Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Technology and Interpersonal Relationships

We've been hearing for a long time that the Internet, social media and email are causing more distance between people, and relationships are suffering because of it.

This story changed my mind...

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id=5410616

Athletes, politicians, celebrities, and even employers are starting to understand that the Internet doesn't forget.  Ever.  Neither does email.  Or Facebook.  Orwell's "memory hole" might be a welcome addition to our lives for some, but the reality is that once something is published, emailed or shared, it's out there.  And you never know when it will come back.

So the safest way to communicate may just be face to face.  That's the one time we know we are secure, and our secrets and thoughts can be shared without fear of them coming back to haunt us.  Assuming, of course, you are sharing them with the right person. 

Monday, July 5, 2010

The number one job...

...of a leader is to keep promises
None of us can accomplish much on our own. Employees, employers,
customers, vendors, investors all rely on us to keep our word. A
sinplistic way to look at it, to be sure, but that doesn't make it
less true.
I have seem great teams fall apart because a leader makes unrealistic
promises (or worse, very realistic ones) upon which they failed to
act. Even failure to deliver can, at least somewhat, be forgiven when
the effort to fulfill those promises are made.
Be candid, be clear, but most of all be committed to delivering on
promises made.