Quash Rumors With Truth
Rumors at work can be surprisingly destructive. Rumors undermine the confidence of an organization, both within and without; encourage infighting, backbiting,[...]
Jeremy Lott
Posts by Jeremy Lott
Jeremy Lott
George Washington vs. Workplace Drama
When George Washington was a teenager, he both copied out by hand and tweaked 110 “rules of civility and decent behavior.” These rules had been compiled by[...]
Jeremy Lott
New Coke: Anatomy of a Terrible Decision
The Coca-Cola Company’s own website admits that it was probably “a day that will live in marketing infamy.” On April 23, 1985, Coke Chairman and CEO[...]
Jeremy Lott
Patience Is Not a Virtue
The patience of Job; the patience of a saint; a “fruit of the Holy Spirit”; a virtue. “He that have Patience, can have what he will,” predicted Poor[...]
Jeremy Lott
What I’ve Learned on the Runway
This article is for people who have spent at least one night sleeping on an airport floor. Perhaps your flight was canceled because of fog and you scrambled to[...]
Jeremy Lott
The Counsel of Scorpions
Solomon was said to be the most successful king that Israel ever had—renowned for his wisdom and his riches. His heir Rehoboam, not so much. Of the 12 tribes[...]
Jeremy Lott
Get a Life!
For my first job in Washington, DC, I worked very long hours. One night, a rare dinner date was lined up. “What time do you get off?” my date asked to[...]
Jeremy Lott
Don’t Bet the Farm on Brainstorming
I can tell you with some precision the moment I first doubted group brainstorming. This was many moons ago. A medium sized media firm that wanted to grow much[...]
Jeremy Lott
Just Enough Cook
Steve Jobs was a virtuoso. Using technology and design, he changed the way we think about computers, phones, music, and movies. Tim Cook, by contrast, comes[...]
Jeremy Lott
When Nobody’s Looking
Julius Caesar Watts memorably said that “character”—meaning good character—is about “doing what’s right when nobody’s looking.” Watts would[...]
Jeremy Lott
Automation for the People
If you want to understand how hard it can be to automate, consider the many attempts to replace cashiers with self-checkout systems. To wit, CVS pharmacies[...]
Jeremy Lott
Guy Walks into a Board Room
Comedians refer to an audience that hasn’t heard any jokes yet as a “cold room.” It is thus the job of the comics who go first or second in the night to[...]
Jeremy Lott
How MLK Responded to Failure
Martin Luther King Jr. had many successes in his life. His first desegregation campaign in Albany, Georgia, wasn’t one of them. It started in late 1961.[...]
Jeremy Lott
The Secret Power of Wasting Time
Studies show that most New Year’s resolutions flop a month or less after we make them. Gyms all over the country are banking on it. They have far less[...]
Jeremy Lott
What Ebenezer Scrooge Can Teach Us About Generosity
Pettiness is a word that is on the way out. Google Books shows its usage down sharply since the middle of the 1960s, and many people have a hard time getting a[...]
Jeremy Lott
Pilgrims’ Progress: The Real Thanksgiving Story
Many extended families will gather this Thanksgiving in the biggest home of the brood; take their places under that roof, around long tables; have each member[...]
Jeremy Lott
When Conflict is Brewing
How do you feel when there’s a difficult conversation brewing at work that you won’t be able to duck? Unless you’re a sociopath, the answer is usually[...]
Jeremy Lott
Hobbies of Highly Effective People
Let’s play a word-association game: Toss out the first several words or phrases that come to mind when you hear the name “Bill Gates.” Don’t overthink[...]
Jeremy Lott