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Our family has a ranch outside of a Nordheim, Texas – population 307. Once you arrive, there is absolutely no cell phone coverage inside the house. You have to drive up to the road to send a text message. Even outside the house, people have been known to wander around to just send a text, while humorously holding their cell phone up in the air. I’ve never been that guy, but I’ve seen it. We had an AT&T landline that went from marginal to unusable. Instead of looking to repair the landline, we opted for a @wilsoncellular dB Pro 65 amplifier and antenna kit (Amazon link) – about $350 shipped. I grabbed my buddy and handyman rockstar, @chocov and we headed to the ranch.
We tested the signal strength outside on my @BlackBerry using the Diagnostic Test -106 dB.
The test inside was awful and unusable -256 dB.
Here’s the outdoor omni-directional antenna to pull the signal in.
@chocov installs the omni-directional antenna to the side of the house while my dad has us raised in the front bucket of the tractor. Thanks for being a steady hand while raising us in the air, pap!
My mom is on the ground entertaining us while we install.
@chocov installed an ac outlet in the attic to power the amplifier.
We put the amp in the attic after running the included 50′ coax cable from the outside antenna, then the other 30′ coax cable to the inside antenna.
@chocov drills a hole in the crown molding to mount the inside antenna to the wall to distribute the signal.
The inside antenna mounted on the wall. Clean!
The outside antenna installed next by the satellite antenna.
The final Diagnostic Test run is completed.
In the end, we have good coverage in the house with phone and 3G data services all thanks to Wilson Electronics. The next step in this process will likely be to move to a directional antenna. The omni-directional antenna is sufficient at present, but we can likely boost the power with a directional. Thank you to Glen for the help at tech support at Wilson for the suggested kit.
When you get a call from Chevy asking if you want a 3/4 ton Silverado 4×4 for a week for you and a buddy, the only answer you can give is “absolutely!” (expletives excluded) That’s exactly what happened. My pal, Bobby Freeman, and I took the adventure seriously. We packed rifles, fishing rods, cameras and the like and hit the road to make the most of our adventure. Our first stop was the Llano River Ranch outside of London, Texas. We found a stunning ranch house to hang our hats, but more importantly, we found over a mile of the Llano River. The perfect playground for our whip. We drove through, shot photos, saw 3 beavers cruising up stream, at least 500 deer, turkeys, axis deer and a pesky skunk that would not leave the proximity of the house. We explored the multi-thousand acre ranch while our truck cruised over anything we threw at it. Bobby spent a good portion of the day fishing and catching a number of large and small mouth bass. Even a silty, dry river bed wasn’t enough to stop us. That’s a good thing, because we were 3 miles away from camp and many more miles away from cell phone coverage. The walk would have been complicated to say the least since it was 9:30 PM.
Once our adventures had wrapped at the Llano River Ranch, we hit the road again to Smithville. Their City Hall was the hub for the Bastrop Fire recovery. We picked up our name tags and shot over to the distribution warehouse. We met Mary, an EMT from South Houston, who volunteers around the state in disaster recovery. Bobby and I were tasked with sorting the donations. We spent the afternoon sorting toys, housewares, clothes and books. It was an eye opening experience for donations. So many man-hours are spent merely in the sorting of the goods. The outpouring was amazing and we had a wonderful time with the kindhearted team of people. We closed the evening in Austin enjoying a DJ set by Foster the People who were throwing an Austin City Limits after party at Republic Live. A great way to close a busy day.
Our next and final stop was the Cuatro Ranch near Zapata. It was a surreal experience passing through the countless security cameras near the border, then even more peculiar once we went south of mile marker 1. The temperature went through the roof upon arrival – 110 degrees. Then the most fantastic electrical storm rolled in. The sky would not stop flashing and then the bottom fell out. We had forgotten what rain smelled and looked like – it was refreshing. We drove through the rain on the ranch, smiling and enjoying our evening. The next day wrapped by having the finest Mexican pastries this side of the border and we cruised back to San Antonio, fulfilled from the fresh air and open skies. We’re thankful that Chevy gave us the opportunity to put their truck to use and even more thankful that the Silverado came through. But if you want the real look and feel of the adventure, catch the video at the top. Please. Share it with your friends.
