Life has been pretty good to me. I am healthy, have a loving wife and amazing kids. Plus I get to do the one thing I really enjoy. Yet each year, the last day of the season is always the saddest letdown for me. What is the ONE THING?

Skiing! Why do I stand in sub zero temperatures? Most people think brazing the onslaught of freezing winds ludicrous. It’s because skiing is my passion. I love to do it, share it with my family and best of all I’m a professionally certified ski instructor.

Teaching people this winter outdoor activity really gives me an endless rush. The look on people’s faces as they progress from novice to competence never gets old.

Skiing seems like a fairly straight forward activity. But, there is a whole complex level of physics, physiology, and psychology that challenges the instructor and torments the student.

Today at the place I teach and play, closed for the season. That means my self experimentation of the 3 P’s goes on hiatus until late next fall when the snow returns.

This year it’s worse. The real frustration occurred yesterday. Another instructor had me try their more responsive race skis. As I played, for some reason I decided to remind myself to relax with each turn. Then BAM, I broke through a boundary.

Oh, not an injurious boundary. No, this was a ZEN boundary. By relaxing with each turn I surrendered my thoughts. An artist or musician will understand what I am talking about. It was a moment of being a vessel of turning creation. The skis, the snow, and I were effortlessly dancing.

The other instructor, who lent me the skis, was following behind. When I finally stopped at the bottom, I had a sense of totally amazing exhilaration. Looking at him, we both laughed. While riding up the lift, we joked it was better than sex because it lasted longer and I didn’t feel a need to take a nap.

We both analyzed my movement pattern. (That’s what instructors do.) From his vantage point he noticed advanced ability beyond what he had seen in me before. In ski terms I developed enormous edge angles with solid railroad tracks that never slid nor diverged. Since I had been skiing longer than him, he usually asks me for feedback and has learned much from my so-called wisdom.

From my vantage point, my movements had never been easier or as precise. There was a flow of forces that were not proportional to my input.  The less I put into the movement pattern the greater the result. I played with medium and short radius turns then back again. It truly was playful. I was having so much fun that I wished I had more terrain to ski on before stopping.

Well, today, with my skis, I discovered the same technique works. My skis are much longer and more of downhill ski. While I have to be more patient, the results of smooth turn transitions were the same.

I have to admit though; I like the playfulness of a race slalom ski better. Over the years, I was a strong proponent that for most skiers, equipment doesn’t make a better skier. I am a very solid skier no matter what equipment I use. I still believe that.

Skiing is still about the 3 P’s. If you can’t get those figured out, no equipment can change you. It’s all about what goes on inside. The ski becomes an extension that connects the person to the snow.

The physics of the terrain determine how the physiology engages the ski. These are the easiest to master. However, the Psychology is the biggest obstacle to overcome. Bigger than jumps, bigger than a mogul field and bigger than the steepest back bowl.

But for now, because the season officially ends, I must wait until next season to see if I can recreate that turning agility. The thing is, it never takes more than the first run to find out. That’s one of the reasons I love skiing.

To make this years end even more difficult, on this last day, the sky was cloudless blue, the temperature started out in the 20’s (F) and moved into the upper 40’s. My kids were with me and they kept skiing better and better themselves. The birds were chirping, the air was clean and I felt so full, content and happy.

If I fail to reclaim that agility, I will always have a perfect moment that reminds me of how grand life can be when I simply relax and enjoy the most valuable gifts that life has to offer. Friends, family, and nature. (Yeah, skiing? Ah, that too!)

This feeling of Zen is called being in the zone. For the rest of my professional time I am a Life, Career, and Business Evangelist/Coach.  I teach my clients how to get into their ZONE. If frustration is overwhelming you. If work is endless deadlines and continues angst, then you might want to contact a coach.

As much as I love skiing, helping someone transformed into their ZONE is a bigger rush. It’s a science and most definitely an art. But no matter how challenging a day may become, it never gets old. That’s why I live my passion. What about you?

I apologize for not posting in a while.

