Gardian of the Month: Lowell Aplebaum

Gardian of the Month: Lowell Aplebaum

Q & A with Lowell Aplebaum, CEO and Strategy Catalyst, Vista Cova, LLC. You can follow him on Twitter.

Learn: Q: Let’s say you’re helping your child or friend with some homework. What’s your strategy for helping them learn a difficult topic?
A: I try to put myself in their shoes and use examples from their world. Learning isn’t only about topic, but context. The more we can apply what we learn to practical examples in the life, the more we will retain what the lesson is trying to teach us. And besides, when it’s my son, that lets me talk “Star Wars.”

Network: Q: What’s your No. 1 networking trick? 
A: Find the sound of your own voice the least interesting in the room.

Transfer: Q: Mentorship - How do you think mentorship aids in knowledge transfer?
A: I think our communal definition of mentorship is shifting - the model of yearlong commitments with monthly check-ins, while still possessing the power of impact (I serve as a DELP mentor in this model today and it is amazing), is giving way to more-micro mentoring experiences. This model, where the mentoring relationship is based on a single-focus area of learning and growth that can be explored with an outcome within a few weeks, shifts the knowledge transfer to a shorter and more intense timeline. There is the possibility of more mentors based on different points of learning so that a person can build a cohort of mentors throughout their life - a cohort that can continue to share, teach and influence beyond the initial intensive period.

Q. Please share with us a resource you can’t live without.
A: My latest favorite is GroupMap. As a facilitator, I am always looking to collect input from a group and have a way they can prioritize their thoughts in real time. This does this in a simple, beautifully designed platform where there is transparency in thought and agreement and pretty reports that emerge at the click of a button as well. 

Q: Would you rather sky dive, bungee jump or climb to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, and why?
A: Well, with the choices I would say climb to the top - both for the journey and the vision you will have of beauty and awe once you get there. With that said, I’d much rather run a craft beer tasting in celebration of those who just finished skydiving, bungee jumping or climbing to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge!