Author Archives: Ray
Your iPad as a Teleprompter
The last time I gave a speech, I only had one week to prepare. Although I felt confident and passionate about the subject, I still felt the need to have some key points organized on a few index cards just in case I needed to jog my memory while on stage.
Today, I came across Smartphoneware’s Best Prompter Pro which turns your iPad into a professional teleprompter. This app allows you to create and scroll speeches, as well as record your oratory skills for personal critiques. You can edit your speeches within the app which also estimates the length of scripts based on scrolling speed. At $3.99, this app is worth the price and is quite a useful and productive tool.
P&C Insurance News and Info
The information Professionals at all levels of the P&C Insurance industry need to understand and stay apprised of unique market challenges, changes and opportunities can be found at Property and Casualty 360.
The Difference Between Affect and Effect
As a verb, to affect means ‘to act upon or have an influence on’, as in “Sunless days affect my mood.” It can also mean ‘to make a show of; to put on a pretense of; to feign; to assume’ as “to affect ignorance.”To effect means ‘to bring about or create’ as in “to effect a change.” If you affect something, you do to it. If you effect something, you cause it to be.
Advertising might affect the sales of widgets (by causing them to increase), or it can effect sales (bring them about) if, for example, there were no sales at all to begin with.
As a noun, effect means ‘result, consequence, outcome’. An effect is that which is produced when you affect something: “The poem affected me deeply; it really had an effect on me.” Affect as a noun is a term from the field of psychotherapy meaning ‘the emotional complex associated with an idea or mental state’. Keep in mind that usually if you want a noun, the word you want is effect, but if you want a verb, the word you want is affect.
Via Dictionary.com
The Difference Between Might and May
May expresses likelihood while might expresses a stronger sense of doubt or a contrary-to-fact hypothetical. The difference in degree between “You may be right” and “You might be right” is slight but not insignificant: if I say you may be right about something, there is a higher degree of probability that you are right about it than if I say you might be right about something. Example: You think Einstein is the most brilliant physicist who ever lived? You may be right. / You think it’s going to rain this afternoon even though the sun is shining this morning? Well, you might be right. May expresses likelihood while might expresses a stronger sense of doubt or a contrary-to-fact hypothetical: We might have been able to go if Keir had not been so slow to get ready.
Via Dictionary.com
Miles Davis and John Coltrane
One of the most important jazz albums from what many consider to be the finest period of modern jazz. The song is “So What” from the album “Kind of Blue”, one of the finest Jazz albums I own.
7 Pieces of Wisdom from Socrates
7 Pieces of Wisdom from Socrates
- Be Content
“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”
Having a beautiful home and a gorgeous car will not make you content. Contentedness is birth from the inside, it’s a decision, it’s your choice. Things will never make you happy, happiness is a choice. - Faithful are the wounds of a friend
“Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults.”
The Scripture says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” A true friend will reprove your faults; they will tell you when you are “out of line.” Be wary of friends, who only say kind words. A true friend will tell you the truth, and often the truth hurts. Socrates said, “Do not be angry with me if I tell you the truth.”
- Study
“Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.”
Do you realize that you can read a book in a few hours and learn what it took someone twenty years to learn. You can literally pick someone’s brain for $19.95. Learn to cultivate the joy of reading, and you will gain with ease what others have sweated for.
- Be by Doing
“To do is to be.”
As the quote goes, “Be the change, you want to see.” Don’t just talk about it, be the example, be the leader. Socrates said, “Let him that would move the world, first move himself.” If you can move yourself, than you will easily move others.
- Gaining a Good Reputation
“The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.”
Solomon said, “A good name is better than rubies.” And the way to gain a good name is to be how you want to be perceived. Be, in the dark, the way you want to be perceived in the light. If you can master that, you will never need to worry about your reputation. Socrates said, “It is not living that matters, but living rightly.”
- Avoid False Words
“False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.”
Labor for accuracy in your speech! Don’t stretch the truth, don’t bend the truth, only speak the truth. Exaggerations infect the soul! You can be just as truthful and accurate in your speech as the most honest men who have ever walked the earth.
- Beware of a Busy Life
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”
If you don’t take anything else away from this article, please remember this question, you should ask yourself this question everyday. The question is, “What am I accomplishing?”
Never get lost in the “busy-ness” of life, avoid all of the distractions and attractions.
Examine your life. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” So ask yourself daily, … not: “What am I doing,” but, “What am I accomplishing?” If you do this, you will begin to awaken to your true potential, you will begin to become who you are.
Embracing Growth
We all need to grow in order to feel meaningful and achieve our full potential.
If you’re not growing and improving in some way, you will begin to feel that your life is lacking in purpose. In essence, a life without growth says to yourself and those around you: “I have nothing more to do here”. Of course this type of attitude can stand in the way of your happiness and productivity.
Have you ever started a worthwhile project or plan and felt a surge of energy and excitement? This is the natural state of growth. When you learn and experience new things that improve and add value to your life and the lives of others, you feel alive and empowered. One of the most effective ways to create a life of passion and meaning is to take steps toward reaching your potential. This includes learning more about yourself and your world; and creating a plan that helps you to move in the direction of your desires.
The process of striving for self-actualization never ends and it is not easy. It requires focus, determination and strength of character, all of which can be developed over time. It is a life-long undertaking and most of the benefits are derived from the journey not the destination.
Recognizing Opportunity in the Entrepreneurial Process
A few days ago, I sat with some investors to listen to a proposal presented by a business owner who wanted to sell his existing business. After listening to the presentation for 10 minutes, I realized that this venture would not provide the opportunity to generate profits and provide a solid return to any entrepreneurial team or investor.
