Lung Disease

What is Emphysema?

Emphysema is one of the major obstructive lung diseases under the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) umbrella.  This lung condition gradually destroys the air sacs in the lungs, making it progressively more difficult to breathe. The tiny cluster-like air sacs in the lungs are responsible for bringing oxygen to the bloodstream. As emphysema progresses, the inner walls of the air sacs form holes, weakening their internal structure. The disease deters oxygen from reaching the bloodstream. Emphysema also destroys the elasticity of the airways that lead to the air sacs. As a result, the air sacs collapse, trapping oxygen in the lungs. Sufferers of emphysema constantly struggle to breathe.

Cigarette Smoking

The number one cause of emphysema is cigarette smoking. The toxins in cigarette smoke destroy tissue and cause inflammation of the lungs. Imagine soaking a sponge in red paint, when you squeeze the sponge most of the red paint comes out. However, a residual paint  is left inside the sponge that may take several minutes of scrubbing to wash out. The toxins from cigarette smoke have the same effect on your lungs.

When you smoke a cigarette, the toxins are inhaled into the lungs soaking the passageways and air sacs. The structure and elasticity are destroyed. When you breathe out, only some of the toxins leave your body. In the case of the sponge, you can eventually wash the paint out. Unfortunately, you can never fix the damage that is done to your lungs.

When cigarette smoke is repeatedly inhaled, the cilia or hair-like structures responsible for clearing mucus and other secretions, disappear. As a result, mucus is unable to clear from the lower respiratory tract causing “smokers cough.” Mucus build-up provides an advantageous environment for bacteria to grow and spread, which can lead to infection. The lungs are unable to fight off this infection because the toxins in cigarette smoke have destroyed the immune cells responsible for fighting bacteria. As a result, sufferers of emphysema are prone to chronic illness.

Alpha-1-antitrypsin (or alpha-1 antiprotease)

Alpha-1-antitrypsin is a rare genetic disorder that decreases the production of a specific protein. An alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency may cause emphysema to develop in people who have never smoked cigarettes. Alpha-1-antitrypsin is a substance in the lungs that fights the enzyme trypsin (or protease). Trypsin is an enzyme released by immune cells in both the digestive tract and in the lungs, which fights bacteria or digests food. In people who are alpha-1-antitrypsin deficient, the lungs cannot fight the destructive nature of the trypsin. Therefore, the lung tissue is progressively weakened and destroyed, similar to what is found in a person who has smoked cigarettes.

Air Pollutants

A consistent inhalation of air pollutants can cause inflammation in the lungs leading to lung damage and emphysema. The most common places people consume such pollutants is in dense urban environments and near industrial complexes that use harsh chemicals or burn fossil fuels for energy.

If a relative has emphysema, you may be more likely to develop the disease. The similarities in genetic make-up are responsible for making you more susceptible to the disease.

Persistent Cough

Sufferers of emphysema typically exhibit a persistent cough or “smokers cough.” The cough reflex is an important defense mechanism expelling harmful substances from the body. The damage done to the lungs from the causes of emphysema can irritate the lungs leading to a persistent cough.

Emphysema may cause an individual to wheeze, or exhibit an abnormal whistling noise while breathing. Wheezing is a result of air passing through the bronchioles or tree like structures of the lung. When the bronchiole airways become narrowed or damaged, air travels abnormally, and causes a whistling noise.

Chest Tightness

Emphysema may cause chest tightness or the sensation of not being able to breathe. Chest tightness is one of the scariest symptoms for sufferers. Chest tightness is often exacerbated by anxiety and in severe cases can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Shortness of Breath

Labored breathing or shortness of breath is the feeling that breathing requires far more effort than what is typically necessary. In emphysema  sufferers, shortness of breath can occur while exerting oneself, sitting or lying flat.

Both Men and Women

Historically, men had developed emphysema more often than females. Starting in 2011, women have reported a higher rate of emphysema diagnosis than men.

Older people are at a higher risk for developing emphysema. Emphysema is a progressive disease, which worsens over time and as you age, your physical health begins to decline. As a result of these two factors, older individuals are more likely to develop the disease.

If you would like to find out more about our available treatment options, please contact one of our patient care coordinators today at (800) 729-3065 to schedule a free consultation.

Related Posts

  • Stem Cell Treatment for COPD: What You Need to KnowDifferent than traditional medications, stem cell treatment for COPD works to promote healing from within the lungs. Learn about stem cell treatment here. Read more
  • Emphysema Stages: What Your Numbers MeanOne of the most important questions associated with an emphysema diagnosis is “what is my stage?”. For those who live with the disease, staging information can be vital for adjusting ... Read more

* All treatments performed at Lung Institute utilize autologous stem cells, meaning those derived from a patient's own body. No fetal or embryonic stem cells are utilized in Lung Institute's procedures. Lung Institute aims to improve patients' quality of life and help them breathe easier through the use of autologous stem cell therapy. To learn more about how stem cells work for lung disease, click here.

All claims made regarding the efficacy of Lung Institute's treatments as they pertain to pulmonary conditions are based solely on anecdotal support collected by Lung Institute. Individual conditions, treatment and outcomes may vary and are not necessarily indicative of future results. Testimonial participation is voluntary. Lung Institute does not pay for or script patient testimonials.

Under current FDA guidelines and regulations 1271.10 and 1271.15, the Lung Institute complies with all necessary requirements for operation. Any individual who accesses Lung Institute's website for information is encouraged to speak with his or her primary physician for treatment suggestions and conclusive evidence. All information on this site should be used for educational and informational use only.


Market Overview

The Contrarian: Why I Think Stocks Will Rise in 2014

The Contrarian: Why I Think Stocks Will Rise in 2014

Now that New Year’s has come and gone, as we look forward into 2014, the big question will be how the stock market performs this year, especially following an impressive advance in 2013 that was beyond my estimates.

The past year was seen as the year of the Fed-induced market rally that resulted in some strong gains across the board from blue chips to technology and growth stocks. It was one of the best years to make money on the stock market in recent history.

At this stage, the economy is looking better and will need to strengthen in order for the stock market to advance higher toward more record gains. A strong January would be positive and would suggest an up year for the stock market.

My early view is that the stock market will head higher in 2014, but not at the same rate as we saw in 2013, which was out of whack.

The key will be how fast the Federal Reserve, under Janet Yellen, decides to taper its bond buying. A slower taper is supportive for the stock market. However, the flow of money will depend on the rate of economic renewal and, more specifically, the jobs market and whether job creation continues to move along at a steady pace. If we see growth and more jobs created, the Fed will continue to cut its bond buying, though it has said that it will keep interest rates near record lows until the unemployment rate falls to 6.5% or lower, which could happen sometime in mid- to late 2014.

I see another up year for the stock market in 2014, but I doubt we will see gains in excess of 30% this year. By my estimates, the S&P 500 could target a rise of 15% to 2,100 or perhaps as high as 2,200 for a 20% rise. The Dow Jones Industrial Average could move upward toward 19,000, for an advance of 15%. Of course, the actual advance will depend on the economy and what the Fed does.

Technology and small-cap stocks will likely lead the markets higher again this year. I like the Internet and mobility areas in the technology sector. Social media will likely take a breather following the staggering gains we witnessed in 2013.

So while the stock market is looking higher this year, I also feel that stocks could be vulnerable to selling and a stock market correction following the record advances in 2013. With the stock market in its fifth year of the current bull market, there’s some vulnerability on the charts.

But while the stock market may seem risky, investors should know that there’s more money to be made in equities than other investments, such as commodities. Take gold, for example. I remain bearish toward the yellow metal unless we see a rise in inflation or market risk, which would cause investors to flee to this safe haven. For the time being, I would look to trade gold on weakness and sell into strength.

Whatever the gains are in 2014, the key will be to buy more selectively this year and be alert to any stock market weakness to buy on dips.

This article The Contrarian: Why I Think Stocks Will Rise in 2014 was originally published at Daily Gains Letter

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In this weather learning exercise, students review what causes different weather patterns including the more severe weather patterns like tornadoes and hurricanes. Students also calculate relative humidity by using dry and wet bulb temperatures. This learning exercise has 5 matching, 11 true or false, and 4 short answer questions.

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Social influence can be described as power-the ability of a person to influence the thoughts or actions of others. Identifying influential users on online social networks such as Twitter has been actively studied recently. In this paper, we investigate a modified k-shell decomposition algorithm for computing user influence on Twitter. The input to this(More)
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Manufacturers of TV sets have recently started adding social media features to their products. Some of these products display microblogging messages relevant to the TV show which the user is currently watching. However, such systems suffer from low precision and recall when they use the title of the show to search for relevant messages. Titles of some(More)


LUBA-print 709/N

Munzing Chemie

LUBA-Print 709/N is a light yellow functional blend wax dispersion additive for UV and EB curing lacquers. It is used in UV and EB curing lacquers to improve mar and abrasion resistance and matting.

