29 Shares Recently I’ve just completed a trip outside of United States. I am not a world traveler and I learned a few hard lessons that I would like to share with you. Here are the top ten suggestions I’d like offer to make your overseas travel a more smooth experience than mine was. I have written them from my perspective which is that of an American traveling to other countries. It is also worthy of note that I travel and thus write from the “coach” perspective as I have never traveled “first class”... More »
The internet is permeated with thousands of “to do” lists. In fact, if you are an author or publisher in the electronic realm you can get so caught up in completing your “to do” list that you never actually get to do much writing and publishing. So, as I have a propensity for being a jerk reverse engineering, I’ve put together a little “to don’t” list to help nudge us all back on our chosen paths. 1. To-Don’t: Build self opening pop ups into your site. Pop ups are annoying. Not only... More »
In 1930 J. C. Fluegel wrote a work entitled “The Psychology of Clothes.” One of his major precepts stated that nonconformity in choice of clothing was an outward expression of nonconformity in the thought and political outlook of the individual. So, what? Summer is here and a whole new mass of job seekers are entering the market. People are made and broken by their appearances. You have just about 20 seconds to make an impression. And, if you know this you can turn it to your advantage.
Much is on-line about growing an ebook. Where to seek inspiration, what to share about and how to sell it are the most common topics. Less plentiful are the step by step mechanics of creating and hosting e-book. With the help of guides like Phil Gerbyshack and Rosa Say I am finding a path. I cross the tangle vines and box hollows seeking a path to building and sharing an ebook. You can use my trail markers and jump ahead on the path. Trail Markers 1. Write the content (this is the... More »
I put my bike away for the winter about two months ago. In the climate where I live, it will probably be stored for about 3 months. In preparation for that first warm day in “Marpril” I took the following steps. 1. Location. I found a corner of my garage away from the window (light fades paint and cracks leather), and out of the path of traffic. 2. Oil. Cold weather causes oil to lose viscosity. I use a different grade in winter. I also change the filter plug when I put... More »
Since the tips I posted on computer maintenance received such a large (albeit mixed) response, I thought a follow up on printers might be appropriate at this time. 1. Clean your print head once per month. Remove the cartridge and clean the head with a little warm water. Don’t use alcohol or tissues. After the head is COMPLETELY dry, pop the cartridge in and out a few times to assure a good connection. 2. Use the printer several times a week. If you don’t use it, the ink dries up and the... More »
2.2K Shares Open Loops blogger Bert Webb and I often collaborate on projects, include guesting at each others functions. At a recent presentation I did on “Effective Workplace Communication” the laptop I was using to run my PowerPoint presentation became possessed by evil juju and began a spontaneous series of automated functions ending in a system shutdown. Bert and I had different theories about why this occurred at this particular moment in the great cosmos. But, one thing we did agree on is “technology is a great thing…when it works!” And Murphy’s’ Law can... More »
Recently Lifehack.org published a great post about how to live a stressful life. I am a true fan of the counterintuitive and reverse logic so it got me thinking about the concept on a greater scale. If we can destroy our own individual lives with such efficiency imagine what we could all do to a community if we worked together on it. To that effect, here is my list of the Top Ten Ways to Kill a Community. These same concepts can be applied to your business or organization if you have... More »
A John Maxwell book published by Thomas Nelson, 2004, 272 pages, Nonfiction, Business, Leadership and Personal Development. Yes, I know I just reviewed a John Maxwell book. No, I’m not working for his publicist. Remember when you were a kid and every time a new Piers Anthony book came out, you just had to read it? Even if the story line and characters weren’t all that great. Well, Maxwell’s books are becoming kind of like that for me. I may not always agree with what he has to say, for instance he... More »
14 Shares A John C. Maxwell book published by Nelson Business 2005, 313 pages, Nonfiction, Business, Leadership and Personal Development, Includes bibliographical references. I’m not certain if the motivation for the focus of this book is to unselfishly provide growth insights to those in middle management or a cunning device to target the very people who buy the most books about growth and leadership, but much of Maxwell’s book is devoted to leading from the middle. Either way the result is the same. Who buys the most books about leadership and personal growth? Those... More »
A Ted Demopoulos book published by Kaplan Publishing, 2007, 211 pages. Nonfiction, General Business, Blogging and Podcasting. Ted Demopoulos has had a long and distinguished career in the business community. He has advised such companies as IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola. He has an extensive speaking background in and is a sought after guest at business and technology focused events. Well, enough with the flattery and on with the review. If you are in the market for a “how to” manual for blogging basics full of technical data, html and design code, this... More »
A Stephen M. Pollan and Mark Levine book published by Harper Collins Publishers Incorporated, 2004, 273 pages. Nonfiction: Career Changes, Career Development, Self-actualization (Psychology). The book promises a career plan to take control of your work life, boost your income, have a better job offer at hand and find happiness outside the office.Folks, this thing is Cynical with a capital C. Take a look at this lift from inside the jacket. …gone are the days of finding satisfaction through you job, gone is the time when your job was secure, and gone... More »
If you’ve had six different jobs in the last 18 months and the only thing that is the same at each job is you, there may be a problem. Unless you’re doing research for a book entitled “How to Lose Your Job in Ten Days.” If you are some of the following may be some great information gathering techniques. 1. Be oblivious to expectations. Most operations don’t want a yes man. But, if you don’t understand the organization in which you work, you’re writing your ticket out the door. 2. Make it... More »
A Carmel McConnell book published by Perseus Publishing, 2001, 209 pages. Nonfiction: Business and personal growth.The book premise is that operating a profitable business and maintaining your personal principles are not mutually exclusive endeavors. Upon opening this book my initial reaction was, “Hey, the publishers made a mistake.” The inside jacket of the book is printed like a stenographers pad. You know, top to bottom. Then, the very next page shifts back to the standard orientation. Then, believe it or don’t, the next two pages shift to the previous orientation. Finally, now... More »
A T. Scott Gross book published by Oakhill Press, 1996, 304 pages. Nonfiction: Business and Personal Growth. The book theme: Sell a customer, get paid once…serve a customer, get paid again and again. His mantra… 1. Reward high pressure service not high pressure sales. 2. Teach guilt free selling. 3. Be an example of a servant leader. This book conducts a survey of the strategies the author terms “POS” (Positively Outrageous Selling) and its impact on business growth, profitability and personal success. The author sees the book as a “buddy in a... More »