As you have read in earlier posts, in the winter months I am heavy into skiing. I am a professional ski instructor, introducing people from ages 4 to 72 learn this fun and exciting winter activity. This winter, I have been even busier because a local ski shop asked if I could fill in some hours. The next post I make will be about the last few days of skiing.

Now that ski season is over I’m back to blogging, building my business, and coaching people to get more from life, their careers, and from their businesses. Likewise, I am walking my own talk. You will be seeing more posts and I am part of an on-line challenge to increase my business. More about that later.

I hope everyone is enjoying life to the fullest. Feel free to let your friends, family, enemies, or loved ones know about this blog. I encourage your paticipation and would love to read your comments.

Regards,

Michael Spindelman 

There we were talking about corporate improvement strategies. We were having a simple discussion in the locker-room when a raw nerve was struck. So we dropped the subject.

About a week later I finally remembered that the cause of the raw nerve was very common. This individual was reacting to a reasonable fumbling of a well meaning consultant who was very competent with the tools of process improvement, but lacked a persistent understanding of the culture of integration.

What is a typical situation is that tools take on a life of there own. Management gets convinced that a specific tool is an end all methodology. Then they force it on unsuspecting victims who see the tool as over complicating a very simple problem.

The problem is neither the tool nor the intent of the management team. What the problem is that the project that was selected was such low hanging fruit that an amoeba could have figured it out. The resulting response was an immediate rejection of the complete methodology as being cumbersome and overcomplicated.

There is an old expression that there is a right tool for every job. When management adopts one tool for every situation there is inherent rejection that will follow. So before the acceptance can get any critical mass, there is evidence that supports the objecting community.

Companies that use methodologies such as lean, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, Five 9’s, Seven Sphincter, add nausea… frequently fail not because these programs don’t work extremely effectively. But because the tools were seen as the end all solution to all that ails the company.

What ails 99.99999% of companies is their culture of listening. The one thing that Toyota gets right is its ability to keep an open mind to what people say. They, like any company are not perfect and they get it wrong many times. The one thing however, that they consistently get right is their ability to listen. From the guy who sweeps the floor to the customer who uses their product.

It’s amazing how companies get so caught up in their rightness that they put themselves right out of business. The biggest challenge I have had building my own little business has been learning to listen. We all have great ideas. No, I am not exaggerating and making statistically skewed assumptions. Everyone has great ideas. The problem, is no one takes the time to listen to the average person.

Jack Welch summarized it quite succinctly with his 20-70-10 differentiation rule. There is only so much time in the day. So in order to get more things done, we must prioritize who we communicate with. He realized that he could get the most bang for his buck by dealing with the top 20% of the organization. He realized that the vital 70% did the heavy lifting and made sure the 20% interacted with that group. He also realized the bottom 10% were just a poor fit that should have the option to better their lives outside of GE.

So when Mr. Welch sought to introduce a major program into the organization, he started with the 20%. Throughout the United States, those companies who have mirrored this model have seen effective program integration. They looked for project opportunities that had high economic impact that had a long history of problems that could not be solved using visual management tools.

Likewise, DuPont found an impossible high hanging fruit project that had failed so many times before to prove that Six Sigma too was just “Another” program. When Six Sigma finally solved this 100 year old problem, Six Sigma became “The Program” for the organization.

Tools are hard skill assets an organization can use to really have big impact. But there are complete soft sides that must be developed before any hard tool can be effective. Those companies that have been successful with Lean or Six Sigma used these programs as a launching pad to become a learning organization. Lean started with Toyota and Six Sigma started at Motorola. We can see that there is something that Toyota gets that Motorola doesn’t.

In The Toyota Way, Jeffrey Liker points out that top US Lean companies have been shown by Toyota Lean experts that they knew little of what lean was really all about. In order to achieve major breakthroughs, the organization must figure out how it can help the vital 70 by deeply listening and observing what they are doing on a daily basis. What causes the bottom 10 is not a bad fit.

