NonsenseAtWork

What was dung to me was doing it for these beetles. What I try to side-step, they actively seek. That’s when I first meditated on the nature of dung. Today, I don’t assume that nonsense is simply nonsense. I always wonder why it exists.

Did you add "be happy now" to your to-do list?

Whatever your approach to dealing with dishonesty at work, don’t forget that you are human. And being human, you share in the unique human talent for rationalizing unacceptable behavior.

Once you have made a commitment, you risk that feeling of should-have. It does not matter who knows about your commitment. It could be your boss, your partner, your colleague, whoever. The set-up is always the same: in making a commitment to others, you have made a commitment to yourself.

The term executive, as in chief executive officer or senior executive, means having the power to execute. To make things happen. But, as in all aspects of life, there is a catch. Make what things happen?

I’m an outsider in a meeting with executives when a cell phone rings. The meeting falters as almost everyone grabs at their cell phones. I look at the CEO. He shrugs.

When something makes me think, I assume it has added to my store of knowledge. The more knowledge I gain, the smarter I am. So, after all these years of thinking, I should be well on my way to being a know-it-all. But, sadly, that bubble has burst.

I once worked for a company that insisted employees take two consecutive weeks of vacation every year. Their reasoning was simple. You need the first week to unwind so that the second week actually feels like a vacation.

"Move fast and break things" might work well if you are using other people's money.

Why is there is a period under the curve of the question mark? Why a full stop and not, say, a comma?

AI Chatbot Wants To Know

Once you have a plan, but before you implement it, count the ways it could go wrong. Don't stop counting after only a few obvious possible blunders.

Back then, creating additional carbon copies took effort. So you needed a damn good reason for the extra copies. But today people use CC for no other reason than because they can!

The problem with nonsense is that it is purely subjective. You are likely to see nonsense when you disapprove of it. (For example, you might disapprove of the word bullshit, although others use it to point out nonsense.)

Another key difference between the two CEOs was the size of their egos. Both had strong egos, but they showed their egos very differently. The one CEO had his ego on constant display and used it to bolster his power. The other CEO restrained his ego, yet lost no power.

A great idea is a beautiful thing to imagine. But you cannot imagine an idea into being. (That so-called Law of Attraction? You decide.)

As a leader and manager, where do you direct your energy? Do you focus on solving problems and eliminating threats? Or do you focus on gaining advantage and exploiting opportunities?

We delegate with an abundance of *what* and *when.* And even *how*, although we may think the person is already competent. But we skimp on *why*. We elaborate on the means, but not on the ends.

Why are three ideas easier to remember? Because of balance. If a table has only two legs, well, it will fall over. If it has four legs, it is likely to wobble. (You've experienced that in coffee shops, haven't you?) But a table with three legs cannot wobble.

Dung is really just dirt in the making. And now, thanks to researchers in Britain, it seems that dirt can make people happy.

Most people on planet earth must work at something, even if they don't like it. And at work, it does not matter whether you feel like it to get it done. It is just your job. You must do it, like it or not.

Past worst is the most bad that has happened. We can't easily imaging anything worse (more bad) than that past worst (most bad). But if you are a leader or a manager, then you must learn to imagine the most bad (worst) about the future.

When solving problems, your angle makes all the difference. And the more angles you have, the more potential solutions will pop up.

It's not that easy to come up with only one behavior change. Or is it?

Surely you’ve noticed how those higher up become uncomfortable when someone lower down thinks at the level of a higher box.