It’s a funny thing, dropping blog posts into the void every day. I’m not paying much attention to analytics — that’s not the point of this exercise. The point, inasmuch as I’ve sharpened one, is to contribute something small every day, simply for the sake of doing it. Some days may be better than others.…… Continue reading We’re gonna be huge in Kazakhstan
Riches of Embarrassment
Yesterday I had to give a talk. Not to a board of directors or an audience of hundreds. Just a little kick-off chat with my new team. It’s challenging, working remotely, and since I can’t take them all out to a pub for a proper mixer, I thought the least I could do on a…… Continue reading Riches of Embarrassment
Being well-liked doesn’t count
It’s tempting, when managing a group (or even just one individual) to water down criticism or advice in the interest of being likable. Tempting, and very human. Who doesn’t want to be liked? The trouble is that sparing an individual from critique, while it seems friendly, is one of the worst things you can do…… Continue reading Being well-liked doesn’t count
Do it anyway
Someone once explained to me (or I read, or I heard it said on a podcast, or…) that there’s no difference between courage and fear. Courage contains fear. If you’re not afraid, courage has no meaning. Another way of saying this is that if you’re afraid of something and you take some action even in…… Continue reading Do it anyway
Being Alone
It hit me this morning, as I was driving to the office after picking up a few groceries ahead of yet another inbound snowstorm, that I’m awfully lonely. Put away your handkerchiefs (does anyone carry those anymore?) How old are you again?”— The Kid Seriously this isn’t a self-pity party. The truth is I barely…… Continue reading Being Alone
You’re Fired. Now What?
The last time I was fired I wasn’t old enough to drink. At the time I worked as a cook in a small restaurant. The owner was passive-aggressive and conflict-avoidant, so his method of firing was understated: he just stopped putting you on the schedule. To this day I’m not sure if I was fired…… Continue reading You’re Fired. Now What?
Break Some (Unspoken) Rules
Confession: I didn’t watch the Super Bowl last night. I couldn’t care less about either team, though I am mildly fascinated that someone who is unquestionably one of the best quarterbacks in the history of football can be so widely hated for… being one of the best QBs in history. Humans are funny. But while…… Continue reading Break Some (Unspoken) Rules
Underwater, Overwhelmed
I know a number of people who are regularly “overwhelmed” by their workload and/or the number of responsibilities that they feel are piled up on them like so many bricks. My advice to folks who come to me claiming overwhelm is twofold. First, and most basically, make a list. The feeling of overwhelm is that…… Continue reading Underwater, Overwhelmed
Out of Time
“I’m running out of time.” That thought crosses my mind almost every day. It’s more of a feeling, really, in my gut, that there isn’t enough time in the day to do all the things I want and hope to do. Or, worse, the feeling that I’ve wasted a day that I’ll never get back.…… Continue reading Out of Time
Colonist: Subtweeting Yourself, or That Parenthetical Life
In yesterday’s post I deployed a colon in the title. To be honest, I thought that my first title was a little too vague and artsy and wanted to give the search engines at least a little something to chew over. To give you, more precisely, a little clue about the contents of what’s inside…… Continue reading Colonist: Subtweeting Yourself, or That Parenthetical Life