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Making A Difference – Thoughts, Observations and Opinions
This is Dave Brock’s Blog.
It offers my views on a variety of business, sales, marketing, and leadership topic. My goal is to make a difference for you, the reader, in both your professional and personal lives.
Latest Posts
Quiet Time–Break Away From Email, Phones, Blackberry’s
Interesting article in today’s New York Times: Lost In E-Mail, Tech Firm Face Self-Made Beast. The article examines efforts by many companies to understand the impact of constant interruptions on productivity. Companies are finding tremendous results in forcing people to stop distractions for a period of time each day, devoting that time to thinking or getting real work done (such a concept!). The article cited a Basex study which placed the impact in lost productivity in the U.S. due to distractions at more than $650 billion annually! Take the time to read the article. Better yet, everyday, try to take […]
Why Don’t Managers Think Deeply
Today, the Harvard Business Review Working Knowledge Newsletter and Art Petty On Management had complementary articles on Why Don’t Managers Think Deeply? It’s a fascinating topic that should concern all leaders. Both are worth reading, and, dare I say, thinking about. I’d like to add some of my own opinions about why manager’s don’t think deeply: People confuse form with substance: Brilliant presentations, PowerPoint’s, or “hot programs” may be attractive and create a lot of interest, but many have no depth beyond the bullet point on the chart. People haven’t really thought about what the strategy and the most effective […]
Meetings, Meetings, Meetings!?#?!!%&*
“A person’s stature in business is measured by the number of meetings on their agenda!” Sometimes I actually believe people think this is true. I see too many people participating in too many meetings—that accomplish absolutely nothing! The problem is worse in today’s “always available” global business environment. People are always on, conference calls, and other “meetings” consume our lives. I recently did an informal audit of a number of clients and found many scheduling meetings from 5:00AM through midnight! I also found, that during this 19 hour period, many were in meetings for as many as 12 hours during […]
Having A Bad Day?
Interesting post in The Positivity Blog. All of us have bad days, we feel off or unproductive. Shaking off whatever causes the bad day is difficult. The blog offers several points to help, I have reordered them and put my own twist on them: Work out: Working out helps me clear my mind, getting off whatever is bothering or frustrating me. I am always refreshed and productive after I’ve worked out. Beyond the health benefits, working out helps me focus and be more effective. I encourage every professional to take a few minutes in their day to work out in […]
Top 11 Thing I Learned……
In doing some research on a project, I have run across a great blog, Product Management Tips By Gopal Shenoy. One of his posts from close to a year ago was entitled: “Top 11 things I learnt at Solidworks in the last 11 years!” It is a good post, I have included the major bullet items below, but read his blog, you will get a fuller appreciation for the 11 important points. Hiring is the most important thing you will do at work and always hire people smarter than you. A manager’s success is all about making his/her reports successful […]
Advice With Scars On It….
….needs to be listened to! This is a very nice post on Michael Wade’s Execupundit.com. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t pretend that it is right. Be wary of wit at the expense of others. It has a habit of turning sour. There are times when one of the smartest things you can do is to lose an argument. One of the most dangerous moments in a meeting is when everyone agrees. There are no little slights. Don’t set higher standards for your secretary than you do for your chief executive officer. There are people who are wrong at the […]