All Aboard the Kin Ship

Being a Sputnik Kid born in 1957 I didn’t grow up with television let alone computers. The best we could do in Kalgoorlie was the valve wireless that sat on our lounge room shelf and got turned on so Grandma could listen to the old radio series Blue Hills.

But maybe because I am a Sputnik Kid I’ve always enjoyed being a bit of an early adopter of new technology. I was early onto Apple Mac computers, bought one of the earliest Data Projectors (cost me $8000 AUS) and have a collection of ipods, iphones and iaps. (Maybe because ilearn,iadopt, igrow, ithink…)

Yet for all my technology I am not a fan of throwing out babies and bathwater together. I like the mix of the new and the old. Let my folks’ old valve radio rest on the shelf next to the new digital radio set. Let us all maintain an honouring of the road travelled as we embrace the super highway ahead.

This is why I like many of the aspects of the new social networking technology and will probably embrace the ones around the bend. Today I got a message on Facebook saying Johnny Dunlop wanted to connect with me. The Dunny lived across the road from me in Doubleview when I was a teen. He played half-back-flank, I played Centre Half Back and in Under 12s we celebrated a premiership together. From side by side in footy to side by side in cyber space, now that’s magic.

Kicking a footy together for a number of years develops a kinship – a sharing of common characteristics, a depth of unity, a mixture of blood spilled and lemon barley cordial drunk.

I’m a lover of kinship.

Recently I saw a documentary about the great Japanese born and Australian based chef Tetsuya and how he grew from being a dishwasher to one of the finest, most loved chefs on the planet. Each person interviewed in the Documentary acclaimed Tets as a top chef, top person and top buddy. Tetsuya is a member of the Top Ten Chef’s of the World; a group united with a kinship based on love of food, love of eating and love of cooking.

But more than this, Tetsuya and the other Top Ten members had a kinship – a shared characteristic – around a love of learning and continually helping themselves and each other get better at their art and craft. That’s a nifty kinship.

When you are part of a true kinship group you respect each other’s talents and inspire each other to keep learning and growing.

My wife Lindy has a background in film and television direction and production. When she looks back at the many years she spend in that field her best memories are of talented people working on exciting projects. She had her A-Team, a group she would compile for the most challenging and exciting shoots. An audio, visual feast of a team mixing Creative, Analytical, Practical and Emotional Smarts – talented folk who loved their work and respected each other for the differences they brought to the team.

The best teams, the best clubs, the best marriages are linked by diverse talents coming together in teamwork and united by the bond of respect – the foundation of kinship.

Which brings me to Stools or more precisely to The Stools. (We have a piano at home and every time I walk by I pass a stool!)

In 2006 the National Speaking Association of Australia (the Industry of Professional Speakers) instigated an award for the Educator of the Year. This award acknowledges the professional speaker who is, in my terms, a ‘Ruck Rover’ someone who can play a variety of positions and do them all with the highest quality. This means awardees can deliver Keynote speeches, Workshops, One to One Coaching, small group work, Leadership Programs, Youth Courses… in short they present to a variety of groups in a variety of ways and instil deep learning and a passion for learning in each and every presentation.

In 2010 the award winners presented on stage together as a team at the National Speakers Conference on the Gold Coast. The idea was to look at one element of Presentation Methodology in depth and to share the variety of insights from the five 2006 – 2010 winners (Glenn Capelli, Colin James, David Penglase, Allan Parker and Terry Hawkins). The act went down so well, that each year now the Awardees design and deliver a team presentation looking at one aspect of Presentation Methodology. So, you may be wondering, why the Stools?

As we prepared for the 2010 presentation I sent an email to the group saying:

Hi Team

Looking forward to our on-stage adventure. We are on Sunday 8.30 – 10.15am.

The Abbott & Costello of it all.... Who’s on first? The Design is rough, open and be on your toes.

Thinking of having some chairs Centre Stage.

Cap

To which David Penglase innocently responded:

All good from my perspective – could we have comfortable stools and not chairs please?

Regards, David

With a further response from me:

Team

Stools On Stage – could be the name for our act.

Followed by Colin James chipping in with:

Also: 4 bottles Evian water, 300mls, sealed, cool not cold.
My stool needs to be reupholstered before use & destroyed after I have used it. On stage I can be referred to as Colin but off stage it is either Sir or Mr. James. None of the logistics people are allowed to look at me... eye contact will not be tolerated. Thank you gifts are to be of no lesser value than $1000.00. Gold is appreciated. In any signage or visual representation my name needs to at the top, in a larger font than anything else and have a drop shadow. I will need two attendants on call for the duration of my time.
Aged between 24 and 28. Over 5'6 tall. Female. Proven track record in modeling and logistics. Please forward resume's and photos. After the event I will need a white limo to transport me to the airport. Driver must be female and will not be allowed to talk. I think that's it. Just the basics.

Colin ' sTool' James

Thus the Kin Ship was sailing! As people who had known each other’s work for years (sometimes decades) we had a healthy mutual respect but by designing a presentation together we cemented that respect with the powerful wind for a Kin Ship – humour.

The best Kin Ships run on mutual respect and a healthy dose of laughter. Kin Ships have an ability to help each member lift their game and continually stretch their talents whilst revelling in the thorough joy and privilege of working together. Kin Ships come together through a team basis of values and then help each individual stretch the depth and breadth of their unique talent. All this whilst keeping each other’s feet firmly on the ground. (Yet still reaching for the stars.)

Find, grow and sail your kinship. Be it a group within a large Company, an A Team for Key Projects, a Half Back line in a Footy team or simply a Collective of Stools.

Thinking Caps book in bookshops now or available from www.glenncapelli.com