Have you been cc'd today?

I don't get many e-mails. "Lucky you!" I hear you say. I don't work for a large organisation and so, most e-mails are for my eyes only and include relevant content. But every now and then, I do get cc'd into a conversation. And then, what do I do?

What's acceptable? Do I reply - "got it!" Do I file it?
Do I ignore it?
Do I contribute to it or remain a silent witness?

The Bottom Line's 17 November podcast (no more until next year, sorry) inspired me to share my dilemmas with you - oh, the perils of 21st century Western life! One of the discussion themes was modes of communication and one of the guests mentioned that, on occasions, by carbon copying their bosses on an e-mail, some people were 'upward delegating' (there's a wonderful phrase for all of you wanting to 'manage your boss').

By cc'ing, do you spread out responsibility? Are you basically saying: look at what I've said, now you know about it. But what if I didn't ask to be cc'd?

On the other hand, cc'ing (I wonder if the Oxford dictionary will pick this one up!) can be a way of including others and inviting collaboration - is your cc saying "Look, I wanted to share this with you", or "Just wanted to keep you in the loop"?

E-mail carbon copying is another technological communication tool and as such, like multiple others, needs to be used appropriately and showing consideration for the receiver. Does everyone in your team need to receive your e-mail? Is there a different way of sharing information with them - if it really needs sharing?

(And don't get me started on personal e-mails where your address appears visible on the cc line along with 100s of others - have you not heard of BCC?? Blank CC for those of you who've never used it.)

I'm all up for using e-mail - you can send messages at any time in the day, it's free (kind of) and you can take your time in replying to them. Besides, I'm more comfortable being off-line than turning my mobile off.

So I'll leave you with some phrases CC might well stand for and a lovely picture of a good ol' typewriter - remember that lovely shiny carbon paper??. Please feel free to share your own, but don't be rude, remember this is a public space.

Cyber Collaboration
Creative Communication
Colleague Consternation





Photo by friendlydrag0n

What is this thing called Creativity?

I was listening to the Naked Scientist podcast from 17 November (click here to read the article). Researchers at Oxford University have found that playing Tetris after watching harrowing images can reduce the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

I was telling my boyfriend about this and he said - whoever thought of that idea: using a game for the research but not just any game, specifically Tetris!

I'm sure there was some trial and error involved, but he's right! The creativity shown by these people!

By creativity, I don't mean artistry. Creativity is the ability to see what's not there, to make unusual connections. 'The Sciences" are full of creative people - especially in the area of Physics, where you need a lot of imagination to understand most concepts as you can see very little.

Following three wonderful years at Imperial College, I then went to train as an actress for another three wonderful years. It always surprised me how at drama school they spoke of scientists as if "they" were boring, unimaginative people. This is also the case in the Arts, an industry where I spent over ten years.

I've always felt there are more similarities between scientists (mainly those involved in research) and arts organisations. They all seem to be constantly fundraising. They do what they do with passion. They are driven by a curiosity about the world around them.

Yes, there are probably some very uncreative scientists out there. But I can tell you from experience, there are also some very uncreative artists around. It's down to the person - but it's also down to how much we allow someone's personality to come through.

A creative person is someone open, witha wide range of interests, with an interest in others, who doesn't accept things as they are but works to change them into what they migh be.

Creativity is not industry-specific. Let's remember that.




Photo by Rakka

Can Twitter Help to Develop Leadership Skills?

I haven't had my Twitter account for long (less than a week) but I have already been struck by how much discipline it takes to be a good "Twitterette", almost as much as it takes to be a good leader. And of course, the word 'Follower' got me thinking. If you are following, then surely someone must be leading? And what will you do with your Followers? Where will you lead them to?

I'm always thinking about how to connect different people, my different interests and so, it intrigues me how this new found tool (I know, I'm a bit of a late e-developer) can be connected to leadership. Here are some of my thoughts:

Anyone can lead. They just have to want to.
Twitter is useful if you want to lead the way but it is also used to see what others can offer. So if you want to gather 10,000 Followers, I'm sure you can, but you really have to want to. 'Leadership' seems such a grand word, but many of the leader's responsibilities can be taken on by anyone to make their life (and those of others') better. Enabling, supporting, advocating, negotiating - what might differentiate a natural leader is a passion for getting things done; a need to work with others and, I will go as far as to day, a desire to work for the greater good. In the end, to become a leader (by nature if not always by title), one has to want to lead.