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Münzing Chemie is a highly regarded, privately owned specialty additive company with headquarters in Abstatt, Germany. They have a presence in over 40 countries and are a technology driven organization with an extensive staff of highly experienced R&D and technical service personnel in Europe, the Americas and Asia. Their manufacturing plants in Germany, USA and China have broad synthesis and formulation capabilities in order to best serve their global customer base. Munzing Chemie offers a variety of additives, which include defoamers, dispersants, rheology modifiers, emulsifiers, wetting and leveling agents, micronized and coated waxes as well as wax dispersions and emulsions which are used in the paint and coating industry.

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VN Insider: How Visual Novels Can Break Into the West

iAX: "There are certain mediums of storytelling that have done pretty well in the United States, like anime and manga. Across the spectrum they are successful to a certain extent. Visual novels are on the opposing spectrum, never really gaining a foothold in the west. The best way to describe a visual novel is that it is sprite-based characters on a static background with lots of text and branching plot points based on decisions made. There are some games that are purely H-games with a focus on “winning” a certain character. Other visual novels focus on character interaction and exploring a deep involving storyline. In this medium, there have been some successes, like Capcom’s Ace Attorney franchise. While there are examples of some success, the numbers of franchises that are sales failures are numerous and all too common. As a fan of the medium, here is my strategy for visual novels."

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AXO / IED Operator

Employer: Janus Global Operations
Location: Iraq
# of Openings  4

Primary Function:

Each AXO/IED Operator will have personal experience of state-of-the art IEDD tactics, techniques and procedures, and will be able to provide hands-on expertise in destroying or rendering AXO/IEDs safe. Each operator will assist in the training of Iraqi EOD technicians in dealing with complex AXO/IEDs.  AXO/IED Operators also train and mentor the Iraqi Search Team in their day-to-day operations. Actively supports and upholds the Company’s stated vision, mission, and values.

Essential Functions:

Provide relevant Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD) capability, oversight and leadership to SIG’s PM/WRA IEDD remediation project in accordance with SIGs Standing Operating Procedures (SOP’s)
Assist the TL to update and correct as required all developing SOPs’ in accordance with the objectives of the IEDD remediation project
Participate with or oversee all related IEDD training

Monitor morale health and overall well-being of all assigned employees
Ensure weekly monthly and quarterly reports are submitted in a timely manner
Ensure the security and accountability of all USG and SIG property

Job Requirements:

Minimum 10 years’ relevant military experience with at least five years’ experience as an operator conducting IEDD
Comprehensive knowledge of IEDD operations and TTP’s
A demonstrated experience in training and capacity building
Experience while operating in a multi-cultural environment
Computer literate and conversant with all programs within MS office
Must be able to pass a detailed background investigation
Must be willing to travel OCONUS
Must be able to pass a physical approving candidate for overseas work
Must be able to meet the physical requirements dictated by project requirements
If former military, must have received an honorable discharge
Must possess valid passport
Must have experience in applicable safety standards

Preferred Qualifications:

Strong written and oral presentation skills
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Excellent organization skills
Proven ability to work both collaboratively and autonomously
Strong initiative
Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines

Position may also advance to *AXO / IED Team Leader.

Apply for this job online


ArenaMaps.com | Brant Avenue Park Rink | Guelph | ON | Canada

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Guelph, ON N1E1C3
Canlan Classic Tournaments

Driving Instructions:

Guelph is located at the intersection of Hwy-6, Hwy-7 and Hwy-24 in southwestern Ontario, approx. 90 km west of Toronto.


Black, female and in charge of Baltimore

The talent-show diva-ette: 'America's Got Talent'

Technically, this is a talent show, not a singing show. But, just like in real-life talent shows, singers tend to dominate. And, just like with real talent shows, they tend to go nowhere after the show is over.


More people are taking the bus in Regina, and city officials are attributing the upward trend to a growing number of seniors and immigrants in the city.

A city report, made public this week, found that transit ridership was up roughly eight per cent in January, compared to the same time last year.

Nathan Luhning, a spokesman for Regina's transit department, says there are many reasons why more people are taking the bus.

"There's economical reasons — the cost of parking, the cost of fuel," he told CBC News on Monday.

There are also demographic reasons, Luhning said, such as "an increase in seniors and the amount of immigrants to the city."

The report says the city needs to expand its public transit system as more suburban neighbourhoods emerge, such as Harbour Landing.

In a bid to attract more transit riders, the city is now offering bus service on certain statutory holidays, including Remembrance Day, Boxing Day, Family Day and Good Friday.

"If we have more people using our buses, it's less congestion on the road, it's less emissions that are being put into the air for us, [and] less of a burden for taxpayers who are putting money into the transit system," Luhning said.


Why Nature Is Therapeutic

Humans crave a connection with nature. From gardening and horticulture to taking a stroll through the park or hiking through the mountains, man has found solace in nature for centuries. But with a rapidly deteriorating environment, shortage of open spaces, fear of “stranger-danger” during outdoor playtime, and an emerging culture of technology-obsessed youth, American life is punctuated by nature deprivation and a disconnect with the world around us. Although quality time in nature is hard to come by, here are a few reasons to make the great outdoors a part of daily life.

A Natural High
Generations of brilliant minds, naturalists and authors have documented the many benefits of spending time in nature. Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), an American author, naturalist, and philosopher best known for his book Walden, celebrated the therapeutic effects of nature by saying, “I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.” Nature has played an integral role in the quest for happiness and personal fulfillment of many other historical figures as well, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Muir and Charles Darwin. Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), acclaimed architect and philosopher, advised, “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”

I. Stress Reduction
More than 100 research studies have shown that outdoor recreation reduces stress. In a study of individuals exposed to stressful videos of accidents, those who watched a subsequent nature video experienced faster recovery than those who watched a video with other content.1 Another study established that a view of nature, even through a window, speeds recovery from surgery, improves work performance, and increases job satisfaction.2 By observing the ever-changing environments in nature, individuals cultivate a positive attitude, renewed attention, mindfulness, and sensory awareness. In the words of renowned naturalist and essayist John Burroughs (1837-1921), “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.”

II. Meaning and Purpose
Being in nature also bestows a sense of connectedness, meaning, and purpose. There is a sense of chaotic order in the way nature works; the plants and animals are interconnected in a series of complex relationships. Everything coexists in nature without the necessity of outside intervention. It is a system that has existed successfully since the beginning of time, which provides a sense of structure, coherence, and reliability for those wise enough to use nature as a model for life. Realizing that human beings are an essential component of this larger structure can supply a sense of purpose and belonging.

For many, respect and enjoyment of nature also leads to a sense of spirituality and an appreciation for powers larger than oneself. The wilderness teaches that each individual is unique but also part of the larger whole. In a world bogged down by social pressures, standards of conduct, and the demands of others, nature gives people a chance to appreciate a grander sense that the world is alive, fascinating and meaningful. This universal appeal crosses all cultures and time periods. “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better,” advised legendary physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955) .

III. Heightened Awareness and Physical Activity
Outdoor settings beg for activity rather than passivity as the world is best explored on foot. Hiking through the wilderness merges a heightened sense of awareness of one’s surroundings with the need to take action to move through and be part of nature. People understand and process environmental information through mapping, exploring, and interpreting the landscapes, obstacles, and surroundings. This type of physical activity reduces depression and anxiety, reduces the risk of disease, and improves psychological well-being. In fact, research suggests outdoor exercise has even more beneficial effect than indoor exercise.

A strenuous trek through mountains or desert can represent both a physical journey and a journey of self. Spending time in nature’s silence better acquaints people with their own thoughts and feelings, leading to a sense of calm and inner peace. As expressed by early preservationist and Sierra Club founder John Muir (1838-1914), “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you… while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

Up to the Challenge
In nature, people learn that challenge is actually the opportunity to improve oneself, develop an internal locus of control, and build confidence. Wilderness experiences give people an optimistic confidence in the predictability of nature and the pace of life, combined with a healthy ability to surrender control. Nature-goers learn to trust their innate ability to overcome both expected and unexpected obstacles and to appreciate that things work out even if they aren’t in complete control. In short, they learn they can cope with whatever comes their way, which in turn builds confidence and a sense of self-efficacy and achievement.

While rising to a challenge is important for developing self-esteem, shared challenge offers the added benefits of affiliation, social support, intimacy, and the ability to help others. This sense of community and intimacy that develops by facing challenges in the company of others translates into other group settings as well, such as the family unit.

