Personality Test Results are In!

Spent all day Friday in 'Leadership Development Training' with about 20 other sales managers and directors.

We did computerised DiSC personality profiling and the results were shared across the group. I've done lots of these things in the past but not this exact system.

A host of Japanese guys I hardly know let alone trust got to see my graph, so I might as well share some with you.

D of the DiSC system stands for Dominance.

My dominance score was the highest of the entire group. That was a bit alarming. My S, Steadyness, was very low.

Some other snippets:

• Ras tends to be strong willed and seeks out new horizons (can't argue with that from Tokyo)


• He may be able to bypass conventional ideas and may avoid wasting time blaming


• Tending to be easily bored Ras may search for new opportunities


• He may prefer activities that require considerable mental or physical effort
  

Ras would increase his effectiveness by:

• Taking more time to think through possible consequences before taking action


• Listening and considering the thoughts feelings and experiences of others


• Learning to be in a group without being in charge (!!!)


• Developing tact and diplomacy..............................

Hmmm!

The Way of The Samurai

This is the cover of a book called Hagakure.

It is a transcript of works written 350 years ago by a Samurai.  Or rather, the retainer of a Samurai.  A rare collection of anecdotes and reflections, some are downright confusing, others brilliantly pierce our modern existence.  It is about following The Way, an undefinable way of living that is in keeping with principles of Samurai existence.  I wont try to go into it.  Buy yourself a copy, impress your friends.

Here is one for today.  I might add these in from time to time.

****

It is not good to settle into a set of opinions.  It is a mistake to put forth effort and obtain some understanding and then stop at that.  At first putting forth great effort to be sure that you have grasped the basics, then practicing so that they may come to fruition is something that will never stop for your whole lifetime.  Do not rely of following the degree of understanding that you have discovered, but simply think, "This is not enough."

One should search throughout his whole life how best to follow The Way.  And he should study, setting his mind to work without putting things off.  Within this is The Way

****

Good old Yamamoto Tsunetomo, I think it's cool.

Walk to Yoyogi Park

Harajuku Street is a bit like a Tokyo version of Camden. Goth-lite if you will.

Check out the dog clothing. They all have it.

Heres a couple of random things. These guys were playing Digeridoo. Sounded pretty good. Then there were the drummers, violins, saxophone, singing, humming, meditating, bongo playing, you get the idea.

This sign is self explanatory.

I'm testing a YouTube channel called Sumisumike. I uploaded some very crazy dudes dancing around like loons. They were pretty staunch.

You can see it here http://www.youtube.com/user/sumisumike

Hiking

Heres some pics from the hiking!

They are kind of around the wrong way, as obviously the sleeping was done after the hiking and eating, not before...

chilling out at top of Kobo mountain...

Picnic time

Well yes, actually, I did...

Nice folks....

Change

I made someone cry on Friday.

Let me rephrase that. One of my team cried on Friday. Oops.

We were talking about change. She is worried about the changes we want to make. I say, we have to move, this is the direction we are moving in. She says, but what if it is not the right direction? This can be very stressful for some people.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross spent years researching grief, and her concepts can be applied to change of all kinds. Denial gives way to acceptance and then, hopefully, commitment. There are no hard and fast rules, if change is a fact and not a possibility.

And so it is with moving country. You have this period of elation, almost hysteria, the facts of the situation escape you. It is like denial, it exists for positive change as well as negative.

We all want to be happy and relaxed in our lives, and in our work. We have a duty to demonstrate this, to show those around us that it is possible when they forget.

Hopefully, in return they will show us when we forget!

Gadget rage

Tried to get my Apple Mac working through the AirMac Extreme thinge I bought the other week, because there is only wired Internet connection here. Salesman confidently assured me it was the best option for my situation. Reassuringly expensive at least.

Fail. The AirMac thing has gone completely invisible, the troubleshooting guide of course doesnt tell you how to deal with that, and the Apple help line is not open today. Apple products can be so frusatrating when they are not being completely intuitive.

As a consolation I have connected my DJ CD to the hi fi that came with the apartment (and bizarrely had cassette tape and not CD). Small victories... Listening to an old Moby CD, 'Everything Is Wrong'. Good stuff.

Went running in Yoyogi Park again today. gotta get my iPhone so I can take photos, it is the most interesting collection of people doing stuff you've ever seen. There's the guy playing saxophone, just down from some lady playing violin, exercise classes, singing lessons, drama groups, a dog-socialisation-and-training area, girls doing photo-shoots, blind runners running in groups with guides, I mean you name it. There are even some people just 'going to the park', but they seem to be in the minority.

Autumn has arrived in Japan.

The leaves will soon be turning red in Kyoto, I might have go visit that, supposed to be amazing.

Even more important, they have launched the first Autumn beer - Kirin Autumn lager!

6%...

Kampai

So, what's it like?

Today is Nichi Yobi

This means Sun Day

The symbol for Sun is above. Kind of cool, I think you can easily recognise it as it's quite simple.

Watched Dragnet last night. I think I like 80's stuff a lot. Notice how all the films have the same dopey guitar soundtracks regardless of whether it's action, drama, comedy or whatever? But seriously, 80's films, life was so much more promising then. Before polar bears and uranuim enrichment and all that.

Also watched a feature on CNN on Margaret Moth. She changed her name from Margaret Wilson early on because it was too common. She's from Dunedin. She never cared what anyone thought of her, which is lucky. There's an edited clip of the feature here.

On finding out she was dying of cancer she said that if she'd been careful and had a quiet life, she'd probably be very stressed right now. Suddenly taking up skydiving and all that. But she felt that it doesnt matter how long you live for, so long as you live a full life. Top stuff.

In answer to the question above? No idea! Will come back to that.