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“Loosely Functioning Disasters”
Sometimes, the right quote can hit you at the right time in just the right way. “Progress over perfection.” That’s not it. It’s not the quote, but it’s a phrase I’ve said a thousand times when things haven’t gone as planned. Truth be told, I’ve struggled to put that saying to work. I still harbor…
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Comparison Is the Thief of Joy
People are not rational, example #452: How people feel about their bonus has no correlation to the size of the bonus. I’ve had people complain about a payout that was 110% of the budgeted amount, and I’ve had people grateful for a 50% bonus. In every case, the dissatisfied person is convinced they deserved more….
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“Follow Your Passion” and Other Terrible Career Advice
It’s graduation season, which means it’s time to Follow Your Passion. At least that’s what the commencement speakers and Instagram posters and career pundits will tell you. There’s one problem: It’s terrible advice. Early Passions When I was a kid, I had had several passions– Atari, baseball, and basketball topped the list. Since no one…
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The Single Most Important Communication Skill
A leader has to align an organization. At least, that’s what all of the leadership books say. When people connect with the broader mission, they more deeply engage. They offer up discretionary effort. In an effort to create that alignment, I talked to countless people about company strategy and core values and our enduring purpose….
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The Thing about First Drafts
I sat in a classroom in center city Philadelphia in August of 1995 making uncomfortable small talk with a dozen or so people. We were first-year grad students attending our first writing seminar with David Bradley, who had won a PEN/ Faulkner award for “The Chaneysville Incident.” We were nervous. Releasing any fiction into the…