Chade-Meng Tan is my new hero. Meng, as he is known, is one of Google’s original software engineers. He has won numerous awards and his academic and technical achievement records are impressive. But what impresses me the most is his pioneering spirit in the area of bringing meditation and mindfulness practices to the workplace. Right [...]
Kindergarteners consistently beat business students and other professional adults in the simple, but revealing, Marshmallow Challenge. The Marshmallow Challenge is a team exercise that asks groups of four to build the tallest freestanding structure in 18 minutes using only 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string and one marshmallow – [...]
Here’s a startling thought: “It’s tougher recovering from a downturn than being in a downturn.” This statement was made by Ira Jackson, Dean of Claremont’s Drucker School of Management, who was participating at the World Business Forum last week (Oct 6-7 in New York). The Wall Street Journal put together the video below, highlighting top [...]
Accountants say, yes!, according to a survey by Ajilon Finance, a leading specialty finance and accounting staffing firm, and the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). Two findings I thought were particularly interesting: 1. Soft skills ranked as more important than hard skills. Thirty-three percent of the accountants who responded felt that an ability to inspire [...]
In a crisis, our reaction is often to “batten down the hatches” — a nautical phrase meaning to seal the hatches (doors & portals) against a storm. But in this current economic downturn (a more pleasant word for “crisis”), it’s a time for business leaders to open up the doors and windows. This is a [...]
Professional Services Marketers are keenly tuned in to production mode, there’s no doubt. My business partner and co-developer of the Marketer as Leader program, Jodie Charlop, NCC, co-wrote an article with me that appears in the July ’09 issue of the Legal Marketing Association Southeastern Chapter newsletter. Production “trap” implies there just might be an [...]
“Mystery is at the heart of creativity. That, and surprise.” Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way I’m noticing the whir of creativity in the air these days. The oft-cited economic turndown we’re in has sparked its share of woe, of course, but underneath it all seems to lie a bubbling pool of creative juice. [...]
I’m a big fan of Lee Glickstein, who teaches “Relational Presence” through his work with Speaking Circles International. I’ve taken his trainings and participated in a Speaking Circles Study Group for several years. His process has removed my fear of public speaking, enhanced my ability to authentically connect with an audience, and boosted my confidence [...]
