Cash Flow in da Two-Oh-One-Oh!

My New Year's Slogan:


Don't you know?! It's about that cash flow in da two-oh-one-oh!


Happy New Year, family!

Duncan Nugget #148: The Difference Between Quitting and Giving Up

I recently talked to someone who had just quit her unfulfilling, dead-end job. She told me that she was upset because she had never given up on anything before. Two minutes after she told me that she was feeling a lot better.

What happened? I helped to her understand the difference between quitting and giving up.

"Quitters never win."

Garbage.

Sometimes quitters do win. Quit smoking; you win. Quit being lazy; you win. Quit blaming others for your mess; you win.

Some people quit because they gave up. Some people quit in order to move up.

Million-Dollar Question: 

Are you giving up or moving up?

Duncan Nugget #136: Got Motivation?

"We're glad you're here. These students need some motivation."

"I'm here to help, but I don't really motivate people."

"What do you mean? You're a motivational speaker. That's why we hired you."

"Don't worry. They'll be motivated. I'm going to do what I do best: give them some information that they can use to motivate themselves."

"Oohhh... Well...I guess that's even better!"

—conversation between Al Duncan and
a superintendent of schools

The person who is waiting for someone or something else to motivate him will be left behind. 

It's your life. Get motivated...from within. Self-motivation, also known as intrinsic motivation, is crucial to your success.

Million-Dollar Question: 

Are you sitting around waiting for 

somebody else to motivate you?

National Mentoring Month: Expand Your Universe. Mentor a Child.

General Colin L. Powell will head National Mentoring Month 2010. Since 2002, January has been a time to celebrate mentors and acknowledge the vital role that they play in the development of young people.

National Mentoring Month is spearheaded by the Harvard Mentoring Project of the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Click here to read more about this year's campaign, including the Thank Your Mentor Day™ (January 21st).

NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH

President Enacts Federal Funding for Mentoring

President Obama recently signed a measure into law that will provide nearly $50 million in funding for The Mentoring Children of Prisoners Program.

Read the press release here.

U.S. Senate Passes National Mentoring Month Resolution!

Yeah!! The Senate has FINALLY officially recognized January as National Mentoring Month. Thank you Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and John Jerry (D-MA) for introducing the resolution.

Read the full resolution:
U.S. Senate Passes National Mentoring Month Resolution

Duncan Nugget #52: Time to Do Something Different?

Self-motivation is crucial to achievement. But it will only last if you believe that there is a beneficial relationship between your behavior and your desired outcome.

Million-Dollar Question:

How does 

what you do in life 

help you to get what you 

want out of life?

If your answer is "it doesn't" or "I don't know" then why in the world are you doing it?! It's your life, right? Maybe it's time to do something different.

MTV: A Thin Line - Campaign to Fight Digital Abuse

Thanks @MTV. I have personally heard from dozens of young people who have been digitally abused. It sucks. Seriously.

In order to help deal with the problem MTV has a new multi-year initiative called A Thin Line to empower America's youth to identify, respond to and stop the spread of digital abuse. Digital abuse is an emerging issue that includes behaviors like sexting, cyberbullying, and digital dating abuse.

A Thin Line

Expect Problems and You'll Probably Get Them

I recently read an article in Science Daily titled "Stereotypes Can Fuel Teen Misbehavior". According to research "...adolescents whose mothers expected them to take more risks and be more rebellious reported higher levels of risk-taking behavior than their peers one year later."

Duncan Nugget #351: 

Regardless of who you are—a parent, educator, 

youth worker, mentor, or student leader—if 

you continuously expect the worst 

out of young people, you'll probably get it.

It doesn't matter if it's a positive or negative outcome, when you spend most of your time focused on it, it is more likely to happen. I know, I know. That kind of sounds like the Law of Attraction, right?  Or maybe it sounds like a typical positive thinking quote.

Nope.