“Thank yous” go out to:
Chevrolet for a rugged truck & the great opportunity
Llano River Ranch & Erik Darmstetter for the awesome guide work at Llano River Ranch
Smithville for allowing us to volunteer & Mary Matheny for being our volunteer director
Cuatro Ranch & Tiger for the fantastic guide work
Ancira-Winton Chevrolet & Marissa Morales for the approving and filming of the closing shot
Growing up, my parents would make me eat all types of food. “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to keep eating it, but you must taste it” they’d tell me. I’m glad they did. I’ve learned to eat snails, sushi, calf fries (look it up), and even cow’s bone marrow. The Seidio Active case for iPad 2 provided a similar experience. I didn’t really want to love it.
My iPad 2 has been protected by the standard smart cover and a skin on the back to keep the aluminum scratch free. When the Seidio Active case arrived, the weight was hearty and the materials were tough. The three piece design includes a silicone inner sleeve that wraps around the iPad with an exoskeleton covering the silicone sleeve. The third piece is hard plastic shell that we’ll discuss in further detail.
Silicone Sleeve + Exoskeleton
The silicone and exoskeleton are well crafted. The few buttons that are on the iPad and denoted by raised silicone while the home button is the only one that remains uncovered. You’ll find the sleeve wrapping around the front of the device, keeping the corners and edges well protected under its cover. There are cut outs for the iPad port, rear speaker, camera, microphone, mute switch and headphone jack. In daily use, I found the cut outs to be properly sized. The headphone jack easily accommodated vertical and L-shaped plugs thanks to the generously cut sleeve around the port, while being careful enough not to expose too much aluminum. To help you keep your rep intact with your friends, Seidio gives you a cutout around the Apple logo on the back. Don’t worry, the logo will remain clean room perfect thanks to the clear plastic cover. This may also be the first cover that is iOS 5 ready. On the back of the case, you’ll find ridges that fit your fingers perfectly when you’re using your thumbs to type on the upcoming screen keyboard. Good thinking, Seidio bros. (Even if these ridges were just for fun, let’s pretend you did it purposefully, okay?) You’ll find the finish on the exoskeleton to be pleasing with a rubberized feel. It’s a welcoming texture that keeps the iPad from slipping from your grip. If you can’t catch a football, like me, this case will make you feel like the sticky fingered athlete your dad wanted.
Hard Plastic Shell
The hard plastic shell plays multiple roles. It is used the cover the screen when the iPad isn’t in use, clicking onto the exoskeleton in 6 places. It leaves a gap off the screen when attached to allow for impact onto the case without touching the screen. This is especially helpful because when the shell is removed, it has a kickstand attached to it that allows the iPad to be stood up in portrait or landscape mode at 15 different angles. When using the plastic shell as your base, you can feel confident that it’s not going anywhere – the shell has two rubberized feet that keep the iPad planted. Their grip even kept the iPad planted on my tray table when we experienced turbulence on my recent flight from Chicago. I found standing the iPad in the case was difficult the first time I tried it because the kickstand is so firmly attached into the base. Give the kickstand a firm tug, it will release and loosen up quicker than your granny after a few tall boys.
