In 1903, Mary Anderson patented the first windshield wiper. When Mary tried to sell the rights to her invention, however, the prospective buyer saw no value in her invention. In 1920, her patent rights expired. Cadillac then began using her invention, which led to the rest of the car industry following suit. Mary sowed seeds towards our gain. In John ...
As we remember Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, it’s a great day to remember the importance of doing the right thing, even when unpopular. With half of the nation at war, President Lincoln was very unpopular with most of the nation. Yet, he persevered with abolishing slavery and fighting secession of the South. Today Lincoln is widely celebrated as one of the ...
Years ago, Kathy and I met a family on the streets of Kansas City who were panhandling for money. They told a sad story that seemed believable, so we decided to help. We bought them some groceries, and then, I began helping this man to find a job. We developed a resume, I lined up an interview, and I even ...
Our youngest daughter, Bekah, noticed the oil light when it first surfaced, but she thought it was a “suggestion” to get her oil changed. She scheduled an oil change and kept driving. Two days later, she discovered that the light was a warning, not a suggestion! With no oil in the car, the engine “threw a rod” and ruined the ...
Daniel Pink’s new book, “When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing” addresses the importance of timing on our productivity. A Wall Street Journal article summarized Mr. Pink’s findings, helping us better allocate our time throughout the day. His research discovered that we are “smarter, faster and more creative in some parts of the day than others.” Russell Foster, a neuroscientist, ...
According to the Wall Street Journal, researchers Nina Mazar and her associates studied cheating. These researchers gave the same tests to three groups of students. The first group was paid $.50 for each right answer. The second group took the same test, but graded their tests themselves. The final group signed an honor code prior to the test, but they ...
Morten Hansen, a University of California, Berkley professor, has released a new book around his research on high performers. In our fast-paced world when we have so many priorities and opportunities, Mr. Hansen discovered that the highest performing workers have mastered selectivity. These high performers have discovered that carefully selecting which projects and tasks they should work on is more ...
One movie I’ve enjoyed watching multiple times is “Groundhog Day.” Phil Connors, played by Bill Murray, is a mean-spirited, egocentric, malcontented reporter who has been forced to cover the annual Groundhog Day ceremony in Pennsylvania. Caught in a time-loop, Connors relives Groundhog Day over and over again. At first, he exploits his knowledge of what will happen for personal gain. ...
When President Trump signed the recent tax reform bill, many businesses had an immediate response. Some gave bonuses or raises to their employees, some donated millions to charity, and some businesses passed it along to shareholders. Most of us will also receive a windfall this month in our paycheck. With a windfall, we have a choice as to how we ...
In the early years of my marriage to Kathy, her family interactions during the holidays shocked me at times. My family members are peacemakers with conflict avoided at all costs. Kathy’s family on the other hand was verbal and sometimes loud when things didn’t go according to plan. The strife in those early years was hard for me to handle, ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
