December 2009

Why Don’t We Learn?

Have been there. . . Photo by littletriggers via Flickr

The end of the year tends to be conducive to thinking about past and future. Today I was reading in the New York Times The Big Zero by op-ed columnist Paul Krugman. He names this decade "The Big Zero" because he contends this “was a decade in which nothing good happened, and none of the optimistic things we were supposed to believe turned out to be true.”

Worst yet, besides zero job creation, zero economic gains for the typical family, zero gains for homeowners, zero gains for stocks, “what was truly impressive about the decade past, however, was our unwillingness, as a nation, to learn from our mistakes.” He concludes that this was “the decade in which we achieved nothing and learned nothing.” If true, what a bleak, sad, and unfortunate statement!

Mind Reading 101 for Leaders: 7 - Be silent

In the fast paced world we live we tend to think we do not have time to pause, be silent, think, and reflect. The faster you run, the more you need to draw air in. Saying you don’t have time to pause and be silent would be like saying you do not have time to breathe, because you are running. I will like to propose that we don't have time NOT to pause! You see, silent reflection helps us hold the door of our mind open long enough for new perceptions, ideas, and solutions to emerge.

Conversations that matter need breathing space. You need to slow down the conversation enough to let insight happen in the space between words. That is the only way you can discover what the conversation really wants and needs to be about. Leaders need to talk with people, not at them.

7 Secrets to Keeping a Positive Attitude This Holiday Season

To most people, the holidays mean long, hard, unpleasant, stressful work. For leaders it can be even worse. How much of it has to do with outside and family expectations and how much we bring upon ourselves is not the issue I want to discuss – although it might be something worth thinking about. What I want to share with you are ways in which you can be less frazzled and more joyful in the midst of it all.

If you can keep your positive spirit, it will be contagious in the workplace and at home. After all, the end of the year should be a time of rejoicing and goodwill. The specific ways to less stress and more fun have to be individualized. Therefore, I’m going to give you some simple and short suggestions, giving you only some general principles and letting you fill in the blanks.

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