Real Life Use
The Seidio Active Case for iPad 2 is one of those accessories that I’ll see online, respect it for what it can do, suggest it to others but never consider as a viable option for me. I baby my devices, infrequently drop or abuse them and so I don’t consider these cases for my needs. I found, though, that I really have enjoyed using this case. I was hired to revamp the technology in a house in Colorado and I took the Seidio…and I loved it. The iPad came with me as we wielded screw drivers hanging cantilever mounts, rewiring rooms and setting up new receivers. The iPad could be tossed here and there without any threat. Bolts, screws, zip ties, drill bits and my iPad all lay together harmoniously without a threat to my prized possession. A week later, it was time to install new fender flares on a friend’s Jeep. Out came the Sonos and the iPad to control the tunes as we sweat away in the garage. Again, the Seidio case kept the iPad protected while we toiled in the Texas heat. The iPad didn’t budge off the Jeep as we yanked the old fender flares off, drilled, screwed and installed the new ones. The job was completed beautifully and we were thankful for the rockin’ tunes we experienced during our efforts. I would have been much more concerned about the safety of my iPad otherwise. This weekend the Seidio Active will continue its duties when my iPad is used for an outdoor Angry Birds contest. These scenarios are part of my life and none that I would trust just a skin and smart cover to handle in keeping my iPad safe. You may need it for hiking up a mountain, then reading a book at the peak or jumping from one train to the next in the tube and making sure that the hobo that smashes into you doesn’t blow out your screen – but I hope you brought some alcohol wipes to clean up. Yuck.
What I want to see in the next case
As much as I enjoyed used the Active case, there are some things that I’d like to see considered for the next iteration. Since the iPad has a strong battery and I don’t have to sync that frequently, a rubberized plug for the port would further protect the device. Next, I would love to see a magnetized hard plastic shell so that the screen turns off when you click the device closed. Right now, you have the choice of the device going to sleep from inactivity or you can press the power button to put the iPad to sleep. Seidio engineers, make this magic happen! Finally, a screen protector should be included with the case. Seidio makes these and they should be in the package. It adds to the comprehensive sense of protection that the case provides.
Overall, I take my hat off to the work Seidio put into developing this case. It turned a non-believer into a fan. The proof is in the continued use of the case even when I thought all I needed was a smart cover and skin. The Seidio Active Case for iPad 2 is tough, well built, good looking and properly thought out.
I’m writing this post to really get it, as a reminder to myself to read again in the future and to have the notes to review in the future.
The divorce was not fun (it was miserable) and it’s not something that you want to do again. Remember how you felt in the fights that never seemed to go anywhere, the times where you should have bitten your tongue and the grace you needed and should have shown more. You hung in there, you fought the good fight and it didn’t work this time around. Here’s some of what you learned about love.
English is a funny language where we use the word love in so many ways that it has lost it’s potency and it has become insufficient. We love the sunshine, we love the internet, we love our spouse and we love pizza. Those Hebrew homies had their ways with words, though, that described love differently. It came in three parts and built on top of one another to more thoroughly describe the relationship. It would be wise for your brain and your heart to get this. Let’s review the way the Hebrews spoke of love so you can remember it by heart.
The base of Hebrew Love, Raah (said rye-ah)
Raah is the Hebrew word for companionship. And not the “hey bro, let’s go hang out” companionship. It’s a word that’s used between humans and not between a person and an item or animal. Instead it’s the “oooh, I’ve seen the not so great side of you and I still want to continue doing life with you.” Matt goes on to say that you can’t experience raah during a first, second or third date. We can usually fake that. This is after the crazy has come out and you still say “I want to continue going down this path with you.” Without this foundation and revealing, love goes no further. This part is scary.
Stack it on top, Ahavah (said ah-ha-va)
So, cool, you’ve got raah down. You’ve seen the crazy and you’re still in. You’ve got raah and that leads into ahavah, “the love of the will.” Ahavah is were we’re in a fight and it’s hellish. We’re both furious, emotions are running high, you’re acting crazy and I still say “I’m not going anywhere.” We may be fighting, we may have issues and I want to stay with you and fight with you, no one else. This is the part that helps a woman feel secure in your relationship. Oh, by the way, God wants us to go through these steps of Raah and Ahavah and not have sex. Not yet. We aren’t married.
