I’ve met thousands of people over my long career — colleagues, clients, direct reports, bosses, executives, and “influencers” of every stripe. I also have a really poor memory for people. So I’m a decent test case for the question, “Who will remember you?” If I remember somebody after decades of work, they were truly memorable….
Here’s the scene. Two analysts have been tapped to address the San Francisco chapter of an industry organization. The rules are: you have ten minutes to speak, and you cannot use slides. The organization is for executives and managers of the cable television industry. One of the analysts is me. I analyze the television industry…
I know if you’re going to be a good client in 15 minutes. I’m not prejudiced. I’m experienced. How I know Before our discovery meeting, I check out your LinkedIn profile and posts, as well as your web site if you have one. I can tell if you have something useful to say, or if…
Imagine your retirement. What are you doing? Traveling around and hanging out with grandchildren? Sounds boring to me. Sure, after the end of a frenetic work life, it sounds attractive to have few actual responsibilities. You can think of it as a longer vacation. But people who are active workers, thinkers, and problem-solvers aren’t likely…
One of the best things about being 65 is the full set of experiences I have to look back on. That includes what I regret and what I don’t. I don’t know if these would be the same for you, but they’re at least worth considering. I regret all the people I treated badly, even…
Your children will not be who you think they will be. They will not grow up to be the people you fantasized that they would. They will not like the same things that you like. They will not vote the way that you vote. They will not love the people you think they should love,…
Sometimes your managers ask you to do something outside the range of what you’ve done before. Do it. Even if you’re afraid of failing. This has happened to me multiple times in my career, and it always paid off — although often not right away. Odd jobs I was a technical writer at my first…
On my daily walk yesterday I saw this sign: This was on a weird little plot of ground at a high-traffic intersection. And indeed, unlike everywhere else along the road in Portland, this patch featured no signs for the upcoming election, gutter cleaning, martial arts classes or anything else. So I guess it was working….
You can spend your life avoiding the unknown. You will fail. Or you can embrace it fully — but not recklessly. In 1995, I faced the unknown. I was hired as a technology analyst. I had no idea if I could actually do the job. I thought, “I have enough trouble analyzing the prospects of…