often productive to challenge your assumptions and change your perspective. 

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Problem solving sometimes requires us to look at things from a totally different perspective.  For example, look at the new and innovative idea that Dr. Kristian Olson and his colleagues came up with to fight preventable infant death in developing countries - after they changed how they viewed the problem.

The idea? How about putting babies in incubators made from standard automobile parts instead of expensive high-tech incubators donated by rich western countries? Sounds crazy, right? Here’s how it came about. Dr. Olsen was visiting a tsunami-ravaged town in Indonesia and watched helplessly as a 7-day old boy died after lying on a cold cot in a room with six donated high-tech incubators that did not work. At that moment, Dr. Olsen decided to find a solution to this problem.

It seems that the real problem with incubators in developing countries isn’t that they don’t have them. Rather it is that they don’t have the parts nor the technical expertise to repair them. Enter Dr. Olson and his team from the Global Health Initiative at the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology, or CIMIT, a nonprofit consortium of Boston teaching hospitals and engineering schools.

Rather than trying to solve the problem of how to fix high-tech incubators, they changed the question to: “How can we make an incubator for the developing world that will get fixed?”

The answer came when another member of the team, Jonathan Rosen, director of CIMIT’s technology implementation program and a staff member at the Boston University School of Management, learned that no matter how remote a location is, there always seemed to be a Toyota 4Runner around. Which meant that parts for cars and people to fix them were also available. Therefore, if an incubator could be made from car parts, both the parts problem and the repair technician problem would both be solved.

So, the CIMIT team figured out a way to build an inexpensive ($1000 vs. $40,000) incubator from car parts. And the technologists to fix them? That would be the car mechanics and other repairmen readily available in the local community.

Notice that the CIMIT team applied three important problem solving techniques to solve the incubator problem:

1. Ask a different question
2. Look for new ways to apply old technologies and ideas
3. Look for new connections

For more details on this project, see the New York Times article. You can also check out the CIMIT blog or their website. Even though my focus here is on problem solving, if you are interested in some other interesting health related blogs, check out these 100 healthcare blogs.

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I have long been an advocate of taking a good nap. Now, according to Dr. William Fishbein, a neuroscientist at City University of New York, I have evidence that that I am not a slacker!

Dr. Fishbein presented his findings about napping and “slow-wave sleep” at a recent meeting of the Society of Neuroscience. He found that slow wave sleep, a period of very deep sleep that occurs before the better known REM sleep, is critical to problem solving and idea generation. Fishbein’s study found that people who napped demonstrated measurably better problem solving skills than those who didn’t.

So how long should you nap? The study group took 90 minute naps, but Dr. Robert Strickgold of Harvard Medical School noted that a nap as short as twelve minutes could boost some memory function.

So if you want to improve productivity at work, pack your pillow and catch a few Zs during lunch. You’ll feel better, be more productive and your boss will be happier, too. So, for that competitive advantage – take a nap!

To read more about Dr. Fishbein’s study see the recent AP story. Click here for more on how to boost your brain power.  And there’s more! To learn about how power naps can combat burnout check out this article at the National Institute of Health. Finally, it appears that power naps can also improve memory.

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