Episode 12 of the Kick A$$ w/Klaas Podcast and we're talking about performance super-foods!

There's an old saying that goes something along the lines of, 'advice is easy  to give but hard to take.' Which may lead one to believe that if advice is so easily cast around and our ability to act on it is so  difficult, then why are we asking for it at all? Because of this, we ask for feedback. Unfortunately, it's a safety net that yields little results. Studies show that feedback is vague and lacks creativity. Whereas, those that ask for advice were 54% more likely to receive deep and actionable insight. Much of this has to do with the definitions of the words themselves, one focused on reaction, the other on action. Combine this with human psychology, and we can start to uncover the performance super-food available to us, though little used: Asking for advice. We explore this and more in this episode of the podcast.

Episode 11 of the Kick Ass w/Klaas podcast and we're talking frogs, princes and the 4 reasons that great talent fails! We've all been there, attracted to potential but married to disappointment. In our careers or relationships, we ignore red flags and trust that our influence or talent alone can resolve a 'work in progress'. But if the here and now is stalling your own potential, then we're fooling ourselves in thinking it will get better.

So how do we find ourselves kissing (professional) frogs...or turning from a prince to a frog ourself?

It's a two headed monster:

1) Organization's see potential in candidates even though they aren't prepared to nurture that talent

2) Employees are so clouded by the attractiveness of a new job, that they ignore the fact that this prince, sure does kiss like a frog

In this episode we discuss the 4 reasons that even the best of talent, fails: Poor Fit, Disengagement, Organizational Politics and Personal Circumstances.

You can also check out the Klaas blog, where we write about this in full detail: https://lnkd.in/gDbZbTG

New year, new season, new themes but the same motto: You don't have to be an ass to Kick Ass!  This week, we're talking about the curious case of loosing cultures and how even elite talent is subject to its losing environment. Matthew Stafford, a lovable loser who in just one year, forever changed the fate of his reputation. Aaron Rodgers, a pursuer of perfection but dismantled by the errors of those around him. Can you really be a great player when you continuously lose? What's the lesson for the regular Joe? We explore this an more in this week's episode: Choosing Losing: Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, and Culture Curiosities. 

 - Abbreviated Show notes: 

There are only 8 QBs in history who have passed for over 50,000 yards. Unsurprisingly, that list includes Favre, Rodgers, Brees, Roethlisberger, Elway, and both Manning brothers. Sitting 5 yards short of that coveted list, with 49,995 passing yards is a player who up until this year, would have been considered a talented loser: Matthew Stafford. Stafford played 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions. 29 of his 34 4th quarter comebacks (which by the way, puts him tied for 5th in history), were with the lovable losing Lions. He’s thrown for more touchdowns than any other Lion’s player and to put that in perspective of how many throwers they’ve had, Detroit just happens to be one of the oldest teams in the NFL. Stafford is the winningest QB to ever wear the blue and silver. His win total doubles the next closest person on the list. Unfortunately, the Lions stink and they’ve stunk for a very long time. It’s been 64 years since they won their last championship in 1957. That’s 10 years before the Superbowl even existed. They have lost a total of 694 games (2nd most all time) and were the first team to go 0–16. Little Matty Stafford was 3 years old when they won their last playoff game; he’s 33 today. For Stafford, that all changed this last weekend when he scored his first playoff victory. Unfortunately for the Motor City, it just so happened to be with a different team. This past off-season, Stafford requested a trade and was sent happily packing across the country to the Los Angeles Rams. On Sunday, they’ll compete for a SuperBowl appearance. Meanwhile Detroit, led by Rams former quarterback Jared Goff (who is also very good), are sitting at home, their season done with a record of 3 & 13, with 1 tie. 

Is Losing Contagious What does this all mean for you, the corporate desk jockey and zoom monkey searching for your next big company pay-day? Great talent can be found in losing organizations. Rarely is one superstar enough to resolve ineptitude at scale. 

Corporations are like sports franchises; they are teams. An individual performer can perform great, but if everyone else around you is either of lesser talent or lesser commitment or simply cursed by deciding factors outside of the field level’s control, then it becomes a question of: Can you win, when everyone else around you is losing? One of the greatest players of all-time, Barry Sanders, retired from the NFL after just 10 seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played a punishing position. Running backs aren’t known for their longevity, but there was no sign that Sanders was losing a step either when he walked away. Likely, he was just tired of giving everything he had and continuing to see the same lackluster results. He is a hall of fame player, but he’s also cursed with an invisible asterisk. When people mention Barry Sanders’ name, it’s often followed by some version of: *..it’s too bad he played for such bad teams. 