There is a bonafide scientific principle behind that nugget:

You get more of what you reinforce.

That's a basic principle in psychology. If you're are constantly talking to someone about negative expectations, behaviors, and outcomes, eventually, the message gets embedded in the unconscious mind—yours and his or hers.

This creates the perfect scenario for a self-fulfilling prophecy. ("...a false definition of the situation evokes a new behavior which makes the original false conception come true.")

One of the keys to Positive Youth Development is to spend more time focused on what young people do right (their strengths) and less on what they do wrong (their weaknesses).

"Less time", however, doesn't mean "no time". It's okay to be on the look out for potential problems and it's a good idea to put plans in place to deal with them or prevent them. But keep in mind that most young people tend to rise to the level of the expectations of people they respect. If you always expect problems, you'll probably get them.

Million-Dollar Question:

What do you really expect?

Recommend Reading:
Duncan Nugget #90: What Are You Thinking?

The Perils of Popularity

Here are a couple of articles from Science Daily that outline the things young people go through in order to be popular.

The Dark Side Of Adolescent Popularity

"The new study was carried out on 1,319 teenagers at seven schools in Valencia, and shows that teenagers whose social status is questioned by their peers and are socially rejected by their classmates, or who do not have intimate friendships, suffer from greater feelings of loneliness, low self-esteem and low levels of satisfaction with their lives."

Teens' Perception That They Are Liked Found To Be At Least As Important As Actually Being Liked

"Teenagers who felt good about their own social standing did well over time, the study found, regardless of how popular they were (popularity was gauged based on assessments by peers at school). These teenagers were increasingly less hostile and more frequently sought out by their peers. Teenagers who were considered popular by their peers also did well, regardless of their own perceptions of their social standing."

"Adolescents who lacked both a strong sense of their own social acceptance and who were rated by their peers as unpopular fared the worst, according to the study. They were increasingly more hostile, less sought out, and more withdrawn over time."

C-SPAN's StudentCam - $50,000 in Prizes

C-SPAN's StudentCam is an annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think seriously about issues that affect our communities and our nation. Hurry! Deadline is Jan. 20th, 2010.

C-SPAN's StudentCam

Duncan Nugget #70: The Disappearance of Logic

When emotions fill the room, logic goes out the window.

Everybody has done or said something stupid in the heat of the moment. That's because, regardless of the situation, the more emotional you become, the more information you ignore. Your limbic system (the emotional brain) takes the driver's seat and steers you in a direction you may later regret.

Million-Dollar Question:

How do you get your emotions under 

control during a peak emotional moment?

There's no guaranteed trick that works for everybody, but here's a nugget:

It takes 6-9 seconds for emotion-producing chemicals to flood your system. Giving yourself a ten count (if possible) before you take action will at least give you a chance to deal with the initial flood of emotions.

You don't have to be a robot. Just chillax. Calm down a little. You will think more clearly and hopefully, your logic will reappear.

Duncan Nugget #143: The Smell of Desperation

Desperation is unattractive. Period. I learned that the hard way. People can smell desperation from a mile away. It stinks of fear, low self-esteem, and hopelessness.

Why is she all up on him like that? She must be desperate.

Why is he acting like he's going to die if I don't buy this car? He's desperate.

Why has he called me 198 times in the last hour? I just met him yesterday. Is he really that desperate? 

Even if it is a desperate situation there’s no need for you to act desperate and hopeless. Man up.

Act like you know things will get better.

Act like you have an abundance mentality.

Act like you know that there is a power greater than you working on behalf of you.

Million-Dollar Question:

Do you smell like desperation?

Duncan Nugget #84: This Is Only for the Open-Minded

People have a hard time dealing with information that contradicts what they think. In fact, it’s not unusual for people to completely ignore (sometimes unintentionally) anything that challenges their beliefs. Most folks only seek information that validates what they want to think and believe.

