This Post Will Make You A More Effective Communicator In 90 Seconds

I've recently been doing a bit of research on space exploration.

The hunt has inevitably led me to stories about SpaceX founder (and billionaire genius) Elon Musk, a man whose mission to colonize Mars has led to the development of self-landing rockets, among other innovations over the last few years.

In the course of geeking out about such rocketry, I stumbled across two Musk interviews that inadvertently illustrate one of the biggest conversational mistakes — and missed opportunities — I see people make every day. Coincidentally, they're both by men named Rose: Kevin Rose, founder of Digg and partner at Google Ventures, and Charlie Rose, the veteran PBS/CBS interview host. Each had the chance to interview one of today's most fascinating innovators, but one of them succeeded in a slightly more enlightening (and less awkward) interview.

The difference was in the questions they asked, and specifically how they asked them. See if you can spot what's going on:

Kevin: What led you into entrepreneurship? Was it something that you always knew that you wanted to be, an entrepreneur on your own? Or did you stumble into it?

Charlie: What are you doing in terms of planetary exploration?

Kevin: Where do you come up with your best ideas? Are you on vacation, or do you wake up in the middle of the night and draw things down?

Charlie: How did you go about the design?

Kevin: When did you decide to get into computers and technology? Did you start coding? Or was it a lot of...?

Charlie: What do you think?

Can you guess which interview went better?

You can see the interviews for yourself here and here if you're interested (this snippet about global warming here is fantastic). But you probably won't be surprised when I tell you that Charlie Rose's interview was more interesting, and came across as significantly more professional. The man is great at asking questions and getting out of the way; he uses short, open-ended questions when he wants elaboration, and short, yes-or-no questions when he wants to be pointed.

Kevin Rose, on the other hand, ends every question in the interview with a series of possible answers. Instead of performing an interview, he administers a multiple-choice exam. In the process, he not only uses time that his interview subject could spend talking, but also misses out on serendipitous conversational outcomes. With the multiple-choice question format, you simply water the conversation down.

We all do this. "What are you doing for the holidays? Are you staying in town, or are you going somewhere, or do you have to work? "

This usually occurs because people have a hard time ending sentences. We are uncomfortable with terseness. So we ramble until we trail off, or until the other person jumps in. Instead of, What do you think?, we say, Do you think x, y, z, q, r or...

Once you start paying attention to this it will drive you nuts. We don't tend to notice the multiple-choice problem in ourselves until we're in a situation like a sit-down interview, recorded for all the Internet to see, when suddenly the repeat effect of the struggle-to-suggest-options-because-I-don't-know-how-to-stop becomes really... well, irritating!

(Of course, the Musk interviews are a good example but not a fair comparison. Charlie's been at this for decades. Kevin is a very smart guy, and his Foundation series is quite good. 

The interviewee lineup is spectacular – albeit male-heavy – and he unearths some pretty interesting backstories. His Q&A skill will increase as with all interviewers, and he's going to discover in the course of interviewing people what great interrogators know: the interviewee will always suggest more interesting answers than you can.)

As a journalist-turned-entrepreneur, I've written a few times about the skills that businesspeople can pick up from reporters. The art of asking great questions is one of the most frequently useful. (I elaborate on my rules for better Q&A, whether in a formal interview or a simple conversation, in an old Fast Company post here.)

The #1 tip for asking better questions? Cut them off at the question mark.

Those better, terser questions will make you a better conversationalist, a more effective information-gatherer, a more efficient speaker and perhaps paradoxically, a more pleasant communicator.

It takes will power to be concise. But effective questions will double your conversational effectiveness, and just might make you a little more interesting yourself.

So... what do you think?

Shane Snow
Journalist, Geek, CCO of Contently

Construction Job Cams Become Common, Useful Tool

PHOTO courtesy of EarthCam

A 6-megapixel EarthCam shot captures the Methodist Richardson Medical Center in Richardson, Texas.

Jobsite cameras take scheduled photos from static positions and stream them to private users or public websites, stringing together the images as movies of projects going up or to archive for later use. While the cameras are a hit with developers and marketers of high-end residential buildings and flagship projects, they are becoming a general construction staple, written into specs from the start, say users and vendors.

