The Goodness of Blisters
Being someone who works in an office environment, I have office-worker hands. It doesn’t take much in the way of manual labour to lead to the inevitable and annoying blister. I’m not a big gardener, but fall leaf raking thing sometimes produces them. I also love splitting wood for our fireplace and that activity always leads to blisters when I have any kind of splitting volume to get through. A couple of weeks back, as I was happily hacking my way through some maple from a neighbour’s...
Read MoreTelevision is the New Television
Author Michael Wolff’s book, of which I only read the abstract via getabstract, reinforces a simple truth that exists in my universe – namely, a good story makes for good entertainment. He argues that new digital media companies are following the same model as the old line media companies they are seeking to replace (newspapers, for example) by providing disposable content to large viewerships. Ad rates (and thus their business model), are tied to the viewership metrics. TV on...
Read MorePain vs. Harm
I only listened to a portion of the audio book Necessary Endings as I found the content quite repetitive. However, one of my key take-away’s was the distinction the author makes between pain and harm. Pain isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In an anatomical sense, it is the body’s warning system to alert us to problems needing attention. In a business sense, the author suggests that while there are lots of scenarios where people and teams undergo pain, these are sometimes...
Read MoreThe Struggle to Read…Books
I used to read a lot. As a young person, I read novels, biographies, historical stuff. Nothing that would put me in the league of intellectuals but a mix of escapism content and substance. However, as I took stock of my habits the end of this past year, I realized it has been a long time since I’ve read much in the way of books. I read a handful each year, but not more than that. Some years less. Perhaps I am just another data point in the universe of short-burst communications that...
Read MoreAre You Working Hard?
I’m mentioned in several prior posts that I love sports and the many lessons from the sporting world that can be applied to everyday life, including business. Recently, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcomed a former star back into the fold after several decades of estrangement. Dave Keon, a four-time Stanley Cup champion shared a comment with current Leaf coach Mike Babcock that someone had shared with him early in his career. “Are you working hard or do you think you are working...
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