Why Chuck Hates Me

This is the 4th in series of articles about alternative paths to success; ones that go beyond the traditional approach of goal-setting and years of hard work. Back in 1987, I was working for Accenture (then Arthur Andersen’s management consulting division).  I was working on a large project with over 200 people.  I had been out […]

My Father's Role in My Success

Today is my father’s birthday.  To celebrate, today’s blog entry is dedicated to him, and one of the (many) ways he helped me be more successful.  This is the third in my series of blog entries on success. From an early age, my father always said, “Everything happens for a reason.” He didn’t mean it in a […]

Sliding Doors Success

This is the 2nd in a series of articles on different paths to success… In the movie “Sliding Doors,” Gwyneth Paltrow runs to catch a train.  If she misses it, she will miss an important meeting. The movie continues down two different paths: She just makes the train and attends her meeting. The doors close just […]

Creating Success via Luck

Much has been written about success, most of it gives the same advice: set goal, learn from the masters, work hard, reap the rewards. But what if there is a different path to success?  What if “luck” plays a critical role? What if you can create luck? Creativity/innovation and luck go hand-in-hand. Creativity is about […]

Think Around The Box

I’m working on a TV show.  As we were fleshing out the concept the other day, the agent said something brilliant… “Don’t think OUTSIDE the box.  Think AROUND the box.”  He was suggesting that in some cases, innovation is best when it is an extension of something people already know and love.  Studios will be […]

Expectation Creates Dissatisfaction (and what to do about it…)

While on vacation recently, I thought to myself, “This is perfect.”  The weather was nice.  We had a great hotel room.  The food was wonderful. Was it really perfect? Were there nicer rooms, better food, and warmer climates?  Indeed. Comparatively speaking, it was not truly perfect. But perfection in such matters is a state of […]

7 Tips to Sell Your Ideas Like a Motivational Speaker

“You don’t listen!” All of us have likely heard these words spat at us in frustration at some point in our lives. And guess what, it’s true! The fact is that no one listens. In a previous OPEN Forum article, I wrote on how to more effectively hear what others are really trying to say. By recognizing how you listen […]

Design to Handle the Exception, Not for the Exception

While going through security at the airport the other day, I was reminded of an important design and innovation concept. Things were going smoothly until a bag was flagged during the X-ray procedure. The luggage was held on the conveyor until an authority could conduct a manual inspection. At the same time, a similar problem […]

Selling Your Ideas

Innovators know that great ideas that don’t get implemented are worthless. So how do you convince people that your solution is a good one? Consider the case for “business casual” in the workplace. What are the traditional selling points? People will be more creative. Employees will be happier.  A more casual environment improves communication.  All […]

What It Means to Really Listen

…and guess what, you don’t really listen.  In fact, while reading this article, you are not really reading what I intended it to mean…   Last month, I was on a flight from Orlando to Boston that had a bit of a problem. An hour before our scheduled landing in Boston, the pilot announced the […]