A Nature-Deprived Youth Culture

Natural spaces stimulate children’s imaginations and creativity, and playing outdoors enhances cognitive flexibility, problem-solving ability, and self-discipline. Unfortunately, most children between 6 months and 6 years of age spend an average of 1.5 hours a day with electronic media, and youth between 8 and 18 years of age spend an average of 6.5 hours a day with electronic media, totaling more than 45 hours a week.3

In recent years, health care providers have begun to recognize the therapeutic attributes of nature for treating conditions like attention disorders and depression. Researchers at the University of Illinois have shown that the greener a child’s everyday environment, the more manageable their symptoms of attention-deficit disorder. 4 In a UK study released in April 2007, a majority of people with mental health disorders reported that taking a “green walk” decreased their depression (71%), reduced their tension (50%), and increased their self-esteem (90%).5 Studies also show that nature in forms as simple as a plant at work or trees in front of an apartment complex help reduce stress, improve coping skills, and develop self-discipline. 6

Children and Teens in the Wilderness
Children and teenagers benefit from experiences in nature more than any other population, particularly in the area of academic performance. A 2005 study by the American Institutes for Research demonstrated that students in outdoor science programs improved their science testing scores by 27 percent. 7 Moreover, participation in outdoor education was directly associated with improved conflict resolution skills and cooperation.

Many parents are choosing wilderness camps and programs to help their troubled teens. Adolescence, an angst-ridden period of self-discovery, is the ideal time to discover the lessons nature can teach. When a teen is immersed into a wilderness experience, they leave their family, their familiar community and environment and the roles they have adopted, to try out new social roles. This “fresh start” presents the opportunity to develop a new self-image, a new way of relating to other people and the environment, and new ways to respond to the challenges of daily life. Ideal candidates for therapeutic wilderness programs are students exhibiting at-risk behaviors, including defiance, rebellion, experimentation with drugs and/or alcohol, sexual promiscuity, poor performance in school, and other behavioral difficulties.

Anne Frank, author of The Diary of a Young Girl, written during the German occupation in World War II, summed up the therapeutic benefits of being nature:

Ulrich, et al. (1991). “Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11 (3), 201-230.

2Ulrich, R.S. (1984). “View Through a Window May Influence Recovery From Surgery.” Science, 22, 42-421. See also www.americanforests.org/productsandpubs/magazine/archives/2002fall/perspectives.php.

3E. Vandewater, et al. “Digital Childhood: Electronic Media and Technology Use Among Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers.” Pediatrics, May 2007. Available at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/119/5/e1006.

4F. Kuo and A. Taylor. “A Potential Natural Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Evidence From a National Study.” American Journal of Public Health, Sept. 2004. Available at: www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/94/9/1580.

5″Now a Green Agenda for Mental Health.” Available at: www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/Now-a-Green-Agenda-for-Mental-Health-21784-1.

6See www.floridagardening.org/download/BenefitofPlants.pdf, http://parksandpeople.org/publications/special_reports/TreeBenefits.pdf and www.projectevergreen.com/pdf/Technical%20Bulletin.pdf.

7 “Effects of Outdoor Education Programs for Children in California.” American Institutes for Research, 2005. Available at: http://www.air.org/news/documents/Outdoorschoolreport.pdf.


5 Date Nights, 5 Hairstyles

Looks like Cupid’s out and about, and you’ve got some dates lined up ahead of you. While the first question typically should be: “What am I going to wear?” we know what really matters to you is your hair. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we came up with 5 date night ideas, and 5 hairstyle ideas guaranteed to make your hotline bling! 😉

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“How do you decide how long a  training session with your horse should be?”-Cindy M

There are many factors that go into deciding how long a training session should be. Often people decide how much training time by how long they have but it is generally better if we can set the goal to be primarily physical or emotional.

In a training session we are either trying to change something physically or mentally with the horse. Knowing what your focus is will help you determine how long the session will be. For example, in this video I am riding Al, an off the track Thoroughbred that is being retrained as a riding horse. This video is one entire training session and yes, it is only about three minutes long. During this session I was mostly focused on the mental training. Al anticipated hard work so I purposely chose to do some very short rides, even if I rode him once in the morning and once in the evening. My purpose was to change the way he thought about a typical ride.

Al also preferred going to the right instead of the left so I purposely only rode him to the left. I was again trying to plant a mental seed of ‘left’ being the answer.

Also, notice that I didn’t try to accomplish a lot of different things in this time period. I stayed smooth and steady which will help Al have a positive experience.

There have been other horses, on other days where I was trying to accomplish other goals so my rides were drastically different. For example, I have ridden horses with ‘relax’ as the goal, so I spent 2-3 hours riding them but not working them hard. This was planting the seed that neither one of us was going to rush through the process so we should both relax.

Other times I have been working on more physical goals such as improving the spin or the slide. Physical training often requires repetition much like learning to dance and it would be common for me to reward the physical improvement.

We are always training both the physical and the emotional but I have a plan before I head out to ride as to which will be my focus for that day. I am free to end the session if I see any improvement or if I am ‘planting’ a seed. Remember, any improvement should be considered a success.


Focus your energy on the right career

Focus your energy on the right career

Did you know that most people spend only 5% of their time doing something they actually love! The average person spends 60% of the day working (which is why is essential to choose the right career), 20% sleeping, another 15% commuting and only 5% doing something they actually love. That 5% means everything for some people, especially for those who do not enjoy what they do for living. For many people it means not seeing their children growing up, not been able to keep healthy habits, not sharing with friends and family and in general not enjoying life.

These frightening statistics show that the average person barely has time to see his/her family, work out, read a book, go to the movies, have a hobby, etc. And if we are consistent with the metrics, it means that we only have 5% of the energy of the day to do the things we love on those 1.2 hours that left of the day.  It does not sound fair at all, does it?

Building your career

Building your career

How can we choose the right career in life?Are we too young or too old to choose/change a career path? One of the causes of dissatisfaction in life is the job that we choose to do every day. I used to believe that once you choose your study field you will be stuck in one domain for life. This is the worst thought people can ever have regarding careers. I recently had the opportunity to work with a young intern in the company and he pointed out a few times that he wasn’t really sure of what he would do next. He wondered many times if he would really like to make a living on the field he was developing -which was consulting services. I thought: “this is completely normal, he is so young”. I know I am not working in the field I used to work during my first internship. When we are young and we hit our first job experience, we often have the feeling of being lost and we are not so clear about the future.

Personal – work balance: Is it time to redirect my career?

Reconciling a better professional and personal life resembles us to a mountain too big to climb and at the same time, satisfy the needs that must be met. However, doing this, could be a real investment to long term if is carefully planned.

Now, when should we take this initiative? Possibly, when the idea of a calmer life starts to manifest in our minds or when the lack of balance between professional and personal life generates stress added to our jobs or family. A change at the professional level may be a way to redesign our life and make it more fulfilling and rewarding.

Most of the time, when the transition pathway identified is completely consistent with the personal and professional needs (even if you work is so hard), the stress is completely different, at least the perception is different. In other words, the obsession for work decreases, and therefore, we dispose more of our time and energy for the personal sphere.

In previous articles, we have talked about the importance of our decisions in our career building and we have reflex ourselves with affirmations such as: “I am very old (or very young) to change my career”

This time, I would like share you 3 tips that will help you in redirect your career in order to achieve a more balanced personal life:

1 – Check your drivers.

If the search of the balance between the professional and personal life is the only driver of change, then we can ensure that we have taken important steps forward. I say this because in order to successfully achieve change, it is essential that the new choice meets with all levels of your needs: environmental, behavioral, relational, in terms of capabilities, tasks, beliefs, values, needs, etc. This will ensure that the wish for change is real.

2- Accepts the loss of the past condition to increase your self-esteem.

Once we get certain hierarchical level within a company, for example, surely change will imply that the level of responsibilities decreases. This means, the acceptance of the loss of a status. For many of us, this condition is fundamental: we think that we need recognition of our accomplishments to feel ourselves valuable; this is just a reflection of a fragile self-esteem. As a result, the fear of the loss of this external recognition becomes an obstacle to change. On the contrary, to think that we will gain a balanced life, the internal recognition and the emotional inputs will be our self-esteem allies.

3 – Accept the loss of money by the well-being gain.

Another direct consequence of the career transition is the financial loss. However, we have to take into account that this well-being has a cost. The fall in revenues could be compensated by the benefits in terms of personal and family well-being.  Well, we have the key for doing a “temporary” loss if  we focus our efforts in some activity that redeems us in a economical well-being to medium or log term.

In recent years the world has changed and the professional transition is no longer a simply change of company. Any professional transition is a change that can be, either to move forward in our career, or perhaps –even more times that we can imagine- to disrupt what we used to do and to start something completely different. It is also an opportunity to learn, undertake new projects, and why not, to risk!.

Redirect our career is change, life itself is change, and many times change is an opportunity to improve ourselves.

Read the traffic lights on your career path

How to read the traffic lights on your career path

Red means that you need to change your career now!

