Hint: it never comes from the good times and from the easy projects. We trust people because they showed up when it wasn’t convenient, because they told the truth when it was easier to lie and because they kept a promise when they could have gotten away with breaking it. Every tough time and every […]
You are browsing archives for
Tag: business partners in kenya
Compared to magical…
The easiest way to sell yourself short is to compare your work to the competition. To say that you are 5% cheaper or have one or two features that stand out–this is a formula for slightly better mediocrity. The goal ought to be to compare yourself not to the best your peers or the competition […]
Silencing the bell doesn’t put out the f
Many big organizations have full-time employees who scan the social media, looking for people with a complaint. They swoop in and grease the squeaky wheel, solving the problem of the person who spoke up. The theory is that these loud complainers are a problem, and the easiest solution is to give them something to make […]
The unforgiving arithmetic of the funnel...
One percent. That’s how many you get if you’re lucky. One percent of the subscribers to the Times read an article and take action. One percent of the visitors to a website click a button to find out more. One percent of the people in a classroom are sparked by an idea and go do […]
Winning today (vs. winning tomorrow)…
Look around. You’re not number one on that bestseller list, or chosen for this RFP or invited to give that talk. It’s frustrating. There are engagements you ought to have, sales you ought to be making, clients that ought to understand you… One choice is to spend today frustrated that you’re not winning with the […]
Thriving in a wet environment…
If you’ve ever fixed any kind of machinery, you know that a device that’s exposed to the elements is incredibly difficult to maintain. A washing machine or the underside of a car gets grungy, fast. On the other hand, the dryest, cleanest environment of all is the digital one. Code stays code. If it works […]
You will be judged (or you will be ignor...
Those are pretty much the only two choices. Being judged is uncomfortable. Snap judgments, prejudices, misinformation… all of these, combined with not enough time (how could there be) to truly know you, means that you will inevitably be misjudged, underestimated (or overestimated) and unfairly rejected. The alternative, of course, is much safer. To be ignored. […]
The flipping point…
When people say, “The tipping point,” they often misunderstand the concept in Malcolm’s book. They’re actually talking about the flipping point. The tipping point is the sum total of many individuals buzzing about something. But for an individual to start buzzing, something has to change in that person’s mind. Something flips from boredom or ignorance […]