Sources also say the range of job-cam uses and paybacks is as broad as the roles of people accessing them.

Mark Penny, a senior vice president for the Dallas region of Manhattan Construction Inc., says his company, a large, self-performing general contractor, has used many vendors, although it most recently has turned to EarthCam. "We have a lot of high-profile jobs that people want to see. They are a great opportunity for us and the client to showcase the construction, which makes the job of selling what we do a lot easier," he notes.

Penny says the cameras can improve security, but "that's not the primary use." The photographic record also can verify that activities, such as concrete placement, are done on schedule. But, he says, "in the end, we have a time-lapse video that's just a great wrap-up marketing piece."

Penny says Manhattan doesn't use job cams for safety monitoring, either. "We have on-site safety guys. If we are doing that on a webcam, we may feel we are missing the mark," Penny says.

However, Warren Andres, senior vice president at general contractor Andres Construction, also in Dallas, which uses many subcontractors, is far more hands-on with his job cams. He prefers ePlanit, a local vendor with whom he has had a long relationship. "It's awesome because it is totally mobile. It's cell-phone signals and solar panels on a trailer. Within hours, they can have it on the jobsite."

Andres says he has three monitors on his desk. One shows live feeds from all his cameras. If he sees unsafe work, he sends a photo to the superintendent and demands action. Similarly, he says he can spot slow work crews and do enough quality control to send the message that management is watching. "You can't see everything, but you can pan, tilt and zoom and count the screws on the sheathing."

With hour-and-a-half drive times to get across town, Andres says that, "with a camera, I can be there right now and in more places at once. Productivity goes up, and the value you get in one day sometimes pays for it all."

Jason Burns, vice president of technology at Hunter Roberts Construction Group,New York City, says he often recommends Hackensack, N.J.-based EarthCam to clients. But besides arranging jobsite placement and bringing together owners and vendors, he has little other involvement. "The PR value is for the owner," he says. "EarthCam is icing on the cake. It's nice to show jobs you have done, but it's not providing me much for construction. But [EarthCam] has the software and the know-how to build a job in a two-minute time lapse and make it look good. You're buying that."

Hardware and plans vary from low-resolution off-line cameras that store images for retrieval to ultra-high-resolution units that have big zoom lenses and internet-operable controls. Users can vary shot frequency and pan, tilt and zoom, or PTZ, at will. The images stream to websites and storage systems. Costs vary from a few hundred dollars a month to $30,000 or more per camera per job, depending on the level of sophistication and service.

"We try to be realistic about need," says Penny. "On most projects, we only put one up—although, on the George W. Bush Library, we had two because there were huge landscape features on a 23-acre site. As a builder, we don't necessarily need a Cadillac package.

"I don't know that the proximity of the vendor means anything for service in web-cams," Penny adds. "We interact with their office at a phone number. Service and how they accommodate our needs is more important."

For example, one of his clients wants a 60-minute delay and, if an accident were to happen, assurance that public streaming stops immediately.

Vendors say the drivers for the growing use include the rise of building information modeling and its increased need for accountability; as well as companies chasing work beyond usual areas of operations and needing to extend supervision while holding down travel of staffs trimmed by the recession.

"A lot of companies shrank. Those people went into other industries and haven't come back," says Chandler McCormick, president of Atlanta-based OxBlue, one of the two most widely known providers. "I've heard from clients that there is a gap in the [ranks of] middle management. The cameras give a better understanding of what's happening at the jobsite and lets more experienced personnel keep an eye on [more] projects. They use it as a training tool for new hires."

The picture is clouded, though, by a bitter legal action under way since 2011 between EarthCam and OxBlue. Filing suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, EarthCam sought a jury trial on civil and criminal complaints. The plaintiff claims that OxBlue executives and employees have conducted, since 2002, a campaign to steal EarthCam technology and intellectual property and damage its business. It seeks OxBlue's profits as well as damages. OxBlue denies the claims, asserting they are either untrue or un-actionable. Its motions to dismiss have been denied, however, and filings have been piling up as the case works forward.

