It was late summer in Chicago, the kind of afternoon that made me wish for sunset or a snap thunderstorm to break the humidity. I hadn’t reached full career-related burnout, but I could feel it coming on. I’d started to feel brittle, with small disappointments landing like …
How Will “Tomorrow You” Feel About You Right Now? Listen around your office long enough and eventually you’ll hear someone talking about “leaving a legacy.” Not a bad notion. I like the idea of paying attention to the impact of what you’re doing now and what you’re planning next, …
As their words got harder to understand, my girlfriend's laugh rang louder and louder, and her mother's grin got wider. Where had this gone so badly wrong? The mystery narcotic that sent us spinning into gales of numb, chaotic laughter? Cranberry sauce. It was the first Thanksgiving of our dating life. …
I tend to be a more productive writer, and happier with the results, when I place some up-front limitations on the exercise. Like: "This can't be more than 400 words." Or: "I have to include one powerful bit of deep description before I start trying to persuade." My …
Being late really bugs me, especially when I could've prevented it. Several years ago, I took a long-term onsite client assignment during Chicago's peak congestion season (a.k.a. everything but the dead of winter). While juddering down the interstate one morning, dodging potholes and fender benders, I thought: *I …
This is the third in a three-part Tips series, and is an example of foundational coaching I offer to individuals and teams who want to write clearer, more effective business communication. They cover the basics (planning, simplifying, and revising), but apply whether you’re drafting your first email …
This is the second in a three-part Tips series, and is an example of foundational coaching I offer to individuals and teams who want to write clearer, more effective business communication. They cover the basics (planning, simplifying, and revising), but apply whether you’re drafting your first email …
This is the first in a three-part Tips series, and is an example of foundational coaching I offer to individuals and teams who want to write clearer, more effective business communication. They cover the basics (planning, simplifying, and revising), but apply whether you’re drafting your first email …