I had lunch the other day with someone who told me she was sometimes appalled by how people need to be reminded of such basic skills such as how to be polite. Frankly, I don’t know why she was appalled. It’s not like any of us elitists are any more perfect than the masses—we’re just [...]
From the monthly archives:
May 2010
I’m not a “stuff” guy. I have no collections, I don’t judge myself or others based on the things they own, and I don’t care how much something costs, as long as it solves a problem or serves a need. When I made my list of things I want to accomplish in my life, I [...]
Wow, am I struggling. I’m coming off the best business week I’ve had in 3 months, but for some reason, I’m just out of whack. For example: I described my financial wins this week to my wife and she left the conversation more stressed than when we started. I put my daughter in tears by [...]
“What’s the one thing I should look for in a new hire?” “What’s the most important skill I need to reach my career goals?” “What’s the one characteristic that sets successful people apart from their less successful peers?” It doesn’t matter how you ask the question, the answer is always the same: “The ability to [...]
Two years ago, I posted my rules for giving feedback. I did this because I noticed that most people are awful at it. A year ago, I reposted them. Why? Because I had looked around and noticed that people were still awful at it. Guess what? As part of this week’s series on feedback, it’s [...]
“You broke up? Cool. I never liked him/her anyway.” Is there someone reading this who hasn’t said this to a friend? What comes at you next typically sounds something like this: “Seriously? Why didn’t you say anything?!” (To which the proper response is, “I did. You didn’t want to hear it… Pass the salt?”) Of [...]
Of the following, which do you think is the biggest risk to your career? Getting critical feedback. Not getting critical feedback. Giving critical feedback. The answer, perhaps surprisingly, is #3. Getting critical feedback stings like mad, but gives you exactly what you need to know in order to “get it right” next time. Not getting [...]
I'm Jason. I make people shine. My mission is to help 1 million people tell their stories better. 