Jook - Quarter-Century Egg

Here we go again, after two years :)



Since it's a small venue, get there early.

Special offer:
If any girls wear what the chick in the flyer is wearing, you get free entry!
If any guys wear what the chick in the flyer is wearing, you have to pay $20 entry :)

Damn! eight cheap calls already:

The memories of that night long ago at Sharkies for the traffic lights Jook party are still alive and kicking. Such a pity I can't be there this time *sniff*.

I'll wear that outfit in Shanghai on the 7th to show my support ok?
beckster (link) - 28 December '04 - 17:52

WHOA - pls send pictures hahahahahah
(for kev *wink*)
addy (link) - 29 December '04 - 03:58

THAT is a chick??
ken (link) - 29 December '04 - 05:47

Do I still need to pay $20 because I am under orders from Bec to monitor your behaviour that night? What if I wear whats on the pic? Does that cancel out my fee?
As long as there are no kiddie wading pools, I will be there :)
so - 29 December '04 - 05:47

those pants are kinda high and major VPL!!! hmm.... so not sexy
addy (link) - 29 December '04 - 15:48

Am I the only person who thought she had a moustache and little "the spot" beard?

RC
randomcow - 03 January '05 - 03:39

I think the only person who has to be worried about kiddie wading pools is Yui so...;)
ricegrains (link) - 03 January '05 - 07:21

i was framed! i'm calling my lawyers.
ue - 04 January '05 - 05:42

The Seven Habits Revisited #1

Doing a little Christmas shopping for myself, and decided to buy this classic book for some inspirational reading. I've been feeling a bit out of sorts, and hoping this book will again point me in the right direction as it did the first time I read it.

One of the points in the book is that you should read it as though you are going to teach others about it, so I'm taking that path, and distilling the concepts for myself, as well as anyone else who cares to know. Plus, hopefully other people will point out things that I've missed. Of course, for those who don't care, there will still be plenty of other cheap calls on this website!

So here goes....

Habit 1 - Be Proactive
Until we take how we see ourselves into account, we will be unable to understand how others see and feel about themselves and their world.
How we see ourselves depends on our attitude to determinism. If we believe wholly in determinism (that is, other factors ie genetic, psychic or environmental shape and limit our lives) then we will always blame others for how we react. We are not response-able.
The realisation must come that between stimulus and response, man has the freedom to choose. And the ability to subordinate an impulse to a value is the essence of the proactive person.

In most cases, it's not what happens to use, but our response to what happens to us that hurts us. Our character, our basic identity, does not have to be hurt at all. The three central values in life are the experiential, the creative, and the attitudinal, and it's the attitudinal (our response in difficult circumstances) that's the most mindset-changing.

Many people wait for something to happen or someone to take care of them. But people who end up with the good jobs are the proactive ones who are solutions to problems. Holding people to the responsible course is not demeaning, it is affirming.

Our language is a very real indicator of the degree to which we see ourselves as proactive people.
Reactive Proactive
I can't ---> I choose
I must ---> I prefer
If only ---> I will
The word "love" is a verb. Reactive people make it a feeling. Love is a value that is actualised through loving actions.

The problems we face are in three areas; direct control, indirect control, or no control. Direct control problems should be the ones we deal with straight away, by changing our habits. Indirect control problems should be dealt with by changing our methods of influence. No control problems...just smile :)

Within your Circle of Concern are all these problems. Within your Circle of Influence are the things you can personally change. It's about character focus within the Circle of Influence, and the greater your focus in the Circle of Influence, the larger it becomes. And as always, it's the language that is use. The focus word is "be"...be a better listener, be a more dedicated employee, or just be happy.

Mistakes should be acknowledged instantly, corrected and learnt from. "Success is on the far side of failure".

There are two ways to put ourselves in control immediately. We can make a promise - and keep it, Or we can set a goal - and work to achieve it. By making and keeping promises to ourselves and others, little by little, our honour becomes greater than our moods.

Actions:
1. Determine which category your problems lie in. Focus only the direct control problems and go from there.

Damn! six cheap calls already:

My mum is qualified to lead those Seven Habits courses for work, she has tried to get me to get into the habits for years but I can't be stuffed. It's too much effort to be conscious of them all, I got to Habit 1 and gave up.
riss (email) (link) - 21 December '04 - 03:38

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.
JT (email) (link) - 21 December '04 - 07:55

Justin Timberlake has a point
Googleeyes - 21 December '04 - 08:32

Thanks for typing that up dude. Are you going to be proactive and type up the whole book for us? Thanks in advance.

