Next time, try this. "I am sorry, my mistake, I could have ... . Let's move on." It works beautifully in any situation in which there's friction. It unlocks empathy (most likely you'll get a "no worries" from the other side), and it allows the conversation to move forward. It's better than blaming the alarm … Continue reading Strength
Category: leadership
Cut
When you are short on money. When you are depleted. When you simply have too much to do. When there's an emergency. When your plans are at risk. What do you cut? A couple of things to consider. Be in a position in which what you cut is up to you, as much as possible. … Continue reading Cut
Making decisions
There are two fundamental flaws in how companies make decisions. The first one has to do with the amount of information available to make the decision. A balance is needed between decisions made with zero information ("based on my opinion ...", "our manager wants it this way ...", "I strongly believe ...", "it worked at … Continue reading Making decisions
Stay present
If you get to a point where you decide to quit, for any reason. Or you are in a situation where you are asked to quit. Or you get rejected over and over again. What are you going to do? It's very natural to want to burn down bridges, move to the mountains, and dedicate … Continue reading Stay present
Northern Star
When you get close to the target, it's very easy to lose view on the big picture. You focus on the minutiae and details, preparing for the big moment of truth, sure it's just a matter of time. A little more to the right, apply just a tiny more pressure, why the heck it's not … Continue reading Northern Star
Nobody likes
There's quite a lot of time wasted in organizations doing repetitive stuff that a computer would do best. The technology is already available, yet this change is strongly resisted. For two very human reasons. First, when you cut on repetitive tasks consistently and over time you get to a point at which you have to … Continue reading Nobody likes
Your own authenticity
Consistency and authenticity are about doing what you expect of yourself, not what others expect of you. Even when something is useless, even when nobody is paying attention, even when 99.9% of people would act differently, even when you will not get any reward. Doing that is what builds your persona, your character, your set … Continue reading Your own authenticity