Without a doubt there are at least some people who are reading this Tipsheet while also listening to music, having an instant-message conversation (or two), and speaking on a telephone conference call. Supposedly, multi-tasking skills improve with time: eventually, like the computers we rely on, we believe our brain can [More]
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]
How much time do you spend just thinking? If you're like most people, most of your time is spent running from meeting to meeting, responding to urgent requests, urgent deadlines, and emergencies. When we're relaxing, we're checking our email, voicemail, or answering our cell phones. When we're exercising, we're either [More]
What would you do if you could have five "free" years to do whatever you like? Would you pick up a musical instrument? Would you spend more time building relationships with your friends and family? Would you re-do your education completely, or perhaps get a graduate degree? Would you start [More]
It is tough saying "No" when someone asks for your help or your commitment. We don't want to let down our colleagues, friends, or family. We don't want them to think we lack the capability. And we want to develop the reputation as someone who always steps up to the [More]
We are often distracted by things around us. Indeed, sometimes entire mornings or afternoons can go by without actually accomplishing much. If you string these days together, it is no wonder why we are not reaching the level we think we should be at: we're too busy multi-tasking between emails, [More]
How many useless meetings have you attended? And how many have you been in charge of? Whether the meeting is a team status review, sales pitch, in-person or via Zoom, following a structured approach can make an appreciable difference. Consider this framework: Define the purpose of the meeting: Before you [More]
I am writing this as I'm sitting in an airport terminal, enjoying yet another flight delay. In particular, I am sitting in a seat where I can survey all of my fellow passengers. It is very rare that I find an entire three hours (and counting) where I can spend [More]
If you're counting the minutes before you go on vacation, you probably aren't alone. You're looking forward to seeing family, taking some long-needed R and R, and recharging yourself for the new year. But halfway through the vacation, you start to experience "vacation stress": that insistent worry about your return [More]
In the olden days, as soon as a fax was received, a secretary would burst into the manager's office and exclaim "you've received a fax". All activity would stop until the fax was addressed. While we rarely receive faxes anymore, many of us exhibit this same strange behavior when we [More]
Each week, get Randall’s 60-second nugget on translating digital knowledge to action. Curious? Read 600+ past articles.
Δ