Critical Chance

Category: Monday Tidbits

  • What slow elevators teach us

    Once upon a time, there was a multi-story office building in New York.

    Occupants began complaining about the poor elevator service provided in the building. Waiting times became excessively long, and many tenants threatened to move out if it wasn’t fixed.

    A consultant was hired and management authorized a study to determine the best solution.

    The study revealed that because of the age of the building no engineering solution could be justified economically. Each option was estimated to cost millions of dollars, which would result in minimal speed improvements.

    The desperate manager called a meeting of his staff, which included a graduate in psychology.

    The young man decided to focus on something different. Instead of analyzing elevator speed, he studied why people were complaining.

    If the complaints were a consequence of boredom, the building would need to give those waiting something to occupy their time pleasantly. Perhaps this may solve the problem, he thought. He suggested installing mirrors in the elevator lobbies; people love to look at themselves, right?

    The manager took up his suggestion and installed the mirrors at a relatively low cost.

    The complaints about waiting stopped. [1]


    Sometimes we spend a lot of time focusing on a symptom instead of the issue.

    There are a lot of symptoms for each problem, so it’s easy to confuse the two. Unfortunately, once our brains see something one way, we rarely change our assumptions; it becomes harder to form new, creative paths.

    Albert Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”

    Top performers focus on questioning the problem, not the solution. What keeps them up at night? A deep desire to understand the questions across our universe. Even 90% through a problem, brilliant minds like Einstein would continue to dispute the issue at hand.

    So, which part of the equation are you spending your time on?

    Could it possibly be the elevator speed, when in reality, the tenants are your concern?

    [1] ACKOFF, R. AND GREENBERG, D. (2008) TURNING LEARNING RIGHT SIDE UP: PUTTING EDUCATION BACK ON TRACK, NEW JERSEY: PRENTICE HALL.

  • Real positive change

    “We first make our habits, then our habits make us.”

    -John Dryden

    Last week, I was invited by Google to speak for Wellness Week.

    Of all the possible topics, I decided to focus on forming better habits. Once you become a master of yourself, you can master anything.

    Science is beginning to show us:

    1. Success is played at the margins (over slight, consistent improvement)
    2. Daily habits are more predictive of future successes than big moments
    3. Input-focused goals achieve the best outputs

    If you were to get just 1% better everyday (instead of 1% worse), you would end up over 1000x better by the end of the year.

    Architect a better strategy for your daily habits and reach your full potential.

  • Would you help?

    In 1973, John Darley ran an interesting study. His main goal was to understand if religion has any effect on “helping behavior.” The results uncovered the fundamental reasons we choose to act.

    The study went like this:

    Forty students were divided into two groups.

    The first group was given a sermon to memorize on the importance of being a Good Samaritan (helping others etc). They were told that soon after reading it, they would need to present the speech at another building across campus.

    The second group was given a talk on job opportunities and the same instructions. They too would need to walk across campus and present their speech in another building.

    There were two twists:

    Subjects were given different times that they had to deliver the sermon so that some would be in a hurry and others not.

    On the way to the building, everyone would pass the same stranger slumped in an alleyway, who looked to be in need of help.

    Q: Which group would be more likely to help the person in need?

    A: It wasn’t the Good Samaritan group. In fact, neither group stopped more often than the other to help.

    It turns out, the only factor that made a difference was how much of a hurry the students were in. 

    When we feel rushed, we are less likely to notice what’s going on around us. When it comes to living by our moral code, that can also fall by the wayside.

    How many times have you walked the same city block or taken the same route to work? When was the last time you really noticed what was going on right in front of you?

    Science is now gleaning more about human potential than ever before.

    Top performers notice the subtle factors in their environment, which leads them to faster and more creative solutions. It’s not their IQ or EQ (though those help), but instead their ability to perceive the situation that truly sets them apart.

    Are you preparing a Good Samaritan speech in your head, but ironically ignoring those who need help right in front of you?

  • Good luck or bad?

    Once upon the time there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years.

    One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.

    “Perhaps,” the farmer replied.

    The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “What great luck!” the neighbors exclaimed.

    “Perhaps,” replied the old man.

    The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

    “Perhaps,” answered the farmer.

    The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

    “Perhaps,” said the farmer.

    Human nature has wired our brains to judge achievement and setbacks on an immediate basis. When things go wrong, we throw our hands up right away. This leads to these sort of “half stories,” which limit our potential.

         Half story: I was turned away from +10 companies my senior year of college.

    …Bad luck.

         Full story: The week of graduation, a role opened and I got a job at Google.

    …Good luck.

    Same story, different luck.

    This extends itself beyond setbacks; what about the way we consume news? Most headlines may as well read, “We don’t know all the details, but we’re confident this is bad.”

    Immediate judgement prohibits us from seeing the full picture, when in reality, the story isn’t complete.

    Before we’re able to declare luck (good or bad), our stories need time to develop.

    Which story have you ended too quickly?

