I spoke with a colleague and explained how I had improved writing over the past year. That person said, “I’m proud of you.” I said, “Thanks.” And, I wondered why this person felt pride in me, in my accomplishments. I was proud of my accomplishments. I’d worked hard. I’m sure my colleague didn’t mean to […]
Who Can Be Proud of You? Read More »
Too often, I hear the word “just” when modifying a feeling. “Can’t you just shake it off?” Or, “Can’t you just move on?” Or, “Can you just go along with what I want?” Every single one of those “justs” are about ignoring what the other person feels. If you’re on the receiving end of these
Can You “Just” Anything? Read More »
I like to be great at everything I do: my client work, my writing, my relationships. You name it, I want to be great at it. When I have the autonomy to learn and master the work, I can be as good or better than I hope. When I don’t have the ability to learn and
How Can You Become Better than You Fear, as Good as You Hope? Read More »
Sometimes, I find it difficult to see the data in front of me. I might think there is no data. I might make meaning of the data—possibly incorrectly. We need to see the data and what that data means. In one of my middle-manager jobs, my new boss canceled our one-on-ones every week. In three
What Does the Data Mean? Read More »
A number of people have asked me in the last few weeks and months when I’m going to retire. While I think that might not be a totally appropriate question, I understand why they ask. I have gray hair (which I have earned), I use a rollator to manage my vertigo, and I’ve been public
How Do You Think and Feel About Age? Read More »
I was thinking about saying goodbye last week. I’ve been in groups where people slip away. Yes, they leave without saying goodbye. That’s not my style. In my family, we stand around and hug and kiss everyone for a while. It takes a few minutes to say goodbye. In Mark’s family, after we hug and
How Do You Say Goodbye? Read More »
I like to build habits for things I want to do more of and less of. I’ve been writing like mad these days: blogging here and on my business site, writing a geographically distributed teams book with a colleague, and writing other articles and books. I’ve been writing every day—not necessarily a lot, but every
Are You On a Streak? Read More »
Back in What Are Your Rules for Getting It All Done?, I briefly spoke about doing work that was valuable. That has a precondition: you need to know what you value. We hear a lot of talk about “time management.” I don’t buy the time management part. We can’t “manage” time. We can manage actions.
How Do You Value Your Time? Read More »
I thank people often, because people help me all the time. People carry things for me. They might help me over uneven ground/steps. In the grocery store, I often have to ask for help to reach the top shelves. Sigh. I have a bad case of TDS (too darn short). I say, “Thank you,” or “I
How Do You Reply to a Thank You? Read More »
Richard Feynman, a physicist, wrote a terrific book, What Do You Care What Other People Think?: Further Adventures of a Curious Character. If you have not read it, I recommend it. Let me pull apart the title a little. There are several questions here: What do other people think, especially about you? What implications do their
What Do You Care What Other People Think? Read More »