Alan Weiss’s Monday Morning Memo® – 06/05/17
In the 14th Century, the "black death" is estimated to have killed about 50% of the population of Europe. Today, we're watching the deliberate depopulation of indigenous Europeans in numbers not reached for nearly 800 years (and back then caused
I Am Not Spartacus
We were at a well-respected theater last night and saw a play that was so bad—derivative, insipid, predictable—with horrible writing, mindless directing and, quite rare for this place, amateur acting. (One guy recited lines as if he couldn't wait to
Recency Bias
We've all seen clients unduly influenced by the last thing they heard—recency bias. I remember a consultant working with me in a Fortune 25 company saying this of our mutual buyer: "She's off to another seminar, meaning she's going to
Why You?
Think of several distinctive features or experiences that make you remarkable to others, not subjective (I'm a good listener) but objective (I've consulted with seven of the top ten newspapers in the country). Have someone help you if you're not
Why AI Isn’t Taking Over
There is a man in these parts who has $30 million in the bank. He takes no salary, but finances his life on disbursements and interest. When he tried to buy a house for his kids, he was told that
Who’s In Charge Here?
If you're seen as an expert, then you set the terms of how you work with people. Once you compromise, contort, and concede, you've become another hired hand. Never surrender the high ground.
You’re Being Judgmental!
The most vapid epithet I know is: "You're being too judgmental!" We make judgments every day, about how to work with others, if we've been treated correctly, how to raise our children, what to do in crises. We praise people with "good
Succinctnacity
Our guide in Athens knew everything about the Acropolis, ancient Greece, modern Greece, the church, political matters, and art. Unfortunately, she told us about all of them when we really wanted to see and hear about the Acropolis! Over half of
Episode 8: Conservatism
Why we are far too timid in our lives and work and how to stop playing a "prevent defense." Transcript: I'm Alan Weiss with the Uncomfortable Truth. I'm sitting here today after still another snow blizzard, thunderous, dangerous warning here in the