Resilience

Well, I suppose for some summer has arrived. Hey, its the May two four weekend right? Let me tell you, that is not all that has arrived.

We have a very healthy crop of dandelions this year as well.

Hardy little things aren't they? I have pulled, yanked, sprayed (with soap and stuff) and still they are basking in the sun.

Do you have days when you feel like a dandelion? No matter what is thrown at you, you just keeping clinging to the earth?

Resilience, a good quality in humans, not so much for dandelions...

Dive Dive Dive

One of my boyhood dreams was to be a submariner.

If the Canadian Navy had actually had a fleet of operating boats, perhaps life would have been very different.

The Canadian fleet of the early 60’s consisted of 4 four old Oberon class diesel submarines. These operated on a marginal basis at best. We did not have the fancy fleet like the Americans.

I would read in National Geographic of their great Navy fleets and this new submarine that was atomic powered, the Nautilus. This was the future. Imagine a boat that could cruise under the polar cap and around the world with no need for refuelling! This was the stuff of fiction, not reality in Canada.

What was this compulsion towards submarines? I have asked myself that many times. Self diagnosing all my strange psychosis trying to figure out if I had some hidden meaning in wanting to be in a boat (they are called boats not ships) that was built for stealth and secrecy and black ops. Being a high “C” style that fit my personality style, after all, we “C”s like our privacy and our secrets. 

Nope, I just thought it would be a neat career.

A few years ago we were speaking in New York and driving back we tripped across the US submarine service museum at Groton Conn. Imagine the thrill when we found the Nautilus sitting there at permanent dock with FREE tours!

 I was like that kid of 10 complete with goose bumps itching to get on board and discover her secrets. It was fabulous. I had waited over 40 years to realize that dream.

However I had still not actually dived in a sub. Then we came to Aruba... This year I had the opportunity to board a tourist submarine and dive to 130 feet! Wow, what a thrill! Imagine getting off a cruise ship to get on a boat that is designed to sink! 

Barb did not come...

              

           

So what is the message of all this?

Delayed gratification is a term we don’t hear very often in today’s world. Everyone wants everything now. There is no waiting in this instant society. Instant breakfast, instant on for my iPad, instant coffee, everything is no more waiting.

If we think back to previous generations they were used to this idea of delayed gratification. There’s was a world of economic uncertainty and no credit. They had to wait for the toys and better things in life. When was the last time you heard of someone sleeping on the idea of a purchase before saying yes?

Perhaps this is the time to re-instate that theory. Imagine how different the world may be. No more impulse shopping. No more closets full of wasted clothes. No more beta machines because they were out first. 

Come on, I know I was not the only one who fell for that!

The old saying “good things come to those who wait” might still have life in it... 

The Cocooning Theory

As you know we travel a fair bit and I have noticed a peculiar habit in human behaviour.

Have you ever been on a tour bus and watched people fill the seats? Invariably they start at the front and fill in every seat toward the back of the bus.

Rarely do you see them skip a row, as if they have to keep in perfect order.

Strange thing is, we have seen this happen over and over again and yet the back of the bus is empty!

The first 20 seats fill with everyone crammed into a tiny little space with bags on their laps and practically sitting on top of each other. By the way it works on boats too!

Why does this happen?

Well, I have a theory and I call it The Cocooning Theory. I believe humans have a basic need to belong with the pack. Perhaps it is a sheep mentality of just following blindly what the person in front does but I believe it goes deeper. Humans I believe need to belong and satisfy a need for security with the old adage of there is strength in numbers.

Not us, we head right to the back of the bus and grab a double seat each. Ahhh space!

Be a rebel grab a seat at the back!

Hummingbirds - So tiny, so big!

HUMMINGBIRDS - IMPORTANT?

We met this little fellow when we stopped at a roadside cafe in Costa Rica this winter. In fact there were dozens of these tiny mini jets zooming around our heads as we looked at the flower gardens.

I never knew they could make such a racket. These birds are very territorial and when some other bird gets near their spot they let them know it! For such a small creature they can make a lot of noise! Does that sound like anyone you know?

What can we learn from such a small non aggressive little bird? Perhaps sometimes it’s the little guy you have to watch out for that is making all the noise...

Or, how about this, you don’t have to be a big dog to get the attention of others?

The list could go on forever when it comes to the hummingbird.

These little powerhouses beat their wings anywhere from 12-80 times per second! And you thought your heart rate gets going when you go jogging...

