Many people working in large companies speak business-buzzwords as a second language. Business language is full of pretty meaningless words. I Don’t Understand What Anyone Is Saying Anymore article tells that the language of internet business models has made the problem even worse. There are several strains of this epidemic: We have forgotten how to use the real names of real things, acronymitis, and Meaningless Expressions (like “Our goal is to exceed the customer’s expectation”). This would all be funny if it weren’t true. Observe it, deconstruct it, and appreciate just how ridiculous most business conversation has become.
Check out this brilliant Web Economy Bullshit Generator page. It generates random bullshit text based on the often used words in business language. And most of the material it generates look something you would expect from IT executives and their speechwriters (those are randomly generated with Web Economy Bullshit Generator):
“scale viral web services”
“integrate holistic mindshare”
“transform back-end solutions”
“incentivize revolutionary portals”
“synergize out-of-the-box platforms”
“enhance world-class schemas”
“aggregate revolutionary paradigms”
“enable cross-media relationships”
How to talk like a CIO article tries to tell how do CIOs talk, and what do they talk about, and why they do it like they do it. It sometimes makes sense to analyze the speaking and comportment styles of the people who’ve already climbed the corporate ladder if you want to do the same.
The Most Annoying, Pretentious And Useless Business Jargon article tells that the stupid business talk is longer solely the province of consultants, investors and business-school types, this annoying gobbledygook has mesmerized the rank and file around the globe. The next time you feel the need to reach out, touch base, shift a paradigm, leverage a best practice or join a tiger team, by all means do it. Just don’t say you’re doing it. If you have to ask why, chances are you’ve fallen under the poisonous spell of business jargon. Jargon masks real meaning. The Most Annoying, Pretentious And Useless Business Jargon article has a cache of expressions to assiduously avoid (if you look out you will see those used way too many times in business documents and press releases).
Is Innovation the Most Abused Word In Business? article tells that most of what is called innovation today is mere distraction, according to a paper by economist Robert Gordon. Innovation is the most abused word in tech. The iPad is about as innovative as the toaster. You can still read books without an iPad, and you can still toast bread without a toaster. True innovation radically alters the way we interact with the world. But in tech, every little thing is called “innovative.” If you were to believe business grads then “innovation” includes their “ideas” along the lines of “a website like *only better*” or “that thing which everyone is already doing but which I think is my neat new idea” Whether or not the word “innovation” has become the most abused word in the business context, that remains to be seen. “Innovation” itself has already been abused by the patent trolls.
Using stories to catch ‘smart-talk’ article tells that smart-talk is information without understanding, theory without practice – ‘all mouth and no trousers’, as the old aphorism puts it. It’s all too common amongst would-be ‘experts’ – and likewise amongst ‘rising stars’ in management and elsewhere. He looks the part; he knows all the right buzzwords; he can quote chapter-and-verse from all the best-known pundits and practitioners. But is it all just empty ‘smart-talk’? Even if unintentional on their part, people who indulge in smart-talk can be genuinely dangerous. They’ll seem plausible enough at first, but in reality they’ll often know just enough to get everyone into real trouble, but not enough to get out of it again. Smart-talk is the bane of most business – and probably of most communities too. So what can we do to catch it?
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Suzy Welch: What to say when a job interviewer asks, ‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years?’
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/31/how-to-answer-the-interview-question-where-do-you-see-yourself-in-5-years.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Calm Before The Economic Storm
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnmauldin/2019/11/20/the-calm-before-the-economic-storm/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/7-work-habits-found-in-extremely-valuable-employees.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Japan’s 4-day work week boosted productivity by 40 percent
https://mashable.com/article/microsoft-japan-4-day-work-week-trial-3-day-weekend/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Professor of Business Ethics Guido Palazzo confirms that a similar pattern can be seen in every corporate scandal he has analyzed. Read more on ethical blindness in corporations https://fal.cn/35kjW
Ethical Blindness Explains Why Good People Do Bad Things
https://www.aaltoee.com/aalto-leaders-insight/2019/ethical-blindness-explains-why-good-people-do-bad-things?utm_campaign=insight&utm_content=9769340be91344b49b6a4a0d0d7115c1-103201673052624&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=Aalto+EE+-+Aalto+University+Executive+Education
Professor Guido Palazzo is an expert on the dark side of the force – why good people do bad things. Aalto Leaders’ Insight spoke with Palazzo about a question every CEO should be aware of: ethical blindness.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Economic Protests Are Spreading Across The Globe. Here’s Where And Why.
