Super Bowl Sunday was last night and it was a great game. A team who had been behind in every playoff game found itself down by 10 in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. But with their wins before them, they gained confidence and never looked panicked. In the end, they did what they had done before, made great plays and scored quickly. They won 31 to 20.
There were great commercials but one resonated best with me as I think about how we could use technology as a uniter versus a divider. Google’s Loretta commercial. In this we hear the narration from an elder gentleman who is using his Google assistant to remember moments with his wife Loretta in his life and attach those to different media (i.e., photos, movies, music, etc.).
I sometimes (OK, frequently) am worried about technology and the data we provide and how that data is used. But with my paranoia put aside for moments, I can see the opportunities when intent of design can marry well with human needs. If technology can help people remember their relationships, pass on their stories or help people function day to day (like medication reminders, etc.), then it can really be an amazing asset. See the commercial here:
Running Much?
This is a funny piece for any runners out there. I am recently back to running (since October) and have been pretty good up until the last couple of weeks…Now I am committed to getting back on path towards my annual and lifetime fitness goals. I do not push myself right now when running - maybe sometime in the future, but for now, while I am still heavy, I don’t want to push things too much. I also don’t push so much because its a great time to reflect on the day and talk with God for me - a time for meditation and reflection, so why rush that?
That said, Runner’s World put together many of the memes / gifs calling out bad advice often given to people who are writing, etc. My favorite is this idea that all running needs to be considered a “race” or a push to improve on time, etc. Sure, it’s great to improve times, but the BEST advice I ever got was from a Brazilian friend who runs marathons all the time, and is a really fast long distance runner. I was preparing for a Marathon back in 2012 or so, and I had failed my 20 miler because of physical issues (chaffing…yuck). I ran with him once when down in Brazil and he said, don’t run for time, just run based on your pulse. If you pulse gets up past 150 we start to get into a pace that is taxing our muscles more aerobically. So I ran my marathon two weeks later and finished it with energy left to run a fast last mile because I kept my pulse rate in the 130 - 150 range…
Anyway, don’t let my advice be your bad advice, but enjoy these memes and quotes.
How to Sabotage Your Career Without Knowing
Forbes contributor Amy Blaschka writes an interesting op-ed where she illustrates the importance of relationships and shared values in business. Often we forget the importance of creating and establishing relationships in the workplace. This isn’t just an introvert or extrovert thing because both can find themselves “out” or “in” because of the ability to create meaningful and lasting relationships based on shared values and respect.
This isn’t a license to go out and insensitively force views on others, but it is important to note that we humans function with trust. I’ve done many focus groups and one on one interviews with decision makers over time where trust rises to the top of reasons why they choose to do business or keep doing business with someone. For example, if someone knows you will come through when times are distressed, you will earn another degree of loyalty. But the same can be said when you connect with someone on more personal levels - “I like what you stand for and will continue to do business with you because we’re aligned on …”
She does call out some interesting physical behaviors that could help. While the introvert in me does cringe a little at the physical side of the conversation, it is true that connection happens more / better when we do physically show more interest, etc.
Comments