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Interview: Dave Gray, Founder and CEO of XPLANE

January 31st, 2006 | Comments Off | Posted in Business, XPLANE

“Dave Gray is productive. This man puts out more graphics in more media than a graffiti tagger with a hardware store full of paint. Besides inventing his own visual language (you do that in your spare time, right?), Dave has written a book, taught class in the physical world, started a visual thinking school, and landed a spot in the Top 10 popular lenses at Seth Godin’s Squidoo project. Dave was kind enough to give me an interview recently, and there’s lots to cover.”

Where to get quotations for presentations?

January 31st, 2006 | Comments Off | Posted in Presentations

“In my presentations, I may have several slides which feature a quote from a famous (sometimes not so famous) individual in the field. The quote may be a springboard into the topic or serve as support or reinforcement for the particular point I’m making… Like everything else, quotations work best when not over done. Too many quotes or quotes which are too long may bog down your presentation. And of course, if your quote is inaccurate or completely irrelevant to your point, it may undermine your efforts in a big way.”

Death by risk-aversion

January 31st, 2006 | Comments Off | Posted in Leadership

“Memo to Microsoft: you’ve got people doing some amazing things over there. If you could just get the hell out of the way, the world might change for the better. Risk-aversion is the single biggest innovation killer, and of course it’s not just Microsoft that’s been infected. Taking risks is… risky. But if not taking risks is even riskier, then WTF?”

101 Dumbest Moments in Business, 2005

January 27th, 2006 | Comments Off | Posted in Business

“2005’s shenanigans, skulduggery and just plain stupidity…”

How to survive a bad manager

January 27th, 2006 | Comments Off | Posted in Leadership

“The best advice for having a bad manager is to seek other employment. Don’t undervalue your happiness: it’s impossible to be happy if you work directly for someone you can’t stand. It may be difficult to find another job, but if you are willing to make compromises in other areas (salary, position, project, location, etc.) it will certainly be possible. Being happy and underpaid is a much better way to spend a life than unhappy and anything else.”

Advice for new managers: part 1

January 26th, 2006 | Comments Off | Posted in Leadership

“The central mistake new managers make is egoism. On the surface, the change is all about you: you’ve been promoted, you have a new job title, you have a new office. Perhaps you’ve been waiting for this change for some time, while watching peers or friends get promotions, and now finally you feel you’ve received the respect you’ve earned. Congratulations! But be warned: how or why you became a manager has little to do with doing the job well.”

How to Get More Done in Less Time

January 26th, 2006 | Comments Off | Posted in Project management

“Have you ever had the experience of looking back on your week with the sinking feeling that you didn’t get as much done as you’d hoped? … Keep a detailed time log. The first step to better managing your time is to find out how you’re currently spending your time. Keeping a time log is a very effective way to do this, and after trying it for just one day, you’ll immediately gain a tremendous amount of insight into where your time is actually going.”

Ask SCORE for Business Advice

January 25th, 2006 | Comments Off | Posted in Business

“SCORE’s 1,200 email counselors are ready to assist you. Counseling is: *Confidential-Counselors abide by a code of ethics and honor confidentiality; *Fast-Ask questions 24/7; get answers in 48 hours. Receive advice straight to your email; *Free-Offered free-of-charge, as a public service; *Essential to your success-SCORE success stories & testimonials show how SCORE advice helps businesses succeed; Available to all U.S. citizens & green card holders. You will view a list of counselors’ names, along with a brief description of their expertise. Choose a counselor that best matches your business needs and provide a detailed description of your question or issue. Enter keywords in the space below and, if desired, narrow your search for a SCORE business counselor by state. Then, click on Find Counselor to search for SCORE counselors.”

Feltron 2005 Personal Annual Report

January 25th, 2006 | Comments Off | Posted in Life

A funny take on one’s life, presented as an annual report for a business may look.

How to Squelch Your Inner Jackass

January 25th, 2006 | Comments Off | Posted in Life

“Waiting in line recently at my local coffeehouse — an establishment as renowned for its leisurely service as for its place in San Francisco history — I was blown away by the absolute arrogance of a young woman standing two or three places ahead of me.”

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