http://on.forbes.com/61861rOfg
Topline: Many of the mass protests happening around the world were sparked by anger over the economy—especially rising inequality and high costs of living—and then quickly evolved into larger, more potent social movements.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Toxic Is Your Workplace Exactly? Quite Toxic If These 8 Things Keep Happening Every Day
Do your co-workers violate company policies repeatedly? Yes, toxic.
https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/how-toxic-is-your-workplace-exactly-quite-toxic-if-these-8-things-keep-happening-every-day.html?cid=sf01002
According to UNC’s Keenan-Flagler Business School, it is estimated that toxic workplaces cost U.S. employers $23.8 billion annually in the form of absenteeism, health care costs, lost productivity, and more.
A company’s most valuable asset–its people–is rendered incapable to perform at a high level because most are too distracted by people trying to sabotage and manipulate the work environment.
Tomi Engdahl says:
9 Stress-Relieving Reminders To Help You Take Your Next Career Steps
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarayoungwang/2018/08/20/9-stress-relieving-reminders-to-help-you-take-your-next-career-steps/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Tried to Prove Managers Don’t Matter. Instead, It Discovered 10 Traits of the Very Best Ones
https://www.inc.com/scott-mautz/google-tried-to-prove-managers-dont-matter-instead-they-discovered-10-traits-of-very-best-ones.html?cid=sf01002
Google’s definition of what makes the very best managers will help you be your very best.
It’s not every day you learn of a really smart company setting out to prove that managers don’t matter. But that’s exactly what Google did with Project Oxygen.
The hypothesis was that the quality of a manager doesn’t matter and that managers are at best a necessary evil, and at worst a useless layer of bureaucracy. The early work of Project Oxygen, in 2002, included a radical experiment — a move to a flat organization without any managers.
The experiment was a disaster, lasting only a few months as the search giant found employees were left without direction and guidance on their most basic questions and needs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Here Are The Countries On The Brink Of Recession Going Into 2020
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2019/10/28/here-are-the-countries-on-the-brink-of-recession-going-into-2020/
Tomi Engdahl says:
34 Words And Phrases That Scream ‘I’m a Leader’ On Resumes
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2017/11/27/34-words-phrases-that-scream-im-a-leader-on-resumes/
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Probable Future: How We Pursue New Markets Without Neglecting the Now
https://blog.paessler.com/a-probable-future
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tired of Ending Your Emails With ‘Regards’? Here Are 69 Other Options
http://on.inc.com/5Yrd1Rs
In case you’re tired of your same old email sign-off, this list provides many alternatives.
So, go ahead and bookmark this page and come back to it when you feel like straying from your standard email sign-off and trying something a little different.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Good read:
Opinion
I Was Once a Socialist. Then I Saw How It Worked.
Two cheers for capitalism, now and forever.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/05/opinion/socialism-capitalism.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
The best version of socialism is defined by Michael Walzer’s phrase, “what touches all should be decided by all.” The great economic enterprises should be owned by all of us in common. Decisions should be based on what benefits all, not the maximization of profit.
Socialism is the most compelling secular religion of all time. It gives you an egalitarian ideal to sacrifice and live for.
My socialist sympathies didn’t survive long once I became a journalist. I quickly noticed that the government officials I was covering were not capable of planning the society they hoped to create. It wasn’t because they were bad or stupid. The world is just too complicated.
I came to realize that capitalism is really good at doing the one thing socialism is really bad at: creating a learning process to help people figure stuff out.
Socialist planned economies — the common ownership of the means of production — interfere with price and other market signals in a million ways. They suppress or eliminate profit motives that drive people to learn and improve.
It doesn’t matter how big your computers are, the socialist can never gather all relevant data, can never construct the right feedback loops. The state cannot even see the local, irregular, context-driven factors that can have exponential effects.
The sorts of knowledge that capitalism produces are often not profound, like how to design the best headphone. But that kind of knowledge does produce enormous wealth. Human living standards were pretty much flat for all of human history until capitalism kicked in. Since then, the number of goods and services available to average people has risen by up to 10,000 percent.
If you’ve been around a little while, you’ve noticed that capitalism has brought about the greatest reduction of poverty in human history.
You’ve noticed that the environment is much better in capitalist nations than in planned economies
Over the past century, planned economies have produced an enormous amount of poverty and scarcity.
