Karl Edwards presents Working Matters » Lighten Up!

Clippings from Don: Hamster-Brained Bosses

Karl Edwards — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:25:49 +0000

One of the reasons Scott Adams is so funny is because the situations underlying his humor are so real.

His article in the weekend Wall Street Journal, “The Perfect Stimulus: Bad Management” is the perfect example.

If you want a good laugh as you absorb some entrepreneurial insights, then click on over to his article on why bad management is the cornerstone of the entrepreneurial spirit in this country.

You’ll enjoy great one-liners like, “The primary purpose of management is to kill any hope that staying in your current job will work out for you… Remember, only quitters can be winners, because you can’t do something great until first you quit doing something that isn’t.”

And my favorite, “I think we all understood that working in a cubicle and being managed by Satan’s learning-challenged little brother was not a recipe for happiness.”

Sometimes the only way to keep from crying about work is to laugh about it.

You know I’m here if you want to talk about your situation at work. If we haven’t met yet, sign up for a free 30-minute consultation about your hamster-brained boss.

Voracious reader friend Don Silver always has an eye out for what interests me. Clippings from Don is a column where I pass on some of these articles, stories and resources to you.

Did You Know… 4.0 Release

Karl Edwards — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:43:34 +0000

Are you ready for the future?

In what ways are you and I connected?

Are we in conversation here at the Working Matters blog talking with each other about our jobs and careers?

How about on LinkedIn? On Twitter? On Facebook? On FriendFeed? On iTunes?

Click on your favorite link and let’s get connected!

On your side,

- Karl

10 Tasks You Can Complete During An American Idol Commercial Break

Karl Edwards — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:18:42 +0000

I love American Idol, but its commercial breaks are longer than the show itself. If you add the previews (which duplicate most of the content,) there’s time to accomplish quite a bit between segments.

How do you use all that time?!

Here’s my list of 10 tasks you can complete during an American Idol commercial break:

Pay the bills.
Give the dog a bath.
Clean out the garage.
Make popcorn… for the neighborhood.
Repair a popped balloon.
Install software on Windows.
Navigate the menu of telephone prompts to get a live person at the phone company.
Replay Obama’s inaugural address.
Explain Twitter to your grandmother.
Delouse a screaming child.

Those commercials make up a good part of one’s evening. Why just sit there?

What else belongs on this list?

Mitchell’s Third Law of Committology

Karl Edwards — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:03:49 +0000

After the solution screws up the project, all those who initially endorsed it will say, “I wish I had voiced my reservations at the time.”

I found this unattributed quote on a calendar so old that the white paper is now brown and fragile. Still relevant, wouldn’t you say?!

Lifelong Learning… Visually

Karl Edwards — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:46:42 +0000

Always making a case for lifelong learning.

The entire Indexed site is a must-visit.

What Happened to Monday?

Karl Edwards — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:59:46 +0000

I always feel a day behind after a three-day weekend.

It’s Tuesday, and while I thoroughly enjoyed Monday with my family, part of me wants Monday back.

I can’t do Monday planning on Tuesday! I need to have a certain amount of momentum by now. And to top it all off, I lost my procrastination wiggle-room.

I’ll survive, of course. But for all the flexibility and willingness to adjust that I recommend for the poised leader, I’m feeling remarkably out of my routine today.

How do you get back into the groove after being away?