Multitasking is our answer to getting more done. U nfortunately, the research is incontrovertible. That technique means we get even less done. I’ve got one idea you should consider. It’s not the clutter of the desktop or inbox … but...
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If your thinking is limited to today’s lunch, soon they’ll be eating your lunch!
There's nothing more important ... or more challenging ... than the need to balance short-term results with long-range plans. H ow is your organization focused? Are you encouraging long-range thinking or only what happens this week? Do you have the...
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Five Lessons for Success from the Alabama Crimson Tide
It's the heart of the college football season and there are valuable lessons we can learn from the most successful programs.You don’t have to be a football fan to embrace them. They are timeless lessons that apply to any business.“Who’s walking...
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Accountability | The 4 Roles Required for a Successful Project
From my earliest days, I often heard, “If you have two bosses, you have none,” a simple but compelling aphorism. T hat’s what you often find at the root of struggling or failed projects. No one is sure who is...
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Do You Want to Light a Fire Under Your Organization? Have you got the 3 Key Ingredients in Place?
Start your own fires. Begin the burn so your ideas catch fire and spread throughout the organization. I t takes 3 ingredients to start and sustain a fire. Make sure you’ve got all 3 ready to go when you launch...
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How would you like an electric shock? Can I give it to now … or would you rather wait?
As leaders, we continually encounter issues over which we have no control. U ncertainty hovers over our plans. We can do something about it by focusing only on what WE can control. Did you know there is an Intolerance of...
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Is it Too Much Trouble to Set Clear Expectations? If So, Be Prepared for Mediocre Results
Few executives will admit it’s too much trouble to Set Clear Expectations, even for their direct reports If it's true for you, make sure you’re prepared for plenty of confusion and mediocre results.When I talk to executives every day, there’s...
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Steve Jobs Got It Right: Get Rid of All the Crappy Stuff
Do you spend too much time juggling projects and tasks you’re unlikely to ever tackle? Maybe it’s because there’s stuff in there not worth doing? S ome people call it re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. I say, throw...
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This is How You Create a Lifelong Customer
In many instances, finding customers can be easier than keeping customers. T here are a lot of things we can do to get them to show up. But, do we do everything to make sure they keep showing up?You don’t...
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It isn’t Technology Creating all the Distractions. It’s us.
We’d like to think that technology has become our enemy and is the cause of the distractions that keep us from getting things done. N ice try, but this is an age-old problem that’s on us, not on the technology that...
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7 Deadly Sins | Are Pride & Envy Destroying Your Business?
Man’s shortcomings have been catalogued since the Garden of Eden, and ever after, philosophers and kings have attempted a definitive list of those iniquities. P ride is often considered the mother of all sins and the one from which all...
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The Power of Checklists | One Simple Tool to Overcome Brain Freeze
Checklists? You mean those lists I prepare each day that don't do anything to help my productivity? N o, it's not that kind of checklist I'm talking about. Are those the Checklists you mean? Or … do you mean those...
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7 Ways to Differentiate between a Bright Idea and a Bright Light
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." ~ Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens' famous opening sentence continues "It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was...
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The 4 Do-or-Die Principles of a Leakproof Productivity System
When you look at this image, do you see your Personal Productivity system at work? Y ou can fix this leaky bucket. It’s not that hard if you faithfully and relentlessly apply these basic principles.Over the last several years working...
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I need your help today. What is the Common Thread among these Events?
All of us in the United States are excited about the Pope's visit this week. Regardless of your specific beliefs or faith, the Pope's commitment to social justice and the dignity of human life offers a compelling message to everyone....
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Why You Should Implement the 2 Minute Rule … and When You Shouldn’t
Many of us follow an informal rule about doing something now if it takes just a few minutes. I t’s a useful rule of thumb, but what if you can’t get it done in 2 minutes? What then? Here’s the...
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Does Mom think you should be a snitch?
For most of our life, we’ve heard, “Don’t be a snitch”. In most of the movies we’ve seen, the “snitchers’ don’t fare so well when their comrades discover their double-dealing. D oes this same approach work in organizations?Some of you...
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The First Rule of a Mistake? Not So Obvious To Most.
Everyone makes mistakes. That much we know for a fact, don’t we? S o, why do so many persist in their insistence that they did no wrong?Why are we are so unwilling to admit our mistakes?Despite the lessons that cover...
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September 11th – 14 Years Later
It's not a coincidence that One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 1776 feet. I trust you see the connection.A Day that Will Live in InfamyToday is the 14th occasion of what I consider...
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