Conversation Agent - Valeria Maltoni

Innovation and Execution in 45 Quotes

Innovation is not just about coming up with new ideas -- we do have a fair number in circulation. Execution can be innovative, we see it all the time. Yet, many consider innovation sexy and execution... well, it is work isn't it? I was also thinking about what having a spirit of inquiry means to me. Given my lifelong pursuit of good questions -- mostly why questions -- I thought I would share with you a few nuggets I came across and saved from books and other readings that talk about execution and innovation to inspire us to lead with... Read more →

How to Become a Confident, Independent, and Wise Decision-Maker

A couple of years back I participated in a three-day experience with a psychologist trained in deconstructing and helping re-construct group dynamics who teaches at Wharton. With me were a diverse group of eleven peers anywhere from business development to creative direction, client services, analytics, project management, user experience design, and content strategy. The experience made a strong impression on me and created a bond that only deep neglect and indifference will be able to sever. I felt the most beneficial aspects of the experience were the awakening of self-awareness, curiosity, desire for clarity, and motivation around collaboration that were... Read more →

Four Ideas for Writing More, and Better

In On Writing. A Memoir of the Craft Stephen King says “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There's no way around these two things that I'm aware of, no shortcut.” We may not want to become full time writers, however more and more of our work product relies on the ability to write well. I have a secret reserve of good writers I turn to for inspiration. When I get stuck and what used to come easy and flow right out of me and... Read more →

Winning at Business and Life by Breaking Rules that Don’t Exist

One thing Nicolas Tesla, Richard Branson,Tony Stark, and all great titans of industry have in common is this: they were able to identify rules that don’t exist and had the courage to break them, says Jason Kotecki in Penguins Can't Fly: +39 Other Rules That Don't Exist: History is filled with examples of those who profited greatly by dispensing with so-called “rules”: @henryford: Thou shalt manufacture thy goods one at a time. #notarule. @waltdisney: Audiences shalt not sit though a feature-length animated movie. #notarule @browniewise: House parties are no place for selling. #tupperware #notarule @stevejobs: Computers shalt be beige. #notarule... Read more →

Bill Murray on the Importance of Commitment to Living an Engaged Life

For Esquire magazine Bill Murray talks about inaccessibility, the importance of freedom, commitment, and fatherhood. With so much semi-processed content in the name of media consumption, Murray's choice of living an engaged life by saying “no” to certain superficial things -- like unfiltered access -- and saying yes to deeper ones -- like commitment to his craft -- is remarkable. His is a good example of being present and showing respect through work. On choices: “I think we're all sort of imprisoned by — or at least bound to — the choices we make, and I think everyone in the... Read more →

Tina Fey's Prayer for her Daughter

In Bossypants, a book containing advice on how to be a good boss and leader, Tina Fey takes an honest look at how women treat each other, being a working mom, and dealing with institutionalized sexism. Fey's prayer for her daughter in the book is funny and filled with food for thought: First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches. May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty. When the Crystal Meth is offered, May... Read more →

Stress Can Be Good For You

The way we think about something has the power to transform us. In The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal says the body responds to stress in more ways than just fight-or-flight. We perform much better in stressful situations when we enter what is called a challenge response. Instead of panic or recklessness, our brains maximize focus so that we perform at our best: [...] the brain and the body actually has another way of responding to these kind of high-stakes challenges, you know, whether it’s... Read more →

Everything is Connected

“In the end, the biggest risk is not to take any risks at all. In science we find that: The opposite of a deep truth can also be true: waves can also be particles, and energy is another form of matter; two mutually exclusive things can be part of the same larger reality Every action has a reaction Everything is connected Things look different in different reference frames Rules change in unfamiliar terrain, often in counter-intuitive ways” [K.C. Cole, Mind Over Matter] +++ This quote is from an enjoyable collection of essays K.C. Cole wrote for the Los Angeles Times... Read more →

Conversation as Emotional Tool to Negotiate Meaning

Many of the most productive conversations lead to an understanding of sorts. In some cases they allow you to connect with one another in a way that leads to solving a problem, advancing a project, and creating opportunity for a next step or action. I liken this kind of conversation to a negotiation where both or multiple parties participate to varying degrees. Where people are involved, outcomes tend to be fairly unpredictable, and that is a good thing. If we could boil down the dynamics of relationships to a specific and neat formula, we would cut ourselves out of the... Read more →

The Four Qualities of Empathy

Stories are data with a soul, says Dr Brené Brown. Next time you need to choose how to express what you feel for someone, you might want to reach out for empathy. In this RSA animate short, Brown says empathy fuels connection, while sympathy drives disconnection. Our brains are wired to run from pain—including emotional pain—whether it is ours or someone else's. In the video, Brown says empathy rarely starts with the words, “At least...” and oftentimes, the best response is, “I don't know what to say, but I am really glad you told me.” Often we rush to try... Read more →