This past weekend, I attended a meeting sponsored by the Omega Institute to hear Thich Nhat Hanh speak. He's the Vietnamese Buddhist monk who was nominated by Martin Luther King, Jr. for the Nobel Peace... Continue reading
Many employers are enamored of financial incentives for employees, and in fact, incentives or commissions can be extremely effective motivators because most people need more money all the time and certainly we think of money... Continue reading
I usually keep my work life and my religious life fairly discrete; I’m a big believer in the separation of church and state, and my religious beliefs and practices are really nobody’s business. But on... Continue reading
As a frequent flier and someone who craves autonomy, I prefer an aisle seat. It’s the only way to preserve some slight distance between overly assertive or careless neighbors and me. It also lets me... Continue reading
Here’s the scenario: It’s 11:15 at night in Seattle. Daughter and I are trying to check into a moderately-priced airport hotel for a layover on our way to Vancouver. The complication is that I am... Continue reading
My family was incredibly lucky on 9/11. Some of us were periodic users of the Chambers Street subway station -- but not that day. A dear friend worked right near the Pentagon -- he was... Continue reading
Last week I took a couple of people out to lunch at a local restaurant where I’ve been before for both business and social lunches: The food is reasonably good, the service is reasonably responsive,... Continue reading
A few weeks ago, I met someone whose company goes on “advance” instead of “retreat” when they want to spend time engaging deeply together and thinking about what comes next. Their intention is less about... Continue reading
Even when they know the basic rules of performance feedback (see Car Talk: Lessons in Performance Feedback), many of my clients feel, well, squeamish when they have to give tough performance feedback, particularly to longstanding... Continue reading
It was a special lunch, and the three of us were a little excited. Daughter ordered the salmon, which impressed the waitress. I ordered the burger (Daughter’s second choice, as insurance). Spouse asked for a... Continue reading
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