Tag: leadership

Wild Thing, I Think I Loathe You

Dan read the following timely column by California Employment Law Letter editor Mark Schickman and thought Oswald Letter readers would enjoy it. Dan will be taking off next week but will return to his weekly column the following week. by Mark Schickman You’ve got an employee, Charlie, who has always been a wild thing. Too […]

Six Lessons on Employee Communications from Gov. Christie

The other day, I read about a confrontation New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had with the state’s firefighters. It occurred on September 17 of last year. Gov. Christie was scheduled to address the firefighters at their annual convention. As the governor entered the convention center and made his way up to the stage, he was […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Hardcover Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the New York Times with data from Nielsen BookScan on February 28. 1. All the Devils Are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis by Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera. Two business journalists ex­amine the financial crisis of 2008. 2.  […]

What It Takes to Be a Team

I’ve been reminded lately about the value of teamwork and how amazingly powerful it can be at work. I’ve watched as some very impressive teams have formed and begun to work together. This experience has led me to consider what the elements of a successful team are. Here’s what I’ve come up with: T-rust. The […]

Relationships 101

No, I’m not here to talk about your love life. I’ve been married for 23 years and I would never presume to have the least bit of insight to share with you regarding that topic. And my wife would gladly confirm that if I did provide any advice, you’d be best to ignore it! I’d […]

Walk a Mile in Someone Else’s Shoes

We’ve all heard the old saying “Don’t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.” It’s pretty straightforward. The Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings describes it this way: “Don’t criticize another person’s work until you’ve tried to do it yourself; don’t judge another person’s life until you’ve been […]

Super Lessons from the Super Bowl

As I sat and watched my Green Bay Packers hold on for a victory in Sunday night’s Super Bowl, I was reminded how athletic competition provides great lessons for life and business. Whether it’s an individual sport like golf or a team sport such as football, athletics provides countless opportunities to learn life’s lessons. It […]

In Praise of Checklists

This week, instead of posting on his own blog, Dan wrote a book review of The Checklist Manifesto for the Resources for Humans blog.  Here’s an excerpt. “I had been thinking recently about the importance of a good “to do” list, so when I stumbled upon the Atul Gawande’s book The Checklist Manifesto: How to […]

What My Beloved Packers Teach Us About Consistency

My beloved Green Bay Packers take on their biggest rival, the Chicago Bears, Sunday for the National Football Conference crown and an opportunity to play in the Super Bowl. The rivalry between the two teams is the NFL’s longest, beginning in 1921.  During the span of the last 90 years, the two teams have faced […]

Putting Others First

On October 26, 1967, John McCain’s plane was shot down during a bombing run over North Vietnam. He was captured and imprisoned at the Hoa Loa prisoner of war camp, which also was known as the “Hanoi Hilton.” McCain’s captors soon learned he was the son of the commander of all U.S. Forces in Vietnam, […]