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Renaissance Souls meet to sharpen Sketchnotes skills and practice the pictograph path

Once in a while, a meeting occurs that leaves me grateful for the truly thoughtful, innovative, and resourceful people I have in my network. Yesterday I had one of those meetings. Because I took a few photos (see below), you can briefly come in the room (actually the music studio of Colorado Jazz Workshop) with us.

The purpose of our meeting was to practice a form of visual communication called Sketchnotes. (Click to read about the guidebook to this process of visual notetaking and to read a book excerpt.) The practicing did occur (see photo of an example above drawn by Susanne Hoogwater; click on it to see a larger version) but just as valuable was our free-wheeling conversation (freewheeling is what you'd expect from a group of Renaissance Souls). We considered the roles of cognitive development as well as of innate aptitudes in discussing the kinds of visual communication that would be most helpful to different people; visual communication generally and Sketchnotes specifically are not one-size-fits-all.

Among many other engaging topics, we talked about how templates* or patterns could drive the processes of information gathering, organizing, planning, and communication, and some pros and cons of those effects.

The get-together was very beneficial: A valuable way to learn, a prime way to provoke thinking. We will be gathering again for more mental drilling (and frolicking) and continued pictograph path practicing.

And here are the photos I promised (click on them for larger versions).

Life after Law: UVA Law grad, litigator, now pursues visual artistry

When Corwin Levi was practicing law, he would use Post-It® Notes to remind himself of what else he wanted to do in life. At some point, the reminders were so numerous that he decided to pursue a different path and he quit full-time law. Click to listen to him talking about his career decisions (video from Bloomberg Law). View his art here. Here's a blog post about a charming workshop he did with kids showing them how to use both words and pictures in their art (A Second Look). And see more of his art here; aren't the drawings he created in the margins of his law school notes wonderful?

From "When the Image Is the Word" (University of Virginia Magazine):

Levi, who entered law school after completing an MFA in painting at Temple University, is the first to admit that the intersection of words and images in his own life has led him down an unorthodox career path.

Long before becoming a full-time visual artist, Levi was taking intricate, visually stunning law school notes at U.Va. Levi was awarded a solo show based in part on the artistic merit of his law school notes, though it was U.Va.’s law library that first exhibited his notes as artwork.

I have to say my law school notes were not "stunning." Yours?

Click here to see more stories about Life after Law.

Mismatches in time frame orientation can cause conflict: Lawyers & mediators, do you watch for this potential snag?

We don't all see time in the same way, and mismatches can cause misunderstanding, disputes, confusion. When I learned about this diversity of time orientation, aspects of many conflicts I saw as both a mediator and as a practicing lawyer made more sense.

I first became aware of time frame orientation many years ago when I took the Johnson O'Connor assessment and then referred at least 20 other people to their testing labs. Then, for a number of years, I administered The Highlands Ability Battery (THAB) to many clients, both individually and in group settings. (THAB is based on Johnson O'Connor.) As a result of these experiences, I came to appreciate very highly the value of knowing a client's time perspective or orientation.

What is time frame orientation? (Note: What Johnson O'Connor calls foresight is the same is what Highlands labels time frame orientation.) THAB's definition at the company's Web site:

Measures the individual's comfort with future projects and goals. People are divided into short-term. mid-term and long-term time frames. An individual with short-term orientation will want to work with tasks and problems that can be finished within a short period--i.e. in a few months. An individual with mid-term orientation will seek tasks and problems that have implications for other projects over a longer period--i.e. one-four years, An individual with long-term orientation prefers to work on long-term projects [five to 20 years out] that require strategic planning and execution of more distant goals.

In short, THAB sees the ability as the measure of how naturally you consider the impact of present actions on future plans. You can see where a difference in time frame orientation could have a marked effect on how a lawyer most effectively works with a client, both in the process of the lawyer-client relationship, and in the actual content of the case. For example, a person who scores in the long-term orientation range may have a problem bringing matters to closure; for them, there is always tomorrow so they may procrastinate or not focus on today.