When things are scarce, you have to bribe government officials to get them. Citizens soon realize the whole system is a fraud. Socialism produces economic and political inequality
All of these leaders understood that the answer to the problems of capitalism is wider and fairer capitalism.
Today, parts of our capitalist system in the United States are in good shape. Growth is remarkably steady, inflation is low, employment is high, wages for the poorest Americans are rising twice as fast as for high-wage workers.
But capitalism, like all human systems, is always unbalanced one way or another. Over the last generation, capitalism has produced the greatest reduction in global income inequality in history. The downside is that low-skill workers in the U.S. are now competing with workers in Vietnam, India and Malaysia. The reduction of inequality among nations has led to the increase of inequality within rich nations, like the United States.
Also, education levels have not kept pace with technology. More people grow up with inadequate schools, disrupted families and fragmented neighborhoods. They find it harder to acquire the skills to become good capitalists. The market is effectively closed off to them.
These problems are not signs that capitalism is broken. They are signs that we need more and better capitalism.
The supportive state makes better and more secure capitalists. The Scandinavian nations have very supportive welfare states. They also have very free markets. The only reason they can afford to have generous welfare states is they also have very free markets.
Capitalism is not a religion. It won’t save your soul or fulfill the yearnings of your heart. But somehow it will arouse your energies, it will lift your sights, it will put you on a lifelong learning journey to know, to improve, to dare and to dare again.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Understanding The U.S. Economy: Lots Of Rotten Jobs
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2019/12/05/understanding-the-us-economy-lots-of-rotten-jobs/?utm_source=FACEBOOK&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie/#76616c657269
“It doesn’t make any difference whether a country makes computer chips or potato chips!”
When U.S. unemployment is at a 50-year low, why do so many people have trouble finding work with decent pay and adequate predictable hours? A new economic indicator—the US Private Sector Job Quality Index (JQI)—gives the answer: we have lots of jobs, but they are increasingly low-quality jobs.
“The problem is that the quality of the stock of jobs on offer has been deteriorating for the last 30 years,” says Dan Alpert, an investment banker and Cornell Law School professor.
The quality of jobs today is not quite as bad as it was in 2012, but it’s much worse than it was in 1990s and the early 2000s. Overall, we are seeing a secular decline in job quality.
1. If Unemployment Is So Low, Why Don’t Wages Go Up?
2. Why Is Participation In The Workforce So Low?
3. Weren’t Manufacturing Jobs Replaced By Other Jobs?
4. Why Didn’t High Tech Didn’t Save the U.S. Economy?
5. Why Has U.S. Productivity Stalled?
6. What Do The New Jobs Actually Look Like?
“When all that a country has left is the domestic manufacture of processed foodstuffs,” concludes the JQI White Paper, “you end up with a lot of unhealthy and unwealthy workers who are in dire shortage of security, much less dignity. A republic that offers no better than this cannot long endure.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.technopolis.fi/manifesto/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=%20pcr_fin_workplaceearthquake&utm_content=PCR-FIN-WPEQ-manifesto-20191025-txt2
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.inc.com/scott-mautz/if-you-dont-do-these-5-things-for-your-employees-its-time-to-rethink-way-you-lead.html?cid=sf01002
Tomi Engdahl says:
Barbara Corcoran: Avoid Asking 3 Questions in a Job Interview at All Costs. It’ll Cost You the Job
Barbara Corcoran listens for three red flag interview questions. If you ask them, you’re out.
https://www.inc.com/betsy-mikel/the-3-worst-questions-you-could-ask-in-any-job-interview-according-to-barbara-corcoran.html?cid=sf01002
The question that says you’re not a hard worker
Corcoran can’t believe how many people ask her: “How late do I have to work?” This conveys to her that you don’t want to work hard.
The question that says you’re greedy
It gets under her skin when people ask, “How do I get raises around here?” or “How do people get promoted?” Before you even have a job offer, you’re asking about getting more money and power.
The question that says you’re not committed to your career
Asking about the vacation policy is another red flag for Corcoran. When someone asks about it, she hears them asking how quickly they can run out the door.