How Good Are You So where do you fit in: Are you good enough to on a regular basis get close to the finish line only to lose to the competition or miss your goals? Is there a pattern of losing within your organization where while once it felt like a fluke, you can now predict it with frightening accuracy? *see the blog for full text

Episode 9 of the Kick Ass w/Klaas podcast is up and we're diving into the lessons from my favorite holiday film, 'It's a Wonderful Life'. 

Even as a kid, I was drawn to its mix of innocence and haunting. As an  adult, I've only grown to appreciate and learn from it even more.

Yet  despite traditional perception, 'It's a Wonderful Life' is a very dark  movie. The story of a man seeped in bitterness and resentment, known to  fly into fits of rage and whom ultimately attempts suicide. Had this  been made in the 2000's, perhaps we'd consider it an important  independent film, challenging the stereotypes of mental illness.  Consider that this was made in the post-WWII American Dream propaganda  heyday and it's a wonder the film was even made, let alone become the  epitome of celebratory life in the holiday season.

I  wrote a blog about this three years ago and am re-posting to the Klaas website because it still rings true today. Perhaps the back story of the  movie and its characters will provide new perspective for you. Likely,  there are similarities to people in your own life that on the outside  appear as high performers but who are battling silent demons in their  mind. Your friendship means more to them than they realize.

Episode 7 of the Kick Ass w/Klaas Podcast is up and we're talking about how to re-frame your professional decline. Tom Brady aside, we can learn a lot from professional athletes and how every birthday is one step closer to our professional decline. There's a misconception that if you put in the work and time and have early success, that you'll be on the fast track to climbing the corporate ladder. According to science, you likely will get up that ladder quickly but just as you're starting to enjoy the view, a black cat will walk underneath. The curse sends us into a rapid decline that can put even the most successful and tenured people into a professional funk that has long term implications on our psychological health. 

Fortunately, science has uncovered two evolutionary states of our brains, Fluid and Crystalized Intelligence. Each help us succeed at unique tasks but only for a period of time. Learning more about these phases and how they apply to our personal experience, can put us in a positions that we can no only succeed at, but find the fulfillment that all of us seek. Be sure to read the accompanying blog post at the moreklaas blog. 

Episode 6 of the Kick Ass w/Klaas Podcast is the Audio Blog version today! Momentarily taking a break from live banter so we can walk you through one of the most recent posts from the Kick Ass Blog, 'Your Ego Needs 4 Mentors'. Sit back and relax as we reminisce on the mentors that shaped us, the good, the bad and the subtle. We'll also challenge you with some homework as you assess the mentors in your life and in doing so, may provoke thought on your influence over others. 

To read the blog, visit: https://moreklaas.com/blog-1/f/your-ego-needs-4-mentors

Episode 5 of the Kick Ass w/Klaas Podcast is here and we're talkin' 'bout changes. Whether you hunt it or run from it, change will find us. How we meet the challenge of change is a testament to our survival instincts, our elasticity and the resources with which we surround ourselves. Join us as we talk about our experiences in life's changes, what got us through and how the routine normal we see today was at one point in time, a frightening new endeavor. 

Big shout-out to Stephen as he celebrates his birthday!

*Forgive Sam's poor audio...his machine must have been battling through its own changes today.

Episode 4 of the Kick Ass w/Klaas podcast where we're going to rustle some feathers with Stephen's critique of Wisconsin's own New Glarus 'Spotted Cow' while bringing a curious inspection to the definition of company culture. What defines it, who lives it and what's at risk when culture buys the farm. Bear with us, we start slow but pick-up so much speed that we couldn't fit it all in on 1 session so we're labeling this Part 1 of an unknown series limit on Culture. 

On episode 3 of the Kick Ass w/Klaas podcast we're talking about interview preparation and common interview questions, all while starting our summers off with a bang with session sours. Stephen enjoyed Mountain Beach Session Sour from Breckenridge Brewery, while Sam took part in a Sierra Nevada Wild Little Thing Slightly Sour. Like a good beverage, that first impression in an interview can pack a surprising punch. Just make sure you've got enough sweet to keep them wanting more.