Do You Suffer From Vergaderziekte?
Vergaderziekte is a Dutch word meaning “meeting sickness”. It is estimated businesses waste an average of 20% of their payroll on bad meetings, the equivalent to sending…
“Meetings Are a Matter of Precious Time”
“The main reason we don’t make meetings more productive is that we don’t value our time properly. The people who call meetings and those who…
Ten People at a Meeting Is About Seven Too Many
“We are known for having very small meetings, usually three people. No innovation happens with 10 people in a room. If there are a bunch…
Opportunity Meetings
Results are obtained by exploiting opportunities, not by solving problems. “All one can hope to get by solving a problem is to restore normality. All…
Powerfully Productive? Possible; Not Probable
Every hour of a meeting with eight people present represents an eight hour workday, the investment of a full “Man-Day”. Was value created or dissipated?…
“The Long and Winding Road”
Steve Ballmer has been the CEO of Microsoft since 2000 and by his own admission he is a “chop, chop, chop, chop, chop” (yes, that’s…
Meet Like a CEO: The Higher You Go, The Shorter the Meeting
On Sundays, The New York Times runs a series called “The Corner Office,” fascinating weekly interviews with CEOs of small- and mid-sized companies. While each…
One Worry
An article ran (see below) in a recent Wall Street Journal suggesting that one of the biggest issues facing executives is time management. It reminded…
Complete Post List
Complete List of Blog Posts by Nathan S. Collier 1131 ) Count Your Blessings! 1130 ) Give Up Your Suffering 1129 ) Are You Willing…
“Talk less, Do more”
The following is a condensed, edited version of “Where the Fish Swims, Ideas Fly.” by Paul Bennett, NYT, February 16, 2014 “Until a year ago,…
“Just Three Things”
How much data can people realistically absorb? Particularly in a meeting or in a short time? There is a reason phone numbers are separated by…
On the Importance of Being Nice
While some stress (can we say deadlines?) are marvelously effective in focusing the mind, excessive or unnecessary stress is a distraction, can hinder productivity or…
Overcoming Your Biggest Obstacle: Your Self!
More often than not, it’s not what you don’t have that holds you back; it’s what you have but don’t use… because you don’t believe you have it! What do…
You Don’t Want to Hear This
You can do more, accomplish more. No matter how busy you are, there is always a way. A way to become better at doing what…
PopCap: Hidden Persuaders
(A Populist Capitalist Blog) Call me old fashioned, but I like to know when I’m being sold, when I’m being manipulated. I like disclosure and…
Go with your strengths, Backstop your weaknesses
None of us are perfect nor, in spite of our best efforts, will we ever be perfect. We all have weaknesses. We need to be…
Duh! “House Panel Finds Conflict in Executive Pay Consulting”
A recent study by a Congressional panel found conflicts of interest abounded in the executive pay consulting field (Reported in The New York Times, 12/6/07).…
Simple Ideas, Complex Execution
The secrets to success often lie in plain sight. They are secrets only because we chose to overlook them. Sometimes the most mundane can serve…
One Bad Apple
Best of the Rest – I don’t often run others work but this is good: Imagine the case of someone supervising an exceptional team of…
Tickler File: A Busy Person’s Best Friend
A tickler file is a way to write notes to your future self. At its simplest level, it is a calendar where you write future…
Candor: How Little We Get, How Much We Need It
We recently transferred a Team Member to a less-demanding position because, while he/she had terrific talents in many areas, this TM needed to work on…
“Is the Road to Success Paved with an Obsession with Failure?”
To make any process better, does it pay to be obsessed with analyzing your failures? Does virtually any system, whether it be it turning apartments…
Deuparth gwaith yw ei ddechrau
“Deuparth gwaith yw ei ddechrau” is a Welsh Proverb that translates as “Starting the work is two thirds of it.” There is great truth in this statement…
PopCap: Massive Stimulus = Massive Fraud
(A Populist Capitalist Blog) As the federal government prepares to flood the American economy with its multi-trillion dollar stimulus package, there are two things I…
Entrepreneurial Spirit: A TCC Culture Blog
Q. What makes The Collier Companies different? A. Entrepreneurial spirit Q. What is entrepreneurial spirit? A: The short answer is entrepreneurship is the ability to…
The Little Big Difference
What are the “little” differences that make a BIG difference? Differences of attitude, of approach? John Burke, CEO of Trek Bicycle in Waterloo, Wisconsin, tells …