When you’re still in the courtship phase, treat this like dating: Ask the person a lot of questions about them. What do they like about their job? What’s a project they recently worked on that they really enjoyed?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Here’s How to Tell Within 5 Minutes If Someone Isn’t As Smart As They Think
Science says people who do one thing tend to be less intelligent. And less competent.
https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/heres-how-to-tell-within-5-minutes-if-someone-isnt-as-smart-as-they-think.html?cid=sf01002
As Dunning, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, says, “If you’re incompetent, you can’t know you’re incompetent… the skills you need to produce the right answer are the very same skills you need to recognize the right answer.”
As Bertrand Russell said, “One of the painful things about our time is that those who feel certainty are stupid, and those with any imagination and understanding are filled with doubt and indecision.”
Or as my grandfather said, “The dumber you are, the more you think you know.”
(On the flip side, people with high ability tend to underestimate how good they are. High-ability individuals tend to underrate their relative competence, and at the same time assume that tasks which are easy for them are just as easy for other people.)
Tomi Engdahl says:
What’s the best managerial approach for a team with varied abilities? Even if you aren’t an expert in a particular field, there are still ways to jump-start productivity and ignite enthusiasm. via Fast Company
How to manage teams when you’re not the subject matter expert
https://www.fastcompany.com/90434738/how-to-manage-teams-when-youre-not-the-subject-matter-expert?partner=forbes
You don’t need to be a subject matter expert to be a good manager. But you need to know how to empower your people to do their best work.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Practice Empathy at the Workplace – Learning to Understand and Share Feelings
https://qvik.com/news/practice-empathy-workplace-learning-to-understand-and-share-feelings/
Empathy is the key to nurturing an open culture of knowledge sharing. By definition, empathy means understanding and sharing your feelings and those of others. It may sound simple enough, but developing good practices requires daily work.
Tomi Engdahl says:
6 Things Smart People Do to Have Really Interesting Conversations
Hate small talk? Tired of the same old questions? These six approaches will make you that much more interesting.
https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/6-strategies-smart-people-use-for-having-really-interesting-conversations.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Saudi Aramco’s Record IPO Will Make It More Valuable Than Apple Or Microsoft
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2019/12/05/saudi-aramcos-record-ipo-will-make-it-more-valuable-than-apple-and-microsoft/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Know If an Employee Is Abusing Your Authority Behind Your Back
It’s lonely at the top.
https://www.inc.com/levi-king/how-to-know-if-an-employee-is-abusing-your-authority-behind-your-back.html
As a CEO, I’m a firm believer that employers and employees should have friendly, heartfelt relationships based on mutual respect. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t want to go to work in the morning. I’d rather be happy than otherwise, and enjoying the company of the people I spend much of my time with contributes greatly to that.
I believe with equal firmness in clear-cut boundaries. Your relationships with your colleagues should never interfere with your job itself.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Want to Finally Achieve Your Goals? Be Prepared to Face These 4 Uncomfortable Truths
Once you accept and embrace these four truths, your chances of success and fulfillment in life dramatically improve.
https://www.inc.com/julian-hayes-ii/want-to-finally-achieve-your-goals-be-prepared-to-face-these-4-uncomfortable-truths.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
13 Key Behaviors Warn You If an Employee Is Likely to Quit
If you can tell people are leaving, you can begin to take the right actions.
https://www.inc.com/erik-sherman/13-key-behaviors-warn-you-if-an-employee-is-likely-to-quit.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Your Employees Will Love the ’90-10 Rule’–and So Will You
At organizations like Facebook and Change.org, Jennifer Dulski amassed a toolkit of techniques for channeling individual workers into mass movements.
https://www.inc.com/leigh-buchanan/four-fantastic-exercises-to-motivate-your-team.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
4 Signs Your Star Employee Will Be a Good Leader
You can give the title of leader to anyone in your company, but is that person ready to lead?
https://www.inc.com/chris-mcgoff/4-signs-your-star-employee-will-be-a-good-leader.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
What Millennials Want but Don’t Get at Work
Executives are largely clueless when it comes to helping Millennials become productive workers
https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/what-millennials-want-but-dont-get-at-work.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
3 Body-Language Tricks That Make You Look Powerful
http://on.inc.com/n1Weqkq
A communication and body-language expert shares some simple tips for appearing more powerful.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Most people can tell if you’re rich just by looking at your face
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/02/study-most-people-can-tell-if-youre-rich-from-your-face.html
A new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology posits there’s a good chance you can tell if someone is rich or poor just by looking at them.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Here’s How to Tell Within 5 Minutes If Someone Isn’t As Smart As They Think
Science says people who do one thing tend to be less intelligent. And less competent.
