Everyone has heard this a million times, but how many actually slow down to do a good job… This lesson is taught at least daily in my observation and experience. Finding the right pace for each job is often the difference between a great job and an acceptable job.
The first time I seriously thought about this was when I was fixing a closet door at my wife’s late grandmother’s house a few years ago. The brother of my wife’s grandfather was there. After observing me work, he said (more or …

For a few weeks, I’ve been struggling with the word “strategy.” I hear this word used, abused, misused and overused. There are all kinds of uses starting from “product strategy” and “strategic advisors” to “strategizing about a topic” and “strategic sourcing.” I certainly cannot put an end to this nonsense and will instead share my thoughts.
Perhaps as humans, we need to feel in control of the future. Maybe we need to feel smart or at least appear smart enough and able to pre-calculate for all kinds of eventualities. In aggregate …

 
I had to serve in a jury yesterday and was deeply moved by the experience. The process lasted one day but taught me much about our system of government, about the people who run the court system, about the process, and about myself and others. I want to share some of these thoughts in case you find them interesting.
Fulfillment of my civic responsibility made me appreciate the system far more than I expected. The dignity and respect with which the defendant, the attorneys, the judge and the jury were treated …

This early morning has brought with it another perspective on mistakes. Mistakes come in different forms. Some are small, some are catastrophic, some impact only ourselves, some impact others, some are made in a second, others are made over many years, some take a minute to correct, others require long-term commitment. Following are some of my ways of dealing with mistakes.
Listen and get the message. I make mistakes all the time. If you are like me, you do not always recognize your mistakes immediately. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes days, weeks, …

“Life has no richer reward for any man than the reward that comes with the knowledge that another – a man, or a woman, or a child – has been given a little start toward health, happiness and success by just a little attention or encouragement on our part.” ~ J.C. Penney
So much to write, so little time. That is the story of the past few days. I met a friend whom I had not seen in fifteen years and thoroughly enjoyed reminiscing and catching up. We remembered how we …