Tag: Jo Whitehouse

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How to Ask a Question: It’s More than Who, What, When, Where, Why and How

The title seems either simplistic or insulting: “How to Ask a Question?” Who needs to know that?

Turns out, plenty of people do, and the post below will walk you through some ways to make your questions, and your time, both more valued to others and valuable for you.

While we all learned (or should have learned) the grade school lesson of the 5 W’s and 1 H, the reality is that asking good, effective questions that surface information and quickly cut to the core of an issue is part art, part science.… Read the rest

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[Coaching Tips] How to Say Thanks (and When and Why)

The gift fruit basket from Wendy and Richard Yanowitch was over the top, but it was really the simple handwritten card expressing what I had done and their thanks for my behavior that hit the bulls eye. Their thank you letter, as my friend Cathy Madison at Cathedral School for Boys might saw, “was a keeper.”

The next day at the school bus stop Lola’s mom, Charley Zechas, totally out of blue turned to me and said “I like having you at our bus stop.… Read the rest

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[ I’ll Take Sherla ] Who Do You Hire: Generalists or Specialists?

The Twitter stream  has carried a great dialogue regarding the merits of hiring “generalists” versus “specialists” the last few days.

As someone whose “Quick Start” work with start-ups has enabled  companies to get fast, effective out of the gate performance, I have a point of view, and the experience of 25+ years in business, about when to hire – and when to avoid – either type.… Read the rest

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[Canaan Partners’ Workbook] How to Ask for Money

There are at least two parts to effective communication: a “wrapper” or form in which the information is shared, and the data or actual content of the information itself. Miss both and you bomb, and get one right but not the other and thing can get bumpy.

My colleague Dr. Jo Whitehouse of Jumpstart BioDevelopment flagged a great resource courtesy Canaan Partners for entrepreneurs seeking start-up investment or just general investment period  [Disclosure: Dr.… Read the rest