Is TED the new Toastmasters?

Nathan Heller writes a brilliant piece on the TED talks in the New Yorker, asking the question, “Has a conference turned idea into an industry?”  

I’m sure you’ve seen many TED talks, such as Jill Bolte’s real-time description of witnessing her own stroke. Or Simon Simek’s game changing exposé of what’s really driving leadership (and marketing). And then there’s the more risque, such as Nicole Daedone’s explanation (and how-to instruction) on women’s orgasms saving the world.

The TED conference undoubtedly revolutionized speaking and education: They limited speakers to 18 minutes, forcing them to focus, while inspiring them to create what’s called a “TED moment” – a standing ovation that goes on and on. And those moments are hardly random. The curators work tirelessly to find material that’s new and counterintuitive, so it has that shock value. And then there’s what’s become the formula. Heller describes it perfectly:

The Ted Talk Arc

1. Opening of direct address

2. Narrative of personal stake

3. A research summary

4. A précis of potential applications

5. A revelation to drive it home

6. And ending that says, “Go forth and help humanity.” 

I loved all of this when there was simply the TED talk in southern california. But my energy and passion for it has waned as the brand extended through TEDx. Anyone can apply to host a local version of TED, and there are now five a day throughout the world. It’s certainly not “easy” to get approved, and it comes with a 136-page manual to execute it. But now the number of talks is overwhelming and the quality certainly suffers. 

In a way, it’s a brilliant combination of open and closed systems.  What is open vs closed? Apple is the most famous example of a closed system – it’s totally regulated. Its code based is not shared, and anyone on the system (such as app creators) need to be approved. Open systems (Linux, Android) allow everyone to play in the name of innovation and free markets as the best drivers of progress. Closed systems focus on quality control to maintain a consistent experience, while open systems focus on crowdsourcing the new ideas. 

Now I wonder if TED is embracing the worst of each world – the low quality of high proliferation, and then the formulaic process, akin to a Hollywood story format that gets used over and over again. Yes, when done right, it can be both entertaining and life changing. But now we have to sort through more and more content to find them. I think we now need a curator for all this curated content.

Richard Saul Wurman, the original creator of TED seems to be tired of the entertainment factor and wants to make it a completely engaging experience.  He sold TED to Business 2.0 magazine founder, Chris Anderson who is responsible for taking it from a conference to a brand empire. When asked why Wurman is not invited back, Anderson replied, “He started talking about this idea that the prepared talk was finished. I think his words were, ‘I now must destroy what I created.'”  Understandable that his invitation would get “lost in the mail.”  

While Wurman did not have the chance to destroy TED, this month he created his new model to replace it. Called WWW.WWW, the conference is free form discussion, taped in black and white, and set to be released via an interactive app, rather than passive video. It certainly sounds more like the passion project of a rich eccentric of yesteryear, than a TED replacement… But I still think he’s onto something. 

I’ll share that idea in my next post. 

Do you have a healthy sense of drama?

The word “drama” has gotten such a bad wrap. People say they want less drama in their lives and their relationships, and yet we emotionally crave it. 

Just take a look at our fascination with shows like Breaking Bad, Dexter, The Wire, The Sopranos (etc). We want to experience these emotions, but safely from the comfort of our own sofa. But if we don’t have a way to bring that sense of excitement into our own lives (without destroying them), then we will constantly be stuck at home watching TV, and our memories become the shows we’ve watched, instead of real life. 

Let’s start with what the word drama means (and by the way, if you ever want to get to the core of a discussion, debate or argument, then start by defining your terms. You would not believe how often people argue about something that they’re not even talking about). 

Drama is the sense that anything can happen, and stakes are high.  (read that over a couple times). 

Now, notice there is nothing inherently wrong, evil, bad or destructive about this, though it certainly can be. Here is the most basic example of drama and its power to engage: If you walk by a poker room in a casino, all the tables look the same, then you’re not likely to stop and watch.  But if someone says, “I’m all in,” and they move all their chips to the middle, then they have our attention… Anything can happen, and the stakes are high. Suddenly life is interesting. 

So how does that become healthy?  Think about it in the context of getting what you want out of life… I wanted to write my own book, so my coach said, “How long do you think it will take to finish it?” I said, “A month.”  But he knew I would procrastinate, so he told me to get out my check book. Then he talked about finding an organization I would never support. We looked online and found a group that clearly supported hate crimes. He had me write a check for $300 to that group and said, “I’m going to take this. If you don’t have your book to me by the end of the month, I’m sending them this check.”  Anything could happen, and stakes were high. I completed my book in less than 3 weeks. 

Recently, I felt completely alive on a 500 mile relay bike race that ran over 30 hours straight. We went through thunderstorms, construction zones, and pitch black darkness, all in a race to the finish, struggling just to stay awake. Clearly it was dramatic, but what made it healthy and safe was that I was with an amazing team and we constantly had each other’s backs. 