Amber (Yellow) means that you are in your comfort zone

Green means that you have an inspiring career

Ultimate keys of success

Ultimate keys of success

Time is a wonderful gift that we have all received. Every person alive has time. Is the way we choose to spend it what makes us have different results from each other. One of the things that I have been told very often is that I am not a very patient person. I am one those who like to have everything done right away, who dreams about something and wants to see it materialized in the next minute. I am not good at all at waiting, and wasting time freaks me out. But living abroad, meeting people from all over the world, working on my own personal development and living tons of different experiences made me realize how wrong I am about “timing” sometimes and made me understand what are the real keys of success.

Let’s remove the labels that categorize us and develop our potential

One of the things that I enjoy most of my work is the diversity of profiles, personalities and talents that I have the pleasure to find every day. I grow with each client, by expanding my mind, and I understand that in front of me there is an extraordinary person. The funny thing is that I always find something about myself in each person I know, even though at the beginning I thought we were completely different.

This makes me think: How many times have we prejudged others? How many times in our life are we being judged by our gender, our nationality or our religion? One of the biggest problems facing the world today is the lack of respect and tolerance among human beings. But even worse than that is the fact that most people do not even take the time to think about how true those stereotypes and categories are. We only use them to label people before we know who they are.

At what point do we begin to label ourselves and fail to understand that we are unique people with a unique talent and we have a value to add to the world?

How to develop your maximum potential? Be authentic, you are not a label!

I do not know who is reading this article, but I’m sure you can feel familiar with what I say, because we humans like to generalize. Aha, this is a generalization! Thanks to having studied social psychology, I understand that there are certain behaviors and values that we can associate with a given group, based on age, gender, religion, culture, generation and other criteria.

I can agree that there are certain trends that describe the behavior of people belonging to a group. Such as the “Y” generation, or millennials (born between 1980 and 2000) and their need for autonomy, rejection of a certain hierarchy in the companies, which creates difficulties to keep a fixed job. Another example is cultures. For many, being Latin means being improvised and eating spicy food, Germans are associated with extreme order and discipline, Americans are superficial and consuming, Chinese seem to be extremely hardworking and even easy to exploit, the French are closed-minded, the Italians are loud and cook well, etc. But, is this 100% true? In my case, for example, one of the categories in which they have placed me are the following: Latin, female, immigrant, foreign, millennial, too young and others, each with its interpretation and limits. Now I laugh, but at some point I let myself believe that those labels represented who I was and therefore I limited my range of action and my goals.

Labels, categories and stereotypes are absolutely limiting. I think we can easily get lost in generalizations, paradigms and the opinion of other people. You are not a “category”. You have talents, skills, values and you are someone different from any other person you know. Therefore, you have a value to add to your community, your country, and the world. This value will be higher if you decide to be authentic. The more we stick to group behaviors and labels, the less we explore our capabilities, and our potential, so we will be less likely to offer the world what it needs most now.

How to strengthen teams and retain talent? Companies, focus on the person, not on their “category”

The problem of prejudices, stereotypes and the use of categories is that we forget that we should focus on individuals. We forget who the person is behind that label and tend to generalize the behaviors, since, as individuals, we also follow the behavior of the “group” to which we belong.

Many companies now face the problem of millennials, which do not seem to stay in a job for more than 6 months, and do not accept the “rules” of the company. Right, it’s a problem! But the problem is not solved by looking for a consultant who explains the sociology of the “Y” generation and how to understand everyone who carries this label. The problem will be solved the day companies focus on the person, understand their values and motivational factors and understand that they can be leaders in their own area, doing what they are best at. And this principle is valid for any generation, label or category.

The more I work with people of different generations, nationalities, genres and cultures, the more I reaffirm my philosophy:

“Be authentic, discover your talents, awaken your unique potential…only then you will find meaning and purpose in your personal and professional life.”

Let’s eliminate the labels that limit our thinking and promote tolerance and respect for others and for ourselves.

How to succeed your job application

How to succeed your job application

Are you looking for a new job? Are you perhaps considering a change of careerWhatever your case may be, if you are reading this article is because you are in the tedious process of applying for a job. You know how it is, it gets repetitive, you have to fill in many application forms, cover letters customized according to the company, you set up alerts in a few job boards, you spend hours in front of the PC and then you reach the point of despair and you start applying to every job post you come across.

Empathy and mirror neurons

For a long time science has tried to explain the extraordinary human capacity to understand what others feel or think, understand the intentions of others and how to react appropriately to others reactions.  The discovery of a brain system called “mirror neurons” revolutionized this theory. These neurons are activated when we perceive emotions or actions of others, providing the brain with the same information which generates our own emotions or actions.  We know what is feeling someone who laughs because, by seeing him, the same areas of the brain that are involved when we laugh are activated. In the same way, it is probable that observing a spider going up the arm of someone the situation does not make us indifferent.

But, what is empathy?

Empathy can be defined as that which helps us to exercise a good influence on the emotions of others, It allows us to feel others who we are in the same “tuning”. Arises as a conscious and unconscious signals, that can be very subtle or very obvious, causing that a person “like” other, whether known or not. It is certainly the key to create successful relationships, generating well-being in any area of our life.

Some people are emphatic naturally, but others are not. The last ones have a lower ability to activate their mirror neurons, they fail to connect with each other and therefore, the interaction is uncomfortable because they don’t know how to connect naturally with others. People who define themselves as little emphatic or not sociable, have not developed this skill and their own belief system has imposed them ideas such as: “I can not be sociable”,it is hard to be empathetic“, “I do not like socializing”, etc.; when we repeat ourselves this, we are unconsciously training our brains to be exactly as we do not want to be.

How do influence mirror neurons to empathy?

There is an important link between mirror neurons and empathy. Thanks to our powerful ability of imagination, we can understand the mental states of others by simulating them in our brain and feeling the same thing, this is called imitation. Different regions of the brain that contain these particular neurons, are connected with emotions (limbic system), which in turn is correlated to empathy. Meaning that, the more active are these regions, the more emphatic we are. Therefore, we have a greater propensity to create friendly links with others.

How can we develop our empathy?

Now we know that our level of empathy can be increased and -by having full knowledge of our physiology- we can consciously exercise this capability to use it in a natural way.

  • Imitation is one of the most effective techniques. To imitate a person than seems empathetic, we are exercising our mirror neurons and, at the same time, modeling our ability to empathize.
  • Listen with an open mind and without prejudices: pay attention to verbal, body language, tone of voice and facial expressions; in the feelings and reactions of the other. This allows expressing freely to grasp their feelings.
  • Develop the ability to identify what makes the other feeling rewarded in relation to its qualities or achievements, with this you capture his/her attention and, as a result, a better communication.
  • Before giving your opinion on a subject, make sure to have enough information and that the other person has told you everything he wanted to and that you’ve heard and interpreted correctly, both conscious and unconscious as well as the verbal and non-verbal message.
  • Keep a good predisposition to accept the differences you have with others, be tolerant and practice patience, in this sense, take care about your reaction in order to avoid transmitting a negative message. We don’t want the other person’s neurons to perceive this as unpleasant.

It is essential to educate our empathy and encourage the education of our children in this area. To put ourselves in the place of the others to understand what they need, should be a subject in any primary school. Knowing that we can apply this behavior in the personal field and also in the work environment throughout our entire life, surely, we will have the capacity to not only make healthy and fulfilling relationships, but also develop a path of success in all areas of our life.

Positive thinking and personal development

How positive thinking is related to personal development?

Positive thinking is the best practice that we can do when it comes to personal development and achievement. After 20 years of research and investigating the lives of the millionaires in America, Napoleon Hill reached to this conclusion: “We become what we think about most of the time”. There are many habits that the most successful people in the world apply to ensure their success, but certainly the most important one is having a positive thinking.

Career Development Program: Highly Beneficial for Employees


Silicone Valley of Death

September 11, 2017 Dan 0

So far since Brexit(rap)

August 17, 2017 Connor Wilkinson 11

The Validity of the Magna Carta 1215

June 4, 2017 Connor Wilkinson 2

Why wasn’t the 1297 Act of Parliament Magna Carta celebrated in 1997? Furthermore, why wasn’t the 1217 version celebrated this year? (2017) Why is the only version being celebrated the original reaffirmation of the charter of liberties, the peace treaty, Magna Carta 1215?


Monday, August 4, 2014

Diary of the Last Age -- Sea Life

I live in the Pacific Northwest and I love raw oysters.  The Puget Sound (now called the Salish Sea) is home to more varieties of oysters than anywhere on the planet.  But that precious advantage is now in danger, the oysters are dying.  They are dying from the acidification of the Sound.  The fact is that most of the carbon dioxide our civilization is pumping into the atmosphere is ending up in the oceans.  And that has consequences, serious ones, for carbonate sea life, like oysters, clams, shrimp, and most significant, krill.  Krill is the main source of food for whales and other large mammalian sea species.  When the krill is gone, they'll be gone. And unless we stop pouring CO2 into the atmosphere and thus the ocean, the krill will be gone.  And oysters, and clams too.