But there are also innovations in the job-cam market. One Tennessee photo-grapher, Bruce Cain, a retired civil engineer, has developed a business called Elevated Lens. His system raises his laptop-manipulated professional camera as high as 65 ft on a truck-mounted telescoping boom. "It's a pneumatic mast with valves in the cab that you can turn on to raise or lower," he says. "The camera is connected to a computer, so I see what the camera sees. I can pan, tilt, zoom and set the f-stop and speed." He says he obtains the job-cam look of a site vista photo with an 18-mm-to-200-mm zoom lens; employing it on a regular schedule, he can create time-lapse sequences of progress. "This works so good for construction [because] I get the aerial perspective, but, unlike in an airplane, I am really close. I can take several shots and stitch them together—you can't do that with aerial photos." Cain charges $200 a visit and delivers up to 75 photos each time.

Also, an Australian firm, photo-Sentinal, has entered the field with a self-contained, weatherized, low-power, G3-communications-equipped housing to let any construction photographer offer job-cam-style services, especially time-lapse videos, using their own favorite camera.

By Tom Sawyer

Will Tokyo's Second Olympics Leave A Design Legacy?

In September, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the host city for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in 2020. A town with a good track record, Tokyo beat out Istanbul and Madrid and took the prize for the third time.

The city was first selected for the 1940 summer games, which were canceled due to World War II. Tokyo’s second win was for the 1964 summer Olympics. Symbolizing the end of Japan’s post–World War II reconstruction, new athletic facilities were built and infrastructure was upgraded, changing the Japanese lifestyle for good. Now many are wondering what kind of legacy the 2020 Olympics will leave.

In preparation for the 1964 Olympics, Tokyo underwent several major changes including the construction of an overhead highway system, the extension of subway lines, the widening of streets, and, just days after the opening of the games, the launch of the Shinkansen bullet train connecting Tokyo and Osaka. “Our urban life, based on a network of underground trains, was a gift of the 1964 Olympics,” says Professor Hiroyuki Suzuki of Aoyama Gakuin University. Most of the new athletic facilities were concentrated within central Tokyo. While a number of the original structures remain in use, Kenzo Tange’s Yoyogi National Gymnasium stands out as the event’s iconic building. Flexing the country’s technological muscles, the building is topped by a spectacular swooping roof and, fittingly, was erected on the site of a former U.S. military base. It showed the world the power of Japan’s contemporary architecture culture, which has continued into the present.

This time, the main Olympic venues will be divided between two areas reasonably near the Olympic Village, in the middle of the city. To improve Tokyo’s already efficient public transportation network, there is talk of adding new subway lines that would facilitate movement to the city’s two airports as well as to one of the venue areas, the Tokyo Bay Zone. Largely built on landfill, this area is a relatively recent addition to the city and is still considered a little out of reach. More commercial amenities catering to the 17,000 athletes who will call the Village home are also anticipated. These will make the neighborhood more enticing after the Olympics, when temporary accommodations are converted into permanent residences.

But recasting the Village isn’t the only adaptive reuse planned. A whole range of existing facilities will host the new competitions. While the Tange gym will hold handball tournaments, Fumihiko Maki’s Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium will host table tennis. Other buildings, such as Rafael Viñoly’s Tokyo Forum and various stadiums as far afield as Sapporo and Sendai, built for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, will be venues for weightlifting and soccer respectively.

One building not slated for reuse is the 1964 Olympics’ main stadium. In preparation for the possibility of winning the bid, the Japan Sports Council held the International Concept Design Competition for a new arena in compliance with the IOC’s current requirements. In November 2012, they awarded the commission to London-based Zaha Hadid Architects, which will serve as the project’s design consultant in collaboration with a team of Japanese firms captained by Nihon Sekkei, Nikken Sekkei, and Ove Arup Japan.

“We need a simple, clear image for the main stadium,” explains Suzuki, a competition juror. Incorporating the site of the previous stadium (which will be torn down) plus adjacent property, the futuristic scheme has a distinctive, dynamic, helmet-like form, capped by a retractable roof. Since the Olympics will take place in August, when Tokyo’s heat and humidity are at their worst, this feature 
will enable air-conditioning—and, when the Games are all over, provide soundproofing for possible future events, like concerts.

