If you’re like me–and hopefully you’re not–but I simply cannot seem to keep my hands on my cell phone. And if I can, it’s not charged or I don’t have any reception. Or I’m a thousand miles away from the charger and can’t bring myself to buy (yet) another charger. It makes me feel crummy because I’m supposed to be all up on my technology. But I have recently come up with a solution that at least lets me catch my voicemail in a timely fashion. First off, I got myself a... More »
Kent Blumberg writes on leadership strategy from a tactical perspective–which is very much in accordance with the GTD approach so popular around these parts. He recently finished an in-depth review/summary of Gallup Press’s new book Twelve: The Elements of Great Managing. He posted a lengthy write-up of each chapter, which I have rounded up below, for your perusal, dear reader. Job clarity Materials and equipment Matching strengths to jobs [ed. You might want to check out the book Now, Discover Your Strengths, also from Gallup Press, for more on this topic.] Recognition... More »
Ben Yoskovitz, from the Instigator Blog, has a great list of ways to avoid pointless meetings. If you find yourself not wanting to avoid pointless meetings, you should read this book. If you do want to avoid them, read Ben’s post instead: Make sure the meeting has a clear purpose. Avoid suspense. Document what’s going on. Avoid distractions. Have an agenda. Avoid regular meetings if there’s no agenda Schedule something critical right after. 7 Ways To Avoid Pointless Meetings – [Instigator Blog]
One of the things I spend a lot of time doing at my job in association management is getting volunteers to do things for free. Some people call it “volunteer management,” while other people call it herding cats. Still, the practice warrants some attention. Before we get started, let me explain why volunteer management is increasingly applicable. More and more, we’re seeing organizations shy away from traditional hierarchies. While this leads to more flexibility, it also puts the onus on individuals to contribute freely of their time while at work. Additionally, networking... More »
26 Shares Ed Batista, a leadership coach at Stanford, has a good tip today on “soft startups.” When I first read that, I thought it was referring to websites that go broke really fast or something. However, a “soft startup” refers to initiating a difficult conversation. Sometimes when talking about something difficult I just blurt it out. Believe it or not, I’ve had good results with that. I use it because I find it easier than being delicate. These tips, however, seem like a good resource and definitely would be worth trying out. How... More »
21 Shares Most of us know that networking is a key to success, and certainly qualifies as a life hack. Still, the devil is in the details. I have done some reading recently, and here are a couple of books that get into the technicalities of networking. Never Eat Alone, by Keith Ferrazzi. This one’s a runaway bestseller, and we’ll be hearing about it for awhile. Since it’s more recent, it’s informed by lots of its predecessors. Here’s a summary of the why and how: Know where you want to go; Identify the people... More »
From Apartment Therapy, here’s a cool idea on decorating with post-its. The texture is actually pretty cool, you must admit. And apparently they say they haven’t fallen off yet. Still, I think I’d get myself in trouble using these for to-dos. Nick Senzee is membership director of a professional design society in the DC metro area. He likes to read and write and puts his thoughts down in his blog.
This bit came in from Julie Morgenstern’s May newsletter, on using a Time Map. This could be useful to you. FYI, Julie Morgenstern is a professional organizer and has several books on time and space organization, all of which I’ve found to be really useful, so I highly recommend them. A blurb from the newsletter: A Time Map provides structure to your day — carving out regular time for what is most essential to you. Rest assured that a Time map can be adapted to your personal style, whether you thrive on... More »
I’m still keeping up with my new year’s resolution to work out and I’ve been doing pretty good. I have been feeling a lot better and a lot more in control of things–and of course you start to see results after awhile. As if you need another good reason to work out, here’s yet one more: It apparently makes you smarter. Adam Campbell from Men’s Health has written an article that gives examples and research outlining the argument. Here’s a quote from Arkansas Governor Huckabee, who you’ll remember lost a ton of... More »
106 Shares When I was first out of grad school trying to get a job, I heard people saying, “you have to network,” etc. I thought at the time, and still do, that that approach is only particularly effective if you have a current job or some kind of existing network to use as a springboard. However, once you’re safe and sound in a position you’re okay with, you can use volunteering to build a powerful network and increase your marketability. And, while you always meet interesting people working at a food kitchen or... More »
384 Shares Unfortunately, I've got one or more of these I'm dealing with currently. So I've hit the library and come up with George's Simon's book In Sheeps Clothing: Understanding and Dealing with Manipulative People. It is not a huge book, but manages to be quite comprehensive and helpful. First off he talks about what these situations look like, and then later he talks about what you can do. Here's the brief list of how to handle these difficult cases, summarized from the book.
