Not that you asked, but I have some things to say.

There are a lot of moving parts within any organization. Often I find myself collaborating with other departments to get the things I need. In my specific case; Finance, Legal, Engineering, Marketing, Product, Customer Care. I often reach out to these groups with a specific and defined need. A bullet-point-style item, or list of items, with a simple request..."Go get me these things. Please, and thank you." Other times, it's not so clear cut. Sometimes I may go to a department with an undefined need. I know what I want as an end result, but may not have a clear cut process on exactly how to get there. Typically, in these examples, all parties will provide input. They will define their roles, and understanding the goal of  the request, offer suggestions or guidance. Something along the lines of "You can't get that here at X department, but if you go to Y department they can provide Z." Guidance....the sharing of tribal knowledge on how to accomplish a...

I am not a complete and total freak about this, but am very happy making a general and pretty stringent statement.... It is ALWAYS better to stand up and go to a lobby, or the bar area, or the foyer when taking or placing a call.  Now, I'll admit....I've taken a call while at lunch, in a discussion, etc. Almost invariably it is to pass along a tidbit of pertinent information and then promise a return call. When the act of removing myself to take the call is more disruptive than the VERY quick transaction, I'll do it.....quietly, and as an aside.....and always with thanks or a brief apology. But....and not only is the action cliche, the complaint has become so.....If you are going to have a discussion, a conversation, a full transaction....GET UP and go to a logical location.  It's interesting to think, but if I were to walk up to your table, take a seat and strike up an interrupting conversation with you while ignoring your guest ....I would be thought a ...

My Dr. Suessian title points out something I've noticed....when listing items, one gravitates towards three. Think about this for a second, and answer honestly....have you listed two things, and then wracked your brain for a third? Drafting an email, pounding with furious purpose, and then spending ten minutes trying to come up with a third item on the "To Do" list? It just seems like a thing one must do. Two adjectives, attributes, action items.....just not enough. Bullet pointing requires a triumvirate of tasks, a trio of trends...a....a....damn. I can't alliterate in threes....but you were expecting it....weren't you? See what I'm saying? So, maybe we should ask why? What is the benefit? I've listened to a Mayor, a CIO, and a homeless man all make their pleas in threes (seriously, the last one just happened the other day). And what I've noticed is the power of bullet pointing your agenda, and you must have three. There is a recognizable ca...

I almost never endorse a specific product, service, website, etc. and I'm not now...not exactly....I'm simply commenting. At Startup Vitamins one can find all sorts of brutally honest, no-nonsense, real-world motivational products. I like it, and will be buying a specific mug that I love....but this is not an endorsement. Not exactly.....it's commentary, and here's why... I love the quote "The opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference." I believe the folks at Startup Vitamins have embodied this quote exquisitely. There has been a trend for decades of motivational posters and paraphernalia, with one truly stand out example....it stands out because it sort of sucks....I won't be naming it, but you know the one. Platitudinous pablum, offered up as profundity. Silver linings, soaring eagles, mountains.....you've seen them....you've rolled your eyes at them....you may have one hanging in your workplace. And then...the backlash. A p...

I suck at math, so please view the title of this post as symbolic and literary in nature. I've read or heard the term 'counterintuitive' a lot lately. I like how it puts the spotlight on perception....a lot can be uncovered. But, it may say more about our biases than anything else...see definition below. coun•ter•in•tu•i•tive  (ˌkaʊn tər ɪnˈtu ɪ tɪv, -ˈtyu-) adj. counter to what intuition would lead one to expect. So, I read the above and ask one question.....Who's intuition is the accepted baseline? Isn't it possible that when someone says "Hey, that seems counterintuitive." it could be easily viewed as "Hey... I have a less evolved, less informed, and biased, outlook... so I didn't expect that outcome." A few examples: "That member of an ethnic class didn't live up to my stereotype." or "My simple view of the world didn't expect the more complicated results the experiment showed." or ...

I work with some pretty smart people....partners, colleagues, clients, a team of fine folks. We train weekly....sales process, technology changes, best practices....sharpening the saw. Many of us are curious by nature, so we seek out new things naturally. Trade rags, articles on new developments and recent trends, white papers, what have you. But I've noticed something. No matter how good we are or how hard we try, we run into a peculiar problem...there is only so much knowledge contained within a group.  We have shared as much info as is contained within a particular group. We look around and see that what was once a series of shared discoveries is now communal knowledge. Occasionally we hit a ceiling. Being relevant has a finite expiration date, without knowledge growth. We have, often, had to look hard to find new things to learn. It's uncommon, as there is so much change within my industry. But it happens. When it does, it's time to have lunch....or coffee.......

The Bormioli Rocco Fido Glass Canning Jar. Simply made, seemingly anachronistic, perfectly engineered. It's a great symbol of quality that balances efficiency, economy, and function in a sublime manner. I get wound up over strange things, I admit. But stick with me... In the aisles of mass-produced plastic crap, the Fido stands out. Whatever you are storing, you care about it. You want it sealed in an air tight manner. You trust glass as the perfect medium to neither impart nor allow entry from outside tastes (ever tasted ice that tastes like garlic....that's infused from the fridge....think of food products that work similarly). Spices, some a minor investment, find these little homes perfect for their overall demeanor. A marinara made with real San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, and garlic deserve to be stored in a Fido. Now...you may be wondering my point. Go to your pantry. Look in. Is there any foodstuff there that you would deem worthy of the Fido? Eliminat...