the other week i had to put together an operational plan for my department. as i was in the middle of a massive project and already overworked, i did it the evening before i had to present it. and i knew a powerpoint was kind of expected.

i put together a pack of photos. headings, yes. relevant images, yes. other words, no. bullet point lists, no (unless you count the TOC). it was definitely a first draft (and something i need to go back to) but i’m struggling with the visuals communicating all i spoke about. especially if someone else needs to talk about the plan.

tonite i stumbled upon garr reynolds slidepack on john media’s book brain rules. slides below. i think ill have to go back to that pack based on the excellent tips w/in the pack (ie the content) and the ideas i’ve gotten from just watching the slides.

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i had been hearing about florida’s research concerning the creative class while i was busy with my mba so it had been on my reading list for quite some time (this book is ©2002 which is when i was getting ready to start my degree). having lived in a few cities, i’ve become quite interested in what makes a city good to live in and this book addresses that topic.

florida’s research is usa focused. i have not looked around to see if anyone has taken his ‘creative capital theory’ and applied it to different countries. while i’ve been looking for work, i’ve noticed that sydney is where the bulk of international companies and start-ups seem to be. being in melbourne, i’m not very happy about this and i’ve been wondering why. florida says creative people look for areas which are diverse, tolerant and open to ideas. is sydney more diverse, tolerant & open to ideas? i don’t know as i don’t know the city well enough. i have been told repeatedly that melbourne is a lot more conservative than sydney so perhaps it’s not all that open to new ideas.

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i am a huge fan of non-fiction and quite often i develop something i’m going to call a circular path of books. let me explain. i’ll pick up a book and if i enjoy it, i’ll check the reference list which often that leads me to the next book. even if the second book isn’t from a reference list, it’s often on the same or a closely related topic.

since i’ve finished the mba, you’d think i’d go for something fluffy and relaxing or at least different but it’s been a culture/business circular path.

it started with the paradox of choice by barry schwartz. i have noticed australians have real issues with choice and making decisions so i couldn’t wait to read this one even though the book is written from an american viewpoint. btw, i will comment on each book individually.

the paradox of choice made me think about how we make decisions and their impact on our lives. around this time i read something about daniel pink’s a whole new mind. it became book #2 in the circle. #3 tieing together business, culture and values was richard florida’s the rise of the creative class. i think it was a reference that lead me to mihaly csikszentmihalyi’s good business and finding flow. now i’m in search of the next book to continue the circle. any suggestions?

alternatively, i might switch gears and start on Tasmanian Devil : A Unique and Threatened Animal