What Used to Be May Not Be

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

It’s clear that things aren’t always what they seem. I’ve written on this subject before; see this link. But Particularly in scientific endeavors, all it takes is one experiment or reproducible observation to put things into the proverbial cocked hat. Take this item, for example, in which is reported an experiment that seems to show that the speed of light …

More Things Not Dreamt Of

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

Despite oft-repeated claims by the self-described cognoscenti, something new in science is being discovered all the time. As Hamlet opined, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” [Hamlet, Act 1, scene 5, 159–167] Today’s tidbit comes from the realm of physics and animal behavior, specifically this item that describes how bees …

What’s In Is Out

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

Okay, this isn’t science or technology related (except by a looooong stretch), but it does have relevance for our ongoing conversation (well, monologue, as I don’t allow comments). My reading is eclectic, to say the least, so it shouldn’t be surprising that I came across this item, describing how fashion in men’s shoes has changed over time. I was fascinated …

Art vs. Reality

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

I’m a long-time fan of science fiction. Hard science fiction. This means made-up stories that are based in the physical reality as we know it, or within reasonable extrapolation of the boundaries thereof: Magicians, trolls, witches, warlocks and vampires need not apply! (Oh, I enjoyed The Tolkien Trilogy ‘way back when, but that’s not sci-fi.) One of my favorite activities …

The Power of a Handshake

Mitch HobishGrowth, Leadership, Productivity

When I was much, much younger—early teens, I believe—my father taught me what he considered the proper way to shake hands. Key to his technique was to grip my contact’s hand firmly, to look that person directly in the eye, and to say—with great confidence and enthusiasm—something pithy, like, “Nice to meet you!” I took that advice to heart, and …

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 …

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 …

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 …

What Would You Do If You Could Not Fail?

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

I came across this question recently via two different communications channels (Wired magazine and a YouTube video), both referring to the same person. That person is Regina Dugan, who—until March 2012—was director of the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency, or DARPA. She left DARPA to move to Google, and faced lots of criticism for the way she allocated work to …

Interaction Modes

Mitch HobishGrowth, Leadership, Productivity

Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. -William Arthur Ward, college administrator, writer (1921-1994) Questions: How do you interact with others? What do you do to get others to change their behavior? What makes you …