Pontificate

I looked it up and had to look further. Synonyms used to describe pontificate are: to be dogmatic, officious, to speak pompously, preach, go on, sound off. Pompous hmmm, this got me thinking.

Words in their written form are two dimensional, just like television screens. That flat screen TV you’re watching, where objects are interpreted as three dimensional but are shown on a two dimensional surface are deceiving. Both are wonderful mediums that can be brought to life with our imaginations.

When you read you may visualize the setting and characters as multi-dimensional. The two dimensional world is simple but difficult. Words provoke thoughts and relationships, more often unsullied understanding, curious worlds and effervescent connections emerge. Still, you may have to work at transforming ideas from a flat world by pondering, pontificating.

“The World Is Flat” a book by Thomas Friedman says we’re back to a flat world because of our ability to trade, communicate and live globally. Some contest his praise of this flattened world because it’s destroying our natural, cultural and social resources.

For me the flat form is flat and it can be tough to capture ideas that are multi-dimensional through two dimensional words and pictures. To see them on paper they change form which deceives us. I’m thinking long and hard as to how to transform flat. Here are some ideas to play with:

The next time you

- facilitate a group session – create the agenda with items that represent the process (i.e. your watch for the review of the minutes). To capture ideas, have participants use tools that create a multi-dimensional replica. Send the 3-d creation back to the office as inspiration

- deliver or share an idea with your colleagues - create a model that others can play with, add to, modify, have paint, leggo blocks, balls and string on hand.

- explain and idea over the phone – have the ‘receiver’ gather items and build what you are explaining and have them describe it, who knows what you’ll end up with

- drop off a resume or go to an interview – bring three dimensional samples that highlight your style. Make them reflective of your unique nature, something related to the work you’ll be doing or what you will add to the culture of the organization. For example if you love golfing bring a sleeve of golf balls and explain why during the interview - you’ll set up a fun tournament to build cohesion.

Don’t be deceived, any situation can be transformed from flat into fat, the good kind - the HDL of living multi-dimensionally.