How Are You Spending Your Time?
“The secret of success is constancy to purpose.” – Benjamin Disraeli (speech, June 24, 1870) I was looking at last month’s daily-task lists and was struck by how much of my time is spent prodding people rather than in other, more creative, activities. By memo, meeting, fax, e-mail, or phone,…
READ MOREDon’t Even Think About Fooling Around On The Internet
“Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity.” – La Bruyere (Characters, 1688) MN just told me that “38% of employee time on the Internet is personal.” That completely freaks me out. At one business I consult with, that would translate…
READ MOREWhy Reductions Must Be Mandatory
“Responsibility, n. A detachable burden easily shifted to the shoulders of God, Fate, Fortune, Luck, or one’s neighbor. In the days of astrology, it was customary to unload it upon a star.” – Ambrose Bierce (The Devil’s Dictionary, 1881-1911) Last week, we spoke about the need to fire weak…
READ MOREGet More Out Of All Those Books You’re Reading
“Some books are undeservedly forgotten; none are undeservedly remembered.” – W.H. Auden (The Dyer’s Hand, 1962) The average American adult reads about 150 words a minute. At that rate, a book of 250 pages will take you about 12 hours to read. If you take a good speed-reading class, you…
READ MOREGreat Business Meetings Don’t Just Happen
“The leader must know, must know that he knows, and must be able to make it abudantly clear to those about him that he knows.” – Clarence B. Randall (Making Good in Management, 1964) It was said that Napoleon’s presence on the battlefield made “the difference of 40,000 men.” This…
READ MORENever, Ever Stop Pushing On Every Single Front
“Men go shopping just as men go out fishing or hunting, to see how large a fish may be caught with the smallest hook.” – Henry Ward Beecher (Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit, 1887) Something to ponder: All your clients, customers, and employees have a hidden mission . . . and…
READ MOREWhen a “Yes” Is Better Than a “No”
“Optimism is a kind of heart stimulant — the digitalis of failure.” – Elbert Hubbard (A Thousand and One Epigrams, 1911) As a boss, you don’t want people “yes-ing” your ideas when they have legitimate concerns about them. On the other hand, you don’t want people “no-ing” them simply because…
READ MOREDoes Your Mental Attitude Determine Success?
I’ve just read an interesting book about optimism. It was written by an expert in the field and provides a great deal of scientific proof for some ideas I’ve developed about mental attitudes and success. According to Martin Seligman, the author of “Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and…
READ MORENow Let’s Talk About Something Serious
“A woman is a dish for the gods, if the devil dress her not.” – William Shakespeare (Antony and Cleopatra, 1606-7) What’s with these new patterned pants women are wearing? When it comes to women’s fashions, I have a very wide palette. Take a 5-foot-10-inch supermodel, wrap her in almost…
READ MOREHow To Make People Like You
“The easiest kind of relationship for me is with ten thousand people. The hardest is with one.” – Joan Baez Yesterday, we talked about good manners. We said that while they are not a necessary component to success, they certainly won’t hurt your progress — and they may even help…
READ MOREGood Manners And Success
Despite what some pundits have said, making people like you is not the secret to success. There are plenty of very rich, very powerful, and very successful S.O.B.s out there. In fact, there may be an inverse relationship between affability and accomplishment. Spend too much time and energy trying to…
READ MORELogophiles, Listen Up: Buy This Book – Or Else!
“English usage is sometimes more than mere taste, judgment, and education — sometimes it’s sheer luck, like getting across a street.” – E.B. White If you cringe when you hear “between you and I.” When you scan a headline that shouts “Save up to 50% — and More!” Or when…
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