Jul 13, 2021If You Want To Be More Creative, Do This FirstBoost Cognition, Cacophony and Cheating — A picture may paint a thousand words, but that sort of painting will no longer happen in this newsletter. It seems that pictures in emails add more than just a thousand extra words. …Creativity3 min read
Jun 29, 2021Why You Should Aim for the Power of the Easy WayStruggle easier is the wise lesson to learn from your mistakes — Were you taught that life is a struggle? Of course you were. And so was I. We heard adults say silly things like “no pain, no gain.” And “if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.” That might have been sound advice when you were young. …Decisions4 min read
Jun 22, 2021Why Opening Up Is Riskier Than Bottling UpIt’s often easier to keep a lid on — As we begin to open up… As some countries, some states, some counties, some municipalities, some businesses and some minds begin to open up, let me open up about what I don’t know whether to keep bottled up. As you know, nonsense at work causes the nonsense at work. Like…Leadership4 min read
Jun 15, 2021Oh, the Choices We MakeAnd the Ones We Don’t — Do you know what I like about living in a (relatively) free country? I make my own choices. Every day. Do you know what I don’t like about living in a (relatively) free country? I must choose. Every day. Enough said. Live Life the Way You Plan Vacations It’s vacation planning time (viruses permitting). Do you go…Choices3 min read
Jun 8, 2021It’s Time We Question Our Questionable QuestionsBy asking better questions — Our new world order… Note, I did not say New World Order. Oh, what the heck. Let me cut the nonsense. In our new world dis-order, a lot of questions are asked and even more remain unanswered. (I’m sure you can figure that out.) So let me ask you. Have…Leadership4 min read
Jun 1, 2021As We Open Up, Don’t Be the Office HogShare what you know or be isolated again — As we approach our time of The Great Unmasking (whatever the form of unmasking) and step away from the curtain (or screen), it behooves us to take a moment to reflect on what isolation has taught us. Or not. Reflecting on what we know or don’t know is always tricky…Knowledge4 min read
May 25, 2021Step Out, Turn Around and Lead From BehindOr you’ll face the wrong problem as you back into the future — On Days Like This (Van Morrison), when I Can’t Tell The Bottom From The Top (The Hollies) and everything is Over My Head (Fleetwood Mac), what’s a Poor Boy (Steve Earle) gonna do? I suppose this is just The Trouble With Normal (Bruce Cockburn). The new normal, that is. The…Leadership4 min read
May 18, 2021How To Zoom Through Your MeetingsOr zoom out of your job — With a lot of luck, a garnish of garlic and a wooden stake or two, we can finally go back to… …in-person meetings! Maybe I got that wrong. Maybe it should be: With a lot of luck, a garnish of garlic and a wooden stake or two, we can finally…Meetings3 min read
May 11, 2021When Tough Decisions Are Hard To Make……Flip a Coin — It’s time for all decision-makers (yes, you) to play the latest decisions-decisions game. Here’s how to play. Fill in the blanks between the brackets in the following sentence. Then drive yourself nuts trying to pick one: To be (…) or not to be (…). (Don’t let Prince Hamlet fool you…Decision Making5 min read
May 4, 2021Kill a Flower for Mother’s Day NicenessMother Earth will deal with you later — Listen up, you many kids of all ages. It’s almost Mother’s Day. You know what that means, don’t you? Florists are happy as flowers are sacrificed. What about mothers? Believe it or not, this one-day be-nice behavior does not fool mothers. …Mothers Day3 min read