What’s your plan to not be busy? Can’t answer that? That’s why you’re so busy. “I can’t. I’m busy,” I said that way too often because I thought I was building a better future for my family. It also made me feel important because I was needed. But over the …
I am a data geek. I love it because data is objective, free from individual influence. Two plus two is four. I can’t just tell you that it’s nine. You wouldn’t believe me. You’re no fool. But what if the numbers are right, but the analysis is wrong? When does …
I worried all the time. The only thing that I didn’t worry about was worrying too much. Ironically, worrying too much was exactly the thing I should have been concerned about. I thought it was just part of everyone’s nature. But it doesn’t have to be. If you’re anxious all …
When company leaders want to make big changes, they often stick to familiar methods that don’t quite hit the mark. That’s why 70% of company-wide transformations end up failing. There are three common mistakes that leaders make when trying to bring about change. First, they underestimate how hard it is …
Marc and Al came up with a cool new textured wallpaper, but sadly, it was a total flop – nobody wanted it. They even tried using it as housing insulation, and that also didn’t work out. But then they had an idea: using it to wrap a newly launched computer …
We weren’t really mad at each other, but it sure seemed that way. While I was in law school, my future wife drove a few hundred miles to see me after a discussion over text where we both misread tone. I don’t recollect what we wrote to each other that …
There are two donut shops near my office. The donuts taste identical. The interiors are similar. The locations are equally convenient. But at one donut shop, the employees mumble and are more interested in the cash register buttons than the customer in front of them. At the other store, the …
Charlie was a fighter pilot in Vietnam. The enemy shot Charlie down during his 75th combat mission in the war. He ejected from his jet and parachuted into enemy territory. Charlie spent six years as a prisoner of war. When Charlie was released, someone recognized him when he got back …
Wells Fargo paid $3 billion to federal prosecutors because of a fourteen-year failure of communication. That bank’s management communicated information in a condescending, emotionally laced, and unnecessary way. That created a culture where employees did not speak with transparency. In the Wells Fargo scandal, the bank’s senior administrators urged its …
If you manage other managers, you must reach beyond those in management by implementing a skip-level meeting. Skip-level meetings involve temporarily disregarding the chain of command to allow the head honchos the honor of speaking with the employees directly. These meetings will keep your ear on the ground. Meeting with …
