Brain… Thriving Creativity 28 Jan 20206 Jul 2020 Our culture promotes a stereotype that creators like writers and entrepreneurs must sacrifice everything—food, sleep, relationships—for the cause. Long hours, sacrifices, and courageous decisions take a toll, and exhausted people…
Business… Communication Suspense 3 Dec 20196 Jul 2020 When the beleaguered Apollo 13 capsule fell through earth’s atmosphere on April 17, 1970, the re-entry communication blackout lasted about six minutes. Because of the life-threatening situation, suspense was more…
Collaboration… Training for Global Prosperity and Peace 25 Nov 20196 Jul 2020 Imagine a country with more highly educated doctors and engineers than jobs for them, a country short on skilled tradespeople, a country with a population of about 10 million supporting…
Brain… Don’t think of a purple giraffe (and what else not to say) 31 Jan 20154 Jul 2016 A company I admire allowed an employee to blog, "You probably don't want to come to our conference, but here's why I think you should." Really? I don't want to…
Advertising… The Worst Birthday Card Ever 8 Sep 201213 Oct 2012 I'm excited to be turning 50 soon, and my friends are celebrating early--even Aetna. They sent a card: "Happy Birthday!" it says, with fourteen lighted candles. It says "aetna" in…
Academic Writing… Grade Inflation: What’s Really Going On 3 Sep 201213 Oct 2012 I had the dubious honor of starting college during the first crackdown on grade inflation. My professors overtly ensured that every grade on our transcripts was hard-earned. Then I immediately…
Collaboration… Photo conversation 1 Feb 201215 Jan 2012 "This is the photo that launched a thousand ships, the photo that inspired VoiceThread. It might be the greatest photo ever taken." (An unidentified founder of VoiceThread) You might agree!…
Entrepreneur… Do You Look like a Writer? 25 Oct 201125 Oct 2011 Naturally, I teach my students to write, but what gets more attention is inspiring them to look employable. Before job fairs and interviews, I've taught men to choose, tie, and…
Business… How to Succeed in American Business 11 Jul 2011 Teaching in a multicultural environment often includes overtly explaining American business culture and helping students practice that language. For starters, there's the direct eye contact, the body language, the smiling,…
Books… A Newsletter Worth Reading 7 Jul 2011 One e-mail newsletter I actually read is BK Communiqué from Berrett-Koehler Publishers. They publish engaging nonfiction, and their newsletters not only promote their own releases, they usually include interesting publishing…
Advertising… Friday Flick: Real Beauty 24 Jun 201125 Jun 2011 Even if you've seen this classic commercial, it's a great reminder that what we see in certain environments bears no resemblance to reality. It's also a reminder that some revisions…
Books… Writer Beware 23 Jun 201123 Jun 2011 You don't have to write in science fiction or fantasy to love Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. This organization serves all writers by warning us of disreputable editors,…
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