Essays on creative leadership,
culture, and the human side of work.
Published weekly, with an original illustration. Two series: Becoming and Advisory Notes.
It’s Thursday, I’m sixteen. Schools out, and I’m pounding down the hall at speed –– hoping I don’t get nailed for running as I hit the crash bar, slamming the door back harder than intended, hoping I can outrun any repercussions as I exit. Running hard across the asphalt playground –– with its weeds growing…
The keys to successful negotiations are inplace long before you reach the bargaining table. “Ted, if you decided to open your own business, I’ll give you all the Alyeska work.” Mike’s promise made my journey possible. We launched our business the following week. In that moment, Mike Dederer of Jay Rockey Public Relations became my…
My mother’s thoughts and feelings from the past. The covers are leather. Dark red leather. Green leather. Occasionally, pink leather. A few had little straps to hold them closed, with a lock. All worn from years of handling. All smelling of old paper slowly breaking down. Little books with lines and dates. Some had places…
I think of negotiation as investigation. When I investigate, I enter a learning mode, reducing my anxiety. By considering negotiation the first creative activity in a project, I create the opportunity to shape the project to meet my needs and those of the client. For me, replacing negotiation with investigation eliminates the potential for conflict…
When my emotions run hot, my skills go cold. “Teddy, what’s three times five?” Asked in a voice, I can’t ignore. “Fifteen.” “And what’s four times five?” More demanding now. “Twenty,” I say, dreading the next question, knowing exactly where he’s going with this. Knowing, too, that tears are about to spill. They do. “Okay,…
Hubris ruins negotiations. Unrestrained pride can cost you friends, employees, clients, deals and even your life. Yep, hubris is dangerous and life-threatening. And, like the common cold, we can all catch it. Yes, I’m intimately familiar with hubris. Here’s how it rolls out for me. First, I find myself striving to achieve something; then I…
I’m in the process of writing a memoir. This piece is from that effort. I’m posting it now because the Burnley School building has been torn down in the last few days. It was interview day. The street was wet with light rain. Gray sky. I’d stopped at the light just across from the school.…