The important issue is that the increase of CO2 is accelerating.  There have been times with more CO2 in the atmosphere and oceans, but when their introduction is slow, it can be accommodated.  However, when rapid, the usual processes are not able to handle it.  We have an historical event showing us what happens when the CO2 concentration accelerates, the PETM boundary, the Paleoeocene-Eocene Boundary,  where 55.8 million years ago, the oceans and atmosphere were filled with greenhouse gases over a very short period of time.  The oceans acidified resulting on the largest loss of sea life in our planet's history.  Daytime temperatures at the North Pole in the summer were 75 degrees Fahrenheit -- there was serious global warming.

We are pumping more than 20 times of CO2 at 10 times the rate as then.  What we will experience, if nothing is done, will be far worse than what happened then.

One thing we can look forward to is that there will be jelly fish in abundance, which incidentally are mostly edible.  As our food stocks begin to disappear from global warming, I believe jelly fish will be found to take their place.


10 Amazing Ocean Landscapes

Eleuthera is one of several islands that lies within the archipelago in The Bahamas, about 80km (50mi) east of the capital city Nassau. It is long – about 180km (112mi) – and thin - only about 1.6 km (1mi) wide in places. The light blue waters of the shallow Caribbean Sea on one side of the island stand out in stark contrast to the deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean thousands of feet in depth. One of the best places to see this extraordinary juxtaposition is at the Glass Window Bridge.

2. Meeting Place of the Baltic and North Sea, Denmark/Sweden

In the resort town of Skagen you can watch an amazing natural phenomenon. This city is the northernmost point of Denmark, where the Baltic and North Seas meet. The two opposing tides in this place can not merge because they have different densities. The area where the Baltic and the North Sea come into contact is quite shallow and so the contact face is relatively small. There is of course some mixing but it is quite minimal due to the difference of the density.

It is also helped by the fact that the Baltic is not tidal which keeps most of its water within the Baltic basin and this water is constantly being reduced in salinity by the rivers which drain into the Baltic. Were it not for that small opening into the North Sea the Baltic would be a giant fresh water lake. The contact area is a great sight to witness.

3. Horizontal Falls, Australia

Despite their name, the Horizontal Falls are a fast-moving tidal flow through two narrow, closely aligned gorges of the McLarty Range, located in Talbot Bay. The direction of the flow reverses with each change of tide. As tides in the Kimberley can reach 10 metres (33 ft), a peak tide gives rise to a significant difference in the sea level on either side of each gorge.

The northern, most seaward gorge is 20 metres (66 ft) wide and the southern, more inland gorge is 12 metres (40 ft). Above each of the gorges are natural reservoirs between six and eight kilometres (4-5 mi) long which fill and empty with seawater through the gorge openings. The inner gorge is also partly fed by fresh water from Poulton Creek.

4. The Deep Channel at the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system. It is composed of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and 920 islands stretching for over 2,650kilometres (1,620mi) over an area of approximately 345,000 square kilometres (133,100sqmi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms and can be seen from outer space. The reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. It supports an incredible diversity of life and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1981. It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

The Deep underwater channel from pictures above, separates Hook Reef from Hardy Reef, smaller reefs that belongs to Great Barrier Reef. It is often photographed from an airplanes and is a significant location for scuba divers.

5. 'Underwater Waterfall', Mauritius

Mauritius is an island nation officially called the Republic of Mauritius, or in French, République de Maurice, located in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 km (1,240mi) off the southeast coast of the African continent. A fascinating illusion can be found at the Southwestern tip of the island. When seen from the air, a runoff of sand and silt deposits makes the illusion of an underwater waterfall. The visually deceiving impression is absolutely breathtaking when seen from aerial shots. In fact, the illusion can even be seen on Google Maps.

Satellite views are dramatic, as an underwater current seemingly appears off the coastline of this tropical heaven. Viewed from other perspectives, the ocean appears to be a spectacular gamut of greens, blues, and whites, creating the false impression that it plummets down just like a raging waterfall. Causing the visual magic here is the sand, which is the fair-colored part of the water. The current caused by waves smashing against that specific part of the island causes the sand to be dispersed in a natural, waterfall-like manner of the receding waves’ downward pull. In a manner of speaking, it is in fact an underwater waterfall, but more akin to an hourglass, rather than a typical cascading water.

6. The Great Blue Hole, Belize

7. Ball's Pyramid, Australia

In 2001, a team of entomologists and conservationists landed on Balls Pyramid to chart its flora and fauna. To their surprise they rediscovered a population of the Lord Howe Island stick insect (Dryococelus australis) living in an area of six by 30m (100ft), at a height of 100m (328ft) above the shoreline, under a single Melaleuca howeana shrub.

8. Malé, Maldives

Malé is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is geographically located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll (Kaafu Atoll). Malé island is heavily urbanized, with the built-up area taking up essentially its entire landmass.

The Island of Malé is the fifth most densely populated island in the world, and it is the 168th most populous island in the world. Since there is no surrounding countryside, all infrastructure has to be located in the city itself. Water is provided from desalinated ground water; the water works pumps brackish water from 50-60m (164-197ft) deep wells in the city and desalinates that using reverse osmosis.

Electric power is generated in the city using diesel generators. Sewage is pumped unprocessed into the sea. Solid waste is transported to nearby islands, where it is used to fill in lagoons. The airport was built in this way, and currently the Thilafushi lagoon is being filled in. Many government buildings and agencies are located on the waterfront. Malé International Airport is on adjacent Hulhule Island which includes a seaplane base for internal transportation. Several land reclamation projects have expanded the harbour.

9. Atlantic Ocean Road, Norway

It is built on several small islands and skerries, which are connected by several causeways, viaducts and eight bridges - the most prominent being Storseisundet Bridge.

10. Rock Islands, Palau

The Rock Islands of Palau are a small collection of limestone or coral uprises, ancient relics of coral reefs that violently surfaced to form Islands in Palau's Southern Lagoon, between Koror and Peleliu, and are now an incorporated part of Koror State. There are between 250 to 300 islands in the group according to different sources, with an aggregate area of 47 square kilometres (18 sq mi) and a height up to 207 metres (679 ft). They are a World Heritage Site since 2012.

It is the most popular dive destination in Palau, and offers some of the best and most diverse dive sites on the planet. From wall diving to high current drift dives, from Manta Rays to sharkfeeds an from shallow and colorful lagoons to brilliantly decorated caves and overhangs.

Many of the islands' display a mushroom-like shape with a smaller base at the intertidal notch than what lies above it. The indentation comes from erosion and from the dense community of sponges, bivalves, chitons, snails, urchins and others that graze mostly on algae.


3. Further studies on the behavior of the abnormal tenth chromosome. (See last News Letter)

Plants heterozygous for a normal chromosome 10 and an abnormal chromosome 10, differing from the normal in that it has a piece of chromatin attached to the distal end of the long arm as described by Longley (1937, 1938), give an unusual type of behavior for these two homologues. When used as the female parent the percentage of the basal megaspores receiving the abnormal chromosome 10 is approximately 67 percent instead of the expected 50 percent. The R locus was found to lie extremely close to the end of the short arm; there being one percent of recombination between R and the distal end of the short arm. This placing of R would mean that d7 does not lie beyond R as Singh's data indicated. Crossover studies in the g R region showed no reduction in plants heterozygous for the abnormal chromosome so it is likely that the low recombination value between R and the end is the true distance and is not due to a reduction from the true value caused by the presence of the redundant piece of chromatin. Earlier, it was suggested that competition among megaspores might account for the excess number of eggs carrying the abnormal chromosome 10, i.e. in a considerable number of cases non-basal megaspores with the abnormal chromosome would develop into the embryo sac at the expense of basal megaspores with normal chromosomes 10. Examination of 200 young embryo sacs showed, however, that the embryo sac always arose from the basal megaspore so the above hypothesis can be definitely ruled out. The alternative explanation is that selective segregation during the two meiotic divisions results in the abnormal chromosome passing to the basal megaspore more frequently than expected on a random basis. This explanation is being tentatively accepted. There is no sterility on the ears so abortion of ovules with the normal chromosome 10 does not account for the discrepancy. Since the R locus is so close to the end of the long arm it may be used to mark the normal and abnormal chromosomes thus making it possible to collect a large amount of data. When pollen from a plant heterozygous for the two chromosome types is used it is found that pollen carrying the abnormal chromosome is at a disadvantage when competing with grains carrying the normal chromosome. Using the R alleles to mark the two chromosomes it was found in one experiment that 59.7 of the functioning pollen grains carried the normal chromosome. Since comparable results were obtained when different normal chromosomes 10 were used against the abnormal chromosome 10 it may be argued that the redundant piece of chromatin is not wholly inert but possesses some genetically active material.

