I met with a colleague last week who obviously was not her usual ebullient self. She’s usually quite talkative, energetic, and always ready to accept life’s challenges. At the conclusion of our meeting, I inquired (with genuine concern) if she was OK.

“You seem a bit more reserved and tired today,” I told her.

Her response made me think.

“You know — I’m just tired,” she said. “I’m really tired. That’s exactly it.”

When she left, I reflected on that feeling, and I had to admit I felt it as well.

I’m tired — physically and mentally — from the…

Yes, I know “personal” is misspelled, but that’s because I’m referring here to PERSONNEL — or, as they’re known these days, “Human Resources” (as opposed to non-human resources, but I’m not going there).

Let’s face it. Dealing with personnel issues (I’m sorry, “human resource issues”) is typically NOT something any manager wants to do. Dealing with personnel problems (which often involve personal problems — HA! See what I did there?) is often one of the biggest reasons people don’t like being in management. …

I have a small, gold card in my wallet bearing various quotations regarding “Time Management” (the subject of the card). In the bottom left-hand corner, in EXTREMELY small print (especially for an old person), the card bears this copyright: “© 1993 David Bruno.”

From what I can tell, David Bruno is a purveyor of ultra-thin, very chic and pricey watches in London, U.K. (That’s really all I could find related to time management and David Bruno. If you have other ideas, please let me know. I like to give credit where credit is due.)

I’ve had the card in my…

My Grandfather Seth wasn’t really my maternal grandparent, but he was my maternal grandmother’s husband. (She married a few times.) But Seth was her last husband, and he was quite the guy. He liked to “tickle the tonsils” (as he used to say) with a “good beverage” quite a bit, to the consternation of my teetotaler grandma.

But he had lots of redeeming qualities, one of which was to tell lots of stories about running a fishing camp in southern Wisconsin. …

I’ve heard a lot about “best practices.” Best practices in incubation; best practices in entrepreneurship education; best practices in yadda, yadda, yadda (with apologies to Seinfeld).

Best practices are procedures generally accepted as superior to other ways of accomplishing a desired outcome because they produce optimal results or can be done more efficiently. (I pieced that explanation together using several of the 1.7+ billion entries Google gathered for “best practice.”)

But the truth is, one person’s best practices may be another person’s follies. “Best” isn’t always best. There are many variables to consider. What really makes a practice “best”?

I…

My last writing effort was about some of the key characteristics of “leadership.” I’ve read a lot of books over the past several years about being a leader. I have to admit, one of my favorites was by a U.S. Navy Seal named Jocko Willink, “Extreme Ownership.” Jocko (whom my son later met, which was cool) wrote about “owning your successes AND your failures.” That’s an important step, accepting responsibility and (as I may have mentioned once or twice in previous blogs) making new decisions.

Today, I’m thinking of a quote from Lee Iacocca, the former CEO of Chrysler Motors…

I saw a “Dilbert” cartoon by Scott Adams that depicted the “pointy-haired boss” considering how he might demonstrate his leadership. He then announced that the employees would participate in an “‘iron man’ team building competition.” (In the late 1990s, team building outings and obstacle courses were in fashion; physical experiences or trials were thought to encourage people to work together as a team.)

In response to the boss’s announcement, Dilbert says, “What a bunch of leadership!” (I’m sure he was thinking of another word to express his true feelings. See the comic strip yourself here.).

So what might have distinguished…

It’s a new year. A perfect time for a fresh start. A new-and-improved you for what we all hope will be a new-and-improved year. (Good riddance, 2020!) To make changes in yourself, consider reading any of the zillion motivational books available. If you prefer, you could listen to or watch any of the thousands of motivational speakers and motivational podcasts.

(Or you could read my blog. This one. I mean, since you’re already here and all.)

Trust me, you can find all sorts of self-help books and talks to help you become “You 2.0,” whatever you envision that model to…