We often get advice on what we should do, how we should behave, how we can get better. Suggestions are often couched as constructive. They’re theoretically helpful. And yet they most assuredly are often not. And they tell us a lot more about the person offering the guidance than they do about the person being “helped.”
We Should Stop Using Should
Constructive criticism very often isn’t constructive. We also tend not to receive it well, even when it’s well-meaning—and sometimes even when we ask for it. Part of the problem is with our use of the word “should.” It is a word of judgement, criticism and deflection We probably shouldn’t use it quite as frequently as we do.
Finish That Book?
I have a confession to make. I abandon books. I used to read them all the way through, and now I often give them up part way. A spate of articles recently challenged me to question the practice, and whether I should doggedly keep reading.
Reclaiming ‘Strategy’
Do we need to reclaim ‘strategy’? There was a very interesting article in yesterday’s Globe and Mail that essentially suggests that the words ‘strategy’ and ‘strategic’ are overused, hype-filled and meaningless buzzwords.
What I Will Do On My Summer Vacation
I find myself in an interesting situation as the beginning of July looms. For the first time since I was thirteen or so, I have the summer off. Well, not completely off… I do, after all, have a thesis to write. So I’m in summer school, if you will. But in terms of work obligations, […]