Pablum – The Silent Killer

“Pablum,” he said.

I’m fairly proud of my vocabulary, but I was embarrassed to admit I didn’t know what that word meant. “It means ‘mush’,” he said, “like there’s nothing there to chew on.”

I was at Guidant Corporation, and we were being acquired. He was a VP in charge of integrating the two companies’ sales forces, and he was describing the messages we were producing to educate our employees.

Forge the Jell-O

When I was training the Marines of the Auburn University Naval ROTC Unit, I had a sign on my desk that summarized my approach to leadership. It said, “Forge the Jell-O.”

Engagement, Engagement, Engagement

From my friend Murph Krajewski, discussing how to reduce resistance to change (moving a call center to the cloud) within an IT team…

Workshop Feedback – Measure Twice, Cut Once (6/17/10)

We had 12 participants in yesterday’s workshop, and lot of good discussion. In the spirit of continuous improvement and learning, I’d like your feedback yesterday’s workshop.

Uncomfortable

I run regularly. Since my knees are deteriorating, I’m experimenting with new ways to reduce the shock to my joints. I’ve learned that barefoot (flat-footed) running actually produces less impact than standard heel-toe running in athletic shoes. But this new style is incredibly uncomfortable, and I’m tempted to abandon it.