Posts by Mark Morgan Ford
Information Overload: The E-Mail Problem
Chris Schroeder – CEO of Health Central Network – bragged at a recent information-publishers’ conference that there were 2,000 items in his RSS feed inbox awaiting his attention. When I read this in an article by Bob Bly, I couldn’t help but shake my head.
Read MoreDefeating Info Overload: Read to Succeed
The average American adult reads about 150 words a minute. At that rate, a 500-page book would take 24 hours to finish. If you had two hours a day to devote to it, you could read a book every two weeks.
Read MoreInformation Overload: How to Escape the Crush
Stanley Bergen has a problem. As a regular reader of ETR and a new member of the Oxford Club, he’s getting so much good stuff from us (he’s especially interested in learning how to “eliminate some debt” and retire one day) that he “can’t figure out what to read.”
Read MoreMichael Masterson in Movie Land
After a movie has been half-shot, you can’t fire your principal actors. You must keep them because you can’t afford to re-shoot all the scenes they have been in.
Read More9 Steps to Defeating Depression
Of all the many prescriptions for happiness that populate the media these days, the most popular one is also the stupidest. I’m talking about the idea that you can defeat depression by “paying attention to yourself.” The truth is that paying attention to yourself doesn’t make you happy at all. In fact, the more attention…
Read More7 Steps to Becoming the Best in Your Field
To make this year the year you successfully start a profitable business (or make the business you have already started more profitable than ever), resolve to be the smartest person you know about the business you are in.
It’s a bold objective, but it is possible. Here’s how to do it:
Read MoreEmotional Detachment and the Zen of Golf
About a month ago, I played golf for the first time with Number Three Son (N3S). I was looking forward to a pleasant afternoon. I imagined fresh air, healthy sunshine, and that father-son banter that women who don’t understand men categorize as superficial.
Read MoreDid Malcolm Gladwell Rip Me Off?
I’m a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell. His books, especially The Tipping Point, have validated many of my long-held business philosophies. But when his new book, Outliers, came out a few months ago, I started getting e-mails from friends and colleagues with disturbing news.
Read MoreDouble Your Personal Power by Mastering One Skill
Words are innocent and powerless in themselves, Nathaniel Hawthorne said, but they become immensely powerful in the mouth of someone who knows how to use them to persuade others to follow his lead.
Read MoreDon’t Fall Victim to Office Gossip
Like so many things in life, office gossip is a temporary indulgence with long-lasting, undesirable side effects. For one thing, it damages team spirit. This is no small cost if you are concerned with team productivity. For another thing, it demeans your stature. Even your co-conspirators will think less of you for doing what they themselves know they shouldn’t do. If you consider the kinds of activities you can engage in at work, this falls into the lowest category. It’s not only unproductive, it’s destructive.
Read MoreThe Most Powerful of All Success Skills
In any organization, power moves inexorably to those who have mastered the art of persuasion. Whether you express yourself online, on the phone, or in person doesn’t matter much. What counts is your ability to convince people that your ideas are worthwhile.
Read MoreHow important is a name?
“Okay. I am finally taking the plunge and starting a side business. I guess it is actually more like getting my feet wet, since my target sales goal for now is to cover my daycare expenses. At any rate, I am to the point where I need to call myself ’something.’ How important is a name? What should the strategy be for choosing one?
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