The cherry, Dode
We’ve got the companionship portion down with raah, I’ve still battled with you and your crazy and still want to stick around and figure life out with you, boom, ahavah. Woo, that’s a lot of work so far with no sex. We get married, now it’s time for dode. It’s the mingling of two souls and the word dode is only used when raah and ahavah are present. Dode is not sex, though it is a component of it. The intimacy that we’ve been searching for has been fulfilled. Without the raah and ahavah, the sex ends up being just technique and not the mingling of souls.
So there’s the beginning of it. Here are the notes and sermons where this came from so you remember.
And don’t worry, you’re going to make mistakes along the way. God’s mercy and grace is infinite. It’s okay.
Update: The sermons were taken offline since they were older and Matt has matured in his teaching.
This past week, General Colin Powell graced San Antonio with his presence at Trinity University as the guest speaker for the 2011 Flora Cameron Lecture on Politics and Public Affairs. General Powell caught me by surprise, with his speech being so interesting, humorous and his global view being vast. He shared stories of speeding around Northern Virginia in his Corvette, where the police frequently pull him over, greet and salute him because many of the officers are former GI’s, quickly write him a ticket for speeding and zip off. Later he shared a story where he had found himself defending a small area to make sure Russian soldiers could not penetrate, later his rank and influence grew and he had to defend a larger area against them. As time past, he found himself repeatedly defending against and working to contain Communism. Then, in the 1980’s when Gorbachev came into power and Gorbachev was interested in hosting President Reagan, Reagan sent Powell over first. Gorbachev had been working to change the way the USSR was doing business, but the USA was still working their containment angle. When General Powell went to the Kremlin to meet Gorbachev, Gorbachev ranted, shaking his fists in frustration about the USA not being receptive to their changes and shifts. Finally, after all the yelling, Gorbachev stopped, looked up, captured a thought and smiled. He looked at General Powell and said “You will have to find a new enemy.” I felt connected to a piece of history as he shared his stories.
General Powell served as a four-star general, Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, Commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. With such experiences, he had some wise words to share with the crowd at Trinity.
According to General Powell, leadership is about followership. It’s the followers that get the tasks done, so find the best place to put each of them to perform. He went on to say that it is critical to give them a mission, goals and a sense of purpose. The purpose need to connect you to a greater good – an overall benefit to the needs of the society. The entire followership then needs an overall common purpose to serve. The leadership needs to be selfless and be committed to the purpose above their jobs as well. Additionally, great leaders are required to take great care of their followers. As he described, his soldiers are the ones going up the hill, so he had to ensure that they were well outfitted to take on the task. As the Secretary of State, General Powell purchased 44,258 new computers for the State Department. He knew he had to do so to properly outfit his team to perform at their best. Finally, he said “don’t just motivate, inspire with the purpose that you’re trying to serve.”
In the time we were with the General, his entire presentation wrapped around the concept of greater purpose. Does your organization have an overarching greater purpose that can be fulfilled by the activities your people are involved in daily? If not, learn from one of the top leaders in the world, find the heart behind your organization and develop your purpose so your team can push together to achieve it.
Photo from L to R: Donna Tuttle, General Powell, Nora Frost, Joe Ruiz
Life continues to prove to be anything but stable. 2010 was a very difficult year for me and produced a dramatic transition in my life. In October 2010, I was introduced to John Eldredge’s book, Wild at Heart, by my friend and pastor, Kevin Joyce. Eldredge, with support of modern movies such as Gladiator and Braveheart, paints a picture of what a man looks like. And not just any man, but a hero. A man that can lead other men; a man that inspires and captures the heart of his beauty. That man is brutally fierce in his battles yet showcases his grace and compassion towards others who go unloved and don’t have a voice. A dichotomy that most men are lacking. Notice that you find this with William Wallace and Maximus. Guys you aspire to be. Warriors and lovers. We’ve experienced a bastardization of this in our lives; either being filled with rage or with a passivity that inspires no one and leaves others feeling cold around you. Maybe you’ve experienced this in a friend, family member or coworker. I personally had built walls around myself emotionally. Logic ruled in my book. As I read this book, along with coaching from Kevin, I began to see the value of my logic. I also saw my flaw, which I hadn’t recognized, in my deficiency of heart. This was created by my smothering of emotion by logic. As another friend, Scott Austin told me, “Nan, you’re the perfect guy when there’s a fire in a building. You’ll get the bull horn, get on a table and move everyone out safely. The problem is – there’s not always a fire.” Scott certainly had my attention. Allowing myself to experience emotion? Yikes. If you’re like me and most other men, that sounds pretty damn horrible. Leaving yourself vulnerable? Sounds scary.
