You’re someone with definite lines between your work life and your personal life. You work hard, but you play hard. One of your friends convinces you to get a Facebook account. You’re not familiar with Facebook, or any social network, but you’re adventurous so you sign up. As you build your profile your friends start… Read More
You meet someone who is highly recommended by a colleague. As you get to know each other it seems as though you share the same philosophies about collaboration, clients, and conducting business. Your businesses are a perfect complement so you enter into a partnership and jointly work with your first client. Early in the relationship… Read More
Have you ever worked with someone that, regardless of your feelings about them as a person, you knew they were completely unsuited for their position? Have you ever seen someone that others regularly minimize, marginalize, or ignore because that person offers little or no value in their current role? Do you think people in that… Read More
You are with two colleagues in a restaurant. While you’re all looking at the menu, the people at the next table start talking about their recent corporate acquisition – a company your employer recently sold! You’re not trying to listen, but their table is literally twelve inches from yours. They’re talking about finances, staff, and… Read More
Your boss, Bob, asks you to support him on a project – his pet project. Bob’s not looking for new ideas. You’ve tried. He feels he knows what to do and wants you to execute HIS approach. Unfortunately, he’s been working on this for months, through several iterations, and his ideas are failing. He doesn’t… Read More
You’ve organized a meeting with a well regarded, difficult to retain, and very expensive design firm. The meeting starts bright and early and your attendance is critical. It’s your project and you need to kick it off. You arrive the night before, but your luggage doesn’t. You’re dressed for flight, reasonably presentable but not what… Read More
Let’s say this woman reports to you and you’re the person on the phone. What do you do after this happens? I’ll share my opinion tomorrow.… Read More
Part 2: Under Reporting I don’t always charge clients for every hour I work. Sometimes I do this because it’s good customer service (going the extra mile or absorbing an estimation error). Other times it’s part of a business development strategy (minimizing the client’s risk in getting to know me). Still other times it’s because… Read More