@sirkenrobinson
These are my live blogged notes from the opening
session at the ASTD International Conference & Expo (ICE) -- happening this
week in Dallas, TX. 10,000 or so training and development people here to
extend their practice.
We all have deep talents, but it’s often the case that we
don’t discover them. Human talent are like the world’s natural resources – they
are often buried beneath the surface. And if you don’t go looking for them
you’ll never find them.
You need circumstances for talent to demonstrate themselves…
Whether you actually discover your talents is another
matter.
Why don’t we discover what we’re good at? It’s because of
our organizations and our education systems.
What really makes you a success is PASSION. “If you love
what you do, you’ll never work again.”
When it’s just a job, you’re disengaged.
People who love what they do…”this isn’t what I do, it’s who
I am.”
Out
of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative (Sir Ken book, published ten years
ago.) Publisher wanted to do a 10th anniversary issue – instead of
updating it with spell check and a bottle of Jack D, Sir Ken read it and then
rewrote it.
When a really original idea turns up, it excites everyone’s
imagination. What we’re seeing now is a maelstrom of digital innovation
(turning the iphone into a harmonica so you can play the Delta Blues during a
meeting, because we know those meetings can be so sad). 10 years ago we didn’t have ipads. 10 years ago people didn’t Tweet.
Regarding talking to
people on planes – “I would rather regret the conversation we didn’t have…I’m
OK with talking to people on the final taxi.”
The combination of passion AND aptitude is what it means to
be in your element.
Some people do things because they’re good at it – but
that’s not enough. Being good at something isn’t enough reason to spend your
life doing it.
A strong passion will take you farther with moderate talent,
than talent without passion.
Today we have a crisis in human resources.
Last year, sales of anti-psychotics/anti-depressants out
sold anti-acid reflux in the US.
There’s a myth that happiness is directly geared to material
wealth. We know the opposite is true and that there’s no correlation.
Depression is going up as material wealth increases around
the globe.
But happiness is not a material state.
A crisis – so many people have not discovered a sense of
purpose in their lives.
The Element: doing something that you’re good out and that
you love to do.
Every single life is different. We are infinitely variable.
And it really is a gift that you are here in this world. It’s amazing how little people settle for.
Two key principles:
- Life is unique and inherently diverse. Nobody else will be you.
- You create your own life. You have made your life what it is. You earn your resume. What you do with your life is in your control. And you can recreate it.
Often, people’s lives have been shaped by an interest that
no one else sees any value in. (He shares the story of Bart, who could walk on
his hands and turned out to be the world’s most celebrated male gymnast…his
mother brought him to the gym—she encouraged him).
Life is organic and a process of improvisation.
When ordinary people find their passion, extraordinary
things happen. (We’re organic creatures; we’re inherently creative).
Sir Ken Robinson’s new book: Finding
Your Element (out today!)
A quest - - where you set off hoping to find/discover
something, but you’re not sure what…
1 comment:
You captured some of the quotes that hit me the hardest during this keynote. Thanks for the reminders this morning.
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