Yet local architects are not uniformly rejoicing about the new building. While they do not oppose the selected scheme or its architectural expression, a number have questioned its size and location. Several times bigger than the previous stadium and situated in a fairly developed precinct with historic significance, the 80,000-seat structure looms large. Determined to call attention to these and other issues, a symposium was held on October 11. Though placing the massive building in the less-developed area near Tokyo Bay might have been more logical, that site was deemed too remote when the city bid for the 2016 Olympics. There is also concern that the stadium runs the risk of obsolescence after the Olympic festivities are over and the arena proves just too big for projected uses.

Hopefully, the main stadium in its realized form will become a monument that architects in Japan can rally around. Though the process for deciding who will design the other new buildings for the 2020 games has yet to be announced, it will certainly differ from 1964, when two Tokyo University professors essentially assigned projects to architects. While the changes to the Tokyo landscape and lifestyle are likely to have a less dramatic impact than last time, the 2020 Olympics could become another chance to showcase Japanese architectural talent.

By Naomi R. Pollock, AIA

Winter Weather

‘Tis the season! Once again we are all receiving the cold shoulder, not to mention cold hands and feet. While most people brave the winter weather season fairly well, it's important to understand the dangers of winter weather and know how to protect yourself and your loved ones from potential cold-weather dangers.

How The Body Responds To Cold
An individual gains body heat from food and muscular work, and loses it through convection, conduction, radiation, and sweating to maintain a constant body temperature of approximately 98.6°F. The body’s first response to a cold environment is constriction of the blood vessels of the skin, that reduces heat loss from the surface of the skin by decreasing peripheral blood flow; and/or shivering that generates heat by increasing the body’s metabolic rate.

Environmental Conditions
Along with conditions such as low temperatures, cool high winds, dampness, and cold water, wind chill is an important factor to evaluate when working outside. For example, when the actual air temperature of the wind is 40°F and its velocity is 35 mph, the exposed skin would perceive these conditions as if the equivalent still air temperature were 12°F.

Other Major Risk Factors For Cold-Related Stresses
In addition to the cold environment, other major risk factors contributing to cold-related stresses include:

·    Inadequate clothing or wet clothing - The actual effects of cold on the body depend on how well the skin is insulated from the environment

·    Drug use or certain medications - May inhibit the body’s response to cold or impair judgment (examples include beta blocks, neuroleptic drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes

·    A cold or other disease - Diabetes, atherosclerosis and hypothyroidism, may increase risk

·    Gender - Male death rates due to cold exposure are greater than the rates for females; perhaps because of inherent risk-taking activities, body fat composition, or other physiological differences

·    Age - Susceptibility increases with age

Harmful Effects Of Cold
Common harmful effects of cold include frostbite, trench foot, and general hypothermia. Frostbite occurs when skin tissue actually freezes and cell damage results. The freezing point of skin is approximately 30°F and wind-chill can be a significant factor in accelerating the process. Fingers, toes, cheeks, nose, and ears are primarily affected. The symptoms of frostbite include an uncomfortable sensation of coldness; there may be a tingling, stinging, or aching feeling followed by numbness. Initially the frostbitten area appears white and is cold to the touch. This is followed by heat, redness, and swelling.

Occasionally a victim may not be aware of the frostbite. Tissue damage can be mild and reversible or severe, resulting in scarring and tissue death. Amputation or loss of function can be an unfortunate result. First aid includes treating affected areas with warm water at 102° to 110°F. Be careful to avoid rubbing frostbitten areas because this can lead to greater tissue injury. If there is a chance for refreezing, do not re-warm the affected areas. 

Trench foot may be caused by long, continuous exposure to a wet and cold environments, or actual immersion in water. The condition is characterized by vascular damage. Symptoms include a tingling and/or itching sensation, pain, and swelling. Blisters may form and be followed by death of skin tissue and ulceration. 