https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/heres-how-to-tell-within-5-minutes-if-someone-isnt-as-smart-as-they-think.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
People skills are essential in IT consultancy. In these two posts we explain why so, and how you can improve.
https://www.valagroup.com/2019/11/tech-skills-become-obsolete-people-skills-wont/
The main focus for IT consultants is often in technical skills. But does a software project often end up succeeding or failing based on the project members’ technical skills, or could there be a more important underlying issue affecting the outcome? Naturally, tech skills are essential in tech work. However, talking with software professionals you soon realize that the challenges in projects are often issues such as lack of communication, missing information and unrealistic expectations, which are not related to technical skills
Behavioral skills are important in most workplaces but the importance is emphasized especially in consultancy work. Meeting new people, integrating into new working environments, and facing different situations happen all the time for consultants. Thus, good behavioral skills not only help consultants to be successful but are actually essential for the whole project’s success.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.valagroup.com/2019/11/want-to-make-your-working-community-pleasant-and-effective-start-with-yourself/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Body Language Of Collaborative Leaders
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2018/07/20/the-body-language-of-collaborative-leaders/?utm_source=FACEBOOK&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Malorie/#6d616c6f7269
Our brains are hardwired to respond instantly to certain nonverbal cues, and that circuitry was put in place a long time ago – when our ancient ancestors faced threats and challenges very different from those we face in today’s modern society.
The world has changed, but our body-reading processes are still based on a primitive emotional reaction. Today, the potential threats (and our brains are always on the alert for potential threats) are to our ego, our self-esteem, our identity. We are especially vulnerable in our desire to be included, to feel valued, to belong. This is why collaborative leaders need to be aware of their body language.
When you use warm, “pro-social” body language with all team members, you create an emotionally rich environment that supports collaboration and high performance.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Australian Woman Jailed For Lying On Her Résumé—It Happens More Often Than You’d Think
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2019/12/06/australian-woman-jailed-for-lying-on-her-rsum-it-happens-more-often-than-youd-think/
The interview process is far from perfect. Many claim that it is badly broken. There is a large element of trust—as opposed to hard data— involved with the hiring people. It’s not like other disciplines, such as accounting, where all of the numbers add up and there is an absolute right or wrong answer. While the résumé, references and prior work experience are vitally important, people still base hiring decisions—in part—on emotions, gut feelings or an urgency to fill the role.
It’s easy to game the reference requests. Applicants will naturally obtain references from people whom they know will say wonderful things about them. They’ll avoid anyone who may potentially offer anything unflattering. It’s naive to think that an applicant would supply their current boss as a reference (if the person is in between jobs, then it’s different). If they were to do so, it could be potentially job-threatening and won’t end well. The supervisor will view the person as a flight risk, disloyal and likely take the ask as a personal insult.
At times, the hiring manager and others desperately want to fill the empty seat because the work is piling up and accepts the recommendations at face value to get someone in the door quickly. Most people, when asked to be a reference, will play their part in helping out and push for the person—even if they don’t really hold the person in high regard.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Negotiate a Better Salary in Just 2 Simple Sentences
Put on your negotiation shoes. Get closer to your desired salary.
https://www.inc.com/betsy-mikel/how-to-negotiate-a-better-salary-in-just-2-simple-sentences.html?cid=sf01002
Whether you’re asking for a raise or negotiating a job offer, Coffey says you’re more likely to succeed if you say: “I would like to make $X. What would it take for me to get there?”
You want to keep the conversation going. By asking an open-ended question, you can discuss how your role should change to set you up for a raise. Instead of a you-versus-me mentality, now you and your employer can work together to create an action plan towards getting that salary bump.
It displays confidence and honesty.
Many salary negotiation experts say you shouldn’t be the first to put a number on the table. Let the other side speak first. But by stating your desired salary, you show your boss or potential employer that you’re not playing games. You’re ready to have a serious, honest conversation about your compensation.
