Don’t Be Clickbait
A headline is an advertisement for an article. It makes a promise: New, better, cheaper, faster, Going Fast, fascinating, shocking. The lead (or lede) sets the hook. The best leads put across the key insight or big idea. They communicate both an understanding of what interests the reader as well as what’s important to know. […]
Vote, Voice, Visibility
Every decision needs a Decision Owner. Especially decisions involving multiple stakeholders. The Decision Owner is responsible for deciding and communicating how he or she wants these people involved in the decision process. Here are four possible roles. Vote: These people are involved because their consensus, opinion, and support are required. These people can expect to […]
Carry On
There is a point in every big deal when it looks like it will all fall apart. There is a point in any creative project where you become convinced that the work is crap, and it should be thrown away. There is a point in any writing project where the bank page just won’t stop […]
50/10,000,000 is Not Reality
The human brain takes in roughly 10 million bits per second (Mbps) of visual information. Right alongside, it processes another 100,000 bits per second of auditory information, along with a lesser volume of touch, taste, and smell data. By way of reference, the 4k camera on your mobile phone processes about 6,000 Mbps. So what […]
Unfinished Business
I had a conversation with a colleague today. Some months ago, he and a business colleague had a bad breakup over a piece of business they did together. They have spoken since, but the feelings of hurt, betrayal, distrust, mistrust, and disappointment linger on both sides. Whether they are “finished” as business partners or transactors, […]
Perfect Game
Major League Baseball has existed since 1876. Over those years, about 20,000 pitchers have appeared in approximately 240,000 games. Of those pitchers, just 24 have pitched a perfect game. In other words, 24 people, 24 perfect games. Rare air. As I write this, a man named Shoehei Ohtani set a single game standard some people […]
When It’s Time to Stop, Stop
Over 40 years ago, I bought a motorcycle. I got no training. Never got a license. I rode around Hawaii on what was then a high-performance machine in shorts, sandals, and sunglasses. Madness. When I moved to San Francisco, I sold the bike. It’s a small miracle that I’m here to tell that story. Many […]
What are Your “No Matter What’s?”
A “No Matter What” is a promise you make to yourself and to the people around you. It’s something they can count on . . . no matter what. It’s the other side of “What happens if” or “I could have if only.” Nope, this you do no matter what. You don’t need many of […]
Enter Slowly
At our local Zen Center, we don’t just enter the room. We stop, bow, and then enter. In some traditions, it’s a little bow. In others, it’s three bows going to the floor and back. Other spiritual traditions have similar practices. You don’t just enter the room. You don’t just do the next thing. There’s […]
The Map is not the Terrain
A geodetic map shows terrain lines. It’s helpful if you plan to hike, bike, or ride across the land. An Atlas (the old kind printed on paper) sections the landscape into “states” or “countries” and highlights “cities” and parks and mountains and maybe roads. A road map sections the landscape in standard increments and highlights […]