Rumors at work can be surprisingly destructive. Rumors undermine the confidence of an organization, both within and without; encourage infighting, backbiting, and other HR department fever dreams; deep six morale; make strategic hiring like extracting wisdom teeth; scare off would-be investors; and tank stock prices. What start as whispers can build to whirlwind force. Because […]
George Washington vs. Workplace Drama
10 Ways to Dial It Down from America’s Founding CEO
When George Washington was a teenager, he both copied out by hand and tweaked 110 “rules of civility and decent behavior.” These rules had been compiled by Jesuits in late 16th century France and made the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Manners were up in the air in this new world when Washington put quill […]
New Coke: Anatomy of a Terrible Decision
5 Lessons from One of the Worst Product Rollouts of All Time
The Coca-Cola Company’s own website admits that it was probably “a day that will live in marketing infamy.” On April 23, 1985, Coke Chairman and CEO Roberto Goizueta announced to 200 reporters that the company would be changing its formula. It would be still be called Coca-Cola, but this “New Coke” would taste better and […]
Patience Is Not a Virtue
When You Shouldn't Let It Hold You Back
The patience of Job; the patience of a saint; a “fruit of the Holy Spirit”; a virtue. “He that have Patience, can have what he will,” predicted Poor Richard’s Almanack way back in 1736. As you might expect from that august build up, a lack of patience has also been associated with societal rot and […]
What I’ve Learned on the Runway
5 Ways Lighten Your Air Travel
This article is for people who have spent at least one night sleeping on an airport floor. Perhaps your flight was canceled because of fog and you scrambled to catch the last long shuttle bus home, only to miss that one, too. If you weren’t allowed through screening because the taxi was late and crawled […]
The Counsel of Scorpions
Who We Choose to Listen to Matters
Solomon was said to be the most successful king that Israel ever had—renowned for his wisdom and his riches. His heir Rehoboam, not so much. Of the 12 tribes of Hebrews that constituted the nation of Israel, 10 revolted under Rehoboam’s reign. Later leaders would manage shaky alliances. But after Rehoboam, it was no longer […]