Can one word make a difference? I believe it can. What’s your word? My what, you say? Your word. I first heard about choosing a word for the year from Chris Brogan who recommends identifying three words. Chris’s three-word idea is simple. Choose 3 words (not 1, not 4) [...]
I stood on the beach allowing the sand and waves to bury my feet. Before long, the sand engulfed my ankles. How long would it take before I disappeared? Have you ever felt stuck and wondered how you got there? Like the sand sifting around your toes, you become [...]
Making the right choices requires a different kind of intelligence. Build an ethical life. Do you know your ethical intelligence? You can find quite a bit on emotional intelligence in articles and from Daniel Goldman. Remember the seven types of intelligence described by Howard Gardner? In today’s world, I would argue that [...]
The memories still hung like strands of gossamer, but for how long? I don’t know the exact day and time when she took the first step to leave. Too many other distractions and family drama clouded the scene. Most days, I try not to dwell on the last years [...]
Some days I wonder if customer service has become a lost art. The Henry Wadsworth Longfellow nursery rhyme captures my thoughts about customer service. "When she was good, she was very good indeed, But when she was bad, she was horrid.” When customer service is good, it is very [...]
How do you clear the obstacles that stop you from being your best every day? There is a way out of this dilemma. Four simple concepts can keep you on the right road. A small book with a powerful message We sabotage excellence. Harry Paul, John Britt, and Ed [...]
Variation—it is natural, cannot be eliminated, but it can be controlled We like variation. At the same time, we like consistency. Can you have both? Variation exists in everything. Nature is an endless combination and repetition of a very few laws. She hums the old well-known air through innumerable variations. —Ralph Waldo [...]
Stop! Stop setting goals. It is a waste of time and effort. If you know me at all, those words are nothing short of blasphemous. I have been preaching, yes, on my soapbox preaching, about identifying your purpose, setting goals, and the sheer beauty of a well-executed plan for [...]
Perspective changes everything. How can we see through the eyes of others? Why would we want to? When I can stop and consider how someone else sees the problem or lack of a problem, the new view can change my perception. Perspective or perception? Let's keep this simple. Basically, [...]
High-performing teams are not born. They are made. Humans are social. We come into the world hardwired to survive, find our tribe, and discover where we belong. The notion that you can work better alone may apply some of the time, but not all the time. “Two heads are [...]
