Hard to believe, but June is right around the corner…the midyear mark. Performance reviews can be awkward. I felt like they were doctor appointments: the faster you were in and out, the better. But having a real conversation with your manager is more important than ever to make sure you’re both on the same page in terms of you. Continue reading
When I was working at a large bank, I had a manager who said to me:
“When it comes to breakfast, the hen is involved, but the pig is committed.”
Now, I know he wasn’t telling me that I had to sacrifice my life for work, but I got his point. Continue reading
I have confessed to people “I am the laziest person.” which surprises them because they see me as a hard worker with high standards. Here’s how I define lazy: I want to get the job done, but without a lot of wasted/non value added effort. Here are the benefits of being lazy: Continue reading
I recently had lunch with someone who is starting a new job, and wants to make sure she gets off the right foot. She asked me “How do you know what to say when you’re in a meeting? I don’t want to seem overbearing, or ignorant, but I know it’s important to speak up.”
Someone had asked me about the best way to sign off on email. It got me thinking to the lessons learned re: electronic communications and the situations I’ve seen. Continue reading
Lately, there’s been a lot in the press about the advantages of writing vs typing. They have shown students do better when they take notes writing them down versus typing them into their laptop. Typing doesn’t give you the same benefits: you’re now in the mode of court stenographer…and I find it gets in the way of listening. When you write, you learn. Continue reading
I got a great question from someone who asked “What’s the best way to sign off on emails to give the correct impression to your recipients?” Continue reading
I recently got together with some folks I had worked with in the past….we had worked on an incredibly difficult, multi year, high profile project together. And as we were reminiscing, laughing, and telling stories about who did what to whom, one thing struck me.
We hadn’t necessarily seen each other or spoken in some time. But the moment we were all around the table again, it was as if time had stopped.
Hard projects are like that…you create bonds with other people unlike any other. You’ve seen each other during wins, during the failures, the mistakes. You’ve seen each other at his or her best and worst.
What it all comes down to is that we all stuck by each other to get through it and accomplish the impossible. What we’re left with is the knowledge of what we did. Nothing compares to that feeling: not money, title, or accolades.
So raise your hand for the tough assignments. Stay committed through the end. Care about everyone making it over the finish line. Never forget the importance of integrity. I promise you, you’ll never regret it.
You run the risk of really annoying people around you, but it seems to work.
The tactic? Ask “why?” until you get to the root cause. Five times. Continue reading
There’s a lot being done in behavioral economics…it attempts to explain things like why you won’t use a $2 app but you’ll spend $30 to go 6 blocks.
This is a great article that talks about customer development from a technology point of view, but I think it’s applicable to lots of situations. Some of the mistakes they talk about:
The article struck me because I see a lot of this happening just as part of the day to day life. It’s important to try and ask the right questions in order to get to the truth. And then it’s important to share the truth….I love this quote about using stories:
“Stories are shareable and lend clarity. They contextualize data in a way everyone can understand and rally behind. Generally, people are ok with pivots if they understand the impetus.”
With presentations, I remember the stories people tell….I don’t remember random facts and figures. Trying to boil down complicated issues to simple answers is blunt force. Some examples:
Rather than:”Why are you leaving the firm?”
Try: “When did you first start thinking about leaving the firm?”
Rather than: “We’ve created this technology/application/new thing. What do you think?”
Try: “What do you see this xxx doing better than what you do now? What would you hate or dread if someone told you that this xxx was coming?”
It’s so easy to fall in love with something you’ve created/believe in. But too often, we see situations that I call ” a solution in search of a problem.”