One of my favorite pieces of ancient wisdom comes from the Stoic philosopher Epictetus: We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. Sure, that may not…
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Why the behavior of people is the root of culture
When you understand what is happening at the lowest levels of an organization you can gain an appreciation for the roots of its culture. How people behave, how they speak to one another or interact…
Connections are made when people find common ground
Connections are made when people find common ground. It may take talking for a few seconds or it may take years to find that one thing that connects one person to another. A common bond…
Using Patterns to Make Sense of Your World
Whether you are a designer, entrepreneur, or executive it’s important to be aware of the context in which you are working. Within that context, patterns are the daily habits, behaviors, or consistent actions that…
Deep Context (or 13 Questions to Ask Before You Give a Speech)
I was at a meeting recently and it became apparent that one of the presenters had not done his homework on who he was speaking to that morning. The pace and structure of his presentation…
22 Thoughts on the Power of Context
Context is everything—knowledge of it can give deeper meaning to your reality and insight into what’s coming next. I became acutely aware of the importance of context as a student of history and architecture. When…