The Wall Street Journal had a fascinating story yesterday about how many companies are changing the way they evaluate their employees. Instead of focusing on employees' weaknesses and past mistakes, employers are now focusing on employees' strengths and offering them frequent praise. Why the change? Could it be that managers have finally figured out that positive … Continue reading Accentuate the Positive
“He Likes To Talk About Bowling”
The memory is still fresh in my mind, 42 years later. It was my high school's end of year dance for the sophomore class, and as you might have guessed from the photo above, I did not have a date. However, a friend of mine said that his girlfriend knew a girl who was looking … Continue reading “He Likes To Talk About Bowling”
What’s Your “Big Bath”?
In business, there is a practice known as Big Bath accounting. The way the practice works is that when a company is having a bad year financially, it will opt to do everything it can to make it look as bad as possible. This may involve delaying revenue for the current year until the following … Continue reading What’s Your “Big Bath”?
Wasted Opportunities
I took four years of German in high school, and did fairly well. I still remember reciting "Du bist ein gebildeter affe", which translated to "You are a conceited ape". Never really sure why that was a phrase we were learning. Anyway, I then went to college and took German 101, since I figured it … Continue reading Wasted Opportunities
Making Decisions Consciously
How much thought did you put into some of the key decisions you have made over the years? Decisions such as where to live, where to work, what faith to follow, what foods to eat, or how much money to save for retirement. My guess, based on a very unscientific method of just observing the … Continue reading Making Decisions Consciously
Stuck in a Rut?
I'm a big fan of routine. As an example, here's part of my morning ritual: peel four bananas, and place into blender pour 24 ounces of water in blender, and blend for about 5 seconds go to the fridge and get out the romaine lettuce and baby spinach add a heart of romaine lettuce to … Continue reading Stuck in a Rut?
How My Twitter Following Went from 250 to 253 in Just One Week!
It wasn't easy, but I did it. I recently increased my Twitter following by over 1% in just one week, and I want to share my secrets with you. Sharing these secrets will likely upset some social media gurus, who charge large sums of money for such information. But like a true academic, I believe … Continue reading How My Twitter Following Went from 250 to 253 in Just One Week!
When Does It All Change?
Many times when I ask my college students a question in class, I'm just left with a lot of dead air and averted gazes. Eventually someone will answer, and then a few minutes later, the process will repeat itself. My wife, a nursery school teacher, tells me it's the exact opposite in her classroom. When … Continue reading When Does It All Change?
Do My Students Even Need Me Any More?
I guess the question in the title of this blog contains a bit of hubris, since it implies that at least at some point my students did need me. While it may be true that the best way to learn something is to teach it to yourself, as a teacher, I have always believed (hoped?) that what … Continue reading Do My Students Even Need Me Any More?
Certificates of Failure
Walk into any doctor's or college professor's office, and you're likely to see a wall lined with framed certificates of that person's academic accomplishments. I admit that I look at these certificates, and often use them as a way of quickly judging the competence of the individual whose name appears on the certificates. However, as … Continue reading Certificates of Failure
Borden's Blather 