Did I really want to do this? Enter Kevin, who had me read the story of Jesus and Lazarus. You trivia nuts will know about the shortest verse in the Bible – “Jesus wept.” Here’s the quick story. Lazarus was dying and these dudes were asking Jesus to show up and save him. Jesus delayed. (He had his reasons.) Finally, when Jesus and the guys arrive, Lazarus is dead. Jesus says, “nah, he’s just sleeping.” The guys are in disbelief. They keep arguing with Jesus. It says Jesus became angry and wept. Wait, what? So Jesus, the human version of God, got angry and wept and raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus logically knew that he could and would raise Lazarus from the dead, yet still he experienced the anger and sorrow. He didn’t just brush them off and do what he needed to do. Ugh. Feelings.
So after having read Wild at Heart and doing some additional learning of who we are and who God wants us to be as men, I was bouncing around John Eldredge’s Ransomed Heart website where I stumbled upon the Wild at Heart Boot Camp. I knew it was something I needed to do for myself and for the people around me. I was going to attend in Colorado, but my mom gifted me an upgrade to Hawaii – how could I say no to that?
I arrived at the Kona airport where I met a number of guys from around the country and later, the world, where Shane had flown over 30 hours to get from Cape Town, South Africa to the big island of Hawaii. That’s commitment. We had over 300 men in the Boot Camp, men from as young as 18 to men in their 70’s, ranging from dudes that look like they never left the beach to physicians and business owners. Clearly, this message resonated across all demographics of men.
It’d be impossible to cover all that we learned in the four days that we were there, but here are a couple of highlights of the teachings I received during those emotionally and spiritually rigorous days.
Wounds Of Our Fathers
We are human and our dads, unsurprisingly, are as well (hopefully). In being human, they made mistakes and they wounded us, oftentimes unintentionally. They were wounded themselves from their fathers. How could they know better? As boys we need to know that we’re loved AND that our dad’s believe in us and that we have what it takes. Maybe our dads loved us but never hugged us and spent intimate time with us. Maybe our dads did hug us but didn’t tell us frequently enough who we were as men and that they believed in us. A boy needs his father to provide this for him on a consistent basis. This is lacking, and has been for generations. How do I know? It came from hearing a room full of over 300 men weeping uncontrollably when Eldredge talked about this on stage. The first thing we need to do about this is forgive our fathers. Forgiving them doesn’t mean that your wound didn’t hurt you horribly, nor does it make it alright. It’s a choice to release your dad. As they said, don’t wait to feel like forgiving, because forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling.
Agreements
Morgan, a team member with John, described agreements as lies that we agree with internally. Morgan, after seeing his dad cry at a funeral without a discussion afterward, made an agreement that he would be the strongest man he knew. He would be Atlas and carry the weight of his world on his shoulders. Another guy was told by his stepdad that he was “nothing but a seagull – good for sitting, squawking and shitting.” That was the name his father gave him, so as a boy he made an agreement internally that that was who he was. These agreements that we have all made shape our existence, our relationships and our decision making process. These agreements need to be broken so they don’t continue to encumber our relationships and decision making for the rest of our lives.
