Not long ago I did a piece on commenting etiquette. It was fairly well received, picked up quite a bit of traffic and was cited around in several locations. But, I may have communicated a message I did not intend. A lack of appropriate behavior on the part of a commenter my site does not give me absolution for content in the comments section. Again, the fact that I did not write the comment does not allow me to abdicate responsibility for the content of my site. I have an obligation, a... More »
69 Shares First, I must confess this is not all my work. I have a friend who sends me little snippets of things like this on a regular basis. This one was so good I wanted to share it with all the Lifehack community. Second, I must also admit that in my youth I have worked in phone based sales. A simple “no thank you” always worked for me. But, some folks were a little more aggressive about things. If you have ever been plagued by telemarkets here are some strategies (some not so... More »
As I was reading over the data for the articles I write it occurred to me that my most popular articles fell into six categories: Lists How to Planning Training Leadership And Temperament Now, the last four topics, I understand, because those are my areas of specialty. It is the first two that puzzled me. So, I did a little research. It isn’t just my work that gets a lot of attention when the format is listing and how to. It is everyone. It is a regular phenomena. Take a look at... More »
I suppose this article is timely only for those in the hemisphere that is currently approaching winter. All you lucky ducks heading for bright lights and sunshine will just have to file this one away for a few months. For those of us moving into the long dark tea time of the soul known as winter, an ominous question presents itself. Do you pack on the extra pounds in the long dark hours of winter? Joking aside, many people add extra pounds during the seasons which have less light. This may be... More »
A short while back I did a series of articles on the greatest tools of all time. The response was pretty fair. But, it has come to my attention that I may have left out one tool that may be the greatest of all. Ladies and gentlemen I give you Cyanoacrylate. CA to closest friends. Super glue is so strong that a single square inch bond can life a ton of weight. Here are a five of the most interesting uses. During the Vietnam War, it was included in first aid kits... More »
This past weekend I did a presentation which was attended by part of the management team of one of the 2006 Fortune 500 companies. I would like to say that management was so taken by my presentation that I was immediately offered a 6 figure salary to come train for them on a full time basis. Alas, such was not the case. However, I did get some positive feedback and a “feeler” about presenting to more of their staff at a future time. But, to me, the most valuable portion of the... More »
Hang with me on this one folks. There is a hack in here, but it’s buried inside my rant at a major auto company. I recently took my Chevrolet Silverado in for an oil change. The little green message was coming on my dash every time I started the engine, “Change your oil.” So, I figure, whatever, when I get around to it I’ll take it in. I dropped it off about 7 a.m. at a shop downtown and walked the rest of the way to my office. By the time I... More »
A Robert Half book, published by The Penguin Group, reviewed by Reg Adkins. Robert Half has written several books on business topics. To me the most practical and applicable of them is “Robert Half on Hiring.” In this book Half takes the time to analyze and quantify the hiring process in all of its component parts. He spends an entire chapter helping you analyze the job you wish to fill in order to be able to seek the best qualified person to fill it. If there were an area in need of... More »
If you “google” humor and business success you’ll pull somewhere over 13 million hits. With that much interest the topic must surely be worth a deeper look. Humor can provide a lot of energy to help a business succeed. Humor can help increase productivity, improve communicatoins, and boost morale. Think about how you use humor in your business and what the benefits are. Does your company use humor to address the daily grind of operations? Do you have a fun office environment? Would you be willing to share your funny work story... More »
63 Shares Many people don’t like the idea of planning their future. They don’t feel they have the time. Some feel that change comes at such a rapid pace that the plan would be obsolete before they could implement it anyway. Shoot, some people are so successful they don’t see a need to plan. I admit I can see their points. But, planning does have benefits. A plan can develop your vision for the future. A plan can guide your career. A plan can help you perceive opportunities. A plan can help you build... More »
The other day I read an article by Adriane on Creating Hardworking Idiots.The article examined four types of leaders and it got me thinking about the impact of leaders on their organization. Whenever things get rough in an organization there is an out cry for more leadership. It should probably be a cry for better leadership. Charismatic leaders are organizational heroes who though sheer magnetism turn things toward dramatic change. They have a remarkable idea to distill complex ideas into simple messages. They embrace risk and are great optimists. They are often... More »
A book review by Reg Adkins. Small Business Answer Book (John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2003), by Courtney Price. Since 1997 Courtney Price has written at least 5 books. Most of the books deal with business and management. If you are well established and profitable in your business this book probably is not for you. But, if you have yet to make the leap to join the growing number of entrepreneurs or you are a fledgling business owner this is a good place to start. I particularly liked the third chapter of... More »
23 Shares Let me begin with this disclaimer. These are generalizations. If your mate displays one or even two of these signs it may not yet be time to seek a litigator. However, if your mate displays all or most, you may wish to seek out a good counselor. His Mannerism: You are suddenly receiving more attention than usual. You begin to get a lot of unexpected gifts. Your instincts are sending you messages. He becomes very non-communicative. He becomes critical of your once endearing qualities. He leaves the room to talk on the... More »
Posting a comment on someone’s website is like walking into their dining room and pulling a chair up to the table. If it’s your dining room table it can be a bit of a shock when someone shows up. Now, that is not to say it is necessarily a bad thing to have someone pop in. It can lead to some interesting and stimulating exchanges. And most of the time the discours is really quite enjoyable. On the other hand, lacing your comments with profanity and insults is rather like sitting up... More »
This is the last in a series of articles on becoming a great leader. It is a collection of the staples of great leadership and is compiled from many sources. Great leaders KNOW it is PEOPLE not PROGRAMS that create a quality organization. Great leaders have clear, consistent expectations. Great leaders take into account the impact of their decisions on those they work with. Great leaders plan a purpose for everything they do. Great leaders create a positive atmosphere and work climate. Great leaders have high expectations for those they work with... More »