Being open-minded is a master ability. It's one of the keys to  self-development and embracing diversity.

Unfortunately, genuine open-mindedness is a rare thing. Once somebody thinks something negative about a person or an entire group of people it seems like he can find all the evidence in the world to prove it, but none to refute it.

Chauvinist.

Racist.

Bigot.

Once somebody thinks you (or he) can't do or be something, he can come up with all the evidence in the world to prove that it's impossible, but none to prove that it is possible.

Pessimist.

Doubter.

Hater.

Million-Dollar Question:

How open-minded are you...really?

The Myth of Learning Styles

Science Daily has posted an article debunking the notion of learning styles. This was a hard one for me to accept because I've taught many seminars and classes on learning styles. What are your thoughts?

(This is a scientific article, so it's heavy reading.)

Science Daily | Learning styles debunked

Duncan Nugget #51: The Delusion of Success

What do successful, self-motivated, high-achievers and people who play the lottery have in common?

They're delusional. 

People are motivated more by the perceived probability of success than the actual probability of success. 

I'm about to go outside in this thunderstorm and fly a kite.

Benjamin Franklin. Delusional. 

It's 1836, I'm 16 years old, and I'm going to tell the world that slavery is wrong and women are just as good as men.

Susan B. Anthony. Delusional. 

I've been in jail for 27 years...guess I should run for president.

Nelson Mandela. Delusional.

The next time somebody calls you delusional because the odds are against you accomplishing your goal, thank him or her for the compliment.

The White House Internship: A Public Service Leadership Program

This is a cool internship. It's a chance to get some hands-on servant leadership experience.

The White House Internship: A Public Service Leadership Program

Generation E - Students Leading Clean Energy Future

Free Report from The National Wildlife Federation - 35 ways students are creating a sustainable future at U.S. colleges and universities

Generation E: Students Leading for a Sustainable, Clean Energy Future - Campus Ecology - National Wildlife Federation

Increase Your Green - Empowering YOU to Green Your School

@dosomething and HP launch a national campaign: Increase Your Green.

Increase Your Green | Do Something

Context is Everything Part 2

[Q-n-A from Facebook based on Duncan Nugget #39: Context is Everything]

Q: [ Adam Fletcher Sasse] Sometimes we need the context to change though Al. What do we do when the context doesn't change as fast as we need it to?!?

Adam, good question! The answer is simple (but far from easy):

You have to make an accurate, honest assessment of what is and is not under your control. Focus on the aspect of the context you can control and work on that. Most people spend too much time focused on what they can't control.

Sometimes we do need (want) the context to change (like the economy). We don't have complete control over that, but we do have complete control over our spending habits. We do have complete control over attitude and effort.

Gandhi, MLK, Mother Teresa, Joan of Arc, Frederick Douglas, and any other great person in history faced contexts that weren't changing fast enough. But they honed in on what they could do. They did that with an unstoppable attitude, courage, and sustained, maximum effort.

Eventually the context changed.

Duncan Nugget #33: Turn a Pile of Garbage Into A Pot Gold

At any given moment you are surrounded by dozens of money making possibilities. In fact, most people have at least one idea per day that could make them financially independent.

Where people saw a pile of garbage, some entrepreneur saw a pile of gold and created the billion-dollar waste management industry.

Million-Dollar Question:

What are you going to do about that 

brilliant idea running around in your head?

Duncan Nugget #142: Meet Me Halfway

The Black Eyed Peas have a song out called "Meet Me Halfway". It reminds me of a time, back in the day, when I saw a guy trying to pick up an attractive woman. She was 50-100 feet away. I guess she liked him because she stopped walking to listen. He asked her to come talk to him.

Her response?

"Meet me half-way."

You see Success walking by. She’s hot. She likes you. You want Success to be a part of your life, so you ask her to come talk to you.

Her response?

"Meet me half-way."

Million-Dollar Question:

Are you waiting on success or 

moving towards success?

