NonsenseAtWork

Time, as a constraint, forces you to ponder which actions will create meaningful impact and outcomes that matter. So, make this your daily mantra: Working my tasks makes me feel productive. Working my time makes me be effective.

If you don't move (flex) your muscles, your body will wither. If you don't move (express) your feelings, your emotions will harden. If you don't move (examine) your thinking, your mind will clot.

As we age, we collect experiences. Until we reach the smug summit of "been there, done that." That's when each new experience feels like the same old experience, repeating. Every experience becomes tame and tedious. And, dare I say it, boring!

It is just not possible to motivate someone to act, unless the desire to do so is already present inside them. If it is not, a kick is probably your only option.

Watch how you use your power else you'll watch how poor decisions multiply in your group. And then your power will simply shrivel away.

Yes, as humans we need to be quick to perceive and to react. But as managers , we have a duty then to step back and observe.

When I was younger, nonsense made me angry. Now that I am older, nonsense makes me crotchety. Why the difference?

Change might be constant, but that's no reason to treat it casually or to lead it lightly.

In the Land of The Motivational Guru and/or Motivational Speaker and/or Motivational Coach (ahem, the USA), many people cling to the dream that they will (only) be rewarded when they do what they love.

That, after all, is leadership. People look to you AND they follow you.

What do you do when someone on your team, or a colleague, proposes a wacky idea?

The hotter you get, the more buzzy and the less busy you will be. I'm not talking about the heat from the weather only.

Many of us think there is a lot of bad behavior going on. Strangely, many of us think the behavior is acceptable, if not good. Which version of "us" is right?

Sometimes, in life and in business, setting a compass bearing can be more effective than relying on detailed plans, instructions, and directions.

My bike had one gear or no gears. Depending on your engineering know-how. The pedaling was the same whether I was going uphill or downhill.

Research shows that people who receive negative feedback tend to ignore it. But they will listen to positive feedback. (I hope this does not come as a surprise.)

Here's why the difference between can-do and almost-do matters. Those who can-do, get bored and whither. Those who almost-can, grow and flourish.

When I studied post-grad part-time, my house, not just my room, was always tidy before an exam. And when I climbed the corporate ladder and had to deal with matters of great import.... well, what work did I actually do? I was productive and got things done, yes. But.

The more you focus on what is wrong, the further you will drift from what is right enough. Right enough, or good enough, is achievable. Often, what is good enough works well enough.

Taking a nap does indeed increase your performance. It’s good for you and good for your employer. Even for your boss.

Look around you. Thinking as a rational, scientific Man clearly has shortcomings. As I have discovered with age.

Let’s face it. Business is boring. It’s the same nonsense over and over, day after day. It’s like driving the same car on the same road to the same destination at the same time every day. You must do it. And if you take your eye off what you’re doing, bad things can happen.

Forgiveness only works for you if you also put it down. Quickly. Make yourself lighter before the heaviness of anger and regret takes hold. History is already heavy. Don’t add to your history that which you need not remember.

If you have many motives, you are attracting mission creep before you even begin.

Ideas are creations set free by thinking. That’s why you cannot own ideas. You just don’t know where they came from. And you don't know where they are going next.