Barefoot Ted's Adventures: So, you wanna start running barefoot?

Barefoot Ted's Adventures: So, you wanna start running barefoot?

--For anyone even slightly interested in trying barefoot or minimalist running please read this article above...I have been 'running toward minimalism' for some time now and it does make running more fun and my body more in tune with the process. However, as the article above shows, you have to take it slow!

I started by taking the insoles out of my trail shoes (which is still the way I log most of my weekly miles). I run in Brooks Cascadias which are already a pretty minimalist shoe (designed by Ultra Marathon runner Scott Jurek)...With the insoles out you really get more feedback from the trail and street and your feet have a little more room to move around in the shoes. Just by taking out the insoles and focusing on taking shorter and lighter steps (not rolling from heel to toes but instead running on the balls of my feet) I have noticed a world of difference. My feet, ankles, legs and knees all feel stronger and my chronic (though mild) knee pain and Plantar Faciatis completly disappeared.

Shortly after ditching the insoles I also purchased these simple shoes used by pretty much everyone in China, martial artists, traceurs , and all the Shoalin Monks :-)  ...I have put 200-300 miles on them since December...usually 3-5 mile runs but a couple longer ones... (pretty much like barefoot running but with some protection..plus they only cost $20:-)

...finally, I have been doing 2-3 mile runs barefoot as my body/feet allow it...have gotten to the point I can run on any surface for a few miles and be fine...but I am taking it very slow and I recommend the same to anyone out there who thinks they want to shun the shoe companies and actually run the way our bodies were meant to run...:-)

For What its Worth:: ‘Systems Thinking’ and the trend toward ‘Social Networking’

For What its Worth:: ‘Systems Thinking’ and the trend toward ‘Social Networking’

‘Systems Thinking’ and the trend toward ‘Social Networking’

The frame is in place but the picture is blurry…

For some, social networking is an arbitrary outlet for texting-addicted teenagers, pampered socialites, and uber-professionals. For others, it has been an interesting but fleeting source of entertainment. Finally, for millions and millions world wide, social networking has become a regularly used tool—for everything from ‘conducting business’ to ‘none of your business’.

The social networks are all there and we all fall somewhere along a continuum that runs from ‘fatally allergic to them’ to ‘can’t live without them’. Yet, most of us do not really understand why Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and all the many other social networking sites are so widely used. More importantly, we do not see how they can serve a positive function in our lives.

Yet, by focusing on some essential themes the picture suddenly becomes a little clearer...

Seen from the right vantage point, this new communication medium holds tons of potential. It is truly more than the sum of its parts, and social networking can make our lives easier and more successful…maybe even more fun!

Social Networking is a new technological phenomenon. It combines the eminently vast reach of cyberspace with the seemingly innate need for humans to connect with like-minded humans. At times, this esoteric combination of ‘human invention’ and ‘human nature’ make social networking seem unapproachable and even unnecessary for many people. However, it is important to consider that although social networking is new, it is actually rooted in two ancient themes that most humans can appreciate—and a third that we all can benefit from.

The first theme expressed in Social Networking is ‘Freedom’. As is the case with the Internet in general, social networking allows for people to break through communication restrictions imposed by space and time. It provides access to vast stores of information and innovation that were otherwise unattainable. In this age of global capitalism, it also expands the power of individuals, providing a forum for a 2-way conversation between consumers and companies and employers and potential employees. By offering more choices and more resources for communication we are given a chance to see a broader picture of the world around us. Perhaps more importantly, social networking allows us the freedom to present to the world the story of ourselves as we want it told. We are free to be who we want to be.

Related to this first theme, social networking also offers amplified access to ‘Community’. We are no longer confined to relationships of proximity. With social networking, we now have the ability to connect with groups of like-minded individuals and access otherwise unattainable information. Our community is made instantly more personal (made up of people we actually share things in common with) while at the same time giving us the potential for a globally diverse audience. Community becomes our network and our network is our community. Wall posts, clubs, forums, tweets, chat rooms and blogs bring us face to face with ideas, assumptions, personalities and perspectives that we choose. Far from isolating people behind keyboards, this sort of access allows for us to bond with like-minded individuals and feel a part of something greater than ourselves. The world is speeding forward and technology sometimes seems to outpace our imagination (and usefulness). Yet, in social networking we are given the opportunity to cling to the ancient human social need for ‘community’.