Duncan Nugget #39: Context is Everything

Imagine that it's 95 degrees. Is that hot? It depends on the context, doesn't it?

If it's the middle of February in Philly, 95 degrees is hot. If 95 is the temperature of your oven while you're trying to cook a turkey then 95 is cold. It's the same temperature, but the context changes everything.

"That's not what I meant. You're taking it the wrong way."

Does that phrase sound familiar?

Something said the wrong way or taken out of context can spark an argument or start a war. It's the same set of words, but the context changes everything.

Your problems can propel you or paralyze you. It's the same scenario, but your frame of reference—the context—changes everything.

Before you assume, believe, or do anything THINK about the context because context is everything.

Google Diversity Internship Program

Google offers the Building Opportunities for Leadership & Development (BOLD) Diversity Internship Program for Summer 2009. This program is designed to provide exposure into the technology industry for students who are historically under-represented in this field. Use the link below to apply.

Google Diversity Internship Program

15 Summer Internships at OCLC

The Online Computer Library Center is looking for 15 interns in the areas of Finance, Marketing, Technical, Library Science, Web Editing/Design, Content Mgmnt & Web Publishing, and  Database Development. Use link below to apply.

OCLC Internship Webinar Information Form

Duncan Nugget #66: Black Eyes and Bruises

In the movie Fight Club (starring Ed Norton and Brad Pitt) it turns out that the star characters are alter egos.  (They) he has been traveling around the country starting underground fight clubs and literally beating himself up—black eyes and bruises.

That's bonkers, right? Of course, you would never do anything like that, would you?

Not so fast...

On average, you say (or think) 150-300 words per minute to yourself. If you are like the average person, most of it is negative. You're beating yourself up—black eyes and bruises.

You would be ready to rumble if people told you some of the things you tell yourself. Cut it out. This ain't Fight Club.

Million Dollar Question:

Aren't you tired of giving yourself 

black eyes and bruises?

'Diplomas Now' Program - Keeping At-Risk Youth From Dropping Out

From @educationweek: The Diplomas Now model, spreading in cities across the nation, uses an early-warning system to identify potential dropouts and offers intensive social support to help students make it through.

Check the link below for full article.

Education Week: 'Diplomas Now' Offers Potential Dropouts Lots of Help

Duncan Nugget #107: Rule Breakers Rule the World?

Have you ever noticed that many of the greatest people to ever walk the planet were rule-breakers? Rosa Parks, Ghandi, Frederick Douglass, Galileo, Muhammad Ali, Benjamin Franklin, Socrates, Joan of Arc...just to name a few.

Take a risk.

Take a stand.

Find a few rules to break. After all, the word "rule" doesn't necessarily mean "right."

HINT: Make sure you're breaking the rules for a noble cause.

Youth Service America Awards Young Female Social Entrepreneurs

Two $2000 awards from @youthservice will be given to young female social entrepreneurs in honor Gladys Coccia. Now accepting nominations. Check the link below for details.

Nominations of Young Female Social Entrepreneurs Invited for Gladys Marinelli Coccia Awards

Sprint Gives $450,000 in Education Grants - More Coming!

The Sprint Foundation is giving grants (up to $25,000) to individual schools and school districts for character-education programs that promote and/or address youth leadership, youth volunteerism, a positive school culture, and drop-out prevention.

Visit the link below for details.

Sprint Character Education Grant Program Seeks to Support Positive Development of Young People

Duncan Nugget #240: Purpose Called

She was sent straight to voice mail. She didn't leave a message. But Purpose is persistent, so she will call again.

Million-Dollar Question:

Will you answer the call?

Duncan Nugget #79: Are You Smart Enough to...?

You have to know what you know, know what you don’t know, and know the difference!

Million-Dollar Question: 

Are you smart enough to know 

how ignorant you are?

75 Million Children Worldwide Do Not Attend School

"75 million children worldwide do not attend school or have access to a teacher -- and most of them are girls."

