Off Course-On Target

Confusing Flapping with Flying

For a number of years now, I've shared a short story that many have said has helped them to think outside that proverbial box, giving them a new perspective on solving some of their more vexing problems. This is the story about how we often confuse “flapping” with “flying”.  It's only natural to assume that the experts know the best way to do something. But is this actually the case?

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DOWNLOAD Size: 4.1 MB Duration: 11:34 Transcript: 391 KB

In this podcast, Confusing Flapping with Flying, I show that with new ideas and new technologies, we often get stuck when we try to mimic the experts. Instead, we need to focus on identifying and understanding those essential elements that can help us make quantum leaps forward, and take us to where we really want to be.

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UNLearning: the New Skill of the Future

I get a lot of my concepts and ideas from talking and listening to others, and in this case, I came upon a new idea  from a conversation I had with Dean Kamen—inventor, entrepreneur, and tireless advocate for science and technology.

While we were conversing at a conference, Dean happened to say that he thought young people and children are probably not necessarily faster or better learners; they just have less to unlearn. His comment really struck me, and I have been working on developing this idea ever since. So let's take a closer look now at this new skill of the future that I'm calling "UNLearning".

 

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DOWNLOAD                     Size: 16.7 MB          Duration: 23:46                                  Transcript:              350 KB

In this podcast, Unlearning: the New Skill of the Future, I show you how our inability to "UNLearn" prevents us from taking full advantage of new innovations and technologies—making it the single biggest obstacle to our future productivity and performance in a rapidly changing world.p>

Perfecting the Irrelevant

For quite some time now, I've been particularly concerned about the way many organizations (and the individuals within them) do not always see the difference between their value proposition—fulfilling the needs of whomever they are trying to serve—and their everyday activities. This is a problem that I think most of you will be able to see examples of in your own life, and it requires some attention on our part to see what we can do about it.

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DOWNLOAD Size: 9.6 MB Duration: 13:45 Transcript: 326 KB

In this podcast, Perfecting the Irrelevant, I explain in more detail how many organizations and most individuals within them are "perfecting the irrelevant" without even knowing it. Yet evidence shows this misplaced attention may be the root cause behind the failure of most organizations. Are you and your organization very busy "perfecting the irrelevant"? Listen in and find out.

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Off Course - On Target: The Story

Some of you may be wondering why I decided to name my blog "Off Course - On Target". Of course with me, as you might imagine, there's a story. In fact, it goes back to a serendipitous meeting I had with Charles Garfield.

He and I were both keynote presenters at a conference. Being strangers in a strange land, so to speak, we went out for dinner the night before the conference. Charles told me a fascinating story about his work as one of the chief engineers on one of the Apollo space missions. He related the story of one of the greatest hurdles they ran into…a hurdle so big that it almost led to the cancellation of the Apollo missions themselves.

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DOWNLOAD Size: 7.3 MB Duration: 10:19 Transcript: 318 KB

In this podcast, Off Course—On Target: The Story, you get some background behind the name of my blog and this podcast series, and I start you on the path to learning how to become more open to new ways of thinking, how to recognize when and how to act on new ideas, and how to be more innovative, inventive, effective, and productive.

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