If selective segregation is the correct explanation of the unusual results obtained on the female side it is of some interest to give the following results. In the summer of 1939, 75.7 percent of the individuals in a population of 4,501 coming from female plants heterozygous for the two chromosome types carried the abnormal chromosome 10. A duplicate of the seed planted in 1939 was planted in 1940 but only 62.8 percent of the individuals in a population of 4,922 possessed the abnormal chromosome. Since the two lots of seed were identical it appears that environmental conditions influence the segregation of the heteromorphic bivalent. This behavior is similar to that found in certain insects where temperature differences determine whether the X or Y chromosome is extruded into the polar bodies.


Coaching for Aspiring Politicians

The need for conscious and creative leaders in our political system is abundantly apparent. Our President-elect has consistently demonstrated a lack of self-awareness and emotional intelligence, understanding of others and respect for diversity, contextual knowledge and regard for complexity. This approach to leadership runs deeply counter to the mission of Owl, Fox & Dean and the values that we stand for.

I started Owl, Fox & Dean because I believe that through the conscious development of people, the thoughtful design of organizations, and the sharing of knowledge, we can make the world more happy, resilient, and well. I wake up everyday fueled by this belief and energized by deep passion for helping people develop as conscious humans, and grow their positive impact on the world.

As an active commitment to my community and the mission of Owl Fox & Dean, I am offering free coaching to aspiring politicians who are seeking to develop their leadership capacity. You can learn more about me and my to coaching here.

If you are considering or planning on running for office and you want to make your community, our country, and the world a better place, please be in touch.

- Caleb Dean

Name *

The Quest for 'Whole-Brand' Authenticity

This article was originally published in the fall 2016 issue of Rotman Management Magazine.

IN A WORLD WHERE INDUSTRIES are being disrupted left and right, having a strong brand is no longer enough to compete. These days, companies must design their internal experience to authentically embody their external image.

That’s because, with greater access to information about how a company operates, why it claims to exist, and who works for it, the ability of any stakeholder to gauge brand authenticity — and inauthenticity — continues to grow. Take the example of Comcast, which, ironically, is in the business of connectivity — yet there are countless documented
cases of customers having an extremely painful experience when they attempt to connect with an actual person at the company. In short, connection is being sold externally, but the brand is not being embodied internally.

How does this happen? One reason is that most companies put far too much emphasis on the external experience of their brand, and far too little on how their intended brand is experienced by their own employees and other internal stakeholders. In his book, Zag, author and brand expert Marty Neumeier defines brand as, ‘a person’s gut feeling about a product, service or company’. This is an important framework when considering brand authenticity, as it implies that a brand is a personal experience that exists within each individual who interacts with an organization — both internally and externally...

Download the full article to continue reading.

Workshop: Designing an Authentic Organization

Caleb will introduce new model for organization design and a new tool in a workshop on September 16th in Boston. The Workshop is in collaboration with the Design Museum Foundation's Center for Workplace Innovation and is part of the lead up to the Workplace Innovation Summit in November that will be held at the Innovation and Design Building in the Seaport. (More on that soon)

We'll be releasing more information about the model and tool in September. Until then, we hope to see you there!

Here's the official description:

An attractive outward-facing brand is no longer enough to compete. These days, companies must design the employee experience to authentically embody their external image. Thanks to greater access to information and social media, it’s easier than ever for customers, clients, and competitors to gauge and react to a brand’s authenticity – or inauthenticity. On top of that, generational values are shifting as well — younger employees are seeking jobs that are personally meaningful. To retain talent – and customers – it’s imperative that your brand be authentic both inside and out.

Caleb Dean of Owl, Fox & Dean will lead a workshop to introduce a Whole-Brand Model for organization design. This model was developed to create the conditions for brand authenticity and meaningful experiences among all stakeholders. Participants will engage in a framework for integrating the internal employee experiences with external-facing brands. Hosted by Elkus Manfredi Architects, Caleb Dean’s Workshop is a part of Design Museum’s Center for Workplace Innovation, in partnership with Jamestown Properties.

Make Your Place - Wherever You Are

Make Your Place - Wherever You Are

July 10, 2014

Three Things to Consider when Designing Safe Interactions

One way to understand the health of your organization is by studying the interactions of your teams.

Here are a few questions to get you started:

  • What does the body language of the group tell you?
  • What percentage of people are late to meetings? How often?
  • What is the level of resolution and confidence after meetings?
  • What is the level of active follow through after meetings?
  • What is the level of preparedness among the group?
  • What does the tone tell you?
  • What is the mood of the group?
  • What is the level of collective understanding among the group?
  • How do you feel when you leave a meeting?

Teams, projects, and companies can be made or broken through effective or poor interactions. I’ve seen it go both ways.

The recent New York Times Magazine issue on work put this dynamic in context with an article about Google’s exhaustive effort to understand what makes good teams effective.

Their conclusion - psychological safety - which Amy Edmonson defines as:

"A shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking."

I find it important to discern between safety and comfort. Just as we must discern between happiness and being content.

We get comfortable with our team members, we drop our professional guard, and fall into patterns. This may start out as a step toward psychological safety but over time, without thought, you can find yourself cycling through a pattern of comfort. Comfort does not equal safety.

Comfort ≠ Safety

A past client of mine said it well; if you’re in a relationship, you can’t just always go home and eat in front the TV, sometimes you have to get dressed up and go out to a nice dinner to reinvigorate things. What I hear in this is that it’s important to be comfortable with the people you work with and it’s critical to be intentional about how you’re engaging with one another.

Whether you are kicking off a new project, meeting with your team for the hundredth time, or engaging your colleagues on a special project, you have the opportunity to thoughtfully design a safe interaction.

Here are three things that you should consider when designing a safe interactions:

1. Space

The space we meet in is often an after-thought. We shuffle into conference rooms, choose a seat around a table, put all of our things out in front of us, and get to it. This is okay for routine meetings once safety is established but when a team is forming and intermittently throughout the course of a project - it's important to remove distractions and obstructions and connect more deeply.

When designing your meeting space, consider the circle. A circle is a powerful tool and I've had the honor of being part of powerful circles. The circle forces you to show up and be present.

Here's how to set it up:

  1. Arrange chairs in a circle so that everyone can see one another when seated.
  2. Remove any objects from the center that distract or obstruct. This includes tables, computers, projectors, wires, and cables.

2. Roles

Roles are often assumed without being considered and designed ahead of time. Stop doing that. Assumptions can be dangerous.  When engaging any group of humans, it's important to consider the roles that you and your colleagues play. There are three roles that I believe are critical to effective communication and engagement:

  1. The Storyteller engages the group by giving context and establishing a dialogue.
  2. The Observer engages the group by reading the participants' focus and energy and modeling physical presence and body language.
  3. The Inquirer engages the group by asking really good questions that help participants understand the context more deeply and inviting people to speak up.

These three roles can be played three individual people, three groups of people, or one person. The goal is for each of us to develop the ability to play all three roles and understand when each is needed.

3. Boundaries

Without boundaries, an interaction can dissipate. Establishing boundaries is an important practice for teams. Boundaries allow for the group understand what the conversation is and what it is not. There are four key boundaries that I believe should be set:

  1. Participants: Who is present?
  2. Context: What are we talking about and why?
  3. Time-frame: How long will this conversation last?
  4. Agreements: How will we engage with one another?

I hope that these tools allow for improved interactions on your team. I hope that you become so damn intentional with how you design meetings, engagements, and interactions.

Introducing the Simple Planning Tool

The Simple Planning Tool is our solution to simplifying the process of going from idea to action. It's at this point in a project, strategy, or change effort that we see people and teams get stuck.

Its companion is the Personal Leadership Canvas and it’s based on the same orientation within time and space.

Why this Tool?

We have found that much of the conflict we see on teams comes from overly complex planning processes and differing definitions of terms like "goals," "milestones," and even "plan." Seriously. These small misunderstandings of the meanings of common terms accumulate and derail meetings and strategies. Think of it in terms of a flight path metaphor; if something knocks you off course by a few degrees, you'll be way off course as you accelerate through time and space. This is why we build our tools so that they are oriented in the same framework of time and space.

There are four questions at the center of this tool

  1. What do you want to create?
  2. What needs to happen?
  3. What will you do to meet those needs?
  4. Why is this important?

These four questions relate to the four elements of the tool. What's important is the clarity of each answer and the relationship between the elements. Before you get to the elements, it's important to define the context.

Set the Context

What larger strategy is this plan a part of? Are you working to build a stronger culture within your organization? Are you planning an annual staff retreat and want to ensure that there's increased cohesion on your team afterward? Are you mapping out your quarterly sales goals? Whatever the context is, define it, give it a name.

Example: Organizational Culture Change

Start Date

This is the date that you will begin taking action on your plan. Often it's also the same day that you are using this tool.

