Monthly Archives: January 2011

Almost a decade ago, on a flight from Houston to New York, I found myself sitting next to a seemingly pleasant woman who introduced herself as a sales director for a large technology company. We began with a polite exchange, … Continue reading →

Twenty-five years ago today, the National Aeronautic and Space Administration made a tragic and very public error in judgment. Despite concerns that cold weather could reduce the effectiveness of the o-ring pressure seals at the joints of the space shuttle’s … Continue reading →

(See Justin’s previous posts from Davos here, here, and here.) So you write an article about how capitalism needs to be rethought along principles of what you call “shared value,” a prominent business publication puts it on its cover, and … Continue reading →

For knowledge-intensive industries, people’s talent, expertise and ingenuity are essential ingredients for success. Agile minds are our richest resource for sharpening our competitive edge. So just how closely should management monitor their employees’ minds? Tracking employee time, location, and attention … Continue reading →

Consider me gagged and muffled. I confess: I wrote a long-winded, thoroughly boring, hopelessly cliched critique of Davos this year, like anyone under the age of 35 facing a future bleaker than the dark side of Pluto, probably should. And … Continue reading →

I always thought that senior executives led most effectively by managing vertically. That is, they spent the majority of their time working upward with their Board of Directors and downward with direct reports. But then the world, in Thomas Friedman’s … Continue reading →

(See Michael’s earlier notes from Davos here, here, and here. And follow Justin Fox’s coverage of the conference.) I’m sitting here in the Partners Lounge on the Mezzanine Level of the Congress Center. As usual, seats are in short supply, … Continue reading →

Push through the discomfort: It’s tempting to stop (or never start) using social media when you realize that you are opening yourself up to the world in a new way: “you mean people can write whatever they want on our … Continue reading →

“What level are you on?” a woman asked me on the train to New York. “I’m on level 12. I just can’t get past it. I’m thinking of giving up.” “Try pressing the bird again in flight, it pops into … Continue reading →

(See Michael’s earlier notes from Davos here and here. And follow Justin Fox’s coverage of the conference.) The World Economic Forum is in full swing. Thursday is the “Governors” Day, which means that key industry sectors, and especially key leaders … Continue reading →