In addition to these assessments, a couple of books can give you insight into how our notions of time are very individual.

First is The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time That Will Change Your Life. For a short peek into the focus of the book, watch this video about past, present or future orientation. I am not sold on all that is presented in the book or the video, but the time lenses covered are certainly another good way of reminding ourselves of time diversity. (H/T: Scoop.it Science-News.)

Second is a book not yet available in the US titled Time Warped. Click to read more about the author Claudia Hammond's theories about time in "Every second counts" (The Guardian), an article to which I linked earlier this week. Excerpt:

[Hammond] also looks at our sense of time aesthetically and discovered that people visualise time in offbeat ways. Some see it as curling around like a Slinky or a roll of wallpaper; others may view days of the week as rectangles. ...

Click to watch a video of Hammond talking about time at the 2012 annual conference of the British Psychological Society.

Finally, consider regulatory focus theory. Some people

Life after law: Founder of Bali Art Retreats says "you can't deny what you are"

How appealing, at least to me. This non-practicing lawyer now helps others to discover their artistry. In Bali!

 From "Teach, Paint, Love: Sharing a Passion for Art in Bali" (Jakarta Globe):

When Australian artist Gabrielle Jones first visited Bali 10 years ago, it was love at first sight. The lawyer turned artist was inspired by the island’s powerful natural beauty and cultural aesthetic.

“The attention to every detail, from the frangipanis on the stairs leading to a restaurant to the beautiful, handmade offerings to the gods to the taste of the food and its presentation to the wonderful colors and meticulous clothes

Stanford Law grad and former mediator is a world-renowned line dancer

She has always been high-energy, artistic, and a bit quirky. When I was still practicing law in the Bay Area, I enjoyed my friendship with Hedy McAdams, for those attributes—and because she is just, plain fun! After I left California, she visited me once or maybe twice, and we now only occasionally exchange a quick and newsy e-mail.

But I have followed her career path. After earning her JD at Stanford, she became a mediator. She also became one of the best-known choreographers of line dancing in the world. Hedy did not set out to do the dancing thing, but she visited a class with a boyfriend, fell in love with country line dancing, discovered her aptitude for it, and soon was enjoying great success. (The boyfriend has long been history.)

Here are a couple of articles about this Stanford Law School grad doing something other than practicing law. From "Choreographer Has Line On Lively Steps" (San Francisco Chronicle):

During the day, Palo Alto resident Hedy McAdams negotiates domestic crises in her job as a family law mediator.

But at night, she guides enthusiastic dancers through the steps of country line dances . . .  .

"I'm the only Stanford Law School graduate that I know of who is teaching country western dancing,'' she says.

An article "Rhapsody in boots: Local lawyer brings elegance to country line dancing" (Palo Alto Online) tells more of McAdams's story, including that she promotes and studies line dancing in part because it is a way to keep the aging brain active.

In 2007, Hedy closed her mediation practice but she's still dancing.

Click to watch YouTubes of her dancing:

• "Younger Men"
• "Prairie Strut"
• "Fly Like a Bird"
• "Kodiak Jack"
• "Shipwrecked"

Note: Part of the above post is a repeat of one from 2006.

Lawyers, looking for a good career assessment? You may want to read this article

When I was still doing career consulting for lawyers, I chose The Highlands Ability Battery (THAB) as my tool of preference to use with clients. I went through the Highlands training and certification process and, over a number of years, used the assessment with many clients. Even though I no longer do this kind of work, I continue to recommend the Battery to others as the best tool around. When you learn your profile, you can make decisions based on your innate aptitudes, a key to job (and life) satisfaction.

Recently Highlands has come out with a version that is tailored to lawyers. You can read more about it here in the Summer edition of their newsletter. The article is titled "The Highlands Ability Battery and the Lawyers' Report." The article is written by Lazar Emanual, one of the owners of the company; both owners are lawyers.

Finally playing the right note? Looking forward to music from lessons—and lessons from music

Because I'm involved with music in several ways, people are often surprised I play no instrument. Over my life, I have made some unsuccessful music attempts. When a kid, I took the violin for a couple of weeks, until my mom decided the sound of my practicing was painfully intolerable.