April 1, 2016

Time frame

This is the time frame in which your plan will be executed. Pick something and stick to it. Three months? One year? Thirty years?

One year: April 2016 - March 2017

Define the Elements

1. Vision

Your vision is a future state of being. What does this future state look, feel, and behave like? What are the outcomes? Describe it in detail. What's important here is that you and your team actively imagine a future state being within the same context.

In one year, our organization's culture will be...

2. Needs

In order to actualize this vision, what do you need and what needs to occur? Some needs will be more complex than others and involve dynamics that are out of your control. You will be able to meet some needs on your own, some will require the help of others, some will be a whole team effort. Define needs in relation to each aspect of the vision.

In order for our organization's culture to be... we will need...

3. Commitments

Strong commitments equate to clearly defined action over some amount of time and relate to specific needs. Both variables of time and action are critical. Make actions specific and achievable and define both the frequency and duration of time for each commitment.  Commitments are the exact things that you will do to meet each need.

To ensure that ... occurs, I / we will ... once per ... for the next ... months.

4. Purpose

If your organization has a defined core purpose, write that down. If your team has a defined purpose, write that down too. At minimum, answer the question: why is this strategy important to you and the organization? While vision is a future state, purpose is always in the present as you move through time and space. Action starts here. Pressure test each of your commitments to ensure that they relate back to purpose. The likelihood of follow through will increase if every action is rooted in a deep sense of purpose.

How it Works

We designed this tool to be something that you can use on your own or with your team. You can use it to develop what you defined in the Personal Leadership Canvas and you can use it with your team to plan how you'll execute on your strategy. Be specific and clear with what you define for each element.

We hope this tool helps you understand exactly what it takes to achieve your vision and execute your plan with a deep sense of purpose. Have fun with it and let us know how it works for you.

Download the Simple Planning Tool.

Developing the Next Generation of Creative Leaders

This article was originally published in the Design Management Review in November 2015. A publication of the Design Management Institute.

You can download the full article at Wiley Publishing.

The day that I turned 18 years old, my worldview changed dramatically. That day was September 11, 2001.

Before that day, I viewed the world as big, safe, and full of opportunity. After that day, the world appeared small, scary, and lacking opportunity. This pivotal event, along with the financial crisis that began in September 2008 (the month I started my first business) and the great recession that followed have greatly influenced my perspective on the world, the problems we collectively face, and my role within it. These events represent a systemic failure in leadership and point to the fact that societal change is crucial. There’s clearly a lot of work to do.

I share my story and perspective because I believe that many people within my generation have a similar outlook on the world.

The opportunities that creativity and design represent are core components of this generational perspective. We entered the economy as design thinking became mainstream, accessible, and synonymous with problem solving. There are big challenges in the world, and we have the tools to help solve them.

Where do we start? Where we work.

The implication for organizations is huge, as this perspective shapes our views on work: what it should look like, what needs to change, and how fast this change should happen.

Organizational Tension

This new generation of creative leaders is emerging quickly. They are eager, energized, and enthusiastic to grow personally and create change, yet they often struggle to integrate into organizations. The irony is that many corporate executives and older employees struggle to utilize this young talent and harness their energy. Because of this, many organizations are stuck.

Many of the executives I talk to are frustrated that recent hires and young staff are overly eager for more responsibility, new titles, and different opportunities. Simultaneously, I hear young employees express frustration at the lack of growth opportunities, and that “things aren’t changing fast enough.”

There’s a clear tension between generations, and it stems from a differing sense of urgency, patience, and understanding the other’s perspective. In many companies, this tension is at unhealthy levels and is putting great stress on individuals and teams. Younger employees appear entitled and impatient, while older employees appear stubborn and dismissive. If it is not addressed, this stress can result in deep conflict, lack of cohesion, lost productivity, and decreased profit.

Creativity thrives within healthy levels of tension. Tension thrives whenever there are humans working together. Within the context of work, individuals and teams are at risk of burnout if that tension is not managed effectively.

The success of teams can range widely. Sometimes a team is cohesive and productive. Other times, the same team operates as if it is on the brink of collapse. People are complex, creativity can be fleeting, and the creative process can, and maybe should, be messy.

Much of my work with organizations is focused on harnessing organizational tension to increase the health conditions so that companies can innovate, transform, and grow. With organizations that are experiencing this generational tension, this looks like developing emerging leaders, helping executives understand their young talent more deeply, and designing systems to support continued learning, development, and efficiency.

Organizations that have an integrated discipline of design are uniquely positioned to leverage this tension to increase value creation and organizational capacity.

In this article, I’ve outlined three things you can do to leverage this tension and focus creative energy on improving your organization to drive innovation and growth. I use examples from my work with clients to frame what these strategies can look like.

I also use examples from the media to highlight why developing and focusing creative talent is important.

1. Embed the practice of leadership as a discipline across all levels.

My team and I recently worked with a digital creative agency that, after rapid growth, wanted to focus on efficiency and develop their talented “doers” into leaders. We delivered a custom leadership development program for more than 65 of their staff and designed strategies to integrate leadership as a discipline into their organizational architecture.

I’ve seen the practice of leadership have a major impact on the collective output of teams and the financial and cultural health of companies. This impact is most visible within the interactions and relationships between individual team members and is made possible by a healthy environment that supports the creative process.

Here’s an analogy I like to use:

  1. Think about a creative team as a brain and each member of the team as individual neurons.
  2. Neurons communicate by sending signals through synapses—junctions or pathways between cells. Consider these synapses to be the relationships among team members, and each signal sent as individual interactions. To communicate effectively through its synaptic pathways, each neuron must be adequately nourished and must exist in a healthy environment.
  3. It’s been widely proposed that omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish oil) are essential for helping to produce and maintain a healthy brain. They provide neurons and synapses with the nourishment required to function. By consuming omega-3s, we are helping to create a healthy environment that allows for our neurons to communicate effectively, which leads to increased cognitive capacity and greater function.

Figure 1: A simple representation of a team with individual team members in various colors having different levels of leadership capacity. The grey center represents the collective output of the team.

I define the practice of leadership as the act of increasing your capacity to understand yourself, your relationships, and the context in which you operate in order to influence each of those things in a generative way.
Simplified, this looks like: Understanding × Influence = Leadership capacity

Figure 2: This formula can be translated into a simple 2x2 matrix. The horizontal axis represents capacity to understand and the vertical axis represents capacity to influence. Optimal leadership capacity is pictured in blue in the upper right quadrant.

As with the topic of millennials in the workforce, there’s an incredible amount of information and literature on leadership. Some of it is excellent. Some not. Much of it is focused on traits and qualities that represent a steady state of “being a leader” and is modeled after what leadership has looked like in the past. This can be dangerous, specifically as it relates to diversity within organizations.

After the US men’s soccer team beat Ghana in last year’s World Cup, Delta Airlines posted a photo on twitter of the Statue of Liberty overlaid by the number 2 next to a giraffe overlaid with the number 1 to represent the final score of the match. Cue Twitter backlash pointing out the fact that giraffes do not live in Ghana.

As a result of this incident, Delta was accused of being everything from laughably naive to blatantly racist.  I don’t know what Delta's intent was in posting the photo, nor do I have intimate knowledge of their internal process for vetting social media posts. I do know that it was ignorant, offensive to many people, damaging to their brand, and completely avoidable.

It’s through the practice of leadership that you develop a critical aspect of your leadership capacity: your voice.

Your voice is what you choose to express to others. It’s based on your story and your perspective. You see, feel, hear, and perceive things. You learn things over time. You build knowledge and form your worldview. This is what informs your voice. As you form and understand your perspective, it’s your responsibility to find the most authentic, appropriate, engaging, and effective way to share it with others.

Keeping the concept of voice in mind, there are three scenarios that might have allowed Delta Airlines to post this photo:

  1. No one who was responsible for creating and publishing this content knew that giraffes do not live in Ghana and that this post might be offensive.
  2. Someone did know that giraffes do not live in Ghana and that the post might be offensive—and didn’t speak up.
  3. Someone did know, and did speak up, but was disregarded.

Each of these scenarios is dangerous, and each points to probable systemic challenges at Delta:

  1. There is a lack of contextual understanding. It’s really important that your team have the contextual understanding of your organization and the market it serves. (Delta flies to Accra, Ghana.)
  2. Certain individuals lack the capacity to speak up when necessary. It’s critical that your team members speak up. This responsibility falls on each individual as well as the team, collectively.
  3. There is a lack of regard for certain voices on the team. It’s crucial that all voices on a team are heard. It’s in the best interest of those who are tasked with making decisions to listen to the voices in the room.

In a diverse and complex world, creativity and innovation depend on diverse and complex perspectives that are voiced and regarded. The success of teams depends on the ability of individuals to understand and influence.

Figure 3: The same simple team representation is updated to show increased collective output as a result of each individual team member having increased leadership capacity.

