Today, I want to share a short story with you. A newly married couple was cooking their first Sunday meal together. The young woman began preparing an excellent beef roast while the man prepared the vegetables. As they worked, the man noticed that his wife sliced off both ends of the roast and then rolled it in spiced flour. Curious, …
The Elephant: I guess that most of you know the story that describes how a fully-grown elephant is kept in place by a relatively small spike in the ground. Simply stated, an elephant baby is steaked to the ground with a substantial stake, chain, and ankle cuff. The baby elephant isn’t able to pull the steak up or break the chain, and after wearing itself out by trying, it learns that it is useless to tug at the restraint. An adult elephant could easily pull that steak out of the ground or break the chain—without even trying. But the elephant remembers the lesson, so when the chain gets taught, the elephant stops tugging. Having a memory like an elephant isn’t always a useful thing!
Time Management: Even though I have been in the technology business for more than five decades, I have never been a “gamer.” I chose other things to do to fill my time. There was my career, of course, and I so enjoy the work I do that it’s hard to take time out to do non “work” related things. When …
Progress Thomas Watson, Jr. once observed, “Whenever an individual or a business decides that success has been attained, progress stops.” That rings true to me. I think that’s why vision statements are so important. Visions are larger than missions, and while the mission may be “achieved,” the vision is usually pretty far out there. It is an end to be always …