NOT HAPPY? CHANGE IT OR LEAVE IT

"It's not wise to violate rules until you know how to observe them."

T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) American-English poet/playwright.

By "observe" he means obey.

If you don't like the system, whether it be in your business or personal life, work to change it.

If you don't want to do that, leave and join a different system.

THE EMPATHETIC MANAGER

"Nothing that grieves us can be called little: by the eternal laws of proportion a child's loss of a doll and a king's loss of a crown are events of the same size."

Mark Twain

19th century U.S. humorist/writer/lecturer

Recognizing and respecting the perspective of others is a talent critical to good management.

History Will Repeat Itself Unless . . .

"There is a history in all men's lives."

William Shakespeare

16th century British poet/playwright

In yours as well and worth reviewing if you don't want to repeat your mistakes of the past.

Management: Heading in the Right Direction?

"Nothing is soft as water and yet who can resist the raging flood?"

Lao Ma

Fictional character in TV show "Xena: Warrior Princess"

While I don't know the context of this quote, it sounds like classic Asian philosophy having to do with the unyielding power of truth to overcome all obstacles. If so, ultimately I agree, however not necessarily in the short term.

Great damage can be done to a business when wrong thinking is in control. The trick is to know that is the case and make changes as quickly as possible.

How can you ever know for certain whether or not your company's fate is in the right hands?

The Role of Attitude

"Many an optimist has become rich buying out a pessimist."

Robert G. Allen
Author/Speaker Regarding Real Estate Wealth

And to be fair, many others didn't.

It's not just your outlook is it? Timing also plays a role.

But attitude is where it starts. If you anticipate failure, you're halfway there.

Management Perspective: Yesterday, Today or Tomorrow?

"It wouldn't be New Years if I didn't have regrets."

William Thomas, (which William Thomas, unknown)

A number of management books tell us to "learn from the past", "look forward, never back", and "live in the now."

I see value in all three but am not always certain how much of each I should be doing, at any point in time.

What about you?