Jason Ewart is a Sydney-based transformation writer and speaker touring California in June 2009.  

(kudos to Funny Man Dan @funnymandan for the post title)

“Just because you are a character doesn’t mean you have character.”

- Winston Wolfe, Pulp Fiction (1994)

Recently, I had an opportunity to play a part in giving something back to the kids of our local community. This involved wearing a character suit of an oversized boy complete with permanent smile. A sweaty adventure as I attempted to not knock over any toddlers, caused by a limited view through the mouth of the character.

After several hours, I had a new appreciation for volunteers, and especially of life inside the big head!

Character development is an ongoing journey. Working inside the big head showed me that what was going on inside could be incongruent with the external. I made contact with the creator of the character to look for ways to bring life to the external.

One scenario really spoke volumes to me during the stint in the suit. As I stood near the jumping castle, a couple of youth came from behind and attempted to rip the head off the costume.

The head twisted slightly and a buckle or the fan unit scratched across my face, near my eye.

In that moment, on the inside of the big head, my thoughts were not healthy. They had potential of not bringing life to the character. After all, thoughts lead to actions.

Character is shown in circumstances. As I stood motionless, I re-grouped on the inside. It was very evident to me that what was going on inside the big head had the potential to impact the body language and actions of the character.

Thankful for the permanent smile!

As a business owner, entrepreneur or individual, is my character congruent with the message & values of my organisation?

Do I represent well?

“Character does count. For too long we have gotten by in a society that says the only thing right is to get by and the only thing wrong is to get caught. Character is doing what’s right when nobody is looking…”

Oklahoma Congressman J. C. Watts, speech at the Republican National Convention (August 13, 1996)

If character is doing what is right when no one is looking, or when you can “hide” inside the big head, what can we do for character development?

Set aside intentional time for reflection, journalling, meditation

Review values of self/organisation

Build accountability systems

Invest in health (diet, sleep etc)

Deliver on promises or communicate clearly & promptly if unable to do so

What works for you?

Please share them in the comments. My pen is at the ready.

What is the cost for NOT investing in character development?

Jason Ewart is a Sydney-based transformation writer and speaker who obliterated obesity & demolished debt.  

Ever had one of those days when you notice that the only thing stopping you is you?!

One of the biggest assets for entrepreneurs and business leaders is the ability to silence self doubt and globalising, test assumptions & the like

The biggest win is often between the ears.

As a dominant visually wired guy, I have found my “portfolio of evidence” to be helpful for these moments.

The portfolio documents photos of wins, when I overcame (predominantly mental) obstacles that were a stretch or a fear.

The photos could be compiled in an album, or a slideshow or they may be displayed on a pin board in your strategy room.

The evidence will shut up those doubtful questions with definite proof that you can because you have!

It may be a captured moment of a presentation where you nailed it or when you closed a deal. On a personal level, you may have built or cooked something for the first time.

What story do you need to remind yourself of?

How can you capture it for the future?

Let the memorials spur us on, but may they spur us on to even greater endeavours so we don’t rely on the old stories or trophies like Al

Four touchdowns in one game!

Keep writing stories.

Keep creating portfolio volumes.

Jason Ewart is a Sydney-based transformation writer and speaker who obliterated obesity & demolished debt. 

Today I would like to throw a third and final way we can approach our uniqueness into the mix.  I’m sure there are many other ideas so please share them with us via the comments or directly.  I hope you continue to see more opportunities for your teams, families and clients.  Thank you for your feedback.

I was recently asked to bring my 2 cents worth to a discussion regarding reward & recognition. An interesting point raised was different values placed on possible rewards, often motivated by demographic or our uniqueness.

For example, a young lady who is a few months out from getting married & moving out of home for the first time stated that she is motivated by shopping mall vouchers so she can set up home.

An older guy with school age kids may be motivated by paid time off so he can have the rare but valued experience of being the school taxi driver or even attending a mid day school event.

I think there is worth for our teams & families to explore this aspect of our wiring ie. incentives & motivations.

I value quality time together.  For my upcoming trip, I am keen on sitting in cafes & restaurants with particular people. Sure, I will see some sights along the way but for me, that’s bonus!

I have a friend who isn’t motivated by lengthy time together but gets “pumped up” by encouraging words.

What can we be intentional about today regarding reward, recognition, motivation & incentive?

Could it be affirmation, time together, or even giving something material/tangible?