Tackle the “Blob” with a “Maybe” List
Imagine that every time you faced a daunting task, you could immediately hit on a way to make it easy and inviting to get started. I bet you can—if you make a "Maybe" list. The problem you have is a blob of overload and uncertainty in your mind. You know too much...
Not in the Mood? Make a Mental Transition
An important part of execution is managing transitions. That’s where the time gets wasted and the distractions rule. If you're not "in the mood” to transition to the top priority item on your list, you can waste a lot of time getting down to work. To get out of the...
Getting Distracted? Try a Time Log
Many time-management books recommend you do a detailed "time log" to find out how you really use your time. They recommend you keep a record of every activity, with 15-minute precision. These have always struck me as a little compulsive, without much obvious benefit....
Build Confidence in Your Mental Databanks with Mental Hygiene
There is misinformation in your mental databanks. I guarantee it. Sometime in your personal history, you've overgeneralized or dropped context or missed something. Yet you rely on information from your mental databanks in all your thinking! How can you be sure you're...
Top 5 Time Management Mistakes
A nice little article on the top 5 time management mistakes from Fast Company: http://www.fastcompany.com/3048828/hit-the-ground-running/the-top-5-time-management-mistakes-youre-making
Align Strategic Decisions with Long-Term Priorities
Marcia Yudkin is a veritable sage who has taught me many things about marketing and writing. She’s given me permission to share this article from her “Marketing Minute” which concretizes the need to align strategic decisions with your long-term priorities. Mr. South...
The Key to Brainstorming
Brainstorming means: generating a long list of creative ideas to solve some problem or answer some question. Any time you are feeling a little blank, you need some form of brainstorming to start ideas flowing again. Often we think of brainstorming as a group activity,...
Resources for Learning to Get to the Point
“Getting to the Point” in communication is an art. I don’t know any book or course that truly explains it. I think there are three parts to developing the skill. First, you need to know your purpose in the conversation. This involves knowing what you want to get out...
In Communication, Less is Better Than More
"Less" sounds undesirable. Who wants to settle for less when you could have more? Well, in communication, less is often much better than more. For example, if you are offering a proposal to a prospective customer, it's much better to offer just the top three options...
How do you know you need to think about that?
Some things need thinking. Some things don’t. Thinking is a purposeful process of integrating new observations with existing knowledge and values to figure out something new. The goal of thinking is either to put something into words (conceptualize it), infer a...