Spotting Innovative Talent – External and Internal to Your Company
The job market is a lagging indicator for the economy. And over the last several months, readings from each of the different national surveys have been positive. To accompany those reports is an underlying uptick in stories about how to hire innovative personnel. These individuals will always command a market for their skills, so its [...]
Reflecting on a Job Market – Employee and Employer
To gain significant wealth in the US you have to take significant risk. Usually that means starting your own business or being on the ground floor with someone who is. The individuals who put their neck on the line deserve the spoils of that risk. The last three years proves the fittest survives in business. [...]
When Ideas Come Together
I sit here and type. Sometimes I have inspiration and sometimes its a slog. I do it because I love when ideas come rushing in. It’s like the end of the Usual Suspects when everything comes together. Its powerful and rewarding. Good mysteries are fulfilling because we have to hunt for clues. They are rarely [...]
Defining the Future for the Class of 2011
Congratulations to the class of 2011. You’ve earned the gratification of moving your tassel from one side of the cap to the other. What does the future hold? What is out there? You’ll be told to find yourself, follow your passion, and chase your goals. And many of you will wonder what those are. There’s [...]
Using Data as a Predictor of Sports Success
There’s a huge celebration going on this week – a celebration of decision making. You see the NFL Draft starts Thursday (4/28/11) and runs through Saturday (4/30/11) and fans tune in to see who their team selects. No games are played, just people’s names being called. Why do we care? The simple answer is hope. [...]
Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart – A Book Review
Quick Take: Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart is a collection of academia based essays proving the comparative value of decision making based on good enough information. The examples and anecdotes are good, but there is complex math to wade through. It isn’t a leisure read. However, each section can be consumed on it’s own. [...]
Differentiating Using Strategy and Technology
The Academy Awards were a few weeks back and the popular movie The Social Network was nominated for Best Picture. It didn’t win the award, but it did elevate Facebook into a cultural phenomenon. It’s no longer another website – it’s Facebook. People care about it like their Nike running shoes, Apple iPod, and Starbucks [...]
Your Greatest Weakness
I’m the type of person who relies on metaphors and analogies. It’s just the way I absorb information. So as the sun shone on my face this past weekend, I couldn’t resist comparing the first warm up of the season to the optimism of a reborn employment market. Just like Chance the gardener said in [...]
A Dan Pink Speaking Experience
A couple of weeks ago I was staring at my computer screen and in comes an Instant Message asking if I knew Dan Pink was speaking in Charlotte? The IM was from Jill, a work friend for over 10 years. I had no idea about the event, but I was excited. She sent me the [...]
The Train with No Known Destination
Last week news broke of Eric Schmidt leaving the CEO post at Google. He’s replaced by Larry Page. Speculation is that Schmidt no longer felt he was in control of the company. The triumvirate of Sergey Brin, Larry Page, and Eric Schmidt had become a duopoly of Brin and Page, the founders. The genesis of [...]