Technology is not neutral. It can’t be, because by definition, advances in tech create change, and change always creates positives and negatives. We now live in a time of rapid technological … | Continue reading
This is not the same as being creative. In fact, they’re very different skills and emotional mindsets. All humans are creative. Sometimes. Creativity is a special sort of internal conversatio… | Continue reading
Laser guns don’t make noise. At least in real life. In the movies, they always do. Phasers and ray guns and light sabers all manage to make distinctive sounds. And we don’t mind. In fac… | Continue reading
The problem with becoming defensive is that our internal narrative gets in the way of expressing what’s actually going on. Because we’re imagining all the blame and shame and scorn that… | Continue reading
Some people say “hobby” like it’s a bad thing. In a race for more, it seems as though doing something you don’t get paid for, something that requires patience and skill̵… | Continue reading
Some people say “hobby” like it’s a bad thing. In a race for more, it seems as though doing something you don’t get paid for, something that requires patience and skill̵… | Continue reading
That’s why it’s worth so much. Sure, you can outsource. You can look for shortcuts. You can hire folks. You can use mailmerge. You can even send it to voice mail. But all of these time … | Continue reading
That’s why it’s worth so much. Sure, you can outsource. You can look for shortcuts. You can hire folks. You can use mailmerge. You can even send it to voice mail. But all of these time … | Continue reading
There’s a better cause right around the corner. It might not work. You’ll never be able to keep all the promises. It can’t last forever. We’re all going to die. It’s n… | Continue reading
If you’re feeling creative, do the errands tomorrow. If you’re fit and healthy, take a day to go surfing. When inspiration strikes, write it down. The calendar belongs to everyone else.… | Continue reading
If you’re feeling creative, do the errands tomorrow. If you’re fit and healthy, take a day to go surfing. When inspiration strikes, write it down. The calendar belongs to everyone else.… | Continue reading
So many missed opportunities. Decisions not made, errors in judgment, opportunities lost. Perhaps you didn’t buy Google stock at $80, didn’t buy ETH at $5, didn’t buy that winning… | Continue reading
“It’s simple.” “It’s complicated.” When you talk to someone about your new idea, they’re going to realize right away that it’s one or the other. The … | Continue reading
You have more than a billion choices online. With just a few clicks, you could be just about anywhere. Thanks for reading this today. What did you have for lunch yesterday? Of all the lunches in al… | Continue reading
If we’re new to a situation, or feeling unsure, we pay careful attention. We’re closely examining how others feel, what the cultural norms are, and what impact we’re seeking to ma… | Continue reading
One sort of job requires people to follow a recipe. Another, better sort of job requires people to understand the recipe. If you understand it, that means you can change it. You have resilience and… | Continue reading
Managers have to wait for permission, because management requires authority. But in every area of our lives, if we choose to lead, we can lead. Simply by beginning. It might be that few will choose… | Continue reading
No one freely buys anything unless it’s worth more than it costs. And so, in a competitive market, organizations will compete to capture as little value as they can afford to, offering the mo… | Continue reading
If you open a roadside motel, expect that tired and demanding budget travelers will arrive. If you run a fancy restaurant, don’t be surprised if people will angle and cajole and lie to get a … | Continue reading
Sometimes, people with every advantage act as if they don’t have what they deserve. They’re ungracious, unkind and even vulgar about it. The first problem is that it earns them little i… | Continue reading
Over time, every system becomes increasingly complex. That’s because in order to make it better, we tweak it. We add exceptions. We do things that are urgent, essential or smart for a particu… | Continue reading
It used to be easy to put off the future until after you retired or died. We could live with the world we had long enough to avoid dealing with significant cultural or technical change. Sure, teena… | Continue reading
It used to be easy to put off the future until after you retired or died. We could live with the world we had long enough to avoid dealing with significant cultural or technical change. Sure, teena… | Continue reading
I knew someone who bought skis to match their outfit–the entire set was coordinated, and it ended up being used once or twice. And when you register for an old-fashioned wedding, they might t… | Continue reading
