Every year for the past 10 years, I’ve taken a trip back home for an extended period of time. Travelling internationally used to stress me out because given my not-so-reliable memory, there was always the risk of forgetting to take something with me or overlooking to do something before I left. I used to scribble down my “to-do” and “to-take” lists on post-it notes everywhere, but that wasn’t too effective (to say the least). So I created a simple series of checklists based on David ... Read More
The Story of Sylvester Stallone and “Rocky” That You Haven’t Heard
If you've ever doubted yourself about achieving what you really wanted in business or in life, then watch this video. It's the story of Sylvester Stallone and how he started out in the movie business with nothing but a strong determination and an intense desire. He simply knew what he wanted and sought out to get it, even though he barely had any money to eat on the streets of New York. "Rocky" was his first blockbuster movie which made over $200 million. I don't know how I've missed ... Read More
How To Increase Confidence and Reduce Stress in 2 Minutes Using Simple Power Poses
I just watched this video and thought it was remarkable. Professor Amy Cuddy from the Harvard Business School conducted research on "Power Poses" and the impact they have on your confidence and stress levels. Apparently, doing simple power poses (like standing with your hands on your hips or putting your feet up on a desk) for only 2 minutes before a meeting, presentation, or performance could give you a significant confidence boost that makes you perform at a much better level. It's ... Read More
5 Business Lessons I Learned From My New Favorite Restaurant
My wife, daughter and I have a new favorite restaurant in the greater Boston area that we recently started regularly going to. It’s called the Border Café and it serves the most amazing Tex-Mex / Cajun food (for those friends and colleagues who know me, rest assured, The Cheesecake Factory is still on top of my list :) ) In Massachusetts, the Border Café has locations in Burlington (the one we regularly go to), Cambridge and Saugus. They also have a couple of locations in New Jersey and ... Read More
6 Inspirational Quotes from “The Start-Up of You”
Last July, when Thomas Friedman wrote an op-ed in the New York Times about a book coming out after the New Year, I was so excited that I put in a reminder to buy it once it came out. The book did not disappoint. I just finished reading “The Start-Up of You,” (aff link) by Reid Hoffman (co-founder and chairman of LinkedIn) and Ben Casnocha, and I thought it was phenomenal. The book is an absolute must-read and I highly recommended it regardless of what industry you work in or how old you ... Read More
How to Listen like a CEO (and a great parent)
“You’ve spent years learning how to read and write, years learning how to speak. But what about listening?” – Stephen Covey So true. Whether you listen as a salesman, a consultant, a CEO or a parent, you’ve probably spent very little time honing your skills as a listener. In Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which I just re-read after reading it around 13 years ago, the chapter on Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood (which happens to be my one-sentence ... Read More
How to Create Hand Drawn Pictures to Explain Anything (Even if You Don’t Know How to Draw)
Drawings and sketches are some of the most effective ways to explain anything to anyone (that's why I use them frequently on my blog). They help people understand a problem and see its solution in a much more efficient way than talking about it or writing it out. I’m not referring to the usual PowerPoint diagrams or Excel charts (even though those are definitely helpful), but rather to plain old hand-drawn pictures. I can guarantee that regardless of what industry you're in, you can always ... Read More
It’s out! “How To Design the ULTIMATE Home Office” Ebook Launch
The "How to Design the ULTIMATE Home Office" ebook is finally here! Thanks to everyone who emailed me with their questions - I'm glad that I already had most of them answered in the book. Here's a snapshot of the cover: I'll keep this post short and simple because I have set up a separate webpage that describes the book's contents in more detail. Click here to read more about it and grab a copy today. Enjoy! ... Read More
How to Manage a Small Virtual Project Using Free Online Tools (Includes Templates)
For most small virtual projects that require communication among 5 people or less, you probably don’t need to use any sophisticated project management or online collaboration software to manage them. Instead, you can just use a combination of free online tools such as Google Docs, Doodle, and Skype. Here are five simple steps to help you set up and manage a small project (the templates I use below refer to a graduate school course project that includes writing a final report & ... Read More
How to Investigate a Project Issue: 4 Techniques Used by Lawyers
I’m currently taking a course on managing workplace performance, and as part of the readings, we were given an excerpt from a book entitled “Fundamentals of Trial Techniques” which I thought was very intriguing. I couldn’t help but notice the parallels between how a trial lawyer questions his or her witnesses and how an effective project manager conducts an investigation of a major issue with his or her team. Here are four techniques that lawyers use in court which can be used to ... Read More
