La crise, quelle crise ?

Auteur/autrice : marc

  • Si on se moque de vous, c’est que vous êtes sur la bonne voix

    https://unsplash.com/needle50k
    https://unsplash.com/needle50k

    Jour 564. Tiens, un titre en français ! Plusieurs d’entre vous m’ont demandé de réécrire en français. Je vais donc faire un billet de temps en temps en français. Cela va dérouiller ma grammaire. Je pensais aujourd’hui, à quelques milliers de mètres d’altitude, aux moments où d’autres se sont moqués de nous. De notre façon de nous habiller, de notre accent ou de nos idées.

    Le fait est que ce sont les nôtres, ce sont le reflet de qui nous sommes ou tout du moins des questions que l’on se pose. Et en ce sens, c’est nous ! Même si cela peut sembler contre intuitif de prime abord, quand autrui se moque, il convient de ne pas réagir négativement, mais d’y voir un signe de la différence de chaque être humain. Comme le disais Oscar Wilde : « Soyez vous-mêmes, tous les autres sont déjà pris. »

    Les différences, les idées hétérodoxes et la résistance à l’homogénéité sont un signe d’évolution. Cultivons nos différences !

  • First times are always great learnings

    Day 563. It’s about confronting fear, it’s about going to the unknown, and it’s about growing. Today, we are starting a social media campaign around our first times, following our partnership for the last 18 months with the African cycling team MTN Qhubeka’s first participation to the Tour de France. It has not been simple, neither for them nor for us, because for them, is their first on the Tour de France, the most mythical cycling team. For us, because it was our first sport sponsorship experience and we had to go through a journey to understand how to do this.

    Qhubeka_Do-More_Microsoft-Posts

    Today, I am proud of my first time and of the team’s. It’s been a ride, but so much rewarding! So, even if you are not into cycling, go and have a look at the Tour de France, look for the MTN Qhubeka jerseys, and be part of the excitement! Another 10 days before the arrival on the Champs Elysées in Paris, through the Pyrénées and the Alps, so some wonderful moments to share and hope that the team will continue to shine!

    Qhubeka_Do-More_Microsoft-Posts2

  • Discipline is the mother of Success

    Day 562

    J 562Photograph https://unsplash.com/szolkin

     

  • What to do when you are short of ideas? 3 techniques that work

    https://unsplash.com/intrepid
    https://unsplash.com/intrepid

    Day 561. I am sitting in front of my tablet and am scratching my head. I had thought about a topic this morning for this post, but it vanished… It should have been a bad topic. I am looking through the window and it rains. Definitely a day to be working, but I have not a single idea for this post. Then of course, the idea comes in because I am using one of the following techniques to get ideas pouring in. And the idea is to share with you how to deal with the blank page syndrome. The problem? You need to write of paper or put a project plan together, or produce whatever that needs to be produced starting from scratch, and you do not know how to start, or where to start. Use any of those simple 3 techniques and you will experience the magical effect of creativity unleashed:

    1. Start typing (or writing, or any other activity that is required for the task you have to do). Type the first idea that comes. It can be your printer is black, why is this printer black by the way? Or it can be that it is raining and you love the smell of earth and nature after the rain. The trick here is to start a train of thought. Your unconscious mind will create links and ideas will start flowing. Continue writing until you have the right one.
    2. Flip through previous projects, texts, or ideas. The best way to create something new is to start from something existing. Actually very few new things are really new. They are just an enhancement of something that existed and presented as new.
    3. Switch to something else… Hey, but I need to do this thing, I cannot switch to something else. Actually, if you are familiar with the concept of « lacher-prise », or « let go », you understand that holding to something too hard is counterproductive. You need to get away from the thing that blocks you to be able to get back into it. Counter intuitive? Sure, but really powerful. So let go, start something else, and in a matter of minutes, ideas will fly in so naturally you’ll wonder why they did not come sooner. The magic of Let go!

    The human brain is full of mysteries. Sometimes, with these conscious techniques, we will « fool » our unconscious brain so it provides what we are looking for. Try it, you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain in terms of creativity and productivity. Voilà, I am happy, I went to no idea to a blog post in ten minutes.

  • The most important leadership skill…

    https://unsplash.com/matthewclarkrogers
    https://unsplash.com/matthewclarkrogers

    Day 560. How do you become a respected and successful leader? As Lao Tzu wrote: When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.’ Hundreds of books have been written on leadership. Over the ages, leadership has changed and the necessary skills to be considered a good leader have changed too. However, all good leaders have one thing in common: they succeed through others. All good leader need others to deliver the vision. And to be able to lead others, they need one crucial skill and that is: speaking.

    We all learn to speak by listening first, then by learning the rules, mostly grammar. However, what is barely taught is the how and the what (the content, not the rules). Words can lift you up, can tear you down, and can even kill. How you deliver those words can be the amplifier. Words and their delivery, a.k.a. speaking, is the most important skill of all because this is one you cannot delegate. You have to learn it, you have to rehearse, and you have to master it. The good news is it can be taught. Clubs like Toastmasters will equip you with the right skill set to speak and to lead.

    Speaking is not difficult but it’s powerful. It requires understanding of its power and a lot of training. Once you master the art of speaking, you need to polish it, slowly, skillfully. The best investment you can do for yourself and for others!