You don't need to be present constantly.
You might tweet every day. Every hour, every second. But does that make you a more attractive Tweeterer (I'm searching for a word that means "person who uses twitter to talk to others"). Surely the quality of the message, its tune, its relevance, the information it conveys (or points us towards) are more important?
I've come across many people in charge who feel they constantly have to be present - physically, with their opinions, with their approval. You don't need to. Let others get on with it and only intervene when it's necessary or you really have something valuable to contribute.

Twitter connects you to the outside world.
Far from keeping people stuck in their heads and their computers, Twitter, like most social media, has the ability to keep you up to date on what's going on way beyond the four walls of your house, office or industry. The most interesting Twitters (I keep trying) have a range of interests and are fast to respond to the latest news.
Those in a position of driving business forward need to know what's going on around them, not only because they might directly affect their business but because you never know where inspiration might come from next.

Find the joy in following.
There is no point in using Twitter if you don't follow anyone else - that is why through your homepage you can view both your followers and those you follow.
Leaders can become so overwhelmed by (or engrossed in) the idea of 'leading' that they forget there are many reasons to follow - for to follow, you must listen. Listen to your own 'followers', they will always have something interesting to say; listen to those you can learn from; listen to your peers. Be ready to follow and it will never get lonely at the top.

You have to deal with the dark side.
I thought Twitter was a big happy family of Twitterers and Twitterettes but, being spammed two seconds after opening my account, I was reminded that things are not always so easy. What did I do?

First I panicked and thought - I knew this was a bad idea, I'm closing down my account! But then, I remembered to breathe (always a good idea) and thought: well, surely I'm not the first one to be spammed. Someone else will have the answers. I reached out, dealt with it and moved on.
Life is not always easy and so it's important to know when you have and haven't got control to make things better (for you, your team, your organisation).

So, there you go, not bad for someone who deep down has a problem with the words 'leader' and 'follower'. Whatever you think of Twitter, it's certainly a tool when anyone can champion their own cause.

Personal Auditory Space

The office heater's broken so I just stepped out for a cup of coffee and a yummy cupcake.

3 people on their own - doing some kind of work - like me! Next to me, a couple (I think they're a couple) talking about work, possible collaborations (I think they're artists). Upstairs, a lot of background noise, the kind of sound you would expect on an SFX track labelled "restaurant noise".

One of the guy starts talking into his phone - sounds "important", something about a table - he looks like an adrenalin-junkie, spotted him when he came in, thrives on his work.

And then suddenly PING - more like PIIIIIING - from the corner, a woman rings a bell, a chime - a tibetan flat bell. Interesting. I look up after a while (I am not going to admit I am intrigued by such a simple sound) to see if I can understand this contrast of two worlds: the lady and her companion are sitting perfectly still - why? What are they doing? Practising some performance skills? Meditating? And then his pen moves - phew, that's more "normal".

Intrigued (but not wantING to get caught staring) I continue with my work - and my cupcake.
And then, another high pitched sound, this time more in sync with its surroundings: cling, cling, cling. I have to look up and there she is, banging her spoon against her cup. She catches my eye, clings her spoon against the cup one last time and in a theatrical gesture she puts cup and spoon down, all the while holding my stare. I smile. What I really want to do is say: Please can you stop that annoying sound, can't you see there are other people here? But I don't. I smile. Because I'm scared. She thinks that I am amused by her, that I share her joy of making ping and cling noises. Phew - I'm off the hook, can continue with my work, knowing that now she knows that I am here and not afraid to make myself "heard".

I really wish I could shut my ears - my eyesight is pretty bad and so, to compensate, I have really good hearing. I'm also very sensitive to music and rhythm; and I was also brought up to keep my noise down for others in the household and the neighbours.

So yes, I feel threatened by sounds that invade my "hearing space" - probably more than bodies that invade my 'personal space. Why? I'm not sure - answers on a postcard... or an mp3 file if you must.

For those of us who procrastinate...

"Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don't feel like doing them."

Julius Irving, retired NBA player

Will You Help Me Learn Dutch?

Will you help me learn Dutch?

Because I'm really trying to learn.

