This past Wednesday, I was hit with the stomach flu. You can fill in the details from your own experience, but I spent the day sleeping or dealing with the effects. I was quite miserable, but it turned out to be a gift from God. Extremely early Thursday morning my husband and I were scheduled...
Guess what, kids! We’re going to Disneyland in three years’ time! Guess what, Honey! We’re being transferred to Paris for two years; our flight’s this afternoon, just after lunch. Both scenarios are equally ludicrous. It is also absurd to fire an under-performing employee and give him twenty-four months’ notice but telling the same employee that...
One of our daughters was born with a full head of hair. At a very young age, she would tug on her tresses and yell from the self-inflicted pain. In the eyes of two doting parents, it was sad, though not without a tinge of humor. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...
What do toddlers and sales professionals have in common? No, this isn’t the latest riddle from your in-flight magazine. The correct answer is that both employ profound psychological principles to project their wills. Toddlers do so instinctively while sales pros do so after sophisticated training. But we all can use these timeless truths to practice...
I was humbled the other night. My husband and I were guests at a dinner party along with some of the smartest, most active and accomplished people in Seattle. Among our companions were two women who, unintentionally, sent me home feeling rather inferior. The first of these is long-time Seattle television anchor, Susan Hutchison, currently...
“I’m sure you’re doing your best.” This is a subjective statement. “Your grade dropped to a ‘D’ this semester.” This is an objective fact. “Management is satisfied with the company’s 2013 performance which was in accordance with expectations” Subjective. The company lost $3.7 million in fiscal year 2013. Objective. Measuring performance objectively brings success whether...
What do these items have in common? A plastic egg filled with baby teeth which was a young child’s investment program based on the assumption that the tooth mouse’s payments might rise. (Our family preferred mythical mice to fantasy fairies.) A garish bright red and green vest that I sewed when I was thirteen. I...
Would you enjoy working with an investment advisor who is paid for the number of trades she recommends whether or not you make any profit? What do you think of a teacher who is paid even if his students learn nothing? Would you frequent a store that charges you for trying on clothes whether or...