    Is that setback actually the beginning to a great luck tale of your own?

    “Perhaps.”

  • A happiness epidemic

    In 1518, a case of dancing mania broke out on the streets of Strasbourg, France.

    When Frau Troffea started dancing, neighbors thought she was having a psychotic episode. But when she refused to stop, the spirit eventually became irresistible; others couldn’t help but join in.

    Within a few days, thirty more people started and, by the end of the month, four hundred villagers were shaking their tail-feathers.

    We tend to underestimate the power of those around us; our actions are influenced by those we interact with most.

    When we shine a positive light at work or at home, we are directly impacting our teammates and families. By focusing on our wellness, we can create a happiness mania that spreads for months; just like Frau Troffea.

    We can transform the well-being of those around us, including ourselves.

    And that’s worth dancing about.

  • Man in the mirror neurons

    Everyday we send signals to each other.

    Research suggests that when we view others doing an action, our brains fire neurons as if we’re performing the action ourselves. This explains why we cringe when we see a movie character crash their car or suddenly feel tired when we see someone yawn.

    These cells are called Mirror Neurons and they help our brain naturally mimic others to better understand the context of what’s going on around us.

    But this power goes beyond the big screen and has greater implications than an inconveniently timed nap.

    What emotions are you sending to your teammates? How do your behaviors affect other people? Are you glancing at your phone on the table during a meeting?

    Your actions work like a two-way mirror; they reflect from yourself onto the other person.

    Start by paying attention to your own signals and “make that change.”

  • The ultimate superpower

    Between 1933 and 1945, the Nazis opened more than 40,000 concentration camps across Europe. Millions of people were stripped of their rights, forced into labor, and dehumanized; one of those people was a psychiatrist named Viktor Frankl.

    His parents, brother, and wife were killed inside the camps; he nearly lost his entire family. Each morning, he woke up with less faith in humanity.

    One day, he became aware of what he called, “the last of human freedoms.”

    While everything was taken from him, there was one thing they could not take: the freedom of choice. He still had the ability to decide how his circumstances would affect him. This one power gave him the strength to survive the war and go on to publish 39 books and receive 29 honorary doctoral degrees.

    Each time something happens, there is moment between the action happening and your reaction. Inside this space, each person has the ability to choose their way forward.

    It doesn’t matter what the situation is; you always control the space. Sometimes the space feels small, sometimes, it feels non-existent, but it’s always there. If Dr. Frankl was able to recognize the space despite his extreme, despondent circumstances, it can always be found. Recognizing the power to control the reaction is stronger than any comic book characters’ supposed gift.

    It’s not what happens to us, but how we respond that determines our reality.

  • Impossible records

    In the 1950’s after rigorous mathematical computations of the physics of our anatomy, experts concluded that it was impossible for a human to run a mile in less than 4 minutes.

    A physical impossibility, scientists said. Then along came Roger Bannister, who in 1954 broke the barrier with an official time of 3:59.4

    Suddenly, the floodgates opened. Within a month, Roger’s record was beat. Within the next four years, runners would continue to oust each other. Today the record stands at 3:43.13

    We tend to look at averages to determine what is attainable. Truth is, we do not know the limits of human potential. Our brains change in response to our actions and circumstances.

    When we bring talented people together our baseline for achievement rises and suddenly we’re all breaking records once deemed “impossible.”

  • Knowledge has an ROI

    “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

    -Benjamin Franklin

    Most people know about financial compounding, but few recognize intellectual compounding.

    That same exponential curve can also be applied to your growth as a thinker, an entrepreneur, or any knowledge-seeker. Albert Einstein called this the greatest power in the entire universe.

    What are your greatest skills waiting to be developed further?

    When we start early and stay consistent, our ordinary talents become extraordinary talents.

    Compounding interest helps us achieve our greatest potential but, just as importantly, lifts everyone else around us up too.

  • Focus on the valuable reality

    Here’s what I can tell you about stress…

    • It’s 1 of 6 leading causes of death
    • 70-90% of doctor’s visits are attributed to stress
    • It negatively affects human organs

    But what I can also tell you about stress…

    • It helps boost performance on cognitive tasks and memory
    • It narrows your perspective and increases brain processing speed
    • It’s shown to facilitate deeper bonds, also known as post-traumatic growth

    Both are equally true.

    In a recent study, they took 380 bankers and divided them into two groups. The first group was given all the negative facts about stress and then told, “Try not to stress out this week.” The second group was given all the positive facts about stress and then told, “Try to use stress to your advantage this week.”

    One week later, the second group (positive primed) saw a 23% decrease in all symptoms related to fatigue and a +30% increase in productivity*

    Perspective matters. 

    We all have a choice in the way we perceive situations; whether it’s a personal setback, work-related struggle, or an unpredicted event, you can control your perception. 

    Push yourself to view how a challenge is also an opportunity.

    When we choose the most valuable reality, we reach our greatest potential.