The Blog / Archive

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! This morning I went out to my garage to work out, and I discovered that two wrens were in the loft attic over the garage. There’s a short staircase from the garage to the attic through a large opening in the attic floor; I supposed that they had flown in and up. They were flitting around, chirping, clearly not wanting to be … Read more

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! An oft-quoted line from the great thinker, Yoda: Do, or do not. There is no try. When Yoda says this, he is frustrated with his protege, Luke Skywalker. In response to one of Yoda’s important instructions, Luke has sighed, “All right, I’ll give it a try.”  Yoda shakes his head, and dispenses his wisdom. Do, or do not. There is no try. What … Read more

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! It could happen. You’ve prepared, you’ve planned your talk using a strong intention,  you know just how you want to affect your audience, and you’ve practiced. You walk up there, open your mouth…and flop. What do you do when you feel it going wrong? How can you save it? I’ve been in this exact situation, and I know how it feels. What’s … Read more

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! I’ve been listening to a fascinating podcast called “Cautionary Tales,” recorded by an economist by Tim Harford. In each episode, he recounts a real story about something that went famously wrong, and he illuminates a larger lesson. In the first episode, he tells the story of the Torrey Canyon, a huge and beautiful ship that wrecked on a famously deadly reef after … Read more

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! The right time to ask “what is this for?*” is— when you’re creating something new when you need to pivot before you speak in a charged or high-stakes atmosphere when you are planning an event for other people when you are planning something for yourself when circumstances have changed and you need a new plan when it matters  *credit to Seth Godin 

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! Content really seems to be king.  We’re inundated daily by tons of information and data, and it can feel like our most important job is to pass along our own content and information to others. I notice this frequently when I ask a client what their intention is for the meeting they are preparing to lead. I’ll say, “Think about the outcome … Read more

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! In order to be great at what we do, we need to know how we’re doing. What’s already working? How can we improve?  This simple idea, get a response to how things are going so I can make adjustments, has grown so complicated that it spurs dozens of articles and books every year. I remembered that the latest issue of Harvard Business … Read more

What should we do when our mood is at odds with our intention? We know that we need to focus on the long-term impact of our communication. We know that getting frustrated or irritated won’t advance our cause. But we’re only human. We get annoyed, we get tired of running into the same obstacles, and frankly some days we just don’t feel like combatting our default intention. We’re not in the mood. I’ve been there! And I have a couple of thoughts to share. First, be honest with yourself if you find you’re just not up to doing the work … Read more