Rather, the bottom 10 are the birds in the mine who are trying to help the company grow. They are the ones who are so exasperated that they have become ineffective. These people were hired into a company that claimed one thing and as time has gone on, the culture has shown them something completely different. The easiest way to resolve these cultural issues is to let go of this group. The more challenging way is to learn to develop a dialogue with these people.

These people are representatives of the future. They are the bellwether of new markets. Understanding their minds helps to really rally the vital 70 more than listening to the (as my good friends rib me) seven sphincters* of the top 20.

What holds a company back is bureaucracy. Even mature successful Six Sigma companies reach a glass ceiling. Almost all Six Sigma organizations reach this glass ceiling in their 5 to 8ths year of their program. The reason is so simple it’s embarrassing. It’s the mindset of eliminating variability. After a company has been eliminating for 5 to 8 years, the only thing left to eliminate is the program.

Toyota in lean looks at value contribution. They look at how each step can add to what the customer receives. They uncover ways to add quality, add features, do more in a shorter period of time, connect to more senses, and to add more to society.

Improvement is a spoon. On one side it is straight up. On the other side it is inverted. Toyota has had a long history of keeping the straight up side in focus.

Maybe the time is right to twist the spoon and restart the dialogue with a clear focus on listening. On inclusion of adding value instead of a mindset of elimination. The next program should not be the sound of seven sphincters sounding, but everybody listening.

*(Side Not: I learned many years ago not to discuss business over beers. Especially one so misunderstood as process improvement or Six Sigma. People who understand continuous improvement like me are passionate about it. Those that view it as a threat react strongly against it.

Nevertheless, I misjudged my audience. I thought by talking about my business it would lead to making business contacts. Instead of achieving great fortunes, here is what happened.

When I had mentioned that I was working on a program that went beyond Six Sigma, I was derided by my “buddies” with intentions of getting me to lighten up. I have always been very passionate about helping people succeed.

There was much banter back and forth of program after program that companies go through with much thunderous laughter at my expense. Finally one person said “Oh you should call it Seven Sphincters!”

That was not quite the name I was searching for. But, after many Friday nights of this abuse, it began to have some accuracy for the Next Thing in Business Improvement. It’s as good a name as any else and kind of symbolizes the perspective most people feel about these programs.) 

Have you ever worked on something that you were absolutely possessed about? You weren’t working you were obsessed. Time flew by, there were no hiccups and inspiration was in everything you did. You were performing at a level of high quality and you produced a lot. You were in a zone of contentment and clarity.

What you were experiencing was your brilliance. The end and the path were clear. For most people these moments are rare. But that not need be the case.

We have a tendency to think in tasks rather than outcomes. We clutter our lives on goals rather than the experiences. We lust after achievement instead of filling our lives with true passion. Passion is filling, lust is exhausting. We tend to seek pride instead of satisfaction of fulfillment. Pride is something we feel internally. Satisfaction is what we experience when we have made an impact.

Time management is a focus on scheduling tasks to get done all the conflicting obligations we face when we are living someone else’s agenda. When you allow your purpose to live and your brilliance to breath, time disintegrates. The outcome is lasting and the result is larger than life.

If you shift your thinking to how you can become a creator instead of a tasker then you will begin to see time differently. Before you sit down to make a list of chores, (Tasks) think about how the outcome feels to you. Imagine how the results can positively change someone else’s life.

Awaken all your senses; the light, colors, size, distance, sounds, frequency, amplitude, smells, pungent, sweet, touch, hard, soft, of the place close or far, in the mountains or at sea level. The more real you make something before you do it the easier it is to live it.

To really make it more real, try to move your thoughts from your head into your torso. Take a deep breath saying to yourself, “I am now entering the calm clear space!” exhale and strengthen the experience from a calm clear perspective. Repeat your breathing a few times repeating the expression. You will sense clutter disappearing.

When you actually begin the experience keep redirecting your thoughts back to this centered calm space. Whenever you feel your thoughts inside your head, take a breath and move them back to your torso.

Try this right now. On your next activity. Remember, it’s like shampooing; Apply, experience, and repeat. Be calm, be centered, be Brilliant.

