It is a simple lesson learned by those good at what they do. The world’s best software designers use it as their primary focus, as do diplomats, the nation’s top deal-makers, and (believe it or not) legislators evaluating U.S. tax policy. Whatever the… Read More
Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category
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Avoid Commodity, Distinction Is Key
Two months ago, our copier vendor called to tell us that our lease was almost up. The purpose of the call was obvious — they wanted to sell us a new copier. The result of the call was a business… Read More
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The Power of the Humble and Much Maligned Meeting…Done Right
I hate meetings. To me, they usually seem like 5 minutes of substance packed into 2 hours. In fact, the best part of any given meeting is time just before everyone gets there — when you get a chance to chat… Read More
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Prepare for a Storm When the Sun is Shining
By Michael Lentz, Wagonheim Law Attorney Independence Day tomorrow gives me a good reason to look back on the constitutional uproar of the past week. We’ve had two significant constitutional events: First, the Supreme Court decided National Federation of Independent Business v…. Read More
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My Week in Good, Great and Inept Customer Service
My oldest son was became a Bar Mitzvah on Friday, June 30th. In addition to the religious significance, many aspects of that particular milestone involve event planning. For reasons that continue to escape me, our family’s plan involved a catered… Read More
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The Value of Place
As some readers may know, my sons are both involved in scouting. My 13 year old is a Star Scout, working toward his Life rank, and my 9 year old will be entering his cub scout Webelo year in the fall. Over… Read More
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The Misconception About Drowning
“You know, people don’t drown like that,” said the man sitting to my right, to no one in particular. He wasn’t necessarily talking to me, but it did shake me out of my stupor. We were sitting with a group of… Read More
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The ‘Life’s Too Short Rule’
I fired a client this morning. If pressed by a judge in some fictitious courtroom for legal authority, I would cite the “life’s too short” rule. The work the client had asked us to do was well within our area of… Read More
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A Still, Small Voice
The comedienne, Paula Poundstone once said that adults ask children what they want to be when they grow up, not because they’re interested, but rather because they’re looking for ideas. The same can be true of companies, where “what do you… Read More
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The First Rule of Improv
According to Malcolm Gladwell, the first rule of improvisational comedy is: always accept your partner’s suggestions. In order for an improvised scene to be successful, the improvisers involved must work together responsively to define the parameters and action of the scene,… Read More