Over the past weeks, I’ve had three conversations where my conversation partner mentioned the phrase:
“We’ve set this person up for failure.”
Hiring manager
Otherwise said, we’ve failed ourselves to set this person up for success.
But that sentence you won’t hear very often. Both sentences imply the same, but only one puts the blame directly on the people responsible for this person’s success.… Read the rest
If you have been driving through the Netherlands recently, you had time to look around you.
For sure.
Perhaps you’ve never driven through the Netherlands, but the story still matters to you.
For a few years now, you can’t drive faster than 100 kilometers per hour on Dutch highways.
Last week we spent a few days in the Netherlands.
I had work to do, we visited family and friends and had a good time in The Hague.
Sunday, we drove back.
We benefitted from one extra hour because daylight saving time ended, so we left early and returned home before it got dark (again).… Read the rest
The Queen of England has died.
I wrote this piece the morning after her death was announced.
Seventy years she devoted her life to serving her country.
Suddenly I’m reminded of a song by Dire Straits called ‘Walk of Life.’
The tune enters my head.
A ninety-six years’ Walk of Life’ of which seventy years were dedicated and devoted to being the Queen of England.… Read the rest
Some years ago, Microsoft claimed that the attention span of a human being had evolved so dramatically that it was now shorter than the attention span of a goldfish.
Eight seconds for us human beings.
I added the average word.
Why average?
Because I can’t imagine that every single goldfish is the same.… Read the rest
Can a company grow too fast?
The answer to that question is yes, but many will struggle to provide me with that answer because they’ve never experienced it.
Recently I spent a few hours in one room with a highly visionary entrepreneur.
Frequently, I seek the company of visionary leaders because they’re a breath of fresh air in a world where target-driven managers dominate.
We have a little coffee place in the next village over that we like to go to. It’s small, authentic, has excellent coffee, the best cakes, and started selling fresh bread last year as well.
There’s only one of it. It serves its unique purpose to people in the village and those who like to walk or bike in the forest nearby.… Read the rest
I love good design.
I’ve always been interested in design, both personally and professionally.
Good design helps tell and sell a story.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t great at math and other exact subjects at school. Otherwise, I would have become an architect.
Architecture is the bridge between imagination and execution.… Read the rest
When was the last time you made time to daydream a little and imagine something you would like to create?
What was it like to pause? How did it make you feel? What were you imagining?
Or perhaps, you didn’t do any of that and the last weeks (or maybe even months) went by in a blur.… Read the rest
You must have come across emails recently offering to help you with your goal setting. Otherwise, you’re not into email, or you’re not reading on the internet.
But you’re reading my insight today, so the chances are that you receive more emails inspiring you to accomplish what you want to achieve.… Read the rest
Tiger Woods played the last six holes of his Masters tournament on Sunday five below par. That means he was five shots better than he should have been according to the course standards (par).
The story is that he posted his worst score ever on the hole before.… Read the rest
I’m in full lockdown again. From being the best student in class, Prague and the Czech Republic are now the worst student. As I write this story, the numbers continue to rise, and it seems like we’re only days away from a full, second lockdown.
The weather has turned colder, the days have become shorter, and it’s clear that this pandemic is not just going away.… Read the rest