I keep counting to ten, saying "Hoi" and "Bedankt";

I keep asking "how do you say...?" and "what does that mean?"

I say dankjewel; want to say alstublieft but can only say please,

As my tongue twists while I think of what's coming next.

I walk around with a big smile so that people don't think I'm impolite when I gesture but don't speak.

I look at the till to double check I've understood the total of my shopping right (at least they use Euros and not Drakmas, can you imagine...?);

I don't hold eye contact with anyone in the street in case they say something to me I can't understand:

Will you help me learn Dutch?

So far I know mooi, gracht, boom, Haarlemerplein, slaapen and Doei. I also know all of those words that sound like English and Spanish, so I suppose I'm quite lucky.

And I have also learnt a few words that I don't dare write here.

The Dutch are so language-accommodating,  I suppose I'm just lazy.

And it does seem ironic that if I open my mouth I might end up speaking Double Dutch.

Quote Unquote

"Cooking in a temper required caution with the pepper." 

Alexander McCall Smith in The Sunday Philosophy Club

My first Singh mystery: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder

Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder

by Shamini Flint

"He had learnt from the Penan not to sweat the things he could not change."

I'm really glad I picked up this first Inspector Singh novel, having not come across this writer before. Shamini Flint is based in Singapore and is closely connected to Malaysia - which means she brings to life both cultures in this book effortlessly. When you find out more about the writer and see she is also an environmental activist, you realise how close to her heart some of the book's plot is.

I have never traveled to Asia and so really enjoyed a little bit of insight into the culture. In the same way as I enjoy the encounters with contemporary China in Qiu Xiaolong's Inspector Cheng's books, I found discovering aspects of Malaysian culture an unexpected bonus to the mystery plot. 

I read the novel n over a week - the language lets you understand the characters and the world they live in and creates strong images of their environment. In a way it reminds me of many TV who-dunnits, where suspicion bounces from one person to another. 


As I finished the book, I was really pleased to see there are two more paperbacks available (one set in Bali, the other in Singapore) and one taking place in Cambodia to be released in 2011. 

If you like the sound of this one, I also recommend Qiu Xiaolong's 'When Red is Black'.

And if you can point me in the direction of other writers that come to mind, please leave a comment here - or two!

Dipping in and out of The Wisdom of Crowds

The Wisdom of Crowds

by James Surowiecki

There is something in me that always makes me want to ignore current trends or even sometimes go against them. I am no great 'rebel' but I am always suspicious about the reasons of why certain things become popular. I rarely read the latest bestseller until someone I trust recommends it to me. At least with age, I have learnt to hold my tongue until I have tasted a product. (By the way, why does the blogger editor tell me 'learnt' is wrong?)

So, my friend David said I should read The Wisdom of Crowds. Seeing as he was the one who introduced me to Malcolm Gladwell, I gave it a go. And lately I have seen the book mentioned by other authors a few times, so I thought I'd dip back into it and extract some thoughts...

I am all for making decisions in groups and wholeheartedly agree with Surowiecki's statement that "group deliberations are more successful when they have a clear agenda and when leaders take an active role in making sure that everyone gets a chance to speak". So I thank Mr S for his reminder about the dangers of 'group polarization'

I am very familiar with 'group think' - a phenomenon that happens when individuals in groups prioritize showing agreement with the rest of the group over reaching a suitable decision - and I suppose group polarization is a phenomenon  along the same lines.

Group polarization is the tendency of individuals to become more radical in their views when aligned to the rest of the group.  So, in groups of risk-averse people, individuals will become more cautious while the opposite will happen in groups made up of those prone to taking risks.

As with all concepts presented by Surowiecki in his book, this one is backed up by research and illustrated by specific cases. So, if you are in charge of facilitating group discussions or are interested in the process by which groups make decisions, then I invite you to have a think about the risks and benefits of group decision-making as you read 'The Wisdom of Crowds'.

Must Read: On Becoming a Leader

On Becoming a Leader

by Warren Bennis

A reflection on the qualities and knowledge required by leaders in the 21st century: The ability to empathise with others and reflect on your own practice, the need to understand the context in which you are operating and self-awareness.

This is a wonderful read if you're not looking for a quick "how to lead" guide  but want to think about what might help you develop as a person in a position of leadership in the long-term. 

