High & Low Agency
Q: If you were detained in a third-world prison who would you call to get you out?A: That’s the most high-agency person you know. “Agency” refers to someone’s capacity to exert power. When someone is… Read More »High & Low Agency
Leadership
Depth or Width of Experience
Q: What’s the best way to quantify experience? A: Think about the depth and width. There are generalists and their are specialists; either can be better depending on what you need. Want to get you annual… Read More »Depth or Width of Experience
Activity & Achievement
Q: Why is it some days we work a full day and don’t get anything done? A: Because activity does not equal achievement A hamster can run on it’s wheel for hours and never get… Read More »Activity & Achievement
Two-Pizza Teams
Q: How many people do we need to solve this problem?A: No more than could be fed with two-pizzas. Amazon has a philosophy about keeping teams small so that they can collaborate better. “We try… Read More »Two-Pizza Teams
An Under-Spending Problem
Q: Other than price, how do you gauge if something is “expensive”?A: Measure it against opportunity cost. In the late 1940’s, Walt Disney hired a team of nature photographers to record film for a new… Read More »An Under-Spending Problem
A Pledge to One Another
Q: Is separation supposed to be the norm?A: No, we’ve drifted from notions of covenant and “death do us part” I was shocked the other day by this sentence out of America’s founding document: “And… Read More »A Pledge to One Another
Motivating Greatness
Q: What’s the best way to motivate people to great work?A: Encouraging their potential, not criticizing their shortcomings. “A few months after my husband and I moved to a small Massachusetts town I grumbled to… Read More »Motivating Greatness