Tag: Business

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Leadership

Don Henley on the Death of Glenn Frye | Leadership Freak

Dan Rockwell has a great tribute to Glenn Frey and collaboration on his Leadership Freak post. You never know what kind if impact a chance encounter will make. Dan has a list of memorable teams and their businesses/achievements.

Source: Don Henley on the Death of Glenn Frey | Leadership Freak

No man is an island. We need each other. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since moving across the country is how critical it is to establish contacts in my new home. The Internet and smartphones make it easier to be in contact with friends and associates. Yet, there is nothing like face-to-face interaction to encourage creativity.

Rest in peace, Glenn Frey. Thanks for the music.

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Business Cartoons

Why Are Women Less Likely To Become Entrepreneurs Than Men? : NPR

Businessman to two businesswomen, "That was a spectacular fail! Let's do it again!"I heard this spot from NPR yesterday on why men are more likely to be entrepreneurs than men.

Analysis finds women are less likely to be arrogant about mistakes and more likely to be humble about their achievements. Men are more likely to disregard market signals that their ideas are flawed.

Source: Why Are Women Less Likely To Become Entrepreneurs Than Men? : NPR

This surprised me. The conclusion seemed to say guys who are too arrogant to realize they made a mistake are the entrepreneurs that are most likely to succeed.

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Business Cartoons Parenting Cartoons

How do you know when criticism isn’t working?

Cartoon of a dog washing dishes
Cartoon of a dog washing dishes and a man
Cartoon of a dog washing dishes. A man says to him, “You missed a spot.”

Criticism is the most popular way to teach someone something, isn’t it? When we someone who isn’t doing things the way we think they should, the most natural way to teach is to correct the individual.

So why do we hate criticism?

  • Because it can tear down a person if we’re not careful.
  • A small problem magnifies a huge problem.
  • Without some tact, we sound brutish and hurtful.
  • The receiver of criticism interprets it through the lens of past experiences.
    • Experience with the one who is criticizing
    • Experience with the task they’re being criticized for.

How can we correct a problem if criticism doesn’t work?

  • Be vulnerable. No one likes to receive criticism if the one sending it displays an air of perfection. People are much more receptive to criticism if we are honest about our own faults.
  • Choose your battles. Is it really worth pointing out that little spot when ninety-nine percent of the job was perfectly?
  • Point out the good more than the bad. It is easy to focus on the bad news, but who likes to hear it? A critical point goes further if most of the time we her positive comments.

How do you effectively use criticism in your business or with your kids?

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Publishing

Why did this graphic designer get his MBA?

baby in a cap and gown

Spear 3785

I just graduated with my MBA! I am thankful for all the help and encouragement I received from Anderson University the last two years. It’s been a great journey!

I know much more about business than I did when I began this journey over two years ago, yet there is so much more I need to know. I probably felt like the baby I drew in my illustration above. You hear it all the time: the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.

So why did a designer and illustrator decide to go back to school?There were a few reasons that came to mind when I began this venture.
  1. I have seen my father and the fathers of my friends go through early retirements and lay-off’s in the middle of their career. I knew it was too risky to just stay put and hope it never happened to me.
  2. If I had to compete with younger designers half my age, I knew I would need a competitive advantage. There are many good designers and then there are good business people. Rarely do the two groups merge.
  3. The publishing industry continued to go through seismic changes.
    1. Few people know what to do with this new publishing revolution.
    2. I wanted to be part of the solution instead of waiting for someone else to figure it out.
I am glad I made this journey. When I graduated with my bachelors, I had wished I had another extra years to take in some business, theology and psychology classes. I have had the privilege to get the business know-how for the last two years. We’ll see when I can fit in the other subjects.
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writing

Things rarely go according to plan

photo of beach figurines buried in snow

As I write this, it is late March, 2014. Spring has been with us for five days, but it doesn’t feel anything like spring in Indiana. Yesterday, it snowed. Let me tell you, friends, it’s been quite a winter for Hoosiers. Maybe you balk because you’re from Minnesota or Siberia. But We aren’t use to  extended  single-digit temperatures and relentless snow storms!

These beach figurines have been freezing all w...
These beach figurines have been freezing all winter. They’re ready for the thaw! #winter via speartoons

Things rarely go according to plan. We know what a typical winter is for the area we live in. But how many times do we see an “average winter?” Usually it’s above normal or below normal temperatures. When we have the average winter, we start to wonder if there is something wrong. Could it really be that perfect? Could it really be so average that it’s unusual?

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