Another example: A friend of mine is the CEO of a start-up and his team was not performing well. He called them together and decided to add a bit of drama… He shared, in full sincerity that he wanted to step down as CEO because he believed he was not the person who could lead and inspire them. To his surprise the team vehemently disagreed. They loved him and believed he was the best CEO, but they had disengaged because they were rebelling. They wanted more time with him, and their lack of performance came out of their feeling resentment. He was re-energized but decided to put both him and them to a test. He said, “Let’s pick one big audacious task for each of us to complete. I will do one as well. If we all complete it by midnight tomorrow, then I’ll know we are all truly engaged and I’ll stay on and move forward.” Anything could happen, and stakes were high.  The team rallied together and all tasks were completed by midnight.  

Of course, it could have gone the other way. But that’s why it’s great. Drama brings out what’s really there, and what we’re really committed to. 

All of this is a theory I’m working on. It’s clearly not fully thought out. To me it brings up questions like, how much drama do we need? When does it become stressful? What are the catalysts or triggers that bring up the need?  I’d love to hear your thoughts or stories. I believe it may apply to relationships as well. My working hypothesis is that those who consciously create drama, rather than trying to avoid it, tend to be the most successful and happy people. 

What do I focus on??? (the 3-point strategy)

"If you have more than 3 priorities, then you have no priorities" – Jim Collins in Good to Great. 

I have a lot of ideas, and a lot of projects I want to start. And yet, I know that focus is the key. I used to think I could just try a lot of things. You know – throw them up against the wall and see what sticks. But then I realized that's a way of rationalizing my doing a half-assed job at a lot of things and expecting luck to show up. 

And yet, how can I just focus on one thing? That is so boring. I took a look at what I'm most excited about and what I need, and I came up with the The Three Point Focus Strategy…

1. The Bread and Butter (80% of time)

This is the focus that pays the bills. It's the area where you have the skills to deliver value to a customer consistently (and that customer may be your employer). You also have the passion to do it, so that you don't burn out. And lastly, there's a market for it. This is your top priority because without it, everything will turn to shit, fast.   For me, this is my culture consulting business, and my first book, the Culture Blueprint. If you are having trouble with this as a business, check out Business Model Generation. If you are having trouble with this as an individual (employee or freelancer) then check out Business Model You. If you know what you want, but you're just having trouble getting a job, check out The Two Hour Job Search.   

Now, something to note about the bread and butter. Even with passion, it can often come with challenges. When they come up, I think of this quote:  "Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." –  Thomas Edison 

2. The Innovation (10% of time)

Your innovation project is the one that you want to work on, but it's not fully developed yet, or there's not a market for it. You also may still be developing your skills in this area.  If you're like me you probably have a lot of these, but the idea here is to pick just one.  For me, that's an idea called "The Corporate Start-up." – It's all about ways for businesses to turn their brand itself into a product, and to turn cost centers into profit centers. It's not fully developed and I certainly can't start charging for it, so it's my innovation project. 

3. The Fun (10% of time)

This is for the hare-brained ideas. The ones that make you laugh, the ones that are just ridiculous and yet they would be so much fun. You have absolutely no way of justifying your time on this except that it makes you smile and gives you energy. For me, this is a site called Dating is for Douchebags. It's all about how the current model of dating is totally flawed, and my ideas to re-invent it. I'm just having fun with it, and inviting others to contribute if they feel the same way. 

So there you have it. Select your three to focus on, and give the majority of your time to number 1. 

Willingness: The uber value

Values are the DNA that run our lives.  Whatever it is that drives you, there's a value there. Whatever you wish you had more of, there's a value there.  What you admire in others…a value.

But what if certain values were more valuable than others?  What if there was a value that created leverage for us to achieve all the other values?

To me that value is willingness…

Willingness to try new things.
Willingness to listen.
Willingness to follow your heart.
Willingness to be wrong, or even do what's "wrong."
Willingness to act irrationally.
Willingness to do it, despite the fear.
Willingness to fail.

It's had a huge impact on my life over the past several months…

I spent half my life trying to be vegetarian, now I'm experimenting with the Paleo diet, and learning from all the vegans who have debunked the China Study. I grew up Jewish and studied it intensely, now I'm learning immensely from the channeled readings of Christ in A Course in Miracles. I'm even dating the kind of women I thought I would never be with, and I'm having a blast.

Willingness disarms a very dangerous belief. It's the belief that we know what's best for ourselves and for others. Now keep in mind, the keyword here is "belief."   How many times in your life have you wanted something (or somebody), and then it wasn't all that great? Now instead imagine you are willing to let go of your desires. Imagine that maybe you don't know what's best for you. But you're willing to experience, to listen, to fully engage in the moment.  Then rather than imagining what's good for you (a belief), you will know it for certain. 

