“Loose Hands Hold More Cookies”. I got this from my high school friend Chapman Godbey, currently a Commander in the US Naval Service. He had offered (via Facebook) to a friend who is new at managing corporate staff. I suspect that Chap is an excellent leader. For more Chap-flavored wisdom, […]
Phil
172 posts
Be tight on goals, loose on methods.* I share this advice frequently with clients who are learning to be good managers and leaders. If you tell your staff exactly how do to their jobs, you stifle your company on every front. Your staff won’t have a reason to think, grow […]
I remember the story of two Zen monks, both prodigious smokers. Concerned about the question of smoking during their prayer time, they agreed to consult their superiors. While one received a stern reprimand from his abbot, the other was given a pat of encouragement. The unlucky one, greatly puzzled, asked […]
I often wish my website looked better, if not necessarily fancier. I wouldn’t mind copying most of the Fortune 50 whose websites are not fancy but are executed with care. The typography is clean (even if it’s all done in Helvetica or Arial), the layouts are pleasing and they have […]
One of Ted Williams’ principles of hitting was that an average hitter swinging at a good pitch to hit is better than a great hitter swinging at a bad pitch to hit. — Reggie Jackson in Sixty Feet, Six Inches, by Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson (2009) One of my […]
One of my favorite new clients — an online local news blog — needed some information about its readership, so we did a quick online survey. Ten questions, ten minutes, and the chance to win a $10 gift certificate. In a remarkable display of interest, 200 readers completed the survey […]
Serendipity rarely walks into a noisy room. I mentioned this to a friend some 25 years ago when we were in high school. Coincidentally, he was my first Quaker friend, and the Quakers know something about quiet. Many entrepreneurs get energized by the noise and bustle of each workday. What […]