Man...we have a lot of work to do. Check out this article from @edutopia

A World Summit on Education Innovation

Duncan Nugget #10: According to Your Attitude

Recently, I was dropping off some FedEx packages when I noticed a sign behind the counter:


"Prices are subject to change according to customer's attitude."

Humorous? Yes.

A nugget? Definitely.

"She's hot...but her attitude sucks!"


"We like the work you do, but we're gonna have to let you go. People don't like you."


"He's got talent, but I ain't dealing with that attitude. It ain't worth it."

Duncan Nugget #10 
The perceived value of what you have to offer is 
subject to change according to your attitude 
because your attitude is the 
ambassador of your personal brand.

You've heard it before. Hopefully, this time it'll sink in. And if it's not for you then pass it along to someone who needs a 'tude up.

Million Dollar Question:

What would your pay check look like if you only got paid according to your attitude?

Internship: National Center for Environmental Health

Here is a 10-week summer environmental internship for undergraduate students majoring in Environmental Studies, Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, Ecology, or related fields who are passionate about the environment, interested in human health, and curious about how they are linked.

National Center for Environmental Health: Collegiate Leaders in Environmental Health Summer Undergraduate Internship | CDC

What Is the Best High School In the Country?

According to US News and World Report, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia is the best high school in the United States. Check out the article below to see the full list.

Virginia High School Is Best in the Nation - US News and World Report

OMG, You Mean I Can't Facebook at Work? - High School Connections - Education Week

Would you really turn down a job that has "No Facebook" policy?! Check out this article from EdWeek.

OMG, You Mean I Can't Facebook at Work? - High School Connections - Education Week

Duncan Nugget #344: Why do people cheat?

Smart [butt] professor: "So, Mr. Duncan, surely with your vast amount of experience in dealing with students you can tell us why students cheat, can't you?" 

Al Duncan [extremely amused and fully prepared]: "People cheat because they have an ineffective strategy for dealing with failure."

Smart [butt] professor: *silence*

Al Duncan: *BIG grin*

When people don't know how to deal with failure they will do anything to avoid it. They simply don't understand that failure is only permanent if you quit. (Duncan Nugget #21)

Million Dollar Question:

What is your strategy for dealing with failure?

Young Scholars Internship Program

The University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences has an excellent internship program for high school students.

Young Scholars Internship Program

America's Top Science, Math, and Tech Students Honored

From @teachermagazine - Individual students and teams won between $10,000 and $50,000 in math, science, and technology competition.  


Teacher Magazine: Nation’s Top Math, Science Students Honored

Duncan Nugget #36: Dealing with Conflicts

Whether it's the parents fussing at the kids, students snapping on professors (not smart at all), or couples fussing at each other, conflict and arguments often end with a stack of hurt feelings and pissed off people. 


It's okay to say things like: "I don't like what you did (or said). To me, it was a stupid thing to do."

It's not cool to say things like: "How stupid can you be?! You're a real idiot!" (Well...I guess it's cool if he or she really is an idiot.)

When resolving conflicts, be sure to focus on the issue, not the individual; the problem, not the person.

A person is not his or her behavior. THINK about that.

It'll be easier to resolve the issue or the problem, if you avoid making value judgments about the person. This is especially true when dealing with at-risk youth, defiant teens, and people with big egos.

The Institute for Responsible Citizenship

The Institute for Responsible Citizenship (@I4RC)is currently accepting applications for its summer leadership program in Washington, DC.

"The Institute provides America’s best and brightest African American male college students with unparalleled networking opportunities, leadership development, and life‐long mentorship."--IRC

Poetic Troubled Teens

Cool article from @edutopia about troubled teens getting a chance to express themselves poetically.

Troubled Teens Explore Their Artistic Side

Get a Degree in Motivational Speaking?