I knew someone who bought skis to match their outfit–the entire set was coordinated, and it ended up being used once or twice. And when you register for an old-fashioned wedding, they might t… | Continue reading
Markets often persuade us that we don’t have enough. Communities remind us that we do. | Continue reading
Ockham’s razor is really useful: Generally, the simple explanation is the most likely to be true. Don’t invent complicating factors when none are necessary. “It’s simpleR… | Continue reading
“If it were only nicer out, I’d be happier.” That’s just a step away from, “If the current world crisis would abate, then I’d be able to concentrate.” Whic… | Continue reading
If you sell your time as the measure of the work you do, the work is over when the shift ends. Clock in, clock out. If you sell your output as the measure of the work, your work is over when the in… | Continue reading
“If it were only nicer out, I’d be happier.” That’s just a step away from, “If the current world crisis would abate, then I’d be able to concentrate.” Whic… | Continue reading
Alert readers know that about a year ago, the Akimbo Workshops became an independent B corp, owned and run by the team that I worked with for years. They’ve been doing great work, and tens of… | Continue reading
If you’re asking someone to work for you, help you or advise you, it turns out that being specific about what success looks like is an obvious way to get better results. If everyone can agree… | Continue reading
“If I could just find someone to handle all the sales, I could get back to work.” “Do you know someone who can do all of the investments, accounting, taxes and strategies around m… | Continue reading
“If I could just find someone to handle all the sales, I could get back to work.” “Do you know someone who can do all of the investments, accounting, taxes and strategies around m… | Continue reading
It’s tempting to believe that powerful people and organizations are conspiring in secret to cause mysterious or unfair events to occur. The conspiracies supposedly involve dozens of people wo… | Continue reading
Things decay. We know precisely how many yoctoseconds it takes for half of a given amount of Hydrogen-7 to transform into ordinary hydrogen. And we know how old old things are because Carbon-14 los… | Continue reading
This is my book of the year. It delivers on so many things that we want a book to do–it could never be replicated by a website or even a film. The audiobook is even better… It’s e… | Continue reading
Piano tuners have a vital job… and very few pianists do that work themselves. Who maintains your tools? Perhaps it’s a computer with all the software that goes with it. Do you have a wo… | Continue reading
They’re not the same. Precision brings granularity to measurement. You can drive around 50 miles an hour, or you can drive 54.7 miles an hour with precision. But accuracy is how we describe d… | Continue reading
Outsized rewards go to people who figure out how to master a skill or a point of view, and then commit to doing it again and again. This insight helps us with two things: if you want a certain kind… | Continue reading
Outsized rewards go to people who figure out how to master a skill or a point of view, and then commit to doing it again and again. This insight helps us with two things: if you want a certain kind… | Continue reading
In most pyramids, the top gets all the attention, but it’s the foundation that truly matters. Marketing is no exception. The base of the pyramid, the most important layer, is INTENTION. What … | Continue reading
What do you own?What are you really good at?What do you enjoy? Engaging with the marketplace requires creating value for people who have a choice. And deciding what to offer your customers is your … | Continue reading
If you’re considering putting an unmarked key into a drawer filled with keys, you’re better off simply throwing it out instead. Not only won’t you be able to find that unmarked ke… | Continue reading
This is an absolutely terrible acronym for a really important idea. Use Your Best Judgment. Don’t wait for someone else to take responsibility. Don’t wait for perfect. Don’t wait … | Continue reading
Most large organizations would disagree. They hire cheap labor to answer the phone. They install recordings to mollify people who are on hold for hours. They measure the cost of the call center and… | Continue reading
It’s not the same as being rich. Rich is always relative. Compared to your great-grandparents, we’re impossibly, supernaturally rich. We have access to information and technology that w… | Continue reading
It’s not the same as being rich. Rich is always relative. Compared to your great-grandparents, we’re impossibly, supernaturally rich. We have access to information and technology that w… | Continue reading