One of Philip Tetlock’s big ideas* is that we are typically operating in one of three modes when expressing or receiving an idea. Being aware of these can dramatically change the approach we take for ourselves and our audience. The three modes (and a quick explanation of each) are: Preacher - we hold a fundamentally … Continue reading What Mode Are You In – Preacher, Prosecutor, Or Politician?
Tag: decision making
Did We Learn The Right Lesson?
It’s one thing to look back and say, “What did we learn here?” It’s a whole other thing, and maybe even more important, to ask, “Did we learn the right lesson?” WSJ columnist and author Jason Zweig says lots of day-traders in the late 90s learned how to flip stocks in that environment, but they … Continue reading Did We Learn The Right Lesson?
Mountain Climbing And Job Switching
Doing a job is like climbing a hill. One of the problems we face while we’re climbing is that we can see all of the other hills and mountains we’re not climbing. How do we know when to keep going or to drop down and switch up? Truthfully, the bigger the hill (think: achieving career … Continue reading Mountain Climbing And Job Switching
Podcast Of The Week: Jim Collins With Tim Ferriss (Round 2)
Mr. Good to Great himself, the only and only Jim Collins sat to talk with Tim Ferriss for a second interview. Nothing is rehashed, this is as fascinating as the first. People, business, culture, learning, mentorship - it’s all here. You even get to witness Collins, who doesn’t do a lot of these interviews, start … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Jim Collins With Tim Ferriss (Round 2)
Plans Are Worthless But Planning Is Everything
Everything was written down. Everything was blocked out on the calendar. Everything was perfect. And then it all went to hell. It started in the morning as a ripple, and it crashed into the evening like a tidal wave. What. A. Plan. Have kids? A job? Both? You know how true this is. Dwight D. … Continue reading Plans Are Worthless But Planning Is Everything
You Pay For Bad Habits Later, You Pay For Good Habits Now
It’s the beginning of the year, so working on good habits and shedding bad ones are on everybody’s minds. It should be simple, but it’s not. Whether we’re helping clients with their habits or working on our own, we need to be able to tell the good from the bad to keep our focus in … Continue reading You Pay For Bad Habits Later, You Pay For Good Habits Now
Make The First Move
Happy New Year. With so much to do and get ready for, I had this on my mind all weekend: You only control the beginning. Whatever comes next, comes. Need an old philosopher guy to say it? Here’s Democritus: Boldness is the beginning of action. But fortune controls how it ends. Need a more modern … Continue reading Make The First Move
Compared To What? A Lesson In Price Setting And Price Comparisons
Nobody knows what anything costs. I mean, we (hopefully) know what we pay when we click “buy now,” but our conscious awareness of “good deal” and “bad deal” are, on average, abysmal. Here’s how we can use this lack of intuitive sensibility to our advantage. Obligatory disclaimer: This knowledge, first and foremost, is to not … Continue reading Compared To What? A Lesson In Price Setting And Price Comparisons
Do Something They Can’t Or Won’t Do Because It’s Hard
“The trick to brand strategy is to do something others can’t or won’t because it’s really hard.” -Scott Galloway The questions: what won’t others do, what do they think is really hard, what would really separate us from someone else in a comparable position or field? Some examples: Apple making a delightfully usable and intuitive … Continue reading Do Something They Can’t Or Won’t Do Because It’s Hard
There Is No Perfect Answer, There is A Best Option
In math, there’s one right answer. 1 + 1 = 2 and that’s it. We like to think that when we’re making a logical decision, this same rule of “only one right answer” applies. Most of the time, it doesn’t. If only life was as neat as grade school math. Most of the time, there’s … Continue reading There Is No Perfect Answer, There is A Best Option