ideas

It’s been a month of deep thoughts so far.

Even as my role changes and I push forward in my career, I have toyed with the idea as to what I should be writing about on this blog. Should I bring work into the focus more? Should I write more about perspective? There is a large intersection between the two, somewhere comfortable, yet I have been unsure if that’s where I want to dig deeper.

A conversation with my fiancée the other night convinced me as to what I want to write about: perspective. We were discussing right and wrong, and I pointed out that while her and I will never agree with certain things people can do, there is a perspective which disagrees with us. Even if allowing such a thing is detrimental to society, there is a way to justify it as right.

I’m returning here with this in mind, as my fuel and guiding light. I’m looking forward to hearing all your thoughts on what I have coming up.

This is a fundamental piece of my personal philosophy, one I hope you'll embrace yourself.

Ask questions. Ask more questions. Ask deeper questions. Ask hard questions. Ask "why" a lot. Ask "how" a lot. When you're done, ask one more tough question and see if you still think you're done.

I could give you answers all day. The problem? All I'm giving you are my answers to my life. This is another fundamental piece of my personal philosophy: find your own way. Let me explain.

Ever try to follow in someone's footsteps and do what they did, only to not have it work out the same? That's because you're removing yourself from the equation. It worked for them, not you. Some of what they did will work or you, and some of it won't. If you had questioned each of their steps for yourself you would have discovered your own way.Read more

Ever had to fly by the seat of your pants?

Winging it, or taking action without preparing for the situation you’re in, is both fascinating and frightening. In amazing moments, winging it will open up doors no one knew existed. Other times you will mishandle what you’re doing and it will blow up in your face, knocking you back 20 feet before your head smacks the ground and you utter a few choice curse words as you begin to get up and try to pick shrapnel out of your leg.

So why is winging it both great and able to create a near-death experience? Can’t we say “yes” or “no” to winging it?

Think of a situation (or three) where winging it was the difference between topping the world and mediocrity. Find any similarities, any constant factors? There are two to consider if winging it is an option or a path to disaster.Read more

Which do you think is a greater burden: having tons of great ideas, or having none at all?

If you have tons of great ideas you have starting points to choose from. Like an idea? Run with it. Don't like an idea? Move on to the next one. On the flip side, if you have tons of great ideas you might be stuck trying to figure out which ideas to use and which ones to forget about. They all seem so great, because they're all great ideas.

If you have none and someone gives you one, then you go with your one great idea. You need to come up with one or have someone give you one, otherwise you're out of luck.

What about this: how would you know if it's a great idea or not?Read more

My first ever mailbag! Thank you for asking me questions, keep them coming!

Q: What goes into a good business name?

There are many options -- making up a totally new word ("Google","Twitter"), combining existing words ("Microstrategy", "LinkedIn", "Sharp"), morphing existing words or parts of words ("Cognos", "Magnavox"), picking a arbitrary existing word ("Schlotzky's","Cerberus","Target").

Which naming strategy do you prefer?
from Mike in Cambridge, MA

A good company name will give someone an idea of what a business does and be memorable. Social media sites like Myspace and Facebook nail this on the head.

I feel it’s better to have a great name than a good name. A great name goes beyond telling you what the company does; it makes you think of something bigger. Target is a better name than Wal-mart, since the name invokes the idea of hitting a target or bullseye. Apple is a better name than HP, since it implies learning, knowledge, and health. Come up with a name people remember, a name which can tell a story on top of what the company does.Read more

Want to make a new friend? Grow your circle of influence? Maybe sit down with Mr. Bigshot? Give them an idea.

Before you give them an idea, make sure it’s not any idea. Most people will not be receptive if you say, “I have an idea! When you get hungry you should eat something.” A dunce cap will magically appear upon thine noggin. ABRACADABRA!!!

The sad part? This is what retailers and salespeople do. This is what people who don’t listen, or don’t want to listen, do. This is what annoying coworkers and bosses do.

Walk into a store and almost every time you’re greeted with a variation of “Can I help you with something?” It’s phrased as if everyone walking in has no idea why they walked in, or how to navigate a cookie-cutter mall store. It’s borderline insulting.Read more

Besides getting a company’s attention and blowing them away in the interview, here are the 59 things you should consider just in case Plan A does not work perfectly.

1) Make sure your cover letter and resume reference the position you are applying for. It shows you paid attention, and in a downturn nobody wants to hire someone who’s not paying attention.

2) Some people say to skip the cover letter. I love them. It’s the best chance I have of getting to know someone before I call them on the phone.

3) Give the person going through applications some way of getting to know you in your cover letter.Read more

You got their attention and the interview. Here are two things an interviewer wants to know:

1) You can do everything the position requires, and more.

2) You like to work hard and get things done fast.

If you cannot meet both of those requirements, you need to ace #2. You will open more doors for yourself in life if you work a little longer, a little smarter, and a little faster than everyone else around you. Why? Most people clock in, get stuff done, clock out. The good ones are not worried about the clock, get more done, and want results. The best don’t care about a clock, get everything done, and get results.Read more

The average job seeker has little idea how to knock someone’s socks off when applying for a job.

In the two years I’ve looked to hire people I must say I’m underwhelmed. Maybe horrified is a better word. Horrified. I’m horrified at the applications I sift through whenever I post a position. Besides the usual pitfalls – misspelled words, no cover letter, no relevant information, and sometimes no relevant job experience – most people lack any kind of style OR substance which sets them apart.

What can you do about it?Read more

What would you rather be, a person of great experience or a person with endless creativity?

I’m going with creative on this one. Give me original ideas over a book of facts any day.

The title of this blog is from a Paul Arden book, It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be. Paul Arden had a fantastic mind for marketing and advertising. The first half of the book I mentioned focuses on the how and why of creating ideas before going into business advice. It’s a fast read and he makes some fantastic points on originality and creativity.Read more