Communications(?)

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

At times unfortunately for those with whom I communicate by any of several channels, I tend to be something of a purist in things grammatical, punctuational, and just about every other kind of -al that might apply. I acknowledge that English (and particularly American English) is a living language, but I still insist (quixotically, at times) that there must be …

Do It Differently

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

I came across this interesting item last week, which describes how a person’s world view was changed by way of technology. It got me thinking about how wedded many of us are to doing things the way we have always done them, or how others have always done them, or, in some cases, not doing something at all because to …

Crossing Boundaries

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

Have you ever been in a situation where—despite all your best efforts—some circumstance completely beyond your control crept into your carefully constructed reality, changing things for the worse, or even just forcing you to take some action that hadn’t anticipated? I got to thinking about this as a general phenomenon this morning upon seeing this item that shows that half  …

No Lunch Break?

Mitch HobishGrowth, Leadership, Productivity

It seems that the injunction—real or perceived—to do more with less is having an impact on the lunch break. According to this item from LiveScience, fewer people than before are taking their lunch breaks, with a concomitant effect on their performance. I acknowledge that I haven’t worked in a formal organizational setting for a very long time, but even when …

Did You Say What You Meant?

Mitch HobishGrowth, Leadership, Productivity

The topic of an item I found today is interesting in its own right, but it was the shortened title of the material, provided by the editor of a summary newsletter, that caught my eye. “Modern culture began earlier than thought”, reads the headline—not too far removed from the title of the linked-to item, above. My first interpretation of this …

Miscommunication Potential

Mitch HobishGrowth, Leadership, Productivity

As is often the case, I find things in my daily perusal of things technical items that can have wider implications. Take this piece from the July 3, 2012 Wall Street Journal, which describes different approaches to using online communications channels, and the problems that result from the disparate styles and choices. I pride myself on my ability to communicate. …

Do I Really Need It?

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

A few weeks ago, I noted in this post that I’d had some difficulty with a new laptop computer, given by a long-time friend as a gift. I’ve been thinking about the outcome of the repair situation, and decided to use it to address a more-general issue. Since that post, I had two visits by an on-site technician. The gift …

The Urge to Merge

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

I come across all kinds of interesting things in the course of my daily activities. Take this item from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which describes how and why mosquitos aren’t just crushed when they collide with raindrops—which are many times more massive than the troublesome insect. Using high-speed videography, they demonstrated that mosquito’s strong exoskeleton and …

Expectations

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

Although the guidelines have been available to a subset of interested parties since 2011, it was not until late May 2012 that the broader community became aware of and accepted “…guidelines established by NASA to protect lunar historic sites and preserve ongoing and future science on the moon.” Designed to maintain the historical and scientific integrity of these historical sites—such …