For virtually every person in America and around the world, life has been disrupted in some way by the current COVID-19 pandemic. For some lucky people, the current quarantine measures are mostly a frustrating inconvenience, and their biggest concerns are boredom and running out of snacks. But for most people, we have been shaken by …
During these crazy times, we have been hearing stories of panic and selfishness as well as stories of heroics and selflessness. I applaud every single person who in the face of fear and uncertainty has chosen to give and serve and be generous! Today I want to revisit a short article I wrote several years …
Have you ever watched one of those time-lapse videos of an artist creating a piece of art? When they first begin, and even halfway through, it’s hard to tell what the final work will be like. Colors and strokes and shapes may seem random, non-cohesive, and unappealing, but each one has a purpose, and eventually, …
I might be becoming an old man (don’t tell my wife), but I count myself very lucky to have a wide variety of friends from all walks of life! One of my dear friends and colleagues is a mom to three young children. I have had the privilege of knowing and working with her since …
In a 2017 Harvard Business Review article, neuroeconomist Paul J. Zak discusses the importance of creating an “employee-centric culture,” and how doing so can have a significant positive impact on business. But how do you achieve this? Zak writes, “In my research I’ve found that building a culture of trust is what makes a meaningful …
For the sixth and final tip in our Better Communication series, we’re looking at a great strategy for fine-tuning your written and verbal communication skills: teach others. Michael Thompson, author of the excellent article on which this series is based, explains how teaching others as a side gig boosted his career by helping hone his …
So far in our Better Communication series we’ve discussed honing our writing skills, public speaking skills, and conversational skills. Today with Tip 5 we will again focus on conversational skills—because the simple truth is that for most of us conversation makes up a huge percentage of our regular communication! In a way, this fifth tip …
We are now on Tip 4 in our communication series based on the excellent strategies suggested by Michael Thompson in his article, “According to Warren Buffett, Honing This One Skill Can Improve Your Worth by 50 Percent.” We’ve already explored Thompson’s first three tips for improving your communication skills: Develop a daily writing habit Watch …
Continuing with the series on honing our communication skills, today I want to share a third tip from Michael Thompson: observe the strong communicators in your own life. I don’t know about you, but I am a people watcher. I am constantly observing the people around me—and I find that I am constantly learning from …
I frequently listen to TED talks. Most are absolutely excellent. The criteria for being allowed to give a TED talk includes being very concise and focused, presenting high value content, and having excellent delivery. Also, I was not aware until recently that transcripts of most TED Talks are easily available and free! I now frequently …
Last week I shared about an article by Michael Thompson and some insights from legendary investor Warren Buffett regarding one of the most valuable skills in the world: the ability to communicate well. And I believe both Thompson and Buffett would agree with this statement: Better Communication Equals Greater Success! In his excellent article, Thompson …
Entrepreneur’s Handbook recently published an excellent article by Michael Thompson titled “According to Warren Buffett, Honing This One Skill Can Improve Your Worth by 50 Percent.” So, what one skill does legendary investor Warren Buffett consider so incredibly valuable? The ability to communicate well. According to Thompson, communication skills were something that did not come …
I took this picture in Yosemite National Park. It is one of more than 250,000 pictures that I have personally taken all across America the Beautiful. I have every one of those pictures saved on multiple external drives. I frequently return to thousands of interesting and inspirational locations all across America by simply selecting a …
It’s that time of year again! Most of you are already planning for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Festive wreaths are placed on doors, trees are popping up in people’s houses, and shimmering lights are being placed around town. In the hustle and bustle of the season it is easy to lose track of what’s important. …
Without a doubt, the answer to the above question is different for different people. Happiness is a mysterious, profound, and very personal thing that is manifested in countless ways in different stages of life for every single person on the planet. That said, obviously many people find happiness in the same things. Just take a …
The term extrinsic is defined by dictionary.com as “being outside a thing; outward or external; operating or coming from without.” The term intrinsic is defined as “belonging to a thing by its very nature.” When used in conjunction with the idea of motivation, extrinsic refers to those “carrot” incentives such as salary, benefits, and bonuses …
The highly successful businesswoman Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, once gave this sage piece of advice: “Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says ‘Make Me Feel Important.’ Not only will you succeed in business, you will succeed in life.” Truer words were …
Last week we reflected on this excellent quote: “You can’t change the ocean or the weather no matter how hard you try, so it’s best to learn how to sail in all conditions.” – unknown The truth is we really have no control over life’s whims, so if we’re going to make it through in …
In the ordinary course of our lives, we all typically experience a lot of ordinary, smooth-sailing days. While nothing remarkable happens, nor does anything particularly difficult. We go about our day as usual, the sun keeps shining, and things go according to plan. On the other hand, we also tend to experience quite a few …
In today’s society, we tend to be impressed by c-suite leaders with large organizations, big offices, and lots of employees. Obviously any business large or small can have a CEO, but there’s just something that seems more impressive about the executive of a large corporation with thousands of employees versus the leader of a small …