Joe, Java, Black & Steamy

The bean buzz that gets it started.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could pour yourself a cup of creativity? Or share a mug of teamwork? How about brewing up a steaming pot of productivity?

It’s not nearly that simple, but we try, don’t we?

The coffee break, as practiced by our work-a-day culture, is really anything but a break. It’s a communal activity, a team-building retreat, one we can go on every day. And even if we really do "break" from work, for those 15 or 20 minutes, we never really leave. Problem-solving wheels are still turning and collaborative talk seems to naturally congregate ‘round the Keurig. When we return to our desks we’re amped (no surprise there), and much more able and ready to tackle the day’s challenges.

Of course, caffeine is a drug. Our legal-beagles tell us we cannot — must not! — advocate its use to anyone. It’s worth mentioning that our Keurig can just as handily brew decaf, tea, cocoa, hot cider and even soup. Sometimes it even does so.

So if you eschew coffee, well then, more power to you. We don’t really understand you — in fact, we’re not even sure you actually exist. But if you do, we respect your decision.

But sorry, we won’t emulate it. Our coffee time is magical. We hang out, serve each other, kvetch and commiserate.

And we create. Oh yes indeed we do. Sure, we share much creativity when we’re sitting at the brainstorming table or pitching for our clients. To be fair, though, there’s usually coffee within easy reach in all those circumstances.

But when we commune by the Keurig, we’re in a slightly different mindset. Somehow more relaxed, more egalitarian; just friends sharing a cuppa. We never set out to leverage those golden moments. But almost every time, without fail, someone suddenly looks up and says, “Hey! I got an idea…”

We don’t mess with that kind of success. It ain’t broke so we ain’t gonna fix it. We’ll go on seeing what gets brewed up on our coffee break tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.

Speaking of which, hey look at the time. Please excuse us, we’ll be back in about 15…

The C4 (or Four C’s):

1. Coffee. We need it, man. Can’t get out of the house in the morning without it. But it’s not just a jump start. It’s a ritual. It helps build our team and fuel our creativity. If coffee had a face it’d be on our payroll.
2. Caffeine. Yes, it’s a stimulant. Yes, too much of it is a bad thing. But this isn’t just about the pep we get from a cup or 10. It’s about the time we spend chatting and laughing while the Keurig drips its precious elixir.
3. Cappuccino. We never turn down a cup of something fancy like a grande latte with soy milk, sprinkle of cinnamon and a shot of vanilla or Double-latte-foamy-half-caf-whatever. Sure, we’ll give it a try. But we think we can do just as well, and have at least as much fun, with a paper cup filled with the stuff from the gas station. The coffee supplies the jolt, and we bring the togetherness.
4. Culture. We’re not alone in this, are we? Western society was built on the back of the coffee bean, so to speak. Chances are, your workplace is just as java-centric as ours. Do you find your coffee breaks are as productive and as appreciated? Stop by sometime and let us know. We’d love to hear your story. We’ll keep the Keurig on for ya.

NLP Is A Tool For Programming Change, But...

Beware of duplicity?

Consider the hammer. It's the tool that, probably more than any other, built Western civilization. In the hands of a Michelangelo, it helps to sculpt David. But in the hands of a psychopath, it becomes truly frightening.

All tools are like that: neutral by nature, beneficial or maleficent depending on intent and application.

Next, consider NLP, or neuro-linguistic programming. It’s an approach to therapy, self-help, and behavior modification that’s been around since the 70s. It leverages the mind’s atavistic reaction to language, in order to alter demeanor, improve performance, and develop communications skills.

Now go Google NLP; or worse yet, do a search for that term on YouTube. You’ll find every type of huckster peddling NLP miracles, and promising of the ability to manipulate people to your will. Books like The Game by Neil Strauss detail how “pickup artists” use NLP to razzle-dazzle females into submission.

Some of it’s disturbing. Some is disgusting. But that’s what happens when powerful tools are used by bad people. None of it should discourage good people, though, who can use a tool like NLP for the best of reasons.

Want to improve your ability to communicate? Collaborate better with your peers? Shed harmful habits and cultivate healthy ones? Neuro-linguistic programming might be your ticket. It’s worth looking into.

As with all your endeavors, this one requires caution and common sense. Do your homework and be wary of inflated promises. There are scores of honest NLP instructors who can build a targeted course to help you and your organization reach your goals. You just need to separate the honest ones from the hucksters.

So will it work for you? Only one way to find out. All we can hope for is that you’ll respect it for the tool that it is, and use it only with the best intent.

The C4:

1. Neuro-linguistic programming is a behavior-modification technique developed by psychotherapists in the 1970s that uses language, rapport, and suggestion to achieve goals.
2. NLP can be used in business to create better communications methods, increase sales, and improve collaboration throughout the organization. It can also be used on a personal level for targeted self-improvement.
3. NLP is earning a bad rap, though, because some truly awful people are using it — selling courses that promise Svengali-like manipulation, and demonstrating pickup techniques based on deception and duplicity.
4. A tool in the hands of a bad person does bad things. In the hands of a good person it can better the world. What can you do with NLP?

Keep ’Em Close

Defeat? Yes. Destroy? No.

Competition is healthy. That’s something businesspeople grasp almost intuitively. We understand that competition creates efficiencies and forces us to better serve our customers. It can even make our work more enjoyable. Some of us thrive on competition and enjoy the fact that it brings out the best in us.

But it can also bring out the worst. Quick self-diagnosis: Do you consider your competitor to be your mortal enemy? Ever use words like “destroy,” “bury” or “scorched earth” when describing your competitive plans?

Now that’s not healthy.    

There are very few industries in which competition is a zero-sum game. In other words, your competitor’s successes are not necessarily your failures. Thinking of them as such only leads to ugliness in the marketplace.

Instead, focus on areas of possible collaboration. Are there projects in which you and your competitor can form a strategic alliance? Failing that, can you pool resources to influence public policy on behalf of your industry at large?

If nothing else, just have a conversation. Take a lunch every now and then to talk through differences or just get to know each other. You don’t have to be best friends, but you should come to accept each other as decent human beings just trying to earn a living.

We’re all just trying to earn a living, but chances are, we’re all someone’s competitor. And it’ll take all our efforts to make sure that competition stays healthy instead of turning into something ugly.

The C4:

1. Business competition drives market efficiencies and creates choices for the consumer. All else being equal, it’s a positive force for our economy.
2. But competition can turn ugly. It’s all too easy (and far too common) to dehumanize our competitors and to work toward their destruction.
3. That’s not healthy and it’s not good for our economy. Competition is about finding an equilibrium. Very little in business is zero-sum. There is room for success for all of us.
4. Look for common ground. Look for areas of cooperation. Keep lines of communication open. Compete, by all means, but remember you’re competing with decent people who tuck their kids into bed at night. Hopefully they’ll remember the same about you.