Your organization’s ability to innovate and grow is directly reliant on the health of your teams and their capacity to effectively communicate and produce. You can take an Omega-3 supplement once in a while—it won’t do much for you. You can engage your teams in a leadership workshop once in a while—the same is true. The long-term health benefits of integrating foods that are rich in Omega-3s into your diet will have a tangible effect on your health and well-being. The same is true if you can establish leadership as a discipline that is consistently practiced and that permeates every function of your company.

By making leadership a practice that everyone has access to, you’re giving young talent the time, space, and capacity to understand the organization and influence its direction in a more focused and productive way. Consider leadership development within your organization to be as essential as the development of technical skills, the adoption of new technologies, and the efficient management of projects.

2. Actively develop young employees to accelerate organizational learning.

Start developing the capacity of your young employees early. The competencies that come from a disciplined practice of leadership and personal development are critical at any stage of a career and will increase the efficiency and focus of teams. Engage your young employees in dialogue and with coaching and encourage them to develop and refine their understanding of themselves, others, and the organizational context.

There are four elements that I believe every emerging leader, and every young employee, must define:

Your values serve as a foundation. On your path, they allow you to walk on solid ground.  It feels good when we live through them, it feels terrible when we act outside of them, and we often feel tension with others when they act against them in our presence. You can also think of your values as an operating procedure. If you were going into a difficult situation, what would it look like to handle the situation by behaving according to your values?

Voice begins with your unique story and your perspective on the world. We take in information through our senses; we see, we feel, we perceive things, and all of our past and present experiences inform our unique perspectives. Once you understand your perspective, you have the opportunity and responsibility to find the most authentic, appropriate, engaging, and effective way to share it with others. It’s critical to teams and organizations that a diversity of perspectives is heard and informs the way they operate and the work they produce.

Vision is what you literally see as well as what you can imagine as possibility. Think of your vision as the horizon line. It gives us our sense of place and allows us to imagine what can be. It’s important to that you allow your vision to be outside of your current reality— don’t limit yourself by what you think to be possible based on immediate restraints. A tool for defining your vision is the use of boundaries. If you feel stuck or are unsure where to start, put some boundaries of time and context around your imagination—the boundary of one year, for example.  Defining your vision is an ongoing practice. The key is to imagine and then act, imagine, and act again.

Your purpose is what gets you out of bed in the morning and what keeps you moving. Purpose is closely tied to vision, and it's the relationship between the two that's important. Vision is what you’re working towards; purpose is why that is important to you. Purpose gives you your minimum viable product—meaning that while your vision will take time to build, a clear purpose will allow you to take action immediately.

When young employees have a deeper understanding of these four elements, the organization benefits. These elements exist at the organizational level too. As employees define these elements for themselves, they gain a deeper understanding of their place within the organization. I’ve seen this result in staff being reenergized and integrating more fully into the organization and I’ve also seen employees realize that they are not a good fit and leave. In either scenario, the organization benefits from increased cohesion and focus.

To ensure that the connection between personal and organizational perspective is made, it’s important to create opportunities to share and direct this understanding within the context of the company. Make sure that individual development is complimented by group learning and shared application.

3. Focus creative tension by forming “special ops” teams to make organizational improvements.

A cultural attribute of the graduate program I attended, that I love, is the concept that a complaint is a commitment. Meaning that if you see something that can be improved and you bring it up to the community, you’ve just volunteered to form a team to do something about it.

A critical stress point in the tension between generations is that young employees want to have an effect on the organization from the very beginning, while many older employees have worked their way up in the structure and have assumed responsibility over time. These are two mental models that seem to be at odds with one another. They don’t have to be.

Let’s go back to the client I mentioned earlier in this article. We found that within that organization, there had been some grumblings about the “employee experience.” To address this, we formed a “special ops” team comprised of employees who were frustrated as well as some that were not. They all had different roles within the organization, and didn’t normally have the opportunity to work together.

This strategy served multiple purposes:

  1. To focus their personal and collective tension on problem-solving
  2. To understand other people’s experiences and break out of their individual perspectives
  3. To develop and refine their abilities to pitch ideas to executives in the firm

Using UX design tools, the team interviewed a range of current and past employees and mapped an “employee journey.” They discovered that, depending when someone was hired; there was sometimes a gap of 1-3 months between his or her first day and when they were given important information that related to the culture of the company. This led to a lack of cohesion and a feeling of disconnection for some employees.

One strategy that came out of the work of this special ops team was to develop a mentor program that was part of the “onboarding” process. Each new employee is now assigned a peer mentor from within the company, who meets with him or her on that first day to help the new employee better understand the organization. Not only does this help to integrate new hires into the organizational culture, but it also serves to reinforce important aspects of the company with long-standing employees.

For those who participated on the special ops team, this activity produced a deeper understanding of themselves, other people on staff, and the organizational context, and it created an outlet for people’s energy that could otherwise have resulted in conflict or attrition.

Another example of this approach was with a retail client. During the holiday season, the busiest time of the year, we formed a special ops team to observe where breakdowns were occurring. We met weekly for two hours, outside of the store, to share thoughts and have dialogue on what was observed. During the holiday season, the expectation of this team was to not develop solutions immediately but to collect information that would help redesign systems when we knew that business would slow down and there would be time and capacity to focus on designing solutions. There was significant stress among some employees that was caused by the sense that things were not working as well as they could be and that there was not time or capacity to do anything about it. This team’s focus was to first ‘problem find’ and then, problem solve. After the holiday season, they refocused on designing solutions for what was observed.
This approach provided the opportunity for younger employees to learn the value of understanding challenges on a deeper level before designing solutions. Meeting outside of normal business hours and in a different space allowed for the team to understand one another better and for newer staff to develop their voice and share their perspective in ways were not possible while they were “at work.” The focused scope and schedule constraints helped to ease tension among employees who believed that every challenge should be solved immediately.

Organizational tension is a powerful force that when focused can improve systems and increase employee engagement. Creating special ops teams that encourage deeper understanding and focused problem solving is an effective strategy to do this.

There’s an emerging generation of creative talent that is driven to improve the world - starting with where they work. Let them. Your organization will benefit.

While this urgency to improve and develop can cause tension among staff, executives have the opportunity to leverage intergenerational tensions to support well-being and accelerate growth and innovation in their companies. To do this, organizations must embed the practice of leadership across all levels and functions to create the conditions necessary for personal growth, actively develop emerging leaders, and focus creative energy on making internal improvements.

Author Posting. © 2009 The Design Management Institute. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the Design Management Institute for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Design Management Review, 26:3, .

Giraffes, Context, and a Diversity of Voices - Part 2

Giraffes, Context, and a Diversity of Voices - Part 2

After the US men’s soccer team beat Ghana in last year’s World Cup, Delta Airlines posted the above photo on Twitter.

Cue twitter backlash pointing out the fact that giraffes do not live in Ghana.


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Foot and Ankle Anatomy

The foot; It's bones and movements

The ankle joint (talocrural joint) is composed of 3 bones. The central ankle bone is the talus, this is surrounded on either side by the tibia and the fibula.
On the inside of the ankle, the joint is maintained by a very strong ligament, the deltoid ligament, which helps resist rolling in of the ankle. On the outside of the ankle are the much weaker lateral ankle ligaments. One of these ligaments, the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) is the most commonly injured ligament in the body

The ankle joint allows the foot to move up (dorsiflexion) and down (plantarflexion).  Around the ankle joint are several tendons which enter the foot from the muscles of the leg.
The foot is an incredibly complex structure consisting of 28 bones, 33 joints , 19 muscles and 107 ligaments.

The foot can be divided into 3 segments:The rearfoot, the midfoot and the forefoot.

The rearfoot consists of the largest bone in the foot, the calcaneus, as well as the talus. The joint formed between the two is the subtalar joint which plays a significant role in foot function.

The midfoot consists of five tarsal bones: navicular, cuboid, medial, intermediate and lateral cuneiforms. These bones form the arch of the foot and act to absorb shock (attenuate load).

The forefoot consists of the five metatarsals, the fourteen toe bones (the phalanges) and two sesamoid bones located under the big toe joint.


Episode 3

Taking Notes in Class

Note-Taking Tricks

In this episode, we cover some note-taking basics like active listening and handling lecture speed. We also look at different note-taking systems, and the materials each is most effective for.

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  1. Using ideas from the episode, explain how the process of taking notes can be just as important as the actual notes themselves.
  2. What is active listening, and how could you personally begin to use it to take better notes?
  3. Choose one technique discussed in the episode and try using it to take notes along with the mock lecture presented. Then compare your notes with Kate’s or Sarah’s notes using the same technique. Describe what you did well and what you could have done better.
  4. Borrowing from other systems, construct your own note-taking system and code with simplification and abbreviation to make note-taking in your most difficult class faster, more accurate, and more useful. Try it out.
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