It’s that time of year again—resolution time. I have never succeeded with resolutions, so I abandoned them years ago. I like what Daniel does with words for the year. (See his newsletter, Reconcile, for his first word of 2024 and how he adopted this practice.) However, while I write a lot, three words don’t quite […]
How Do You Choose to Measure Success? Read More »
At this time of year, many of us give and receive presents. I hope your gifting experiences were delightful. But we don’t just give each other—and ourselves—gifts at one time during the year. We often give ourselves gifts throughout the year. And while there are some physical things I would like to receive, I more
Which of Your Past Presents Do You Want to Keep and Which to Discard? Read More »
Professionally, I work in the tech sector. Right now, when tech is making money hand over fist, many companies are laying people off. Not one here and one there, but significant percentages of people. In my experience, companies do need to make rapid-enough decisions about when to lay some people off to save the company
Who Benefits and Who Loses from Other People’s Actions or Decisions? Read More »
Last week, I had two major social interactions. First, I spoke at the Tech Leader Summit, which was great fun. I had a blast reconnecting with my colleagues and meeting new people. And I got to talk mostly about the Modern Management Made Easy books. A total win. My role was that of the expert. And my
How Comfortable Can You Be With Your Changing Role, Especially in a Social Setting? Read More »
I log my word count every day. Not all writers do, but that helps me see my patterns. Unsurprisingly, I have weekly, monthly, and yearly patterns. Those patterns depend on what I’m writing, my emotional and physical health, and my office presence. I broke all my patterns in November. That’s because we had an international
How Do You See Your More or Less Useful Patterns Change Over Time? Read More »
I finished a book a couple of weeks ago. Except, it was only close, not completely done. A couple of days later, I thought I nailed it! Again, I was close but not quite done. Another day or so later, this time I really nailed it. Yes, you know the punch line! Almost—but there were
How Many “Once I…” Experiences Do You Need to Be Satisfied? Read More »
At my instigation, Mark and I went to Norway last week to see the Northern Lights. We had a terrific time. (If you want to see just one image, go to the online version of the newsletter.) Mark found an accessible tour, so I saw the lights from two perspectives: standing in the cold—and sitting
When Do You Make Assumptions About Other People’s Abilities? Read More »
Do you feel as if the various world events happen faster than you can understand them? I do. That means I start with assumptions and strongly held convictions—even if it turns out I’m wrong. I don’t like to be wrong—and I suspect you don’t either. That’s why I’m considering how I can change my reaction
How Can We Balance Our Assumptions and Convictions to Start With Empathy? Read More »
I feel as if the world is on fire—or is a half-step away from being on fire. The terrorist attack in Israel, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the subsequent terrorist threats across the world. Then there’s our politics in the US. The less said on that, the better. A dear friend and colleague will
How Can You Succeed When the World Challenges Your Problem Solving and Resilience? Read More »
When my children were small, they (often!) complained that I wasn’t fair. I wasn’t fair in so many ways: when they compared themselves to their friends, to each other, and to “everyone else.” That’s because our values were different from all those other people’s. And I’m pretty sure that when they got old enough to
Do We Need to Choose Between Fair and Equal? Read More »