Advice to Employees – and What It Means to Managers
As I go through my days and weeks, I talk to a lot of people. Most, I admit, are self-employed or the owners and managers of small companies. But, of course, I also talk to a lot of “normal” people who have jobs and work for someone else. They work for those owners and managers […]
Are You Addicted to False Productivity?
I love to read. Sometimes, that means online (on a computer), or on a device such as my Kindle. But mostly, I love to read actual paper-based books and magazines. This is due in part to my age. I grew up reading books. More specifically, I grew up reading books with a pencil in my […]
Defend Your Sanity: Make Your Own Zoom Rules
A year ago, many people had never heard of Zoom. We have been using it for years. In fact, because of various programs I run, my company has four separate Zoom logins in order to accommodate all of our training programs and needs under one account. But the world changed when . . well, when […]
Slow Down, Get More Done
This is so central to my life and my business that I had a poster made for my wall that says, “Slow down, get more done.” There are any levels to this advice. The simplest one is that sometimes you are so intent and frustrated in your work that you cannot make progress. For example, […]
Work ON Yourself, Not Just In Yourself
One of the truly great books I’ve read in my life is The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. If I could make every small business owner in the world read one book, it would be this one. For many years, I re-read this book every year. Now, after thirty years, I re-read it every other […]
Do Not Be Interrupt-Driven
This is an Absolutely Unbreakable Rule. In both your personal and professional life, you should avoid interruptions. This rule follows from another: Prioritize Everything!. I’m a huge fan of silencing my phone and having it off at all times. With rare exceptions, for example when I’m expecting a call, my phone is off, and it’s […]
Success Is a Habit
Some people who follow me on social media think I am an unreasonable boss, over-controlling, and that I ask the impossible from my staff. Those who have read my books tend to have a very different perception. I think the main difference is that those who dig in and read a book are more likely […]
Some Things Won’t Get Done
Here’s a little reality check for you. In the end, the very lowest priority tasks will probably never get done. I know that’s startling. The lowest priority tasks will never get done. And, to be honest, at some point you will die with work undone. You will. I don’t want to be morbid, but […]
Balancing Priorities – Easier Said Than Done
Let’s assume that you want to start working based on priorities. Great! How do you get started? Here are a few tips. There are two primary components of this: The logjam, and competing priorities. The logjam happens when there are too many “high” priority items are on your list. This might be because you’re new […]
Yes, You Can Fake It – But Eventually You Have to Make It
I know you’ve heard the phrase, “Fake it ’til you make it.” There are many examples of where this applies. Most commonly, we give this advice when someone has stepped into a new role but is experiencing self-doubt about their ability to be successful. This is very similar to the so-called “Imposter Syndrome.” With imposter […]
