Inspiration out of the box

Professional development tips

directly from the digital box

Jrgen Janssens | January 2014

Management | Leadership

Inspiration out of the Box

Are you also exposed to many (in)direct sources of information?
Have you ever been really intrigued by something you read?
Did a situation ever look very familiar to you?
Already felt inspired when leaving the cinema?

http://www.google.com

http://www.google.com

Lets look at a collection of tips that movies and series can offer
for our professional development, or for collaboration with
colleagues & customers.

Inspiration out of the Box

1.
2.
3.
4.

Intro
Series
Movies
Conclusion

http://www.pinterest.com/erinklein/assessment

http://zabrdast.com/think-out-of-the-box/

Inspiration out of the Box

1. Intro
2. Series
90s
Dr House
The Mentalist
Game of Thrones
Breaking Bad

3. Movies
4. Conclusion

http://www.pinterest.com/erinklein/assessment

http://zabrdast.com/think-out-of-the-box/

1. 90s
(Mac Gyver)

1. Clearly identify your deadline.

2. Identify constraints, and a way to solve them.
3. Design a complete solution.
4. Never stop learning:
Stay up to date in your area of expertise ,
Follow the evolutions in your industry,
And learn about related areas.

www.imdb.com

5. Step out of your comfort zone, but

know your limits.

www.google.com

1. 90s
6. Sometimes, ask for help

(Sabrina the Teenage Witch)

Its not always easy to ask for help, but for some types of mistakes or
problems it is part of being professional.

7. Gain respect of your colleagues

(Friends)

Instead of focusing on ephemeral actions, truly earn

respect over time through actions and attitude.

8. Its your job, not your life

(Friends)

www.reuters.com

Cultivate meaningful relationships because they will

be there for you, even when the rain starts to pour.

9. Hug (or talk) it out

(Full House)

www.rottentomatoes.com

Emails are useful, but face-to-face communication still matters.

In some cases, its good to discuss problems in person.
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1. 90s
10. Success requires organisation (Mission Impossible Series)

The Flame: know what gets you focused or motivated

for a new challenge.
The Mission: take time to set your goals.
The Team: know your team, your stakeholders, and
their specificities.
The Plan: know where you want to go and plan
accordingly.
The Organisation: step into action, and remain
attentive. In the end, it is not only the quality of the
plan that matters, but the ability of getting to the
result with or without adaptations.

www.nasa.gov

2. Dr House
1. Tackle the real problem : A healthy result requires curing problems not only symptoms. Act accordingly when managing people or projects.

2. Team work is key : Interact with your team to solve problems.

3. Independent reasoning too : Coach and
challenge your team, be it individually or as a
team, if you want them to stand on their own feet.

4. Try to listen to whats not said: Houses real

genius lies in his ability to understand peoples
motivations and secret agendas. To get there, stay
critical and attentive.

http://www.wallpaperfo.com/

5. Practice what you preach: Do what you say & say what you do.
6. Humor: Humour helps no matter if it is black, sparkling or dry.
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3. The Mentalist
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Prepare your public presentations

Be self-assured
Be modest
Know your audience
Listen and observe actively
Cooperation is key
Stay informed on statistics

www.tv.com

www.tv.com

www.fanpop.com

4. Game Of Thrones
1. Trust none
Trust is important, but many people have also their own interests.

2. Keep your friends and family close and your enemies closer
Dont get single focused in your work to the point that you neglect to
develop and nurture ties with your loved ones or with your enemies.

3. Winter is coming
No matter how secure the present or future
look, change is the only certainty.

4. There is a bit of truth in every legend

Rumors might not be completely true, but
there might be an aspect of it that you need to
be aware of.

http://history-behind-game-of-thrones.com/

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5. Breaking Bad
1. Be passionate about what you do or know what drives you.
2. Develop a skill in the field you are passionate about.
3. Complement your skills with those of a strong team.
4. Be patient with people they are
too. Its part of the process.
5. Your network is just as important as
your product or service.
6. Know what you want to achieve
and how you want to measure your
success.
7. Encountering issues is part of the game. So does finding solutions.
http://www.imbreakingbad.com

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Inspiration out of the Box

1.
2.
3.
4.

Intro
Series
Movies
Conclusion

http://www.pinterest.com/erinklein/assessment

http://zabrdast.com/think-out-of-the-box/

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Inspiration out of the Box

Whereas most series spread their inspiration over the
episodes, movies shape ideas in a more focused way.
Some movies are all-time references:

Godfather has inspired generations of negotiators.

Wall Street has boosted many people in pursuit of wealth.
The pursuit of Happiness clearly believes in the power of determination.
Even movies like Catch me if you can contain clear professional
messages.

But when looking with a different eye, less bold messages are
worth capturing too...

http://www.google.com

http://www.google.com

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Inspiration out of the Box

12 Angry Men (1957)
Learn to convince and build consensus. Its key for
becoming a good leader.

The Godfather (1972)

1. Do like the original Godfather: don't
command respect from others, earn it.
2. Family & health are the most important
things in life, even more than all money &
power on earth.

http://www.imdb.com/

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Do your due diligence about a situation before
handling it. It will save you a lot of time solving
problems caused by uninformed decisions.

http://www.imdb.com/

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Inspiration out of the Box

Star Wars (1977, 1980, 1983, 1999...)

1. To be a good leader, having an Empire is good. But leading is better.

2. To learn to lead, spend time in the mud.
3. Dare to ask for help, even if Obi-Wan Kenobi is not your only hope.
4. Fear warps you to the dark side of leadership. Learn to manage it.
5. Mentor new leaders, even if you are not their father.
6. No matter your position, be open to criticism.
7. Have faith and may the force be with you.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Before sending emails or planning meetings,
consider that constantly talking isnt necessarily
communicating.

http://abduzeedo.com/the-star-wars-culture

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Inspiration out of the Box

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
If you only have people that talk but dont listen, none will take up the
real challenges. Build a complete and complementary team.

The Social Network (2010)

If you desperately need something as consumer, but really can't find a
solution, you know that there is an opportunity.

The Kings Speech (2010)

1. Transcend your function. It is the actions and the effort
that give meaning to a title or function.
2. Everyone can benefit from a coach or mentor. You too.

Marley (2012)
It is worth listening sometimes to Bob Marley: if you
dont start somewhere, youre gonna get nowhere.

http://www.impawards.com/2010/ki
ngs_speech_ver7.html

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Conclusion
Inspiration is present in many sources.
The challenge is to translate it with a critical eye.
1.Intro
2.Series
3.Movies
4.Conclusion

http://www.imdb.com/ , www.google.com

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