I recently came across a Harvard Business Review article that defines a small group of organizations that are prioritizing the individual employee in a new way.  This HBR article and its author calls these organizations, which make business personal by prioritizing  individual employee development, Deliberately Developmental Organizations (DDO). The DDO organization is fundamentally about building a culture that reinforces the importance of all employees being who they are always–both inside and outside the traditional walls of the organization.

At present, these organizations are seen as somewhat of an experiment by many managers but I see them becoming a best practice in the future because they will be shown to lead to highly productive organizations.

Sport athletes and coaches, generally give the worst interviews.  They always give some uber politically correct explanation for their success or performance.  Why can’t someone just be real, and say, something like “today I just had a good day” or “I was in a groove” or “this is what I get paid to do, so it makes sense that we are good at it” or “Today was awesome, I am awesome, and I love being awesome”.   As a consumer, I feel like it is more motivational to hear something like that because I would feel like maybe I can achieve and enjoy awesomeness too!   Hearing a coach or player say something like “yeah, I am just really lucky to be here” is so disheartening because it makes me feel like life is completely left to chance.  This doesn’t provide any hope!

I feel like public relations coaches advise athletes to speak super humbly because they think television viewers will otherwise see them as undeserving of their multi-million dollar salaries that they are fortunate to have.  Nonsense.   Since when did the american people become so soft?  Life is about doing well, competing, working hard, and winning.  And if you do that here in America you are rewarded, so why can’t we just recognize this and let this truth flow through into the way we speak?

Advertisements and media should call us out on our own bullshit.

Postcard on the Run is a genius utilization of mobile technologies to create a simple enough product.  It is a smartphone app that enables one to send real postcards in the mail to anyone, anywhere in the world right from your phone.  You can include a personal message and a GPS map on your postcard!  You can even sign your postcard on your phone with your finger. It’s all FREE.