The second part of the statement–What would it take for me to get there?–shows that you’re willing to put in the work to earn this raise. You’re not just asking for more money. You’re asking for more responsibility, or direction on how to be more successful at your job.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Quitting your job? A hiring manager says these are the 6 worst ways to do it
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/22/6-common-mistakes-to-avoid-when-quitting-your-job.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Asking These 9 Questions Will Instantly Reveal What Employees Think of Their Boss
Do you take an active interest in your employees as people, and make everyone feel included?
https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/saying-yes-to-any-of-these-9-questions-proves-youre-a-much-better-leader-than-you-think.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Best Way to Set Employees Up for Success? Use the 5-Finger Rule
When people have too many priorities, they don’t know what to do. Here’s how to create focus
https://www.inc.com/alison-davis/the-best-way-to-set-employees-up-for-success-use-5-finger-rule.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
6 areas of strategy that benefit from design
https://www.solita.fi/en/blogs/6-areas-of-strategy-that-benefit-from-design/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The fastest-growing jobs for 2020 that offer remote and flexible work options
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/02/here-are-the-fastest-growing-jobs-for-2020-that-offer-flexible-work.html
Growth in remote and flexible work is among the key workplace trends to watch for in 2020.
Today nearly two-thirds of U.S. companies have employees that work remotely, and research indicates the remote work will equal, if not surpass, fixed office locations by the year 2025.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/02/10-hottest-tech-skills-that-could-pay-off-most-in-2020-says-new-report.html
In today’s job market, technology skills are crucial.
The demand for IT workers is high, pay for tech jobs is competitive, and more workers in nearly every line of work are putting effort into learning data and technology skills. But with the rapid rise of advanced technology, it can be difficult to pin exactly which skills will pay off the most in the long run.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The ‘Trillion Dollar Coach’ Who Mentored Steve Jobs and the Google Guys Showed Them a Simple, Powerful Communication Tactic
https://www.inc.com/carmine-gallo/the-trillion-dollar-coach-who-mentored-steve-jobs-google-guys-showed-them-a-simple-powerful-communication-tactic.html?cid=sf01002
Silicon Valley’s most successful leaders start meetings this way to build rapport.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Saako teiltä käsienheiluttelua?
https://fraktio.fi/blogi/saako-teilta-kasienheiluttelua/
Puhummekin mieluummin kyvykkyyteen yhdistetystä vastuunkannosta, johtajuudesta ja omistautuneisuudesta.
Jaamme näiden kolmen muodostaman kombinaation karkeasti kolmeen erilaiseen ja osittain päällekkäiseen osa-alueeseen:
Vastuunkanto bisneksestä ja asiakkaan asiakkaasta
Vastuunkanto ihmisistä, tiimistä ja heidän toimintamalleistaan
Vastuunkanto teknologioista ja niiden eri riippuvuuksista
Lisäksi kannamme aina vastuun lopullisen työn laadusta ja kestävyydestä ajan yli.
Yksi henkilö voi tehdä tätä kaikkea, tai jotain näistä. Meillä harva kuitenkaan on tekemättä mitään näistä – yleensä vain jos niin sovitaan.
Liiketoimintaymmärrykseen ja systeemiajatteluun paneutunut käsienheiluttelija ajattelee asiakkaan etua, ja ennen kaikkea asiakkaan asiakaskuntaa.
Teknologiavalinnat ja toimintatavat kuuluvat vahvasti bisneksen kehittämiseen, ja täten tämänkaltainen bisneksen vastuunkantaja on sananmukaisesti generalisti tai renesanssihenkilö.
Vastuunkanto ihmisistä, tiimistä ja heidän toimintamalleista
Tämä käsienheiluttelijaheimon alajaostosta pitää erityisesti huolta ympärillä olevista ihmisistä ja ihmisiä ohjaavista toimintamalleista. Heillä on kyvykkyys muotoilla ja fasilitoida päivittäisiä, viikottaisia, tai jopa kuukausittaisia toistuvia prosesseja, kuten dailyja, retroja, groomauksia, demoja, ynnä muita ketterän toiminnan piiriin kuuluvia asioita. Heitä voisi kutsua jopa osa-aikaisiksi projektijohtajiksi.
Vastuunkanto teknologioista ja niiden eri riippuvuuksista
Teknologia-asioiden käsienheiluttelijat, arkkitehdeiksikin kutsutut vuokaavioiden piirtelijät ja järjestelmien hahmottajat omaavat erityiset kyvyt selvittää ja määrittää järjestelmien välisiä suhteita nyt ja tulevaisuudessa. Vuosien ja jopa vuosikymmenten kokemus erilaisilta toimialoilta ja ymmärrys tulevaisuuden trendeistä takaa sen, että bisneskriittisten järjestelmien rakentamisessa osaamme määrittää aikaa kestäviä ratkaisuja ja ennenkaikkea kokonaisuuksia.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Column: How badly are we being ripped off on eyewear? Former industry execs tell all
https://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-glasses-lenscrafters-luxottica-monopoly-20190305-story.html
“There is no competition in the industry, not anymore,” he told me. “Luxottica bought everyone. They set whatever prices they please.”
