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I spent a lot of the day going through my file cabinet and getting rid of old papers. It's amazing how much I hung onto that I never actually needed. I wonder what the percentage of papers are that I access on a regular basis. I suspect its a fraction of what was there. My only hope to keep them from piling up again will be to get good at assessing what is useful the moment I look at it. All this time I thought I was being diligent by saving papers that had important information on them. It turns out, the information is only important while you are reading it. After that, you can let it go.

This is a rewrite of an article I've been working on for a bit. If you are confused, check this post ! The Unsung Virtues of the Conference Handout As we’re midway through conference season, I’d like to talk about an often overlooked, but powerful tool. The conference handout. A one-sheet document that can be deceptively complex to put together. When preparing for a conference, it’s usually left until the last minute, given second billing to more exciting challenges, like booth graphics and experiences. But this small element does some heavy lifting. It’s your opportunity to immediately communicate the value of what you can do for a client. It works when your in-person representative might not be available, and it may travel with your potential client, carrying its message outside of the event. Conferences are overwhelming. Attendees are surrounded by people, graphics, and noise, all trying their darndest to be relevant. Who should attendees talk to? Which booth should th...

I received an email earlier today titled: "Free Meal Offer for Fun Lunch Participants at CPK" This email is in regards to my children's participation in the "Fun Lunch" program at their school. Fun Lunch is the first Wednesday of every month, and the kids get a special lunch at school, either pizza, mac and cheese, (or salad, but come on, what kid is ordering that?).  As a parent of kids who have been in the school for a few years, I'm familiar with the program. But what I didn't understand was "CPK". Are kids eating their lunch at a place called CPK? Are some kids attending the school coming from a place called CPK?  The email continues: As a reminder for those of you who've ordered fun lunch before, and for those who are new to fun lunch, we wanted to make sure you knew this offer was available and ensure you understood how it works. As it's been in the past, please note that only 1 free meal is included as stipulated be...

I'm reading a book called "Getting More" by Stuart Diamond. He's a renowned negotiator, and instructor of a course on negotiation at Wharton Business School. I'm only part way through, but I'm connecting with a lot of his ideas, especially the idea that succeeding in a negotiation doesn't usually look like what we expect it to, or as it might play out in a movie scene. That an effective negotiation isn't usually won by brute force, and dominating the other side. On the contrary, to build sustaining, healthy "wins", vs. short-term, detrimental wins, you have to have empathy. You have to see the other side, and imagine the "pictures in their head" based on who they are and how they are feeling at the time of the negotiation. A win is rarely arrived at without making it "about them", and ensuring that they feel like they have gotten something from the deal. The first strategy he discusses is that "Goals Are Paramount...

First off--I didn't actually break my streak! To be clear, the last entry was written yesterday, but I apparently forgot to hit the Publish button. So there you have it. Streak intact! Recently a friend asked me to write a list of things I believe in. Here's what I came up with: It can always be better. Design is not just what you see. If it feels unnecessarily complicated, it probably is. Great visuals aren't everything, but they help. Effective design builds trust. Getting better doesn't mean doing great work--it means recognizing bad work faster. Feedback is paramount. Multitasking is a myth. Smarter is better than more. Listening is more important than talking. Listening is harder than talking. It's not about me. It's all about you. People should read. People don't read. Connecting is everything. Everyone can connect on something. Problems are better approached sideways. Most problems in the world are being worked at from the wrong end. Happiness is a ...

My son and husband were debating this morning about the best way to crack an egg. My son's preferred method is to crack it on the edge of a bowl, to create a large opening so he can quickly split open the shell and dump the contents into the bowl. My husbands preferred method is to hit it on a flat surface, like the counter, and then split the shell. He argues that doing it this way lessens the possibility of cracking shell bits into the egg. What they both agree on though, is that to crack the egg, you can't hold back in either method. You have to make the commitment, and follow through at the start. No half measures in egg cracking.