D.R.A.F.T.

If one plans to implement the guideline Only Handle It Once , then the D.R.A.F.T. technique is a very useful method for deciding the next step for paper or digital documents. Delegate: Route the information to appropriate individual. This may include the assignment of a related task and the need for a later follow-up. Read: Immediately […]

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Proximate/Ultimate Causes

  Cause and effect rarely exist within a simple one-to-one relationship. In fact, most events in history or business are influenced by many factor. One useful distinction for thinking about causation for any phenomenon is proximate vs. ultimate. A proximate cause would be an event which is more immediately responsible for causing an observable outcome. Sometimes this […]

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Go O.H.I.O.

OHIO!?! No, you do not you need to travel to the state this year (unless you would like to do so). I am referring to the old acronym for Only Handle It Once. This is still very sound advice for most of items that one encounters during the day. Additionally, O.H.I.O. does not just apply […]

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What, How, Why?

“There is one quality more important than “know-how” and we cannot accuse the United States of any undue amount of it.  This is “know-what” by which we determine not only how to accomplish our purposes, but what our purposes are to be.” – Norbert Wiener, The Human Use of Human Beings, 1954 I agree with Norbert […]

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Intensity with Direction

A layman’s definition for the term velocity might be speed with direction. What is the velocity of your life? Which way are you going and how fast? Consider a car. If it is going in the right direction, but only traveling at 1 mile an hour, it has a low velocity. If the same auto has […]

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Content and Context

In the digital word, many people claim that “content is king” as good information is vital to a great product, service, or marketing piece. However, this is only half the equation. Context is equally important. They are two-sides of the same coin. Let me demonstrate what I mean with a simple sentence: Woman without her […]

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Create a Legacy List

This is new exercise I developed for someone who was having a hard time thinking of long term goals. Take a few minutes and consider these questions: You are 100 years old and on your deathbed. You have lived a full life and are satisfied with your personal and professional accomplishment. What legacy would you […]

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2015: Thirty Five Percent Over!

Reminder: today is the 126th day of the years, meaning in two days, 35% of the year will have already passed. Of course, if you are behind on your goals, do not worry, you still have sixty-five percent of 2015 remaining to accomplish something very meaningful. Nevertheless, time flies fast. Time, like water, can pass […]

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Stress and Performance

Many people claim they work best under pressure. This is likely both true and false…depending on several conditions. Stress can lead to improved performance; however, this relationship only applies to certain levels of stress. The Yerkes-Dodson Law, discovered over 100 years by Psychologists Robert Yerkes and J. Dodson, informs us that there is an optimum […]

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Twain’s Law of Work

“Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do. Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.” – Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Not too long ago, I gave a talk on the idea that Passion is a Life Management Tool as the more you enjoy something, be it […]

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