First aid treatment for trench foot is similar to the treatment for frostbite, and includes: moving the victim to a warm area; treating the affected part with warm water (102°-110°F) or warm packs; arranging bed rested in a warm environment; and obtaining medical assistance as soon as possible. 

General hypothermia is the progressive loss of body heat with prolonged exposure to cold. Body heat loss is accelerated more rapidly when a person is wet because of sweat or working in a damp environment. Most cases of hypothermia develop in air temperatures between 30° & 50°F, but significant hypothermia can occur with air temperatures as high as 65°F (particularly when clothing is wet), or in the water at 72°F.

The first symptoms of hypothermia are uncontrollable shivering and feeling of cold. As the body’s temperature continues to drop, an individual can become confused, careless, and disoriented. At this point a person may make little or no effort to avoid further exposure to the cold. For those working around machinery or animals, accidental injury is an additional risk. When the core body temperature falls below 86°F, the body's adaptive mechanisms for reducing heat loss become ineffective and death can occur. 

Individuals experiencing mild hypothermia should be immediately moved to a warm, dry shelter. Further heat loss is minimized by removing wet clothing and applying warm blankets for insulation. Warm, nonalcoholic, caffeine-free drinks may be offered. More severe cases of hypothermia require intensive medical care. 

Preparation & Protection
There are several things we can do to keep warm and prevent cold weather related accidents. The first thing we want to do is to keep our body temperature at or about normal, 98.6F. This can be accomplished by wearing loose-fitting and dry clothing in layers. While wearing traditional materials like cotton or lightweight wool are effective, polypropylene wicks perspiration away from the skin and keeps your body dry. And it's true that 40 to 50 percent of our body heat can be lost from the surface of the head and neck, so wear that hat and scarf.

Here are some other ways to protect yourself from harsh winter weather:

·    Protect your hands and feet - Wear mittens when possible because your fingers can share warmth (regular gloves are good, but mittens have the edge). Wear socks that will keep your feet dry and warm. Some people wear a light liner sock made of a material that wicks away moisture next to the foot and then put a natural fiber sock over it. Try to wear the higher cut socks, not the low risers.

·    Protect your lips - Use lip balm to keep your lips from drying out from the cold and windy weather.

·    Avoid dehydration - As long as fluids are not restricted by your physician, drink plenty of water to stay well hydrated.

·    Dress properly - Wear outer clothing that shields the wind and sun from your skin. Cold and windy air causes a wind-chill effect that is much colder and more dangerous than the outside air temperature.

·    Avoid alcohol - Despite what many people believe, alcohol does not warm you up. Alcohol actually causes your body to lose heat, in addition to contributing to dehydration.

·    Be prepared - When traveling by car, keep extra socks, blankets, water and snacks on hand in case a mechanical problem, storm or empty gas tank leaves you stranded.

·    Inquire about your meds - Ask your physician or pharmacist if any of the medications you take can make you more susceptible to a cold-weather illness.

·    Eat light - A snack before going out in the cold is better than a heavy meal, which requires a large blood flow to the gastrointestinal system to aid in digestion. The digestive process may prevent warm blood from circulating to your fingers and toes. Save the heavier meal for when you are safely back inside.

By: Shane Stuller

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How To Take What Makes This Season Great And Apply It To The Rest Of The Year

Making Holiday Happiness Last

After weeks of preparation, menu planning, decorating and addressing greeting cards, just like that another holiday season has passed us by.

Although the tree ornaments may not be packed away, and the leftover food may not have disappeared quite yet, it's still possible to feel a bit of yearning for the holiday happiness you just experienced. It's no wonder we're sad to see the season go: Studies show that holidays full of family boost emotional wellness.

The good news is it's possible to make that exuberance and joy you feel during the season last throughout the year. Below, find six ways to make your holiday buzz carry into 2014 and beyond.

Be Festive

When was the last time you celebrated something, just because? Or had a festive gathering outside of the span of the season? Adopting a more festive attitude, and ritualizing more events than just the main holidays on the calendar, can actually help you cultivate more joy all year.

