It’s Not a Career Ladder, It’s an Obstacle Course

Excerpt form Adam Bryant’s interview with Barbara Krumseik of the Calvert Group Ltd:

…I think the key is that people who work for me honestly believe that there is going to be a win-win here. I’ll bring it back to my obstacle-course analogy. I believe that the whole career ladder concept is a very disruptive concept because what does it suggest? You can’t get past the person ahead of you unless you push them off the ladder. It promotes aggressive behavior.

When you think of an obstacle course, there are a lot of people on the obstacle course at the same time, and my success doesn’t impede your success. And I may be able to take a minute and help you over that next obstacle and still get where I want to get to.

I also think you have to be a little humble. You have to be maybe a little bit overly confident to break into new things, but a little bit overly humble about what you don’t know, and admiring of the talents different people bring to the table.

Link:
Corner Office: It’s Not a Career Ladder, It’s an Obstacle Course, New York Times, 5/21/10.

Mary Roach: 10 things you didn’t know about orgasm

Another fun talk from TED… 

Entertaining 16 minutes 40 seconds…

Link:
Mary Roach: 10 Things You didn’t know about orgasm

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

Gretchen Ruben on Planning Effective New Year’s Resolutions

Copy+Paste:

1. Ask: “What would make me happier?” It might be having more of something good. It might be less of something bad. It might be fixing something that doesn’t feel right.

2. Ask: “What is a concrete action that would bring about change?” Look for a specific, measurable action.

3. Ask: “Am I a ‘yes’ resolver or a ‘no’ resolver?” A lot of my resolutions are aimed at getting me to stop doing something or to do something I don’t really want to do. Don’t expect praise or appreciation. There’s no right way to make a resolution, but it’s important to know what works for you. As always, the secret is to know your own nature.

4. Ask: “Am I starting small enough?” We tend to over-estimate what we can do over a short time and under-estimate what we can do over a long time, if we make consistent, small steps. Little accomplishments provide energy for bigger challenges.

5. Ask: “How am I going to hold myself accountable?” Accountability is the secret to sticking to resolutions. You could track your resolutions online using the tools at the Happiness Project Toolbox. Or you could form a goals group – or even a happiness-project group! Accountability is why #2 is so important. If your resolution is too vague, it’s hard to measure whether you’ve been keeping it.

Links:
Happiness Project: Five Tips for Planning Effective New Year’s Resolutions, Gretchen Ruben, 1/1/2010.
Happiness Project Toolbox

Trick: Multiplying double digit numbers

To keep my brain limber, I sometimes think of two random double-digit numbers and try to multiply them by each other as fast as I can. Weird, I know. Oh well.

• First, multiply 1 x 4 and bring it straight down (4)
• Then, cross multiply (3×4 and 1×2) and add each of them up (12 + 2), save whatever is in the 10′s place (1), and bring what is in the 1′s place down (4)
• Lastly, Multiply straight up and down (3×2) and add what was leftover (1)

That’s it.

Bike Repair/Upgrade: Race Face Atlas All Moutain Crank Set

I replaced my mountain bike crank; it was my most ambitious DIY repair/upgrade yet!

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Sushi Etiquette

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Drives of a Lifetime

National Geographic Traveler recently published “Drives of a Lifetime: The World’s Greatest Scenic Routes” on their website.

Sometimes it’s the journey, sometimes it’s the destination—and sometimes, it’s both. National Geographic Traveler has scoured the globe for the world’s most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road trips.

It’s worth a look.

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Things you can do to live longer.

Men’s Health, one of the few magazines I still subscribe to, published “50 Ways to Add Years to Your Life” on their website. A lot of it is stuff that was lectured to us as kids growing up, some are still debatable (For example, is coffee really good for you?), there were others that were interesting, like “Stash a Cinnamon Air Freshener in Your Car.”

Here are the ones that stoodout to me:  … Continue Reading

Video Instruction: Perfect Scarf Knot

Link: Normann-Copenhagen