On a recent afternoon of listening to sports talk in the car, I heard another recounting of the pedigree of a coach based upon their “coaching tree.” This time it was the Dallas Cowboys‘ hiring of Monte Kiffen and the where-he-came-from-and-who-he-knew history that justified his hiring. It got me to thinking that we can create […]
Seeing the Network for the Trees Read More »
It doesn’t take much. A simple gesture or phrase, one that can brighten someone’s day. All it takes are a few minutes and some genuine words. Sometimes the simplest of gestures and a few words can go along way. In changing a job recently, a friend experienced just that: after a few weeks on the
In this day and age of passive-aggressive behavior and people generally not getting to the point about what they want, need or are trying to say, I was refreshed by something I saw at a holiday party. Even though the national unemployment numbers are coming back down, Steve Elkins wants a job. He made no
Getting to the point: Asking for what you want Read More »
OK, you have to make the rounds again–the company party, the Chamber function, the lunch event—blah, blah, blah….. So, what exactly are you doing this all for? The free food? The “exposure?” Getting out of the house? Fulfilling some obligations? Or all of the above? Seriously, you really need to step back and think about
Humbug–Holiday Networking Read More »
The client had seen the amenity in the concepts and throughout the design process. The wheat grass accessory seemed innocuous enough, but when he got to the show, what did he ask? “Where’s my wheat grass?” Without missing a beat, a simple laminated box featuring a basic plant from the show site and anchored by
The Missing Wheat Grass and Other Trade Show Stories: An Evening with Ross Smith Read More »
Over the years I’ve been advised that I am “in a box” and “follow too many patterns” which makes me “boring.” OK, so in the spirit of breaking those patterns and slicing through the box (or boxes) I find myself in, I took the idea of breaking up my day with an event or activity
Our colleague and frequent contributor to this space, Wes Bates, recently changed industries and found himself at his new industry’s key trade show. He filed this report for us. Thanks, Wes. *************************** It has been a while since my last trade show- one year and nine months to be exact-and I am glad to get
Report from the Field: The Future of LTE Comes to Big D Read More »
Relentless. It is something we all need to be or aspire to be. In business, in our personal lives and with social causes, we all must aspire or pursue things relentlessly. Truly, it is the only way anything gets done. And, besides, anything short of full-tilt pursuit of your goals should be viewed as half
Years ago, my friend, Peggy Keene, told me that when she read the Sunday newspaper she made sure to turn every page. That’s how I’ve read the paper ever since then and actually heard a story on NPR discussing the topic. By turning every page, I see stories in the paper low on back pages
Turning Every Page Read More »
OK, I can’t resist: it’s holiday season and time to review working a room. I was reminded of this as I spoke at my first holiday mixer of the year, the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (DAYL) for the second year in a row, this time at Times 10 Cellars in the Lakewood neighborhood. (Shameless
Replay: Working a Room Read More »
