Skip navigation

Management

  • Career Spin Doctor

    Career Spin Doctor

    Is the glass half-empty, or half-full? How you answer will usually brand you as an optimist or pessimist. But is one answer better than the other? Optimists usually are great at envisioning the possibilities, while pessimists can often spot risks well before they occur. Both personality types are critical to [More]

  • Time is of the Essence

    Time is of the Essence

    Have you ever booked a meeting with others, only to have them show up late? Or started a meeting, only to have some of the participants spend half the time checking their Smartphones? Or watched as a few attendees leave early because of other commitments? Putting aside the rudeness of [More]

  • Embrace and Extend

    Embrace and Extend

    How often have you been in a meeting, and felt that your colleagues' ideas were... poor? The natural reaction is to argue the point, shut them down, and then present your own solution. Yet if you do this, you will not see any support for your ideas, either during the [More]

  • Coffee is for Closers

    Coffee is for Closers

    Several years ago, a sales manager came into the office with coffee for his team. He distributed the coffee but seemingly ran out before the last rep was served. Needless to say, this person was upset, and spoke up. The manager's reply: "Coffee is for closers. When you start closing [More]

  • Low Maintenance High Return

    Low Maintenance High Return

    Does your car need service every three months, six months, or just once yearly? How often do you need to change the oil, check the tires, or fill up the tank? Each car is very different. Like cars, every person is different. Some people are high maintenance, and others require [More]

  • Gadget collection [updated]

    Gadget collection [updated]

    Times have changed indeed!  This post was originally written in 2008 - eons ago in tech terms.  Enjoy the archeological look-see into the past, along with my current editorial comments... In a departure from my usual analysis and perspective, I thought that I would comment on some of the most [More]

  • Holding Attention

    Holding Attention

    Have you ever had the feeling that the person you are speaking to really wasn't paying attention to your conversation? Maybe they are pre-occupied with a personal matter? Or they might not care about your message (or about you)? Or perhaps they are focused on an impending deadline? Whatever the [More]

  • Go-to Guy

    Go-to Guy

    Is there one person at your workplace who everyone knows can solve just about any problem? Is there one person that your manager goes to when they need to get something done? This person has a title: the Go-to Guy. It doesn't matter the task - big, small, clerical, managerial, [More]

  • Mastering a skill

    Mastering a skill

    How long does it take - or should it take - for you to master a new skill? Conventional wisdom suggests that after doing something several times, you should know it fairly well. After doing it for a few months, you should have proficiency. And after a year, you're an [More]

  • Giving Credit

    Giving Credit

    Doesn't it feel good when someone recognizes the great work that you do each day? And conversely, doesn't it feel awful when your faults are publicly exposed? Too often, we jump on the "fault" bandwagon, and don't give credit to others for the great things that they do. Yet, there [More]

CATEGORIES

Back to top