Monday, October 02, 2017
A Divided Nation
The two Americas watch different news. They read very different books, listen to different music, and watch different television shows. Increasingly, they now live lives according to two widely different traditions.
Read the rest of Victor Davis Hanson in National Review.
Read the rest of Victor Davis Hanson in National Review.
Email Tip
Some workplace wisdom at Eclecticity Light.
I will be quoting that in my next workshop on workplace tact.
Evil and Madness
Evil and madness are out there.
This is a sad day but it will be even sadder if we ever lose the capacity to be shocked by these outrages. I went to bed last night knowing what had happened in Canada and France and learned of the Las Vegas killings in the morning.
May God help all of those harmed and their families.
This is a sad day but it will be even sadder if we ever lose the capacity to be shocked by these outrages. I went to bed last night knowing what had happened in Canada and France and learned of the Las Vegas killings in the morning.
May God help all of those harmed and their families.
Respect the Fat File
I spent part of Sunday looking for a memo that was supposed to be in a "fat file."
Some of you are aware of my scorn for narrowly-focused files. They can aid the escape of documents, especially those that can easily fall into File 1.0 or File 1.4.
A fat file prevents that problem. It may take you a while to get through it, but you'll find the document.
That worked for me until yesterday.
As I removed the document which was underneath a stack of papers on my desk, my question was "Why aren't you in the fat file?"
The culprit was my decision to leave the fat file behind when I went to a meeting where many notes were taken. Those notes went into my briefcase which instantly became a rival to the fat file. The material was later transferred to my desk, another evil rival.
This may seem like a small matter but you are reading the words of a man who once could tell if a key file was missing merely by lifting his briefcase and sensing the diminished weight. For years, all of my business travel consisted of a canvas bag filled with business magazines, a briefcase, and a suitcase. Each one held the same items trip after trip.
I recall thinking the other day that it was clever to leave the fat file behind when I trundled off to the meeting. Hey, less stuff to carry.
That will never happen again.
Keep in mind that this fat file is not some weather-beaten, dog-eared, manila veteran that I might want to hide. It is a nice leather case with a zipper. It is devoted to a single project.
Get too clever and the files will make you pay.
Some of you are aware of my scorn for narrowly-focused files. They can aid the escape of documents, especially those that can easily fall into File 1.0 or File 1.4.
A fat file prevents that problem. It may take you a while to get through it, but you'll find the document.
That worked for me until yesterday.
As I removed the document which was underneath a stack of papers on my desk, my question was "Why aren't you in the fat file?"
The culprit was my decision to leave the fat file behind when I went to a meeting where many notes were taken. Those notes went into my briefcase which instantly became a rival to the fat file. The material was later transferred to my desk, another evil rival.
This may seem like a small matter but you are reading the words of a man who once could tell if a key file was missing merely by lifting his briefcase and sensing the diminished weight. For years, all of my business travel consisted of a canvas bag filled with business magazines, a briefcase, and a suitcase. Each one held the same items trip after trip.
I recall thinking the other day that it was clever to leave the fat file behind when I trundled off to the meeting. Hey, less stuff to carry.
That will never happen again.
Keep in mind that this fat file is not some weather-beaten, dog-eared, manila veteran that I might want to hide. It is a nice leather case with a zipper. It is devoted to a single project.
Get too clever and the files will make you pay.
First Paragraph
Visiting Buenos Aires in March 2001, it was hard not to see the approaching economic catastrophe.
- From The Gray Rhino: How to Recognize and Act on the Obvious Dangers We Ignore by Michelle Wucker
- From The Gray Rhino: How to Recognize and Act on the Obvious Dangers We Ignore by Michelle Wucker
Quote of the Day
You can only convince people who think they can benefit from being convinced.
- Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Sunday, October 01, 2017
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