At the heart of any entrepreneurial process is opportunity. Successful business people and investors know that a good idea is not necessarily a good opportunity. In fact, for every 100 ideas presented to investors in the form of a business plan or proposal, usually only 2 or 3 ever get funded. Over 80 percent of those rejections occur in the first few minutes; another 10 to 15 percent occur after investors have read the business plan and proposal carefully. Fewer than 10 percent attract enough attention to merit further consideration and investigation.
As an entrepreneur, it’s important to develop the ability to quickly evaluate whether serious potential exists in a business opportunity and decide how much time, effort and value to invest.
Here is a quick summary of what to initially look for when determining if a business venture is a good opportunity:
Market demand is a key ingredient in measuring opportunity
- Does market share and growth equal 20 percent of annual growth
- Is the customer reachable
Market structure and size
- is the market emerging or fragmented
- What is the revenue potential based on existing market share
Margin analysis helps differentiate an opportunity for an idea
- Capital requirement vs the competition
- Can we break even in 1 to 2 years?
Consider the underlying market demands as well as the value added properties of the product of service. Also up for careful scrutiny is whether the market size allows for a 20 percent or more growth potential; the economics of the business, solid gross margins (40 percent or more) and the free cash flow characteristics.
The business need not be operating perfectly. In fact, if there are some inconsistencies in existing service, some gaps in information and knowledge those can also be considered as potential to create opportunity and drive value. In the final analysis, there are many factors which when combined, will paint the total picture. But the basics as outlined above along with your professional experience and business acumen will help in bringing you to an appropriate conclusion.
My Haiku Project
As mentioned on a recent Twitter post, I’ve decided to set a goal of writing one Haiku poem every day for the next 365 days. I began this project on July 10, 2009, on a whim. My reasons are not necessarily clear at this time, but I believe that as I develop my writing of this poetic form, my thoughts and ideas will take shape in a way that allows me to further explore my motivation.
The Hokku or more properly known as the Haiku is a tiny verse form that was originally introduced by Japanese poets hundreds of years ago. The famous verses from such masters as Basho, Yosa Buson, and Kobayashi Issa are properly referred to as Hokku (1600-1868) and must be placed in the proper historical perspective. The history of modern Haiku however, only began in the last years of the 19th century.
Modern Haiku dates back to Masaoka Shiki’s reform in 1892, which established Haiku as a new independent poetic form. Shiki’s reform did not change two traditional elements of Haiku: the division of 17 syllables into three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables and the inclusion of a seasonal theme. Some of the most exciting Haiku-poems describe daily situations in a way that gives the reader a brand new experience of a well-known situation.
A good Haiku can be more than a mere statement of feeling or a picture of nature but also an implied identity between two seemingly different things. One of the best Haiku writers and a poet who crystallized the style was Basho (1644-1694). In his later years, he was a student of Zen Buddhism, and his later poems which are his best, express a deep awareness in the mystical philosophy of the identity of life and all its forms.
The Haiku is not expected to always be a complete or clear statement. The reader is supposed to add his own associations and imagery to the words and become a co-creator of his own pleasure of the poem. As such, I hope that those that read my poems will appreciate the deeper meaning inherent in each verse.
Here is a basic format for creating your own Haiku poetry:
1. Most Haiku poems focus on the imagery of nature and the natural world.
2. Most Haiku poems are set around nature, picking a topic that relates to a season.
3. When choosing a season, there are a variety of ideas and themes to consider:
• Winter: cold, sadness, hunger, peace
• Summer: warmth, love, anger, temptation
• Fall (Autumn): decay, supernatural, jealousy, saying good- bye, regret, misery
• Spring: infatuation, youth, passion, fickleness, birth or rebirth
4. Haiku poetry comes easier if you write what you’re feeling, versus what you see.
5. Contrast is important. Try to evoke an emotional impact on the last line. In many Haiku poems, the poet will switch moods on the second or third line.
6. You don’t have to write a full sentence. Haiku accepts all forms of writing, including phrases.
7. Haiku poems don’t have to be completely serious in matter. Inject a little humor at times. Most importantly, have fun in the process.
Here are a few favorites that I’ve recently penned:
Under clear blue skies
a happy ocean makes waves
as the sun rises
As the wind creates
patterns on the ocean sand
a lone seagull glides
An eagle soars high
a snake slithers through the grass
both move with purpose
Drowsing to the sound
of birds singing, wind rustling
a dump truck roars by
The Pygmalion Effect in Management
Successful managers have high expectations, both of themselves and their team. These expectations are powerful, because they’re the frames in which people fit reality. We often see what we expect, rather than what is actually occurring.
Social psychologists have referred to this as the self-fulfilling prophecy or the Pygmalion effect. In Greek mythology, the sculptor Pygmalion carved a statue of a beautiful woman, fell in love with the statue and brought it to life by the strength of his perceptions. Many managers play Pygmalion-like roles in developing people. Research on the phenomenon of self fulfilling prophecies provides ample evidence that people act in ways that are consistent with our expectations of them. If a manager expects a subordinate to fail, they probably will.
Organization builders have their strongest and most powerful influence in times of economic uncertainty and turbulence. When accepted ways of doing things aren’t working well enough, a manager’s strong expectation about the destination, the processes to follow and the capabilities of the team serve as a driving force that gets the team moving in a positive direction.
In addition, great managers tend to not give up on people, because doing so means giving up on themselves, their judgment, and their ability to get the best out of others. When I ask people to describe exemplary managers, they consistently talk about those that were able to bring out the best in them. To have your team’s best interest in mind and doing what is necessary to help them develop the drive and motivation to be successful; that is one of the defining characteristics of a great manager.
