Things. I. Like. On. Pinterest.
I have always loved this site, despite the fact that I've not spent a great deal of time publicly communicating this - or building activity. Nevertheless, here are some...
Things. I. Like. On. Pinterest.
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Want to belong? Know and love thyself first. Excluded from a group because you're different or do things differently? Find those who can appreciate life beyond seeking an extension of their ego boundaries. Feeling like posting up a storm on social media? Knock yourself out. Feeling like those who don't post a storm on social media are somehow not living life to their fullest potential? Get out more and see the world to discover how wrong you are. People like Miss Manners because her advice typically makes sense and reinforces what we already know. But what would they think if they found out she didn't really send thank you cards or return phone calls? Real risk is not when choosing to expose oneself to the world. It is in being willing to expose oneself to oneself. Strength is not about how many people like or agree with you. It comes from being your best, knowing who you are, getting back up, and presenting an authentic self to the world. The rest is icing, and the feeling of accomplishment - impenetrable. Go. Do. Be. :-) This is one of the many reasons I can't start my morning without my Gizmag fix. Read more>>New coating technology promises self-cleaning cars IT Is From Venus, Non-IT Is From Mars: Bridging the IT and Business Leader Divide to Improve the Business Value of IT Complimentary Live Webinar Thursday, July 26, 2012 1:00 p.m. (EDT) Register Now In many companies, the relationship between IT departments and business leaders is like a troubled marriage. Miscommunication is rife, leaving executives struggling to improve the situation. Dr. George Westerman, research scientist at the MIT Center for Digital Business and author of the recent Wall Street Journal article "IT Is From Venus, Non-IT Is From Mars," knows that transparent communication can help. Join Dr. Westerman for a live webinar on July 26th to learn how MIT Sloan research demonstrates the improved IT performance and IT/business relationship that results from IT/business transparency. Learn how transparency can help to:
Who should attend:
Register Now for this Complimentary Webinar >> Learn more about Dr. George Westerman's two-day course, Essential IT for Non-IT Executives, at MIT Sloan Executive Education. We are inundated with trends. Some last, many others don't. What doesn't change is the constant claim that each is a game-changer...a revolution. Is it? Should you follow the herd in order to be considered hip, in the know, or clued in above the masses? It rather depends. Standing apart from the crowd to instill perspective can impact the livelihood of those who rely on hip messaging. Nonetheless, if your boots are on the ground with entities which deserve a balance of solid expertise and vision to move them forward, it is imperative you provide best practice advice which achieves this objective. Listen to your clients, and devise a strategy which addresses legitimate needs whilst preparing them for the future. I'm a big tech head (read geek). Sometimes for its mere sake, but also because I get the tool and its practical, social, psycho-emotional, and environmental possibilities. As a child, I envisioned many of the things we're seeing in the world today. Yay me... That being said, society would be rather a bore if we were all the same - each clutching a Kindle or sharing photo slide shows via our iPhones. The variety is what keeps us interesting, adds contextual depth, and makes for excellent history and storytelling. I am charmed when someone pulls out an actual photo, or hand writes and snail mails a thank you card. Valuing this doesn't mean I don't get the changing or new world and all its implications. If anything, it increases my appreciation of the landscape. From the business perspective, some clients wish to differentiate themselves by retaining an aspect of business not aligned with trends. To which I say, be the inspired thinker who marries seemingly polar ideas into stellar results. This can oftentimes be more challenging than simply evangelising 'the revolution' or latest shiny new object. A large percentage of my clients are Ivy League graduates with advanced degrees who've competitively acquired their leadership positions...or established niche organisations. Many could do the work I offer, but instead choose to hire professionals so they can remain focused on core objectives. Some are arrogant, but most are quite humble. All are emotionally intelligent, knowledgeable, and open to new ideas. Because of this demographic, I am mindful of my approach and make a concerted effort to know my audience. None of them would take kindly to cliched advice designed to motivate by fear or allude to their stupidity. Nor, as high achievers (who like to control their destinies) would they accept being told they or their operations would fail if they don't adopt certain ideas or tactics. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather use a crystal ball to craft winning strategies. For clients who might rely more heavily on guidance and input because they can't do my work, I still remember ours is a relationship of mutual trust and respect. Knowing when to lead, follow, and/or inspire is a critical skill set. The catchphrase "think outside the box" has been bandied about in the business arena, but how many who espouse this are actually practitioners? More to the point, have our standards changed such that 15 minutes of fame is the new floor regarding quality output? Social media has altered the way many of us view business and relationships. Who we know - and how well we get along with them - has re-emerged front and centre as a primary determinant for one's popularity and ability to reel in clients and customers. "People won't do business with you if they don't like you", we are told - and in some respects this has always been true. After all, who wants to work with a curmudgeon, right? Unless, of course, it's Harrison Ford or Clint Eastwood. With a society long focused on prom or homecoming queens and kings, Big Man on Campus, and beauty pageants, in many respects we've catered to the most gregarious or outgoing demographic. Despite numerous meaningful pieces about Introverts Who Quietly Run the World, we are still teaching our children (and adults) they won't matter unless they aspire to be the most visible, well-liked, and social person in school, the office, or on the web. As an introvert who has figured out my way in the world, and quite successfully, I've never bought into it. To be clear, I agree that personal and professional interactions are more appealing if the parties are above board, civil, and pleasant. However, my standard for choosing a client or vendour has always started and ended with high performance. I like things done right. I like them done exceptionally well. And I'm willing to pay for both, even if the currency is dealing with someone who isn't laughing it up on Facebook or posting every bit of personal data about him or herself to endear you to them. No, I won't tolerate abuse or cruelty for the sake of genius-level output, but I'm not always looking for a new best friend when striking up a win-win partnership. None of this means we should end our quest for positive and uplifting encounters which enrich our business and personal experience. I'm just stepping a bit outside the box to note the basics are important and can typically survive the fluff. Besides, if someone does business with me because they like me or their friends liked me, what happens when they get angry and decide they no longer do - whether or not I actually did something to deserve it? It's a measurement which can be too precarious for my contemplative and oftentimes reserved tendencies, and I don't apologise for preferring to work with those who've gotten a bit beyond the need for emotional validation. Indeed, I recognise some things go out of style, but they usually come back round. You know, like bell bottoms and platform shoes. So, too, do foundational underpinnings like quality, commitment, and sincerity -- even if you aren't centre stage and a candidate for homecoming king or queen. Have you ever seen a bullfight? I have - quite a few times. Some of them were even in an official bullring. Others, unfortunately, were manipulated affairs and a vehicle for those who couldn't master the bull without a bit of pre-show sabotage. Bulls are typically isolated in small cells and starved of sustenance and comfortable surroundings. They are harpooned upon entering the ring and further debilitated. By the time one is dragged off for dead, the torero has provided an eyeful of strutting maneouvres and flourishes to impress his superior wit and skill upon us. Those who know better realise the fight is fixed, and what we are instead witnessing is a form of underhanded blood sport masquerading as art. If you believe you must attempt to cripple a perceived opponent in order to emerge victorious, ask yourself why. You might tell yourself it's because you thrive on competition and victory, but the reality is you didn't trust in your idea's ability to withstand a true challenge. And sometimes, the bull finds one last spurt of energy to express how it feels about the situation... The Sierra Rose, a luxury yacht partially submerged at its Tahoe Keys Marina dock in Calif. (AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Emerson Marcus) $3.2 million yacht sinks in Lake Tahoe marina Witnesses at the Tahoe Keys Marina say they heard screeching, the sound of tearing metal, and a passenger yell "oh, no!" late Sunday night. By about 3 a.m. Monday, a three-story, $3.2 million yacht so big that it has its own helicopter pad was sunk, one end of it touching the South Lake Tahoe marina bottom at a Titanic-esque tilt. >>Read more By Ian Paul, PCWorld Jul 9, 2012 9:05 AM The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates around 64,000 computers in the U.S. infected with the DNSChanger Trojan may have Internet connectivity problems Monday. This particularly nasty piece of malware first surfaced in 2007 and is able to reroute a PC's Web traffic without knowledge of the user. DNSChanger achieved this by manipulating the Domain Name System (DNS) routing service for infected computers. >>Read more Narcissism: The Difference Between High Achievers and Leaders
by Justin Menkes | 6:00 AM July 4, 2012 | Harvard Business Review A chief executive had a dilemma. After working in a fast-growing company as COO, he accepted an offer from venture capitalists to start his own company. Within five years he had built a new enterprise generating revenues over $300 million and profit margins so high that his company had compiled a substantial cash reserve with which it was poised to go on an acquisition run. His passion, strategic and analytical brilliance, and relentless focus on practical results made him a rare, virtually unstoppable force in industry. So what was his problem? He was irreplaceable, at least according to his board. It was the board's fundamental responsibility to protect the shareholders' interests with a viable succession plan, and for this they simply had no acceptable answer. They demanded that he find a solution. Read more... |
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