And, like all the little pupils in one of my grammar school grades, I became fairly proficient on the Tonette, but that black plastic tube hardly seems an instrument. Finally, when my creepy piano teacher Mr. Harris began to act weird, those lessons were quickly terminated. Thus far, my music-making career has been short and less than stellar.

My composing stint was one song long. In 7th- or 8th-grade music class, my composition earned an A. I don't recall the tune, but the words are stuck in memory.

How I wish that bell would ring,
It would end this trying bout.
At last it rings—and I sing
Hooray, hooray, school is out!

Indicative of a future as a composer? I vote "no." Nevertheless, without playing an instrument,

Penn Research Demonstrates Motivation Plays a Critical Role in Determining IQ Test Scores

News release (University of Pennsylvania):

PHILADELPHIA — New psychology research at the University of Pennsylvania demonstrates a correlation between a test-taker’s motivation and performance on an IQ test and, more important, between that performance and a person’s future success. 

Angela Lee Duckworth, an assistant professor of psychology in Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences, led the research, which involved two related studies.

The first was a meta-analysis of previous research into the effect of incentives on IQ scores. For individuals who had above-average scores at baseline, motivation accounted for only about a quarter of a standard deviation, or about four points. But, for those who had below-average scores, motivation made up almost a whole standard deviation.

The second study involved an experiment in which researchers observed video footage of

New career development tool for lawyers

Because I am convinced of its value, for years I used The Highlands Ability Battery (THAB) with clients. I think the assessment is excellent, and certainly one of the best available. A new version has been developed specifically for lawyers, and I am predicting it will be as good as the earlier, more generic test.

(I no longer use the assessment because I do not now do career work with clients. If you would like referrals to some people who can administer the test, e-mail me.)

You may learn more about the assessment in this article "New Career Development Tool for Lawyers" (Highlands Forum). Excerpt:

In the coming months, the Highlands Company will launch its Ability Battery Lawyer's Report. The Report is designed to reflect the uniqueness of people who study and practice law. Whether you have just entered the profession or have been practicing for years, this useful tool can help by pointing you towards areas of law practice you are likely to excel in and enjoy. It will also tell you how to draw on your natural abilities to manage your practice, supervise associates and staff, and deliver effective service to your clients.

The Highlands Ability Battery measures your innate abilities; the Lawyer's Report describes their relevance to you personally. The terms "ability" and "natural abilities" are used to describe the degrees of your natural performance in a variety of work functions, all of which mature in most people at or

"Gratitude for Aptitudes" (and one more reason why goal setting is very individual

Below is an article I wrote nearly a decade ago. Over the last many years since writing it, I have learned much more about why goal setting is not one-size-fits-all. (A great new book was just published on personalizing your goal setting for maximum effectiveness.) In the article, I mention an aptitude Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation calls "foresight" or, as Highlands Ability Battery labels it, "Time Frame Orientation".

Some people have short or immediate Time Frame Orientation, others have long-range Time Frame Orientation, and many have something in the middle. A person with each Orientation has his or her own way of best and most effectively setting goals.

What's all that mean?

From the Highlands Training Manual:

Time Frame Orientation is a measure of the ability to naturally consider the impact of present actions on future plans. It reflects an orientation towards planning, goal setting, and accomplishing tasks.

Your Time Frame Orientation indicates the most natural frame of reference for making plans, thinking about your future, or considering the impact of what you are doing now in your life. Time Frame Orientation tends to fall into three ranges:

Immediate—today up to one year
Intermediate—one to five years
Long-range—five to twenty years

As an example, I test long-range in both the Highlands and Johnson O'Connor assessments. That Orientation has some advantages, including the ability to stay focused on a distant goal. On the other hand, I may procrastinate because, well, there's always tomorrow!

In working with clients, I have found that it is extraordinarily helpful, if not necessary, for people to know their Orientation if they want to set goals they will reach.

Now that article . . .