Direction, or directions?

The best executive is the one who has the sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it. Theodore Roosevelt 1858 – 1919 Do you want to be a better manager, parent or relationship partner? If your relationships with your employees, co-workers, friends or relatives aren’t what you’d like, here’s a good way to improve: ask yourself this question: “Do I give direction, or directions?” That question may sound too simple or too subtle, but the answer could lead to a huge change in …
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The study of 4,000

Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind. Seneca 4 B.C – 65 A.D. A few years back, Dr. Gerald Bell, a business school professor at the University of North Carolina, conducted a study of 4,000 retired executives. The average age of this group was 70. He asked them just one question: “If you could live your life over again, what would you do differently?” Before you read the responses, take a moment to think about this question: when you’re past the …
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Jigsaw puzzles

Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Confucius 551 – 479 B.C. I suspect that most of you have worked on a jigsaw puzzle at one time or another; I still do them occasionally to keep my mind active and agile. Many people consider the jigsaw puzzle a childhood game, but there’s a valuable lesson we can learn from it. Before I explain, I want to pose a question: how do you begin to solve a jigsaw puzzle? It’s not a trick question and generally everyone gets it right. You start by separating the edge pieces and then putting them …
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