If you're interested in developing your capacity to listen, here's an exercise you can try. Find a news or call-in program on the radio or on television with commentators who hold completely different opinions than you do and draw upon a belief system that you disagree with.

 "I have not failed. I have merely found ten thousand ways that won’t work." ~ Thomas Edison

I spent an inspiring day in Palo Alto recently at the design firm, IDEO. I am a member of a community of consultants and educators who use a simulation designed by the Canadian company, Experience Point, in collaboration with IDEO to teach design thinking. We gathered to share our experiences and deepen our understanding of design thinking tools.

Restructuring an organization may be commonplace, but it isn't easy. I'm currently working with three companies that are either being acquired, or spinning off divisions to create new publicly traded companies — and I've been a leader during a restructuring (when PepsiCo divested itself of Pizza Hut). There are rumors that PepsiCo may be at it again; financial blogs are buzzing about the possible spin off Frito Lay.

Harry Nilsson’s Grammy award winning song, "Everybody's Talking at Me," has been stuck in my head all day, specifically the lyric: Everybody’s talking at me, I don’t hear a word they’re saying, only the echoes of my mind.

I actually met Harry Nilsson years ago when I managed a restaurant in Southern California called Severino’s. Nilsson’s sister and her partner, Severino Surace, owned the place.

This time of year, a lot of my conversations with friends, colleagues, and clients began with the question: "How was your vacation?"

Typically, I hear a wistful recounting of highlights followed by comments about the shock of re-entry into the daily routine. It seems that memories and feelings from even the most inspiring vacations fade fast.

Americans can rest a little easier today reassured that people with genuine differences of opinion can find it in their hearts to compromise rather than allow their constituents to suffer from a dangerous game of brinksmanship. I’m referring, of course, to the resolution of the NFL lock-out. Our government may default on our financial obligations, but at least we’ll be able to watch athletes pass a football while our politicians pass a devalued buck. The new, dreaded “C” word of the day is “compromise.”

To understand something fundamental about innovation, you could start by helping me get my teenage daughter to clean her room. Her room is a serious mess, and I’m out of ideas. Her mother and I avoid eye contact with her doorway when we walk the hallway towards our bedroom.

It can be puzzling to get outcomes that are exactly the opposite of what you want. Leaders are often under immense pressure to deliver specific results, so getting ironic outcomes can be doubly frustrating. In this white paper, Jay Cone explores a simple framework for exploring and addressing the cause of this common problem.

Download the white paper here.

There are at least two kinds of games. One could be called finite, the other infinite.

With our trust assessment tool, leaders can measure trust across the company, within a division, in a department, or among team members.   Measuring trust is just the first step. The tool also includes practical tips for building deeper trust in lasting ways. Jay Cone explores how in this podcast.

For more information on this tool, and a blank assessment form, read Jay's paper here.