"Experiences aren't truly yours until you think about them, analyze them, examine them, question them, reflect on them and finally understand them."

Writing is a need - Harper Lee

As well as reading books, I love to hear about them. And so every now and then, I listen to the podcasts from a few book-related BBC radio programmes. One such programme is The Book Programme.

The programme broadcast on 3rd October 2010 had To Kill a Mocking Bird as one of its "protagonists". I read the book a long, long time ago and watched the film  - also currently sitting in my digital box, waiting for the perfect moment to see the light (I share my mother's love for Gregory Peck!). But I wanted to share this anecdote about the author, Nelle Harper Lee with you, because it illustrates that well known fact that art is a need which helps us to share our thoughts with others.

Shami Chakrabarti shared a story told to her in a letter. The author of the letter was teaching in a school in Alabama and was staging a version of To Kill a Mocking Bird. During the rehearsal, an old lady appeared at the back of the hall, asking whose idea it was to stage such a play. Needless to say, the old lady was Harper Lee herself. When asked by the teacher, why she hadn't written another novel, Harper Lee answered:

"I said everything I ever wanted to say in that book and I'll stand by every word until the day I die."

How amazing to be able to condense everything you believe in in one novel and to win a Pulitzer price for it! How many other authors are there who wrote one novel and never published again? In every case, how wonderful to shape your thoughts into stories that continue to be enjoyed by everyone again and again and again.

The Space to Move by Christian Darley

I never met Christian but did attend her memorial event, a year after her death. I would have loved to meet her - hearing about her work and having read her book I can safely say that my practice would have been influenced by her - that my views on training for and beyond the theatre would have been influenced by her.

Christian had much worth sharing - and so it was one of her best friends who encouraged her to write down her experience and thoughts on teaching and theatre; it is a testament to her spirit and generosity that three of her closest friends got together over a year to edit her book, supported by the principal of the drama school where Christian used to teach, championing her work.

I was working with Linda Baker at the time when she began to work on the manuscript, so I have had a special connection with this book. Reading the first draft was a joy. And reading the finished product made me feel like someone was articulating my own values in a much better way than I ever could.

The Space to Move is precisely about that: about creating the space for actors to move and therefore, feel. You can't act without moving - even if that movement consists of just your breath fueling your stillness. Only yesterday at a mask workshop, I was reminded of the need to move to discover during improvisation. Move, continue moving and the thoughts and the feelings will arrive. You just need to create the space for them.

Christian gets to the heart of what actor training should be and if you are interested in theatre but have never been through any kind of formal training yourself, you should read it. For it explains what drama training should be: discovering yourself, discovering others, surrendering to the work and above all, allowing the joy of exploration to come through.

If you are a theatre practitioner, especially if you are in charge of facilitating the work of others (as workshop leader, as director) then I urge you to read this book. It talks about issues such as trust - how trust can only be built through weeks and needs to be built slowly; it talks about the importance of contact work; it talks about how we should work on the voice through the body, as this is its shell. And all of this is done with warmth, care and humour. Just like theatre training should be.

"I often tell actors that imagination is in the body: rather than being limited to a space in the brain, it lies in the movements of fingers and toes, in the contraction and relaxation of muscles. In improvisation, imagination is the response of the body to space, time, music and human dynamic that fuels the thinking brain, not the other way around."

40 Current Trends books for the price of one!

I'm currently reading: Marketing Greatest Hits, a masterclass in modern marketing ideas by Kevin Duncan

I had never heard of it before, came across it in the library (Business section) and thought: what an attractive proposition, extended reviews of all those books I often see on the airport shelves and never know if they are any good... I wouldn't place all the titles in the book under Marketing, most of them belong to that new breed of book that mixes current trends, sociology, anthropology, business, ethics etc

More than whether they are any good or not, I am interested to know how meaty they are, what the core ideas are, to see whether I think I will get to the end of the whole 200 or so pages that these books usually last.

I haven't yet come to the summaries of books I HAVE read (such as Gladwell's Blink or The Wisdom of Crowds) so I can't really say how representative the summaries are or whether I agree with Mr Duncan's opinion of them. But so far, I have become interested in The Long Tail and Flat Earth News. It will be interesting to see whether any of them materialise themselves in this Leadership and Organisational Behaviour books page.