In the US during the 1960s, soldiers returned from war with government financial support to complete their schooling. The problem, though, was that schools weren’t prepared for it. Control Data Corporation and the University of Illinois began researching how technology could solve the problem by extending the capacity and reach of learning. Those researchers could
Each week I allocate 90 minutes to write these posts. Last week, like many others, I wasn’t totally satisfied with my work when I hit the 90-minute mark. It could be better, I thought. Nonetheless, I’d reached my time limit, so I published something that wasn’t ideal in my mind. It was simply the best
Perhaps you’ve heard about the historic feat climber Alex Honnold accomplished on June 3rd. He became the first person in history to free solo climb (by himself with no ropes or equipment) El Capitan in Yosemite, which is a 3,000-foot vertical wall up the Freerider path. He did it in under four hours. Mind-blowing. I
I worked for my dad for about ten years, during which time he persistently asked me this question: “How is your system working for you?” As he explained it, “Successful people develop a structured approach to their work. They are successful because they consistently work their system.” But for years, I frankly had no idea
Early in his career, one of my university professors set a constraint on how much money he would ever make in one year. He established a modest fixed cost of living amount, adjusted for inflation each year and gave away the rest. Incredible, I always thought. Especially because he was the highest rated professor in
When Jim Malecha was named the CEO of Egan Company, his predecessor said, “I know how strong your faith and ethics are. You will make sure the company sticks to that.” And indeed he has prioritized people over profits and consistency over comfort. At work, it’s easy to be self-defined by what you do rather
Recently, some friends and I were talking about our relationships with our wives or girlfriends. One friend mentioned that he’d just gotten feedback that he doesn’t communicate well. “Did you get defensive?” I asked. “No, not at all,” he said. “I am meeting with a therapist to work on this. It’s my issue, not hers.
You can’t see it, but I get performance anxiety. My stomach knots, my palms sweat, my nerves fray, my breath is uneven and my thoughts are scattered. In the past week, I got it to some degree or another for: a meeting with our company, a big lunch meeting with a client and a networking
I was given the gift of space on my calendar this morning when a client asked to reschedule a meeting. And within that space, several serendipitous things happened. Initially, I sat in my chair listening to the chatter across the office. I reflected on our culture, on teammates and on the work we do. Moments
A friend of mine, John March, caught up with me recently to pick my brain about the connection between leadership and values. The topic, which is personal for both of us, led to interesting insights and self-awareness. I’ve captured a bit of our discussion below to share with you in the hopes that his questions
Matt Norman is president of Norman & Associates, which offers Dale Carnegie Training in the North Central US. Dale Carnegie Training is a global organization ...READ MORE