The late Jim Camp, one of the worlds “most feared negotiators,” was a big fan of the word No.
Camp even wrote a few books around this idea, No and Start with No.
No, Camp reasoned, allowed people to hold on to the status quo. No didn’t require action, No didn’t force someone to do something they weren’t prepared to do.
730am
Saint Paul
Hey there!
Yesterday we discussed the importance of your tone of voice, specifically how being monotone works against your ability to hold someone’s attention.
If your voice has no texture, basically, there’s nothing to hook your listeners’ ears.
But… I mentioned that maybe you want to be boring and monotone, on occasion.
What might that occasion be? (more…)
5:59am
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Have you ever sat through a presentation, and it could barely hold your attention?
The speaker drones on…
“…and in this chart you can see the market share projection…”
Ug take me out back and shoot me.
Vocal tones, speed, and silence are the punctuation to our spoken words. But most people —you and I included— forget the importance of (more…)
Donald A. Norman knows good design.
The author of “The Design of Everyday Things” (Amazon link) (PRL Summary link) tells us that the objects we use are improved when they share common characteristics.
Reinventing the wheel, in other words, is not only unnecessary, but it can actively work against brain patterns and muscle memory people have developed. (more…)
7:15
Saint Paul, Minnesota
I’m still pumped about my upcoming book, Change State, and what it might be able to do for you.
I have to be honest — sharing the book with my family and friends has been a bit nerve-wracking.
Because, like you… (more…)
Yesterday I wrote a bit about Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay, Compensation.
In the essay, Emerson argues that everyone is compensated, for the good or the bad, in relation to the good or bad they bring to others in the world.
Good, or bad. These are relative terms, of course, defined by their polarizing nature. You can’t have one without the other.
Emerson’s Compensation opens with a discussion of the polarity of nature, (more…)
6am on the nuts
June 26, 2019 AD
Saint Paul, Minn
I just received my copy of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Essays.
This collection of Emerson’s writings includes the famous Compensation, which discusses how people who give tend to do better than those who take:
“He is great who confers the most benefits. He is base —and that is (more…)
The Universe is at it again, bringing me a message over and over to make sure I hear it.
(Also known as ‘Confirmation Bias,’ where my brain recognizes patterns in the randomness of the world)
7:22am, St Paul
From a question on Quora.com:
What is a “tell” that someone is lying?
It’s hard to know if someone is lying. It’s a super power we all wish we had… but we can’t read minds.
I received a fundraising email last week from Bernie Sanders campaign. (Screenshot below.)
The email itself asked Bernie supporters to follow a link a form, where you could mark which campaign issues mattered to you, the voter.
Everyone likes to be consulted and have their opinion heard—especially if you’ve self-selected as a supporter to get on this list. I would bet the survey link was pretty busy! (more…)