Q: What kind of college courses would I take my freshman year of college in order to become a successful motivational speaker like you?

--college student

There's no official curriculum for becoming a motivational speaker. In fact, we come from all walks of life. There are professional speakers that have majored in education, business, engineering, law, performing arts (me), psychology, religion, and plenty of other majors that I haven't mentioned.

Regardless of your career path, here are some nuggets that will help you to become a good public speaker and build a solid professional speaking business.

1. Major in something you do well, you love, and that will help you get a job or start your own business. This is crucial. You should love what you do and you should do it well enough to get paid to do it.

It takes time to build a rep that makes people want to pay you to speak. In the meantime, you need to eat, right? Keep in mind that you can speak professionally and work in your profession or run your business. People do it all the time.

2. Take a public speaking class and join (or start) a Toastmasters Club. There should be one on campus or close by, if not, start one.

3. Take some entrepreneurship classes. (Man, I wish somebody would've told me that!) Public speaking and professional speaking are two different things. If you want to speak for living then you will be running a speaking business. 

Running a business involves marketing, sales, branding, negotiating, accounting, and more. If it seems like a lot it's because it can be. But...it sure is fun being your own boss!

4. Become a master (expert) of something. Inspiration and motivation are good, but people pay big money for expertise. There's nothing wrong with a little "rah, rah, rah" every now and then, but that isn't enough.

The professional speaking industry has evolved. If you're a celebrity, a famous athlete, or someone with an amazing story--the kind they make movies about--you could get booked for some gigs simply because your life story is inspiring. But it doesn't work that way for most speakers.

You have to be a master of what you do because people want tangible results. They want their personal and professional lives to be better.

Duncan Nugget #10:

The true measure of a speaker is not in the awards or praise received. The true measure of speaker is the ability to inspire people AND deliver empowering information that will help them get what they want.

5. Write. This one is up for debate. Many well-known professional speakers use ghostwriters or staff to produce their articles and books. Is that cool? There's nothing wrong with it, but...

Million-Dollar Question:

Long before you make enough money as a 

speaker to pay someone else to write for you, 

who's going to write your material?

If I couldn't write I wouldn't be answering your question. Think about that. Writing is a good way to supplement your income, it gets your name out there even more, and it helps you to master your subject. I suggest you start a blog--now. (Let me know when you do and I'll check it out, okay?)

Write about what you want to speak about. Write about what you're reading. Write about whatever is on your mind. And write a book on the topic you want to speak about.

THE NITTY-GRITTY

Public speaking is an art that will enhance virtually any career. So, it's well worth the effort to get better at it. The professional speaking industry is extremely competitive and it can take a while to build a strong business. So, make sure you have a way of making money in the meantime.

Use the nuggets you just read and you'll be well on your way to becoming a good public speaker with a solid speaking business.

Suggested Reading:

How to Become a Motivational Speaker

Duncan Nugget #95: Health and Wellness

I once saw someone working out on the treadmill while she was reading a tabloid. The publication was three levels below the National Enquirer. The story that she was engrossed in was about Elvis and Bruce Lee being kidnapped by aliens.

 

How ironic is that? She was taking good care of her body, but cramming all of that garbage into her mind.

Eating healthy and thinking healthy go hand because the mind and body have inescapable effect on each other. Substances introduced to the body affect the mind; processes introduced to the mind affect the body.

Million-Dollar Question:

Are you eating AND thinking healthy?

The 10 Commandments of Youth - MTV Sticky

Here are The 10 Commandments of Youth:

MTV Youthtopia: The Ten Commandments of Youth

View more presentations from Stylesniper.

Connecting with Millennials in Class

Good tips on engaging Millennials in the classroom (for college instructors).

Teaching Generation Y: Reaching Millennials in the College Classroom | Suite101.com

Duncan Nugget #151: Are You Driven?

Are you driven by your dreams or your distractions; your goals or your gaffes; your ideas or your ineptitude? If you don't know what drives you, you don't know where you're going.

