Brook’s Law: When More is Less
Brook’s Law: Adding manpower to a late software project only makes it even more late. Software programming is multi-faceted, difficult to successfully divide into discrete…
Do you have a Belief Deficit?
What beliefs do you have that are holding you back? Belief systems are powerful in part because we fail at 100% of what we don’t…
Are You Aware of Your Emotional Wake?
One of the adages of NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming) is that “you can not not communicate”. We are all constantly “on stage”. Like it or not, we…
Mentor’s Reply to Young Entrepreneur’s Questions (Part XV)
Hello, Mr. Collier, I hope all is well with you! As always I want to express my sincere gratitude for you taking the time to…
PopCap: Massive Failure of Morality and Regulation, Not Capitalism
(A Populist Capitalist Blog) The current economic crisis is the result of a massive failure of morality and regulation, not a blanket indictment of capitalism…
EQ: The Beginning of Rapport and a Relationship
A smile, a nod, a quick acknowledgement: Effective use of non-verbal communication. Much has been made of EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient) of late, as a…
Mentor’s Reply to Young Entrepreneur’s Questions (Part V)
Hello Mr. Collier, I hope everything is going well with you. Would you mind answering the below questions? What is your definition of “street smarts”?…
30 Methods of Influence
Listed here are Thirty Methods of Influence from Stephen R. Covey’s “Principle-Centered Leadership,” (Simon & Schuster, pp. 119-128). I could easily write a blog on…
Beware the Law of Unintended Consequences
This excerpt from “Waiting,” an autobiography by a waitress, illustrates how bonus compensation systems can create perverse incentives: In this restaurant (part of a chain),…
PopCap: A Free Enterprise Solution to Immigration
(Friday’s Populist Capitalist Blog Post) In spite of our recent problems with Wall Street run amok, most of us still believe in the power of…
The Joys of the Undefended Self
One of the greatest releases in life comes when we realize it is not necessary to make others wrong in order for us to be…
Mentor’s Reply to Young Entrepreneur’s Questions (Part VI)
What makes you a good “deal maker”? The question presupposes that I am a good deal maker! A lifetime spent studying business, finance, markets, negotiation,…
Tooth to Tail Ratio
The U.S. Marine Corps likes to boast about its “tooth to tail” ratio versus the U.S. Army. The tooth being the combat power, the tail…
Unwilling to Take a Deeper Look: Culture of Complacency Cultivates Catastrophe
“Culture of Complacency Cultivates Catastrophe” Brig. Gen. William E. King IV (then colonel) commanded Dugway Proving Ground in Utah from 2009 to 2011, during which time the…
Repeatability: Staying True to Your Core
“Repeatability” is both the theme and the title of a new book by Chris Zook and James Allen, consultants with Bain & Company. Great companies…
Preparing to Be Calm
Curbing my “intensity” has long been one of my personal/professionally growth goals and it is SO easy to fall for the “argue for your weakness…
Problem Blindness
One obstacle with solving problems is when we can’t or won’t see the problem aka “problem blindness”. Problem blindness’s most common form is when something…
You Cannot Not Communicate
Whether you realize it or not, you are communicating ALL the time. Most of us have heard the statistic that some 87 percent of communication…
No Question Poker
No Question Poker is when a learning opportunity is missed because someone doesn’t want to “look stupid” by asking a question. So he bluffs and…
Triple Win: Beating Obesity, Traffic, AND Global Warming?
What if I presented a plan to you that could fight obesity, increase physical fitness, reduce traffic congestion, AND combat global warming? All at once?…
Living from the Heart
Over a quarter of a century ago, a lovely little book was written carrying a kind and gentle message in parable form. While it was…
Tooth to Tail Ratio
The U.S. Marine Corps likes to boast about its “tooth to tail” ratio versus the U.S. Army. The tooth being the combat power, the tail…
The Encourage vs. Correct Continuum
My father was an engineer. I was taught early in life that if something broke, we were to take it apart, break it down into…
Caring Effectively
Distinguishing Between Efforts and Results “Who cares?” screamed the newspaper headline, the body of the article detailing alleged deficiencies in our child care system. I…
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies
“Sometimes when we anticipate the worst in people, we destroy what is best.” I have a tendency to worry. I expect things to go wrong…
Victim No More: Turning Weakness into Strengths
Temple Grandin, “easily the most famous female autistic woman in the world” (The Wall Street Journal, “Life Among the ‘Yakkity Yaks,’” February 20, 2010), also…