From the Author

There’s a story about basketball’s Hall of Fame superstar, Magic Johnson, which may or may not be true. But it’s a great story anyway. Supposedly, he was the star player on his team in high school and one of the best players at his age that anyone had ever seen. Naturally, he received a lot […]

As I have previously written, I try to focus in this space on productivity and success, mostly in terms of techniques and ways to handle specific situations. But as with most aspects of your work and your life, there are also some extremely helpful general principles that can bring you important benefits. I covered some

I try to focus in this space on productivity and success, mostly in terms of techniques and ways to handle specific situations. But as with most aspects of your work and your life, there are also some extremely helpful general principles that can bring you benefits. Let’s go over a few of them right now:

In this space I have written quite a lot about the importance of knowing, in a given situation, what other people are thinking, feeling, and trying to achieve. I have even lightly touched on some of the ways you can do this. But not enough, apparently. I’ve received many requests for more detail on this

I’ve pounded the table many times about the importance of working well with others for a variety of good reasons, not the least of which is that it’s a way of helping maximize your own productivity and success. There are several keys to working well with others, and this time around we’re going to focus

The importance of interpersonal intelligence is clear, along with its relevance to increased productivity and success. So it’s no surprise that many people have asked me to say more on methods for acquiring and enhancing what many call “emotional intelligence.” Here, then, is a brief rundown on some ways you can kick up your base

No matter how smoothly you navigate through most of your work and your life, you’ve undoubtedly suffered a few of those inevitable awkward moments. You know the kind: where your brain stops working and without warning you “choke” in the midst of whatever you’re trying to do. You may suddenly find: You can’t remember the

Unless you’re leading a totally charmed life, you’re going to be rejected. At some point, people will refuse you opportunities, refute your opinions, limit your choices, prove you wrong, steal credit that’s due you, and perhaps even take away a goal or an achievement that’s already or potentially within your grasp. It’s just an unfortunate

It’s been a long time since I’ve thought specifically about “time wasters,” those ordinary actions and choices people make that suck time out of their days without providing any major benefits in return. I guess it’s because I’ve been largely focused less on “doing things right” and more on “doing the right things.” But with

An increasing amount of research is showing that strong, healthy relationships are among the most important elements that contribute to a life well-lived. That puts efforts to earn more appreciation from others at (or near) the top of the list, when it comes to enhancing your level of professional and personal success. Fortunately, the behaviors