I finally have my first running injury. I overdid it and now cannot run for a few weeks. And while this is a bummer, I also feel slightly proud that I’ve managed to acquire a running injury, which is surely a sign that I’m trying hard, right? Maybe. Well, not really. The injury occurred because […]
Proposal writing might be easier if English had the equivalent of ‘usted’ in Spanish. Many languages have a formal and informal way of addressing people that’s not available in English. Maybe in the past, in olde English, ye served this purpose. I’m not sure. If you know, drop me a line. So, is there a […]
In this tutorial we look at how to edit any document. Before we start: what does it mean to edit a business document? Most people think an edit means: Spellchecking for typos How it looks and feels Grammar (sometimes) Creating a checklist Instead, create a checklist and review different aspects of the document one by […]
If you’ve seen Denzel Washington in Training Day, you’ll know that his training methods, while effective, are not the most orthodox. In the movie, Denzel is assigned to train a rookie and, for various reasons all of which make sense later, puts him through a series of challenges. Training Plan Day: what’s the point? One […]
Jan
If you use Netflix, you’ll be familiar with the way it tries to anticipate your interests and suggest movies according to your previous viewing patterns. What’s interesting here is that it’s quite good at it. After using it for a few months, Netflix has started to suggest movies that, reluctant though I am to admit […]
When I go buy petrol, they try to upsell me chocolate. It’s pink and nasty looking. ‘No thanks, I’m trying to lose weight,’ I say, feeling embarrassed. ‘No problem,’ the attendant replies. ‘No problem?’ Was their a problem? If you run a business, it’s often interesting to look at these everyday situations and ask: Why […]
To remove obstacles. It’s not: to get status updates (that’s what status update reports are for), brainstorm ideas (that should be in workshops) or wait for others. The last one is important because it happens so often, we tend to get used to it. My approach to meetings changed after I stared working with a […]
Is one way of challenging others. It’s a slight twist on the carrot v stick approach. Instead of praising others, possibly when you know they could do better, it encourages the person to see if they can up their game. You begin to think, ‘Maybe he’s right. Is that the best I can do?’ The Scotland […]
