Lynda Gratton, professor at the London Business School, has a new book out called The Shift, about the future of work – what will drive changes and what we need to do to get ready. Two ideas struck me as ones I need to help my students work on more. First, we need to learn [...]
Category Archives: Nancy’s Musings
Vietnam Musings
October 24, 2011 – 9:27 am
Just returned from Vietnam with 31 Executive MBA students. For many, it was the first time out of the US, first time to get a passport. For all, it was the first time to Vietnam. And I suspect, for all it was a chance to be surprised. I’ve been working in Hanoi since the early [...]
30 September 2011
September 30, 2011 – 9:18 am
Do you spend ALL of your time in heads down mode? One expert says we should take SOME and go “heads up.” Josh Linkner wrote Disciplined Dreaming. He says that executives often TALK about taking time to “think,” but few do. Bill Gates is a lonely example – he takes a “think week” each year, [...]
28 September 2011
September 28, 2011 – 9:16 am
What do you do in the morning when you start your work day? Check email, maybe facebook…one CEO found a way to boost his performance in just 90 minutes a day…. Tony Schwartz is the CEO of the Energy Project and author of several books. While writing his first book, he worked from 7am till [...]
23 September 2011
September 23, 2011 – 9:14 am
Just imagine someone saying…Dad lives in NY, Mom lives in SF, and the kids are spread out around the country. But thanks to my iPhone and computer, it’s no different than living under the same roof. HUH? But isn’t that what virtual work teams often assume? I mentioned a new book I’m reading, called End [...]
The Index Card Rule
September 20, 2011 – 9:12 am
I’m reading a new book with an odd name: End Malaria. It’s part of a project to raise money to end malaria, which kills 750,000 every year. The editor asked 62 authors offer ideas for work and for life, compiled them and published the book through Amazon. Some of them help put life and work [...]
College?
September 15, 2011 – 12:46 pm
I’m a college professor so it pains me to suggest that people should NOT go to college, but for some, it probably makes good sense. There’s a lot of talk about the importance of education for our economy and society as a whole. And in general, I agree. But perhaps instead of education, we should [...]
Serendipity Is …
September 12, 2011 – 12:44 pm
Serendipity is … unpredictable, something that just happens to us when we least expect it. Interesting, maybe some unanticipated benefits, but usually just “there.” Right? Not always. Serendipity happens when an unexpected event or information comes up – and then we notice it, evaluate it, and act on it – typically to benefit us in [...]
When Workplace Diversity Is NOT Good
September 6, 2011 – 12:43 pm
What if diversity in the workplace is…NOT a good thing? Sure enough, some researchers recently uncovered a few situations where age diversity can cause problems. A recent Financial Times article discussed a research project that found that “diversity might be bad” in some situations. Researchers Florian Kunze and Jochen Menges surveyed 8000 workers at 60 [...]
Decision Fatigue
September 6, 2011 – 12:41 pm
I remember reading years ago that small company CEOs make many more decisions than their equivalents in large firms. The benefit was that they “practiced” making decisions and got better at it. But now, I wonder. A recent NYT article argues that making a lot of decisions may NOT be so great. Indeed, it can [...]