For Me
I know that I carry wounds of my father. One of those that was passed along to me is the stoicism that he carries. Some could read me as cold or uncaring. I knew internally that this wasn’t true, but until I went through the book and further this boot camp, it had been difficult for me to show emotion. Things are changing for me. I’ve forgiven my dad. Poor man, he didn’t know that he was doing wrong by me. I know that since we are God’s children my dad isn’t just my dad, but also my brother. We all carry that young boy inside of us and he raised me based on his wounds, from his experiences, in the best and most loving way he knew. I also learned that God is not a substitute father if your dad didn’t provide you what you needed; He’s the primary. Your earthly father is in addition to your dad in Heaven. As Morgan described, God brings other fathers into our lives to serve and teach us. His financial father figure is Dave Ramsey, his marketing dad is Seth Godin. God uses other men as his hands and feet. Hell, Morgan even talked about his father in learning how to bow hunt – an 83 year old woman that competed in archery in the Olympics. It’s not necessarily about the gender. Recognizing the agreements that I’ve made with myself over the years from my experiences will continue to unravel and reveal themselves. I don’t know them all explicitly yet, but now when something goes awry or I’m feeling something that’s not of God, I am aware that there might be an agreement there that needs to be prayed over and broken.
I am committed to being a whole man, a man that will fight fiercely for what is right and who will show tenderness and grace appropriately. I will feel, I will love and I will fight. I know I’ll drop the ball and stumble along the way, I’m human and thankfully, we have God’s infinite grace for these instances. Men, God wants you to live a life of adventure with him. Notice that I didn’t write about being a nice guy, there were no descriptions of being Mister Rogers. Jesus was fierce, he was loving (funny too!) and that’s who God wants us to be as well – Maximus or William Wallace. It’s what resonates in our hearts. This will be a lifelong path and it will be worth it.
People, encourage the men that matter in your life to read Wild at Heart and to give the Wild at Heart Field Guide an honest try. It may be exactly what they need to help them escape their life of passivity or rage and unlock the heart that God gave them. If you have questions, please reach out to me and I’ll make time to talk to you about it.
I searched high and low for a Canadian Christmas Caro(u)l. I didn’t find any, so I created one. Merry Christmas to my friends in the snow. I actually don’t know when Canadian Christmas happens, but I imagine it’s one month before ours.
Deck the Halls with beaver pelts,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to eat poutine,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our hockey apparel,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Troll the ancient zamboni,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
See the mountie here before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Strike the trap and shoot the bear,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Shower me with extra vowels,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
While I tell of ski doo treasures,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Fast away the old beer passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye hosers and hosses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Sing we joyous, all together,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Heedless of the mad Québécois,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
On Sunday I experienced humanity in a way that I never had before by attending the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon and Half-Marathon. The race was a great equalizer. The distance of the course doesn’t care about your age, race, health or anything else.
As I stood at the finish line watching the runners and walkers come in, I was so impressed with everyone in attendance. There were over 27,000 participants and the spectators were cheering them all on. I saw an elderly gentleman walking the final stretch. As he saw the finish line, he put his hand over his mouth, preparing for the flood of tears that were coming. It was clear that this was something special – he was walking with an oxygen pack. People cruised in on walkers, one gentleman trotting along with a full 55 pound military pack. Others were running for loved ones that had lost battles to disease. It was striking to watch the pain, the joy, the sheer excitement of every participant and how much the onlookers were experiencing these feelings with the runners. It was amazing. As my friend Lisa said, “the finish line is the reason WHY I run.” Wow. I couldn’t ever fully appreciate what that meant until yesterday.
You’re likely in the middle of your marathon of life right now. Look towards those people on the sidelines cheering you on. Seek out the people that are going to tell you to not give up, even when giving up feels okay, because you’ve gone through so much. Reach for the right people who can move you forward when things get tough. Do it, even when a train stops the race. The finish line is so much more fun than stopping mid-race.
Steve and I sat down, via Skype, to talk about his new book Personality Poker. As a fan of personal and professional development, I found Steve’s insights especially helpful when looking at the successful growth of an organization together.
What are the biggest mistakes people make when working with others?