Celebrating good times and fun occasions can create a deeper sense of social connection and helps to build closer relationships. By being festive beyond the holiday season, you also open yourself up for more opportunities to log some time with your friends, which has been proven to help beat anxiety. Celebrating the little things -- no matter if it's an accolade at work or just because you're happy it's Friday night -- is also associated with overall gladness. So next time you need a little pick me up, schedule a little festivity (the ugly Christmas sweater is optional).

Send Greeting Cards And Thank You Notes

Another way to carry the holiday spirit through the rest of the year is to express thanks to and keep in touch with loved ones more often than your once-a-year Christmas card. It's no secret that gratitude is at its peak during the holidays, but practicing it all year -- even in small forms -- can have a significant impact on your on your emotional and physical wellness. Writing down what -- and more specifically, who -- you're thankful for can help you focus on the present and cultivate gratitude for all the good in your life, according to gratitude researcher Dr. Robert Emmons. The result? An increase in feelings of happiness and contentment.

In his book "365 Thank Yous," author John Kralik details how the simple act of writing one thank you note can have a positive impact on your psyche. After struggling with a series of challenges, Kralik made it his mission to take the time to write a thank you note at least once a day to someone -- and the results were life changing.

Writing a thank you note or a message just to check in doesn't have to follow a material gift. Just letting someone know you care will also affect your happiness levels -- but according to Kralik, make sure you say it in print. "Things we write in cyberspace are so easily deleted and forgotten ... buried by the next 30 e-mails we receive," Kralik told NPR in 2010. "In this day and age, a handwritten note is something that people really feel is special."

Spread A Little Generosity

Part of the joy that fills the season includes giving gifts to loved ones -- but that thoughtfulness and generosity doesn't have to come to an end once that last gift has been unwrapped.

Adopting a giving mentality all year round can make the jolliness of the season thrive -- along with your happiness levels. According to a recent study published in the International Journal of Happiness and Development, extending any bit of kindness or generosity to others can increase social connection and feelings of positivity for the donor.

The study examined how social giving affected emotional wellness, concluding that giving to worthy causes through friends and family made participants feel the happiest. "Our findings suggest that putting the social in pro-social [spending] is one way to transform good deeds into good feelings," the researchers wrote in the report.

Spend Time With Loved Ones

Surrounding ourselves with those who make us the happiest doesn't have to be a once-a-year treat. In fact, spending time with people rather than your holiday giftscan have a positive impact on our emotional well-being. According to a study conducted by the University of Missouri, happiness levels were greater when family events were more prominent during the season. Connection with friends and family also has a major reduction on stress, resulting in more pleasant, helpful and sociable attitudes.

Instead of the empty promise to get together as you head to your cars after the Christmas party, try making a regular date and sticking to it. A busy social calendar, along with some quality time with those who lift you up, can help transcend the holiday happiness into the spring, summer and beyond.

Let Yourself Indulge A Little

Admit it: You totally ate that second piece of pie even though you were already full -– and even more so, at the time, you didn't regret it. It turns out your desire to indulge isn't wrong; in fact, allowing yourself a little leniency more often can actually be good for you in the long run.

Research has shown that those who didn't deprive themselves when it came to cravings managed to stay on track with dieting a lot better than those who restricted themselves entirely -- and that holiday buffet is no exception. In other words, (mindfully) adopt that "cheating" attitude and grab a cookie at the next book club or treat yourself to that bowl of ice cream -- a little indulgence is going to help you more than hurt you, and will help your jolly spirit live on beyond the end of December.

Take Time Off

Perhaps one of the most thrilling parts of the holidays is the mental break and time away from our work responsibilities -- and rightfully so. A 2010 study published in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life found that the anticipation of planning and taking a vacation resulted in higher overall happiness levels -- not a bad thing to have on your side when you're navigating your way through a hectic day at the office.

And that's not the only benefit of a little holiday. Studies have shown that taking a vacation can help stave off a heart attack, alleviate stress and help you be a healthier employee. So instead of just using the time alotted to you at the end of the year, take a little more time off for yourself during the other 11 months -- you'll be much jollier for it.

The Huffington Post  |  By Lindsay Holmes Posted: 12/23/2013 2:57 pm EST