That's the process of knowing. I call it real-time fulfillment.

The Roast of Robbe Richman

I truly have the best team in the world.

After returning from my 30 day training / initiation, the team decorated my entire area, they all dressed up like me, and then took me out to roast me (yes, as in, I sit there and listen to them rag on me – in a pimp suit, no less).

This is my desk covered in hundred balloons, streamers and graduation hats.

This is half the team dressed up like me (I either wear blazer and jeans, or blue shirt and dark pants). 

This is the actual roast, and yes they made me dress up in a full pimp outfit (though I seem to look like a Las Vegas Marachi player instead).  Topics included of my obsession with raw vegetables and smoothies, the times I tried my Krav Maga moves on co-workers, and my overuse of the phrase “…and such.”

Thanks everyone for such an amazing return to the Zi Lounge. I’m so happy to be a part of this team.

 

My Zappos Jedi Training

4:30am. I'm up before my 5am alarm.
We have to be in our chairs, ready to start by 7. If I'm there at 7:01 I have to start the entire month over with a new class. It's a brilliant accountability-building ritual that's built into our training.  Just one of many techniques to learn our culture.

And despite the ungodly hour to be awake, I'm excited to be a part of this group…

—————-

"Having fun?" I ask my classmate.
"All day, every day," he says, without skipping a beat, in a tone of total confidence. I couldn't help but smile.

I can see why some people have called the Zappos family a cult. Some find it jarring to see so many people smiling in one office. For others, it's life changing… A few weeks ago I sat down with a world class journalist who said to me, with tears in his eyes, "I have reported on every major company and met with the heads of states, and I have never felt so welcomed and embraced as I have here at Zappos."

"Zappos is a spiritual experience…"

I was completely taken aback when the head of Ken Wilber's Integral Institute (arguably the most successful institution in the field of modern philosophy) had this to say:

"Zappos is a spiritual experience. This is not hyperbole. After touring Zappos for three hours I immediately recognized the state of consciousness that the Zappos environment induces is the same as the deep meaning states of awareness that are often characteristic of spiritual events." – Robb Smith

"Culture eats strategy for breakfast." – Peter Drucker

Zappos has become well-known as the gold standard of customer service. However, what most people don't realize is that the Zappos family culture is what powers the service. The idea is simple – treat your people well and make them happy. Happy employees then make your customers happy.

Of course, the process starts way before that…

"Harder to get into than Harvard."- jokes COO Alfred Lin.

Zappos accepts 1% of all applicants. That's less than Harvard University.

Then there are four weeks of training before the job even begins. Many people find that absurd, to invest that much time in employees who start at less than $12 an hour (and then offer them $2000 to quit, in order to make sure they really want to be there).

I am finally now going through the Zappos customer service and culture training, after being at the company a year and a half. I had come in as a consultant to re-launch Zappos Insights.  And then I was always so busy running the business with Donavon, that I never had time to take the full-time training.  But thanks to my amazing team, and Scrum, I finally had the time.

"I think this saved my marriage."

I had heard that Zappos customer service training changes you as a person. I had no idea how much that was true until I started hearing my classmates' feedback just a few days into the process…

"I'm able to connect with people in a totally new way. I used to just mind my own business, but now I'm looking people in the eye, saying hi, asking if I can help.  I talked to an older gentleman in a wheelchair at Walmart and his entire face lit up." – Eric

"I think this saved my marriage. I'm talking to my husband in a totally different way. We used to be so quick to get on each other's nerves, and now I'm really listening, I'm not overreacting and I'm seeing him in a new light." – Jen

Can you believe this was three days into the training?

We learned so much that by the time we finally got to the phones I was so excited I couldn't stop smiling. This wasn't just customer service. This felt like a performance.  How could I wow people today. What are they going to throw at me? Bring it on!

Putting on the head set, I did not feel like I was in a call center. I felt like I was part of NASA mission control. It felt that important to me.  

"…we just happen to sell shoes."

If you've been reading my blog recently, you've seen how much I've been writing about dreams, Inception, The Matrix, and waking up from trance states.  I've come to believe that's what we're up to at Zappos.  We're about waking people up to how they can be happy.  (Insider's Hint: To get happy, try delivering happiness). Yes, that's a double entendre (see the second half here).

Tony, our CEO, is fond of saying, "We're a service business, we just happen to sell shoes." I didn't realize how true that was until I started this training. We're always looking for new ways to connect with people, to WOW! our customers and to WOW! each other. 

What's most interesting, is that this really doesn't take much time or money.

It all starts with looking someone in the eye, and with the utmost sincerity, saying "Hi! How are you?"  When it's done right, you can really light people up.