People believe that opposites attract. We like to be around people who are like us when we’re working, so we end up with a one sided view of the world. This is efficient for simple, repetitive tasks because people understand each other. If you want to innovate, though, you need divergent points of view and you need other skills to implement this.
What does it mean if someone sees you differently than you see yourself – and does it matter?
If someone sees you differently than you see yourself, there a few things that happen. The Pygmalion Effect happens. You’ll shift toward the way people see you. There was a study where students were given IQ tests. The teachers were given the top 20% scores. They tested a year later. That 20%’s IQ had increased. The interesting part is that the original 20%’s scores were randomly selected. The kids grew more because the teachers took a special interest in those supposedly top students.
People often see things in you that you don’t see. One guy saw himself as 100% Heart – a person who cares about people and relationships. Everyone else saw him as a Club – someone who takes charge and is results oriented. When we reassigned work to what he actually enjoyed, it freed him up to accelerate his connectedness with others
How is Personality Poker Played – and how is it different than other Personality tests?
Personality Poker is played with a deck of specially designed poker cards that describe different attributes. Before people arrive at an event, we’ll deal out 5 random cards to a person. People trade a card until the cards best describe their personalities. This helps them determine the partners in the innovation process. The big value, in most personality tests, is spits out colors, letters. This is more about the words people choose. It’s less about the label and more about the discussion around the word you choose. People can gift you cards in the way others see you. It’s a team dynamic where everyone is doing it at the same time. Because it’s a fun game, they have conversations that they wouldn’t have. People love to gift cards like ‘anal retentive.’ They have amazing conversations in a non-confrontational way.
In the book you mention four principles for creating high performing innovation teams. What are they?
Play to your strong suit. Each person should do what they do best. Make sure the organization plays with a full deck, meaning that there are people of different suits involved. Divide and conquer the work. Shuffle the deck to build creative tension making people work outside their usual comfort zone. Even when we divide and conquer, sometimes people need to come together to battle it out.
In Personality Poker, you say that the suits, the colors, and the numbers have meaning. What do they mean?
Spades – Analytical bunch
5-9 of Spades – people who are really smart and work more in solitary.
10-Ace of Spades – smart and like to show you, like professors.
Diamonds – They desire novelty
5-9 of Diamonds – like new ideas.
10-Ace of Diamonds – like new experiences.
Clubs – Doers
5-9 of Clubs – planners that get the job done methodically.
10-Ace of Clubs – doers that get it done, no matter what.
Hearts – Are all about the people.
5-9 of Hearts – deep relationships. Empathetic, great listeners and are typically more introverted. They also like more predictability.
10-Ace of Hearts – social butterflies and are more extroverted and more comfortable with ambiguity.
2-3-4 cards – these are the unproductive behaviors or the side effects of your strengths. A 3 of hearts can be oversensitive, for example. This is useful for determining someone’s overall personality.
Is there a Joker card?
I found out later that the court jester in court could make fun of the king. He was designed to be a contrarian. The Joker card will be in a future version.
What were some of experiences at Accenture that helped shape & prepare you to write this book?
Two things. When I worked w/ clients on innovation, I found there were “yeah, but people.” I started looking at different companies and how they innovated. Another is a personal experience. Oe year I got a big budget for an internal budget. I chose a guy much like me to co-lead the project. I’m a high Diamond, he’s a high Heart. We had a great time on the project but we got nothing done. It was a total failure. The next year, recognizing my mistake, I found an anal-retentive Club. Although he drove me crazy, we developed something successful. I appreciate the value my opposite brings and I am now intentional about choosing people like that. This can be the mistake a startup makes where they get too many similar people together and fail.
How do people get to be open enough to have conversations about personality types without feeling attacked?
When you make things fun, you can say or do anything.
Why does this stuff matter?
You don’t have to pay attention to it if you don’t want your business to grow. If you have infinite resources, then go ahead. This is about maximizing throughput and having the capacity to create new products and new services for new customers. When the pace of change outside of your organization is faster than the pace of change inside your business, you’ll be out of business.
