I’ve participated in two panels in the past few weeks: one about agile approaches and the other about management. In each case, my fellow panelists echoed each other for several questions, thinking alike. I did not. Not only did I disagree with the other panelists—I explained my claims with data. I thought differently. And because […]
Great Minds: When Do We Gain from Thinking Alike or Differently? Read More »
Have you ever been in a situation with too much light, smell, sound, or cold/warmth? Or you took a bite of something, expecting a subtle taste—and felt overwhelmed with the taste you got? That’s a sensory overload. We learn to filter out the “noise” from the signal when we feel sensory overload. And some of
What Filters Do You Use to Manage Sensory Overload? Read More »
(I can’t write about the shooting in Texas. My heart is too heavy. Instead, I’ll write about problems we can solve.) At a recent dinner, friends described this problem: “On a recent flight, we took off late. Many people on the plane had connecting flights. The flight attendants made the obligatory announcement about waiting for
When Is a Small Application of Money the Right Tool to Solve This Problem? Read More »
CAL Newsletter: Which Kind of Power Do You Need to Avoid Triangulation? A Beloved Family Member (BFM) refuses all kinds of social media. Just refuses. However, BFM has friends on several sites. These Friends know I am related to BFM and message me to get to BFM. That’s triangulation. The first time this occurred, I
Which Kind of Power Do You Need to Avoid Triangulation? Read More »
Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open this week. Why? Because she would have to meet with the media right after her play. This is a big deal. She’s one of the top tennis players in the world. I suspect that she’s a big draw for the television rights. Naomi asked for what she wanted.
When and How Do You Ask for What You Want? Read More »
My expertise spans several dimensions. So does yours. Professionally, I’m an expert in many aspects of management and product development. Personally, since I’ve spent so much time in physical therapy over the years, I know what kinds of PT tend to work for me. And let’s not forget my vertigo. I’m an expert in vertigo.
Whose Expertise Do You Believe? Read More »
Over the years, I’ve been reading about stoicism in small doses. (I can’t stand some of the acceptance nonsense.) I suspect I’m not a very good stoic. I’m too loud and excitable. However, I do find much of stoicism’s ideas useful. That’s because I suggest: We see our reality, first and foremost. We start small
How Much Stoicism Makes Sense for You? Read More »
I’m distracted. Are you? I sit down to write and my mind says, “Squirrel!” I start developing a workshop and my mind says, “Shiny object over there!” Normally, I sit down, work, and finish one thing. I then cross that thing off my todo list. Not this past week. How about you? I’ve tried these
What’s Distracting You? Read More »
Let’s assume you want to learn a new skill. I’ll choose fiction writing because I’m still learning. What do you do to master new skills? Here’s what I’ve done: Found successful people to learn from. Found a support system. Used deliberate practice with feedback to improve. I’ll take each of these. Learn from Successful People
How Do You Master New Skills? Read More »
As I write this newsletter, we still have plenty of uncertainty about everything. One of my colleagues told me she had trouble getting her head “back in the game.” She had trouble starting her work. She had trouble finishing. She sees her list of things, and in her words, “I just want to start happy
Three Secrets for Making “The Game” Possible Read More »