Recently, I gave a talk on Relationship Power at a big conference that required quite a bit of research prior hand and nuance during delivery. I needed to create a one-of-a-kind talk to specifically help two groups come together, develop empathy for each other and collaborate. As an outsider, you can’t wing this, or you’ll…
When you have got an elephant by the hind legs and he is trying to run away, it’s best to let him go. – Abraham Lincoln A well-known story in some sectors of coastal communities such as where I live is that of the crab mentality. It is used to describe selfish or short-sighted people…
Several years ago, via Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, I discovered the meaning of social media, including blogging. Be helpful. Not be flashy, noisy, tenacious or controversial – to be successful in social-for-business, you must help people enough to earn their attention (and maybe loyalty). While that sounds easy enough, it’s pretty easy to just…
Circumstances don’t make a person; they reveal him or her. – Richard Carlson The story is told of two hunters who came across a bear so big that they dropped their rifles and ran for cover. One man climbed a tree while the other hid in a nearby cave. The bear was in no hurry…
I’m attending my 3rd conference this week as CEO of Net Minds. Sure, I’ve spoken at 200 conferences over the last decade, but that is not the same thing as attending one as a company team member. I’ve taken it for granted that I know conferences, but in fact, getting ready for this week has…
The bigger we get the smaller we have to think. Customers still walk in one at a time. – Sam Walton A story is told of how many years ago a man conned his way into the orchestra of the emperor of China although he could not play a note. Whenever the group performed, he…
Nearly every company revolves around the central idea of team performance. The synergy created by having multiple personalities and motivations can help any project be completed with efficiency and with quality results. Naturally, there are some times when things may not go as smoothly as planned. Indeed, if every effort always resulted in superior results,…
For my entire life, I’ve heard this one: Time is money! However, most of the people who say this haven’t yet figured out how to fully sell out their time. That means that for them, time could potentially be money, but in the end…it’s just time. This misguided view causes us to be impatient, utilitarian…
Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured. – Mark Twain A story is told of Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, who was angered by an army officer who accused him of favoritism. Stanton complained to…
Ahhh, I recall with sincere fondness the memory of playing certain childhood games. Sorry, Monopoly, LIFE, and one of my personal favorites – Chutes and Ladders. Now, each of these has messaging, or themes, that could be related in some fashion or another to Corporate America – risk/reward; entrepreneurial spirit; getting ahead with good deeds…
I first discovered Dan Pink when I read his book, A Whole New Mind. In a time when managers were advising me to read Jack Welch; this book took a different approach. The Mac was gaining popularity, graphics were replacing spreadsheets and the right brainers now had a point of intrigue. Mr. Pink’s follow up,…
Why do we use social media, be it personally or professionaly? To be heard. This was my takeaway from the recent Edison Research survey, which indicated that 25% of Facebook users visit the network five times or more a day. And when they visit, they pay more attention to interactions with their posts than the…
Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected. – Steve Jobs While you may be familiar with the many inventions of Thomas Edison which include the incandescent light bulb and the microphone, but there is a back story to one invention that is of great significance. It…
I left the world of compliance consulting for a career in incentive consulting because I was tired of management by consequence. For years, I have stood fast by the premise that there are two ways to manage employees: By the bench or by the basket If you manage your players by fear, they will do…
There’s a new habit in our info-life. A stop on our way to lala land every night. Our Inbox. Sometimes, it’s a computer on a desk. Others, it’s your iPhone by the bedpost. Any device will deliver your email, a constant string of welcome and unwelcome chatter. And your curiosity kills you, just like a…
Like as the waves make towards the pebbl’d shore, so do our minutes, hasten to the end. – William Shakespeare Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of an incident that may have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profound influence on the rest of his life. The winter he was 9, he went…
The typical teleworker in the US is a 49 years old, university educated, salaried individual in a management or professional role, says the Telework Research Network. Some of these just love the opportunity to indulge themselves through the satisfaction of doing knowledge or creative work that both engages them and challenges them. But many of…
I’ve always loved Steven Colbert’s concept of Truthiness. Believing in something “because it feels right” to believe in it. It’s neatly installed into the gut of your sales target, making it easy to win your point. Seen a lot of it lately from politics to business. Doesn’t always mean it’s right and when it’s wrong,…
The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision – Helen Keller Max Lucado shares a story about Bob Edens. For 51 years he was blind and could not see a thing. His world was a black hall of sounds and smells. He felt his way through five decades of darkness.…
The business world is a different animal than it was 20 or 30 years ago, and for the most part that’s a very good thing. Corporate social responsibility has become a buzz phrase, and many large companies are rising and falling in relation to the way that they treat both their employees and their customers.…