Should you listen to music at work?

Many of us listen to music when working. Some say it helps concentration by blocking out background noise. Others claim it’s a distraction and inhibits performance. So is music good or bad?

Are you generous?

You probably like to think you are. Just like we’re all above-average drivers. But generosity comes in many forms.

Why I deleted Foursquare

I deleted Foursquare. I know it’s not cool to admit that, but it just didn’t add value for me.

The gift of presence

A victim of multitasking is not just our productivity, but the attention we give to those around us. We’ve all been in meetings where people are working merrily on their laptops; been on conference calls as people check their email; even been sitting face-to-face talking to someone as they check their smartphone. I am guilty of this, even with my kids.

Creativity needs solid foundations

To be creative at work, you need strong foundations. The act of generating a new idea and seeing it through to fruition requires personal commitment, perseverance, vulnerability, risk and often conflict.

Ideas in their early stages are fragile like newborns. They need nurturing and protecting. They can be trampled or discarded just as they draw breath, and before they have a chance to flower. At every stage they need to prove themselves – to team mates, to clients, to partners, to influencers and to their audience. As a creative, it’s your role to see that idea blossom – to conceive it, to give it substance, to validate it, to realize it and to evangelize it. A good idea is a personal journey. We put a part of ourselves into our best ideas, and in so doing, make ourselves vulnerable.

How not to cope with failure

‘A failure is a man who has blundered, but is not able to cash in the experience.’ – Elbert Hubbard

We’ve all heard about the lessons you learn from failures. Most of us have failed, some of us on numerous occasions. The problem is not whether we fail or not. It’s our coping strategy for failure. And some of us fail at that too. Here’s how:

It’s not about you

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Many of us are too wrapped up in ourselves to notice what’s happening. We look at the world through ‘me-tinted’ glasses.
How does this affect me? What’s in it for me? What about me?

How to get fewer emails

Many of us struggle with email volume. It’s a source of stress, interruption and distraction. Taming your Inbox is important. The first step is to get fewer emails in the first place. Here are a few tips:

The curse of ASAP

When someone tells you a task needs to be done ASAP, how do you feel? Pressured right? This is a task of such priority it needs to be completed as soon as humanly possible. Which is pretty darn soon. The trouble is ASAP has no context and no deadline. As soon as possible could mean [...]

If you can’t be great, be careful

‘The good is the enemy of the great.’ – unknown (Voltaire?) You don’t stay in a job unless you are good at it. Good is normal. Most people are good. They aren’t great. Most people don’t achieve anything truly remarkable, since good performance is common. Companies with good people are average. Only companies with great [...]