change

How Can We Avoid Confusing the Hard Parts (People) with the Easy Parts (Tools)?

question of the week / /

We all live through various hype cycles, personally and professionally. (Hype cycles look a lot like the Satir Change model, the image in this post.)  Right now, in 2024, “generative” AI is having its moment. But AI is not generating anything, certainly not new insights. Instead, the engines have ingested (without paying creators) lots of […]

How Can We Avoid Confusing the Hard Parts (People) with the Easy Parts (Tools)? Read More »

When and How Should We Build Community to Connect With Each Other?

newsletter / /

When my younger daughter was in high school, her principal continually invited us to events. He thought we would “build community” with “meaningful connections” that way. But I already went to high school. And the last thing I wanted—maybe not the very last, but close to it—was to return to high school. My daughter could

When and How Should We Build Community to Connect With Each Other? Read More »

How Can We Clarify the Social Contract, Trust, and Betrayal?

question of the week / /

In general, I’m willing to extend a fair amount of trust to other people. For example, when driving, I trust other drivers to stay in their lane. However, when drivers swerve all over the road, I stop extending that trust in an instant—those drivers broke trust with me. That’s because they broke the social contract

How Can We Clarify the Social Contract, Trust, and Betrayal? Read More »

How Can We Make it Easy to Maintain Our Streaks or Habits?

question of the week / /

Many people tell me they want to write more often, But they have trouble building and maintaining a consistent writing habit. One person said, “I want some of your magic dust.” A consistent writing habit does not require magic dust. However, it does require a writing habit, and possibly a streak. Too few people know

How Can We Make it Easy to Maintain Our Streaks or Habits? Read More »

Three Secrets to Make “Always Be Changing” Our Personal Focus

newsletter / /

Salespeople have an infamous mantra, “Always be closing.” That phrase has several meanings: Close the sale for the salesperson. Close the options for the buyer, so they don’t continue to look for alternatives. High-integrity sales work well for both the buyer and the salesperson. But notice that there’s no adaptability there. The situation closes. Instead

Three Secrets to Make “Always Be Changing” Our Personal Focus Read More »

How Can We Combine Our Feelings of Urgency and Calm to Be Most Effective?

newsletter / /

A few months ago, in October 2023, I noticed a strange pimple on my nose that bled after I washed and dried my face. I checked with my doctor who said to see a dermatologist. I didn’t panic, but I made an appointment as soon as I could. (An urgent reaction.) The diagnosis was squamous cell skin cancer.

How Can We Combine Our Feelings of Urgency and Calm to Be Most Effective? Read More »

Which of Your Past Presents Do You Want to Keep and Which to Discard?

question of the week / /

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 »

How Do You See Your More or Less Useful Patterns Change Over Time?

question of the week / /

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 »