Southwestern Advantage Blog

i'm not a big fan of the phrase, "curiosity killed the cat." instead, i'd rather hear, "curiosity is what makes my cat so darn interesting." have you noticed that we sometimes tend to just accept the answers that others give us without digging deeper? how often do we ask 'why' or 'why not'? the intention is not to challenge or attack the other person, but to learn - and potentially gain - a little something more valuable or worthwhile.  people often give the answers that they think are correct, but really, that answer is just a symptom of a problem.  boss: "we don't have the budget for that team building course in colorado." you: "why not?" boss: "well, we're spending far too much on the training courses that we provide here at the company." you: "i see. are the courses we provide well attended?" boss: "not particularly." you: "do employees find them helpful or ins...

i recently caught a peek into a documentary [ http://www.lemonademovie.com/ ] made about people who lost their jobs in the heat of the recession, and what they did with themselves afterwards. one woman becomes a yoga teacher. one man embraces his art full time. one man spends more time with his children. one man becomes a woman (to each his/her own)... while it seems to be a movie about curiosity, courage, and creativity, these people received news which, by most people’s standards, completely rocked their worlds for the worst. the pink slip: it’s no walk in the park; i’ve been there. but what if… getting laid off isn’t actually as horrible as it sounds? what if getting fired is the best thing that’s ever happened to someone? you’d likely never would leave your job by your own free will, though you may have day-dreamed about it. but when you have no choice and are escorted to the parking lot by the burly guy that loads the water jugs, you have no choice but to make a m...