Doing, Not Dreaming
If you are still trying to do something you begin three months ago, that's not good. If it were six months ago, that's terrible. And if it were longer than that, you're just kidding yourself about really attempting to do
Half Full or Half Empty
I hear a great many people complaining about the difficulties of publishing today, yet I see a many people successfully doing it. I always ask myself, "Is anyone doing this anywhere in any way?" If the answer is yes, then
Hello? Hello?
Bear in mind that the value is in being highly responsive, not instantly reachable. You'll screw up your life if your cell phone number is in thousands of hands and those people feel they have the right to call at any time, and
Take It Or Leave It
I'm told that Cisco takes 120 days—four months—to pay its venders and suppliers. Of course, there's no sound reason for that except to maximize their cash flow by taking advantage of small businesses for whom cash flow is even more
Detour
Have you ever taken a detour to avoid traffic jams? The same tactic helps in business.
How Can They Do That?
When I was chair of the town planning board, we visited a cul-de-sac where a property owner was protesting a new subdivision that would create a road through the cul-de-sac. To make matters worse, he had chosen to build his
Swinging the Bat
I advised a coaching client to go see the editor of a major newspaper personally to pitch a story. He did, and his article was printed. I then told him to suggest a column. He did, and he now has
I Can Name That Tune in Three Notes
Most clients CAN do what consultants propose themselves. That's not the issue. The issue is: Should they do it themselves? The answer is usually "no" because: The project will take people away from their usual responsibilities; they tend to assign people who
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