The journalist W. James “Jim” Antle III was pressed up against a deadline on a story. He had been working with the material long enough that he doubted he could look at it with fresh eyes any longer. So he sent what he had up the editorial chain with a note. The note said that […]
About David Mark
The Virtues of Iteration
Why It's Okay to Try, Try Again With Your Product
It might seem strange that an iconic concert venue is offering a sneak peek at musicians rehearsing for upcoming shows. “As a valued corporate supporter of Carnegie Hall, your organization’s employees have the unique opportunity to observe the artistic process of a world-class orchestra as it prepares for a Carnegie Hall concert,” notes the famed […]
A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats
How Companywide Bonuses Can Help Everyone Feel the Float
Historically, the office wasn’t a place Americans strove to participate in endeavors larger than themselves. Go to the office to earn a living, the thinking went. Leave horizon-broadening for church and volunteer activities – or maybe a gardening club if you’re into that sort of thing. It need not be that way. With the right […]
Life’s Relief Pitching
How Coaching Can Help With Those Curve Balls
After years of tumult and uncertainty, major parts of Steve’s life were coming together nicely. For more than four years, the website designer had held a staff position at a prominent management consulting firm. Invitations to speak on digital trends at industry conferences flowed to him. Off of work hours, the 43-year-old completed a steady […]
Hobbies for Perfectionists
Learning to Embrace a Hobbyist’s Mediocrity
The Wharton-educated bank executive quits weekend bird-watching excursions after missing a prothonotary warbler (rare orange and yellow-headed songbird) sighting. The tenured physics professor storms out of the kitchen because her batch of gazpacho soup turned out a tad too peppery. First-world problems, to be sure. But they’re also the type of increasingly common complaints hyper-accomplished professionals […]
More Manager, Less Micro
How to Step Back and Get Great Results.
“How’s it going?” The query sounds warm and innocuous enough coming from a friend or sibling. But to an early-career employee the boss just-two-minutes-ago assigned a task, it can be a stark signal that you’re probably working for a micromanager. The greeting often conveys that you’re answering to an OCD-ish, down-to-the-minute-details kind of boss, one […]