It’s that time when most articles are either about the best of the year that is ending or predictions/resolutions for the year that is about to start. Given I’m not a big fan of New Year’s predictions or resolutions, I thought I would create a “Best of 2014”. As I was doing some research, I…
Parents: don’t let your children read this article… Reindeer are so closely associated with Santa Claus that many people assume they don’t really exist. Unlike Kris Kringle, reindeer are real and are indigenous to the Nordics, northern Russia and China, Canada and Alaska. Oh yes, and the Arctic – home of the North Pole. Most people…
My philological studies have satisfied me that a gifted person ought to learn English (barring spelling and pronouncing) in thirty hours, French in thirty days, and German in thirty years.– Mark Twain, “That Awful German Language” Twain was likely making a joke but, in my experience, he is directionally accurate. He provides several examples of…
Throughout my career, I’ve relied on story telling to reinforce abstract concepts or make announcements more memorable. Whether it’s oxen, elephants, monkeys, or camels, stories about animals are easy to remember and therefore more likely to be repeated. I’ve always want to tell a story which involved a platypus but I never really had a good rationale….
People seem to be obsessed with executive tenure. Executive search firm Spencer Stuart reports the average tenure for a Chief Marketing Officer is now 45 months, based on analysis from the top 100 advertised brands. This is a significant improvement from five years ago, when studies showed that the average CMO tenure was anywhere from…
Let me say this simply. Complexity is the biggest villain in business. It is a kill or be killed proposition. Complexity is more Loki than Bane. It’s sneaky, shifty, and has different forms. It hides in the cracks of your business, growing more disruptive and indelible with every minute people fail to notice. Complexity kills…
Right after the SF Giants won the 2014 World Series, I tweeted the following: Tens of thousands of words will be written about this #WorldSeries. The only ones that matter: #MadBum MVP #SFGiants At the beginning of the post-season, very few people expected the Giants to win. Consider the situation at the time: The Giants…
For the first time in a few years, I made it through last winter without getting sick. What was my secret? Like the title of the best-selling book, almost everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten. Here’s my 6-pronged advice to avoid getting sick this winter: 1. Wash your hands Yes, germs are…
I am concerned that phenomena similar to that of Kim Kardashian may also exist in the scientific community. I think it is possible that there are individuals who are famous for being famous. Writing in Genome Biology, Professor Neil Hall of the University of Liverpool suggests that too many researchers get invited to present at…
Along with 70,000 fans, I recently watched my San Francisco 49’ers defeat a tough Chiefs team in Levi’s Stadium. Amid the din of the stadium, the cheers and boos, I foolishly tried having a conversation with a friend. Despite my best efforts to maintain a conversation, I was no match for Colin Kaepernick, stadium music,…