Recently, I went to see the circus for the first time in twenty years. Yes…I am an adult. And yes… I think I enjoyed the circus as much as the kids surrounding me. One of the most interesting/frustrating parts of my circus experience was how many different acts were presented simultaneously. Should I focus on the Chinese act or the Latin dancers? The acrobats or the little people? It was maddening to try to absorb and see everything going on around me. Even now when I think back on it, I only remember a blur of entertainment and portions of the main acts. But that’s okay…right? The circus’s goal wasn’t to have attendees remember each act, costume, or piece of trivia. Its purpose was to provide a magical experience.
Sometimes it can be tempting to entertain rather than train in a training course. While being entertained is fun, unlike the circus, the goal of a good training course should be to meet the course’s learning objectives. Without good learning objectives your training becomes like a family vacation where everyone gets in the car and just starts driving with no map, no GPS, no compass, and no real destination. If you are really lucky you might end up someplace exciting, but you could greatly increase your chances of success by choosing your destination ahead of time.
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tags: circus, cognitive load, learning objectives, training | posted in different perspectives, learning | no comments
During the past three weeks, the water cooler talk here in Greenville has invariably turned to the musical Wicked’s stint at our local performing arts venue—The Peace Center. And, while I could drone on & on about its many virtues – the music (I have been caught singing Defying Gravity at the top of my lungs while sitting at a stoplight more times than I care to remember), the plot, and the set—they can’t compare to the creative spirit the production represents. And, it was that creative spirit that spurred some interesting thoughts and discussion about original thinking.
Gregory Maguire’s book which inspired the musical is a parallel novel to The Wizard of Oz books written by Frank Baum and tells the classic story from a totally different perspective – that of the two witches. While all of us struggle to create original and innovative ideas, I would argue creating a parallel thought to a classic and timeless design sometimes may seem more daunting. How do you borrow from a masterpiece without appearing that you are shamelessly stealing? How do you retain the integrity of the original concept while giving it your own signature? Many times we shy away from turning to classic ideas for inspiration because we don’t want the output to seem contrived.
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tags: greenville, originality, wicked | posted in different perspectives, local | no comments
I get a rush from thinking…literally. I actually feel my insides shift into a different gear when I go into deep thought…strategizing, visualizing, trying to solve world hunger. In fact, I am often accused of never turning my brain off. I’m sure some would like for me to give it a rest every now and then…especially on vacation. I just can’t. It gives me too big of a rush.
Now, let me be clear. I am not talking about the kind of thinking that just fills your head with mindless thoughts. I prefer thinking with a purpose. My favorite mental challenges come when I am struggling to invent an idea, solve a problem, design something new, etc.
I wish I could say that I use a tried-and-true, step-by-step process to think, but I’m not sure it works like that. And, what’s in my head certainly doesn’t fall into a nice/neat flowchart. Sometimes my ideas are formed very quickly and with little thought (within five seconds according to some sources). But, often they require a great deal of personal deliberation and collaboration with others.
I do have some guidelines that I personally use to help me think, and they may be worth a look…
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tags: thinking | posted in on thinking | no comments