Dahan, who lives in Potomac, Md., was responding to a column I recently wrote about why consumer prices for frames and lenses are so astronomically high, with markups often approaching 1,000%.
I noted that if you wear designer glasses, there’s a very good chance you’re wearing Luxottica frames.
The company’s owned and licensed brands include Armani, Brooks Brothers, Burberry, Chanel, Coach, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors, Oakley, Oliver Peoples, Persol, Polo Ralph Lauren, Ray-Ban, Tiffany, Valentino, Vogue and Versace.
Along with LensCrafters, Luxottica also runs Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, Sunglass Hut and Target Optical, as well as the insurer EyeMed Vision Care.
When he was in the business, in the 1980s and ’90s, Dahan said it cost him between $10 and $16 to manufacture a pair of quality plastic or metal frames.
Lenses, he said, might cost about $5 a pair to produce. With fancy coatings, that could boost the price all the way to $15.
He said LensCrafters would turn around and charge $99 for completed glasses that cost $20 or $30 to make — and this was well below what many independent opticians charged. Nowadays, he said, those same glasses at LensCrafters might cost hundreds of dollars.
Butler said he recently visited factories in China where many glasses for the U.S. market are manufactured.
“You can get amazingly good frames, with a Warby Parker level of quality, for $4 to $8,” Butler said. “For $15, you can get designer-quality frames, like what you’d get from Prada.”
And lenses? “You can buy absolutely first-quality lenses for $1.25 apiece,” Butler said.
Yet those same frames and lenses might sell in the United States for $800.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fiendish tilted toilet meant to cut down on length of workers’ bathroom breaks
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/fiendish-tilted-toilet-meant-to-cut-down-on-workers-bathroom-breaks-2019-12-17
Angled toilet intended to cause discomfort after 5 minutes
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mapped: The largest employers in each US state
https://matadornetwork.com/read/mapped-largest-employers-us-state/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The 48-hour meeting rule
No, I won’t schedule meetings for Q2, thanks
https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/18/the-48-hour-meeting-rule/?tpcc=ECFB2019
Over the past few months, I have increasingly instituted a rule that I won’t schedule any form of catch-up meeting, source meeting, dinner meeting, fundraise advice meeting, or what have you more than 48 hours in advance. While I haven’t made this a religious conviction and maintain some flexibility, it frankly has been one of the most liberating decisions I have ever made.
The general premise underlying this model of course is spontaneity. Startups, innovation, and the news cycle happen in real-time, and are never aligned with your agenda planned eight weeks ago
Tomi Engdahl says:
Beyond Growth Hacking – an interview with Sean Ellis
https://www.columbiaroad.com/blog/beyond-growth-hacking-an-interview-with-sean-ellis?utm_content=109319761&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-1180887171984670&hsa_acc=10153848399300580&hsa_cam=6148151134254&hsa_grp=6155893839654&hsa_ad=6155894634854&hsa_src=fb&hsa_net=facebook&hsa_ver=3
Tomi Engdahl says:
Forget Talent: Here Are the 2 Traits All Successful People Share
What makes a person successful
https://www.inc.com/david-finkel/forget-talent-here-are-2-traits-all-successful-people-share.html
I often ask them what their ultimate goal is for themselves and their businesses. And I often hear them say:
“I want to be successful.”
Which always leads me to question, what makes a person successful? Is it financial freedom? Is it the ability to have a good work-life balance? It is something else entirely?
“What makes a person successful?”
A Love Of Learning
Karen began by talking about the elephant in the room: talent. Many successful people like to claim that they are where they are because they are more talented than their peers. Maybe they think that they see the world in a different way, or that they are better at taking risks or that they simply are more skilled than others at a particular thing. But in her experience, she believes that success has more to do with the fact that these individuals are lifelong learners.
The Ability to Take a Setback and Keep Going
The second most important success quality in Karen’s opinion is that of being resilient. This is the ability to pick yourself up after a setback and keep going is crucial to being successful in business and in life. All business owners experience setbacks and failures along the way.