I love epiphanies. You know, those moments of insightful clarity where all the chaos settles down into clear uncluttered order.

The last few days, I have been receiving a massive barrage of negativity. The funny thing is I have selected the sources. I chose the radio station that talked about how we are living George Orwell’s 1984. How wars are used to drain economies of valuable resources and perpetuate a one side must win attitude.

I selected the YouTube Videos on 9/11 conspiracies. That essentially substantiate that the underlying cause for the tragic event was a controlled demolition that would provide substantial economic gain for its new owner and rally the country around a war against a non-state enemy.

Furthermore, tragic events in Pakistan made me feel helpless. That there is so much evil in the world, what possible difference could I have on it. Then I chose another set of sources.

These sources talked about how absolutely powerful our minds are. How there is this collective consciousness that connects us all. They discussed no matter how horrible a situation is, it is our choice to respond that makes all the difference. Then I remembered how not just the United States, but how the world reacted to 9/11 immediately afterwards. It was overwhelming concern and love. There was a global connectedness in the weeks following that sad day.

I remembered being on the first flight out of my hometown after that tragic destructive period. Destructive not only from the crashing buildings and the loss of lives of the unfortunate people inside but, the lives of their families. And, of the travel industry that were on the plane with me trying to get home two weeks afterwards. The destruction of perceived security. The uncertainty that my family would expect of my safe return from another expected business trip.

Day after day, we are constantly reminded of how there are bad people in the world who are focused on destruction. In spite of all of that, I absolutely am blessed with laughter in my household. That I can look at things my family does and encourage and heal. Together, we each see the world a little bit differently.

How we work at finding miracles in the natural order around us. I must remind myself that children all over the world build friendships and find opportunities to play. I was reminded of that yesterday as I taught 3 young adults in there late twenties how to ski for the first time. They were visiting from Hong Kong.

I can choose to create conversations of action for a better world. I can choose today at this very minute to find something wonderful about my wife and children. That I can use my voice make people find joy. To transcend the dark clouds that looms overhead.

To realize that the natural order of the universe which is so much greater than any one person uses clouds to buffet sunlight and provide fresh life rejuvenating water. That within each one of us is a universe unto itself. We are part of an infinite existence as much as we are mortally alive.

If we choose to react with anger and violence, then we give into those forces in the world who believe that destruction, scarcity, and security are best for us.

I would rather choose a world that looks at abundant centric solutions, positive alternatives, balanced creation, and freedom.

A world where trust is understood between principled people from all backgrounds. I choose love and understanding over hatred and ignorance.

Through time truths change. What prevents change from occurring is adherence to outdated truths. What was true with 1 million people on the planet, in many ways is different with 6+ Billion people on the planet.

Starting today, right now and throughout the next year, choose light over darkness. Find your sense of clarity and purpose to make the world a better place. Please choose love over hate. Build up someone rather than tear them down. Help someone find a positive way in life. Bring more alternatives into the world, some call these third ways.

I plead with you, become part of a collective world that builds instead of destroys. Our very survival counts on it. Even if you had darkness in your soul, let a pinhole of light shine through you, starting now and let it grow. What is past cannot be changed. The future is always a day away. The only moment we ever have is now and what a present it is.

New truths always emerge. Choosing what is positive in them is the challenge. May this year bring you calm, peaceful epiphanies. -  Happy New Years,

Welcome to Eventronics’ Blog. Eventronics helps ordinary people achieve more from life and business.

Our mission is to find simple techniques that have big impact on the average person.

We began our business model helping large billion dollar companies deploy Six Sigma. We uncovered an interesting problem, that mature programs hit a glass ceiling. From our observations we began to develop an organizational model to address this dilemma. We further saw an opportunity to help small businesses and individuals reach higher levels of performance.

We discovered a few things. Six Sigma focuses on training the Best And The Brightest which only amounts to be about 5 to 15% of the organization. Our question was, “What if we were to be able to move more people into that category?” A natural plus for smaller operations.

The other big hidden factor was with constant focus on process improvement through an elimination mindset true innovation gets squelched. We saw after 9/11 that those companies who were process focused took longer to rebound than non-Six Sigma companies.