Million-Dollar Question:

Are you driven at all?

WANTED: Education Leaders

Harvard has a new doctoral degree to be focused on leadership in education and...it's FREE. Read the article by NY Times Op-ED columnist, Bob Herbert.

Op-Ed Columnist - In Search of Education Leaders - NYTimes.com

Note: Thanks to Andrew Manns for the heads up.

Duncan Nugget #41: Size Doesn't Matter?

It's not the size of the step; it's the direction that's important. People get so frustrated about mistakes and mishaps because they are overwhelmed by the thought of what's required to make things right.

If you've been walking down the wrong path in life, one step in the right direction will put you closer to your goal. Think about that.

If you've got a big project to tackle, one step puts you closer to completion.

One step. It's called progress.

Million-Dollar Question: 
What is one step you are committed to taking right now?

Three Keys to Connecting with Youth

I just finished reading this article: Millennials and the Future of Television. It's geared towards people in media and marketing to youth, but I pulled something out of it that can seriously help out young leaders, youth workers, educators, and parents:

"Today's youth tend to prefer watching comedy and fantasy. They also like smart complicated content like Lost."

I sat straight up in my office chair when I read that line. That's what I've been telling people for years. You want young people involved? Then there had better be some humor, imagination, or a challenge involved. If you've got one or two of those things, you've got a winner. If you have all three, you've got an all-time great.

Million-Dollar Question: 

Is your youth program or project humorous, imaginative, and challenging?

If not...
You're gonna lose to the TV, Hulu, Youtube, or Facebook.

1. HUMOR (FUN)

A lot of adults say that "young folks have to learn that everything in life ain't fun."

Garbage.

Believe me, the first time somebody scrapes his knee, he learns that everything ain't fun.

Older folks need to learn that a lot of things in life don't have to be so ridiculously boring.

Sometimes I visit programs and I feel bad for the young people and the older folks that are being tortured. I know they're bored because I'm sitting there thinking "I'd rather watch the grass grow." (Ouch! Sometimes the truth hurts.)

HINT: Stay away from the corny jokes and trying to be uber-cool. You don't have to be funny. Instead, be engaging.

Duncan Nugget #138 
When something is interactive and engaging, 

humor will generate itself.

2. IMAGINATIVE (FUN)

THINK, man! Quit doing the same old stuff. Do something that takes people away from everyday life (fantasy) and then brings them back with a great lesson. Want an example?

 Recently, I had a diverse group of 500 college students get into groups according to their birthday month. What's so exciting about that? They had to do it in without talking or writing (fantasy). They could ooh, ah, and laugh (and they did), but no talking or writing.

They started making up sign language and using cell phones. (That was kind of cheating, but imaginative.) They had fun.

The lesson?

Pick one: team building, problem solving, conflict resolution, leadership, communication, or diversity.

I've seen and done things that were spin offs of The Amazing Race, American Idol, talk shows, and improv comedy skits. The possibilities are limitless, so there's no excuse for lame, boring exercises.


3. CHALLENGE (FUN)

Duncan Nugget #50:

Taking on a worthwhile challenge and doing 

it well increases your self-motivation and self-efficacy.

There is a reason that crossword puzzles, Soduku, and all kinds of other brain teasers are so popular. Overcoming a challenge like that is mentally stimulating. It fosters self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-confidence. It's not necessarily humorous, but it's still fun.

So, challenge people, especially young people. All of the examples you read above are not only imaginative, they're challenging.

One of the best ways to challenge Millennials is to put them in charge. There's a ton research that shows that "youth led, youth driven" is the way to go. (The Innovation Center is a good place to get training and tools for Youth Led, Youth Driven initiatives.)


THE NITTY GRITTY

If it's humorous, imaginative, and challenging it will be fun.

If it's fun they'll love it.

If they love they'll be back...with their friends.