With these two concepts in mind, there is a third aspect that must also be considered if we are to see the full value of social networking. Probably the newest and least understood principal driving the social networking revolution is ‘systems thinking’—the ability to see how things interact and influence each other within a whole. Consequently, it is not the tools themselves in as much as the ability to see and interact with ‘systems’ that drives us to create and use current social networking sites. These tools were born out of this concept (unilaterally with the concepts of ‘freedom’ and ‘community’) and conversely they help to influence and foster systems thinking in those who use them. By using social networking we become more adept ‘systems thinkers’ and as that ability improves we actually use these tools more effectively. We flex a muscle that is becoming more and more important in the complicated world around us. (Ironically, the more we do to help ourselves learn and develop our ability to be ‘systems thinkers’ the less complicated the world becomes.)

Therefore, when we take into account that social networking actually helps foster traditional notions of ‘freedom’ and ‘community’ along with newer trends toward ‘systems thinking’ the picture becomes clearer. Social networking is more than a ‘fad’. and social networking sites are more than ‘toys’. Used correctly, social networking can be used as a tool for making our lives a little easier and helping us deal with the pressures of a globalizing world.

(Of course, a good hike in the woods works too…:-)

From 'Human Resources' to 'Human Resourcefulness'

The role of Human Resources is often misunderstood and misused.

Historically, HR has been rooted in 'people-centered' activities like recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, employee benefits and so on. While at the same time, HR departments have been used as tools for maximizing returns on investments from human capital and minimizing financial risk.

Obviously, these two approaches do not have to be mutually exclusive. However, the trend in big business has been to focus on the 2nd (human capital) at the expense of the first (the people).

A change is necessary. In fact, it is already happening and has been happening for years. Yet, there are no coherent definitions of how or what that is. Human Resources departments have been shifting, adapting and overhauling policies and practices without really nailing down the reasons why. Maybe, an answer can be found with the 'basics'...

Recently, I was impressed by a simple yet pertinent call to ‘master the basics’:

"Don’t overlook the competitive differentiator of service—executing the basics well. How you answer the phone, when you return a phone call, how you greet an applicant, the detail you capture on an order, the presentation of candidates/employees to the customer, all impact our business and gives opportunity...to Stand Out." (Al Sowers, 30June2009)

Reading these words, it strikes me that the whole point is not just to do the 'basics’. It is to do them WELL. This "competitive differentiator" is just that...something that sets you apart and makes your actions matter more.

So, how does that apply in HR?

Well, for starters...Instead of 'Human RESOURCES'

...why not…

'Human RESOURCEFULNESS’

Those of us in HR are not in the business of servicing typewriters.

We are in the business of recognizing, fostering and channeling human ingenuity.

With that in mind, ‘Human Resources’ at its most basic indicates a focus on stifling creativity and treating people as resources—as tools. While, ‘Human Resourcefulness’ recognizes that people are unique and full of potential, the purpose of production, the reason jobs exist in the first place!

This focus can change everything. If we have a ‘human resources’ mentality it is easy to get lost in the day to day tasks we have in front of us. We get the job done, but we often forget to make our actions really count. (We get so muddled down in taking steps forward that we forget where we are actually going.)

On the other hand, if we approach our jobs with a ‘human resourcefulness’ mentality we remember why we are in this business in the first place—the people! Our actions come tinged with warmth, purpose and intuition. It is not just about doing the basics any more. It is about doing them WELL.

The first step toward a more comprehensive and inclusive Human Resources is to perhaps start with the name itself...

This is not a new idea. Nevertheless, it contains within itself the essence of the conflict inherent in our current state of WORK...

In our current system, people are often treated as resources for the economic machine. It is more than just the name 'Human Resources'. However, the first step toward a more comprehensive and inclusive Human Resources is to perhaps start with the name itself.