Size, does it matter? Well frankly, yes, to a hummingbird. They have to land on the most precarious perches. If they were a “normal” sized bird they would break the flower. I think hummingbirds are nature’s idea of a bee on steroids!

Colourful and fun to watch they can brighten your day just by buzzing by. You know people in your life like that don’t you? 

Tell them they brighten your day, it will probably brighten theirs!

Only One Captain

Only One Captain

While working on a cruise ship is exciting and a great way to see the world one must always remember there is only one Captain on board.

The Captain is the ultimate authority on a ship. His word is final, and not to be questioned. That is the command role of senior officers.

We have sailed with many different styles of Captains. Some are very reserved, quiet, serious, and all business. They are probably “C” and “D” styles. They are not very talkative when we are on the bridge doing a commentary of the port being sailed into. They are respected for their authority and precision and expect others to do their job as directed.

We have also met Captains who have “S” in that mixture and are a real pleasure to sail with. Talkative and concerned we are comfortable they command with not only respect from their crew but the crew also like them a lot.

Here we are pictured with Captain Tony of the Princess Coral, a really nice guy.

Of course when you are responsible for 3,000 lives and a ship worth over $350 million there is not a lot of room for any kind of joker. This is serious business and every Captain we have ever had the privilege to sail with has demonstrated a no nonsense, serious approach to his command. We have always enjoyed working with these pros.

We may be the Dynamic Duo and meet people from all walks of life through our workshops on Teamwork, Teambuilding, Communications, Leadership, Emotional Intelligence and our newest Bullying in the Workplace, but we know there can only be one Captain. While we may work well as a team there are lines we each respect and don’t cross. When it comes to program content Barb is the Captain, when it comes to relationships Bill is the Captain. This way we both have designated areas of responsibility and we take them seriously.

With all that being said we often have passengers on board who are captains in their own world. Some are captains of industry, manufacturing, religion, and even their own small boats. We have met ambassadors, politicians, judges, even a Supreme Court Justice, who are all captains of their country as well. However on board, there is only one Captain. We see lots of armchair quarterbacks when we miss a port due to weather or other unsafe conditions, but there is only one captain and he makes that decision.

In most companies the most effective Captains operate differently from their sea counterparts. On land these managers/leaders often consult with their deputy managers, for valuable insight into the operation of the various departments. It can be much more collaborative, than in a pseudo military environment.

Land, or the office, is not the place for a command structure and in fact is probably the weakest form of leadership. On land the serving leader is the highest level of leadership. Caring and compassionate with vision and direction is the formula for success in today modern companies.

So as you can see there are different styles for management and effective leadership.

Our hope for your department is that there are no Captain Ahabs at the helm. If there are... we need to talk.

A new web look!

Well, today is an exciting day for Barb and I.

Recently, we launched our newly revised website. It has a lot of new content, photos, videos, and testimonials.

We have also enhanced the area for meeting planners with full Bio's photo's and requirements.

We are truly excited to have this tool ready for many more to see and allow us to impact more lives.Our goal is to add value to others and this site should be a useful tool.

Our heartfelt thanks to our good friend Goran Galic for helping us (he really did all the work) get this amazing site up and running. To say he is a genius when it comes to this stuff is an understatement. Thanks Goran!

We hope you visit the site and send it out to everyone you know so we can spread the word.

Here is the link www.dynamics4u.com

Thanks for reading and remember to LIVE DYNAMICALLY!!!!

Feeling Crabby?

This past August, Bill was on a cruise ship travelling through New England. One of the taste treats from the Atlantic ocean is Blue crab.

A fisherman I met on the dock explained to me how they catch these delectable creatures. The catching part was not too hard. The keeping part however required a unique knowledge of crab personality!

You see, if you catch just one crab and put it in the pail, it will climb out. You need to put a lid on the pail right away to prevent the escape of your dinner. However once you have two or more crabs in the pail, you can throw the lid away. Why?

Crabs are like some unsuccessful people you met in your life. They do all kinds of things to keep others from achieving goals or improving themselves. This can take the form of office politics, gossip, role-playing, promoting mediocrity, and so on.

The good news is if people try that, you don't have to buy into it. You can stay out of the pail in the first place by refusing to be a crab.

Instead of pulling others down, try raising them up.

There is more success in helping others gain than in being a crab! Besides, crabs are ugly.