Most of the quality movement we know today started at Toyota. There is one critical factor missing when US companies deploy the Toyota Production Model: Play. That’s right PLAY. In the Toyota environment, action preceeds improvment. Try something that we know nothing about, discover the mistakes, begin an improvement strategy then try again.

True innovation comes from playing with things that don’t make sense and discovering the results. Innovation asks rediculous questions and finds improbable results that WOW. Six Sigma is about converting a subjective problem into a mathematical model for removing variability. Innovation is harnassing variability and allowing intuition to lead to unintended conclusions.

After 5 years of variability reduction, the corporate culture accepts that variability is a bad thing. In order to move the company into new markets, they must buy small nimble innovators and process the heck out of them. Which unfortuneatly drives the innovating founders out of the organization.

The innovators open new markets. Process companies focus on “Market Share”. Either way, every company establishes through day to day practices it’s corporate culture. Blending process with breakthrough ideas requires a mindset that tolerates well executed mistakes. A point that US companies missed when adopting The Toyota Way.

Innovation is focused on benefiting and positively impacting a global society. Process is about scarcity, control, elimination and cost. The funny thing is, that innovation can really do some major damage to a process focused organization. The typewriter industry was displaced by desktop computing. The keyboard industry however has seen a big upturn.

What we wonder is when transportaion technology will move past the wheel and petrolium paradigm? When will we have tireless vehicles that consume less and less of any energy and offer more features at more affordable pricepoints? That day is comming if enough people ask the question.

There, in front of a room of 35 newly met relative strangers, I began a presentation that I had never given before. It started out alright. Then the worst event happened, everything in my mind went totally blank. I couldn’t remember my presentation. A total brain burp!

There wasn’t enough time to prepare PowerPoint slides that would have helped. The presentation I had come to deliver needed to be completely revamped when I realized what the real pain in this group was. In this case, I needed to connect my new message with the audience. Sharing what was in my heart could not be put on slides. No, this was a chalk talk.

I was the last breakout speaker at a “Living Your Legacy” 3 day weekend. Every other speaker was polished and practiced with striking projected slides. In comparison I was RAW. My only ace, was my ability to connect with everyone in this room. At this moment.

This presentation was about the gap the majority of the attendees felt from the three days of information overload. We went through hard questions. We explored answers that seemed obvious. Yet the answers were a subterfuge. They turned out to widen the gap. Then, on my sleeve with my own heart, I explained that there was a cause underneath it all.

That is when it happened. You see, for several years, I struggled to connect with an audience. I mean really connect. Up to that moment, I had given presentations that gave information. They were practiced and professional. I offered training on time management, effectiveness, on process and something was always missing. I couldn’t pinpoint it. Now I was experiencing it.

All the hard work. All the thwarted effort by everyone around me. All the struggle to keep going, to live an authentic life finally registered. There was massive objection almost daily for those many years from my wife, my siblings, in-laws, and mother. But, something inside nudged me to keep pushing. Just as I was ready to throw in the towel and admit they were all right and I was wrong is when the moment presented itself. The whole opportunity to present at this event happened only at the last minute. I had to be there in two weeks.

This weekend event was all about living a legacy. There I was, opening up and letting my legacy unfold right in front of me. I was not merely giving a presentation. The audience and I were interchanging real meaningful understanding. We looked deep inside and exposed a hurt that penetrated our souls. Then during a pause I heard it. I looked around the room. Not one, not two, but about one third of the room were blowing their noses and wiping tears from their eyes. I was totally humbled.

I share this story with you because living your passion can really be hard. It’s like birth.

Birth isn’t painless. It is an absolute bloody mess filled with agonizing pain. But, after the afterbirth passes, your creation looks back at you. At that moment you know how beautiful it is and you absolutely know without question it was all worth while. It was the love of seeing the birth of your passion that makes life incredible. From that moment on, everything is different. Better.

Welcome to Eventronics’ Blog. Eventronics helps ordinary people achieve more from life and business.