“Sharpen the saw? You mean the Covey thing?” “I guess. It’s not like he was specific. He just told me I was likely to be “on the beach” in the short term and there were likely to be “concerns” in next month’s “discussions.” Jasper and Jeanne were in the same new hire consulting cohort at […]
My father had a “teach Alan to work” project. I loved to play, and ignored my chores. At ten I endured humiliating failure at the morning paper delivery job he found me, and at eleven I broke the family lawn mower mowing neighbors lawns. Both my parents worked and believed leaving me to play with […]
What is Wisdom? I. I started Wisdom from Unusual Places in February 2023 to pass on some knowledge acquired through my experience in change consulting, leading change, or living. I was quick to point out that I did not consider myself wise. I am more of a wiseacre, quick with sarcastic humor, which I have […]
Christmas in our family used to be unbelievably chaotic. Between Billie and me, we bought gifts for well over fifty people. Most of those had to be mailed. We were usually guessing about what would work and what wouldn’t. And all of those gift receivers felt obliged to reciprocate. A few years ago, and I […]
“That one’s a pip, said Jan, the breeder, “last out, always fighting to get to the front of the line.” I looked at the little Black Lab puppy that had crawled over the top of the pup I was looking at and virtually jumped into my hand. Billie and I were heart broken when we […]
“Dude, you know what is going on in consulting right now?” The three of us were sitting in an Irish pub in New Jersey. We worked together more than twenty-five years ago at Gemini** Consulting, the predecessor to Cap Gemini. We remain friends, getting together once or twice a year for dinner. One went into […]
It’s New Year’s Eve Eve, and as I look back at last year’s resolutions I realize I still have two days to: Lose 15 pounds Get back to running Spend more time with family Sell 10,000 books Finish rereading Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations Learn to play guitar like Jimi Hendrix OK. I didn’t set those New […]
“Those who came before us had the knowing and the doing beyond our ken.” My wife and I visited Newgrange northwest of Dublin in Ireland in 2002, on our honeymoon. Our wedding in New York City was originally scheduled for September 23rd the previous year, near the autumnal equinox, but events overtook that date. We […]
Jon Katzenbach passed away recently. Many will know Katzenbach as the author of The Wisdom of Teams and several other books. Katzenbach had a unique ability that some might call “beginner mind.” He could approach a subject fresh, unburdening his mind from previous research and scholarship, and just observe and think. He once told me […]
“Fits and starts of motivation” In the fourth grade, Mrs. Keshan described the early stages of my declining interest in academics. “Alan read early and is obviously very bright, but is overly sensitive to criticism, and plagued by fits and starts of motivation for any work outside the classroom.” I hated homework, which in fourth […]