RC
randomcow - 28 December '04 - 04:23

I can be proactive and shove that comment up your ass :)
However, it won't be a win-win situation.....but then again.....
Jookboy (link) - 28 December '04 - 17:35

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a priceless book. At least in my experience, I have found it be filled with timeless priciples that have profoundly changed my life.
If you are not interested in improving your life, do not read it. If you are willing to accept ordinary relationships with others and yourself, do not read it.
The first principle, Be Proactive, is the most important principle. As riss pointed out, if you are not motivated from within (proactive) you will not achieve anything.
The principles in the book allow you to appreciate that success and happiness can only be achieved within yourself. They are not determined by your income, job or status. Anyone who is looking to be a leader either at work in another area of their life must read the book. It is no good to wait for someone else to summarise the book or teach the habits to you. Habit 1 is Be Proactive ie if you want something GO AND GET IT!
Kev, regarding you feeling out of sorts you should know that Habit 7 (the hardest habit) is the key to avoiding those feelings - Sharpen The Saw!!! The problem with "achievers" is that they are never satisfied, regardless of how much they achieve.....sound familiar Kev? ;)
Taipan (email) (link) - 29 December '04 - 03:42

Stirring The Creative Juices

Pretty soon *fingers crossed* I'll be moving to a new role in the marketing department of one of our business units. This is a good opportunity to try something a bit different, and of course, with new ooportunities, there is a high amount of trepidation at to whether you can step up and deliver. This one is especially daunting as the first thing the marketing manager whom I'm reporting to said to me was "Kev, I've heard really good things about you from your managers...." Oh dear :)

Anyway, I've always thought that I did not have one creative bone in my body. Like in art, I had more fun doing sketches of existing paintings/drawings, rather than liberally applying paint across the canvas Pro-Hart style. In business, I felt I did not have the visionary abilities that my partner displayed on a much more frequent basis. Give me a lead or aim, and I'll deliver it for you. Ask me for the vision, and I'm quite stumped.

I think marketing is about understanding what the consumer values in your product, and pushing that message to induce the need in the consumer's minds. A lot of times, this comes just from listening to the customer, and to really get to the bottom of their psyche.

How much creativity is needed? The skill is marketing is presenting the message in a way that makes it memorable for the consumer...or is that the advertising exec's job? Is thinking creatively and being creative two different things?

On a different tangent, where does the creative side come from? And how does one develop it more?

I'm hoping that my IT skills will bring a different perspective to the table, and that further down the track for me, it's something to add to my skills...I keep reading that it's not hard-core IT that gets you places, but an ability to bring the business and IT perspectives together.
Give me a few months, and I'll come back all arty. Maybe my hair could be as "tzsujed" as Boges'!

Damn! eleven cheap calls already:

You don't have to come up with the creative, that's what your advertising agency is for and why you pay them big bucks :)

I think your IT skills will help, especially if you do Online/Digital stuff. Some of the clients we have are retarded when it comes to things like that and we have to hold their hand through the whole process which makes it so painful.
riss (email) (link) - 08 December '04 - 11:10

i always wondered how u would spell "tzsujed".
pskis - 08 December '04 - 12:32

i think he made that up ,we need to check with the queer eye boys...
addy (link) - 09 December '04 - 02:31

IT + business is my entire work world and I think it’s very true that hardcore IT will only get you to one spot - hard core IT. But if you know IT and u know business u can use that to help the business really achieve its goals and objectives - then u can be at the top of all the business (hardcore IT-ers and all!). Now you’ve got another important skill which u can use to conquer the world à marketing + IT + business acumen = WORLD DOMINATION :)....hmmm…anyone for Risk?? It’s been awhile since playing that!
mushiejc (link) - 09 December '04 - 03:47

Riss, are you tring to drum yourself up some business?
Dre - 09 December '04 - 06:18

dre- yes :p
riss (email) (link) - 09 December '04 - 11:32

tzsujed is correct. The queer eye book says so :)
PeeDz - 11 December '04 - 13:48

Dude, you've been practicing for this role for years! Think of all the hos you've been selling yourself to at your dance parties, planting in their mind the idea that your product is superior, more durable, longer-lasting, etc.

I think this is your calling.
randomcow - 12 December '04 - 02:02

In the immortal words of Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch - "I lay it out for ya'll to play it out"

JB, don't stress about the creativity; Miss Riss is right, while you need some, that's why we pay the advertising peeps the big bucks. To take your vision and message and turn it into something that the consumers will, in short, want.

Creativity comes from so many sources. What you read, what you watch, insights...it's all about turning these influences into something that you can use in your role to help market your product.

And RC is right; you'll be fine...years of fine-tuning :P
ricegrains (link) - 12 December '04 - 06:32

hehe, thanks for the wise words everyone. Equating it to spading chicks always makes more sense to me.

If I ever get to allocate spending, riss, you'll be the first on my list :)
Congrats on your role Jem! I think the role is Marketing Communications, although I'm still waiting for the job specs to come through. Doing some education with the help of some digital formats ie CD distributions and other mediums.

That LOTR Risk is wild...pure luck, that game, althought the figurines are very cool! I'm down for Diplomacy if anyone has it (do you have that mushie?)
JookBoy (link) - 14 December '04 - 17:54

Oooh LOTR Risk - count me in!! :) okies diplomacy/risk night soon...although diplomacy will prob take many many nights to play (we better play it - only played it once and it cost me big bucks!!)...maybe we should combine it with another LNP night??? ;)
mushiejc (link) - 15 December '04 - 14:44