Thoughts on people, teams, organizations, communities, effectiveness and success
It’s a familiar refrain on many a college campus and more than just a few
companies: “meet you at the Quad?”
A line tagged to a place and a time, it routes you to the familiar where you can bank on connecting with the right people at interesting times.
It’s also the place where more often than not serendipity intersects opportunity, where talent finds good fortune.… Read the rest
Mentoring is hot, both on college campuses and in the private sector.
“The right mentor can help you get ahead” according to the Boston Globe.
An article in Forbes headlines “To build a great company, start with great mentors.“
And the wrong or no mentor? A recipe for more career detours or a life in the slower lane.… Read the rest
Sometimes the best thing you can do to help someone is a firm tap and playing a bit of a noodge.
The fact of the matter is that people seldom improve without some sort of feedback, and if you don’t help them with it, who do you think will?
I thought of noodge (or nudge) as I sent a note back to a coaching client asking them to rework their “lighthouse letter” – a product that asks exec coaching clients to put down in one page the conversation their grandkids/grandnieces – nephews would have if the now 100-year old client overhead them describing the client’s life.… Read the rest
We don’t usually get to pick how or when we die.
We can, with some work, grit and luck, pick the sort of life we live.
Scott Mader, who passed away this week at the age of 57, sure did; his story has lessons for all of us.
Earnest is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Scott; while he had lots of qualities (a dry sense of humor, funny smart, a real moral compass, etc.)… Read the rest
There were a few reactions to a piece last week called New Traditions that merit sharing:
Willamette University classmate and SAE fraternity brother Ron Yan noted that beyond my nickname of “Right On Smitty” due to my unrelenting pursuit of relevance, that “As I recall, we had many more, but certainly less publishable nick names for you.”… Read the rest
One of my college nicknames – a byproduct of a seemingly ceaseless quest for everyday relevance as a kid at the SAE fraternity house at Willamette University – was “Right On Smitty.”
While the nickname was usually meant with mixed affection, the striving to be relevant was a constant. I was keen that the things we did in the frat house made sense for us.… Read the rest