Halt & Catch Fire – Lesson

Specifically: the first season of the show Halt & Catch Fire. Spoiler Warning: I do not mention any story or plot specifics below, but in discussing the themes a certain amount of the first season is revealed. This first season of the show is about the early development of computers, it’s about disruption in a…

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Instinct or Impulse?

Who do you trust when making quick decisions? Is your instinct always reliable? As a matter of fact, we think it is.  The difficulty comes in determining if what you are following is your instinct, or actually your impulse. Is your decision based on your gut, or based on your gluttony? How do you tell…

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Inside Your Comfort Zone

Have respect for the comfort zone. Last week I wrote about working outside your comfort zone – addressing the instruction we are given every day by friends, gurus, and social media memes. You will note that my suggestion is to always take a step outside this defined “comfort zone”. In other words: you’re not leaving…

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Outside Your Comfort Zone

This expression risks going the way of Thinking Outside The Box: a bit of sound advice whose overuse has made it virtually meaningless.  But it really is sound advice, so let’s take a moment for a closer look at how understanding the limits of your comfort zone – and then moving beyond them – will…

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My Udemy Courses

That’s right: I also have several online courses available for purchase on the Udemy platform. See below for a description of the current selection, and subscribe to my newsletter to be alerted when I add new courses. Effective Decision Making in Business How to Be a Successful Freelance Consultant Master your Meetings See all my…

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Management versus Leadership

There is plenty of talk about management versus leadership, often pitting the two in opposition to one another. Generally the contrast is based on a leader being focused on inspiration, and a manager being focused on activities. I agree with these assessments, but I also believe both are necessary in a well-run company. Leaders and…

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Manage Like an Italian Nonna

I have written in the past about the similarities between good management and Italian food. Today let’s elaborate on how to make this happen. “Nonna” is Italian for grandmother, and it is typical for people to use their “Nonna”‘s classic recipe for whatever they are cooking – the previously mentioned secret ingredient or special step.…

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Why Good Management is like Italian Food

Originally posted in an economics blog to which I occasionally contributed; the entertaining yet now defunct Bringing Sexy Back To Economics.  The whole point of Italian food is that it is simple. The ingredients should be easy to find, instructions loosely followed and the result a rich but straightforward flavour, which will vary slightly from…

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