Water Cooler Archives - 8020Info Inc.

Change Can Come From Anywhere

In this 8020Info Water Cooler, our first of the new year, we look at the flow of change, sources of surprise, tips for new leaders, writing better, mentorship, and assessing whether what you have to offer is different, better and special. We’re also reading about trust and shortening attention spans. Enjoy!

Change Can Come From Anywhere
Tips for Lasting First Impressions as a Leader
Write Fast, Redraft and Read It Out — Often
Five Mentoring Traps to Avoid
10 Questions on Being Different
Focus on Just the Next Step
Preparing for Surprises in 2024
Reading: How Trust Works
Reading: Stolen Focus (Why You Can’t Pay Attention)

Change Can Come From Anywhere Read More »

Vol-23_No-17_Dec-11-2023

Water Cooler / Rob Wood

In this 8020Info Water Cooler we look at questions to assess your personal performance this year, getting rid of “barnacles”, choosing a few key goals for action in 2024, reimagining marketing with AI in the mix, avoiding pitfalls in one-on-one meetings, success factors behind outperforming family-owned businesses, and our year-end shout-out. Enjoy!

Questions for your Personal Annual Review
Developing Goals for Next Year
Reimagining Marketing and Sales with AI
How to Have Lousy One-on-Ones
The List: Success Factors Behind Outperforming Family-Owned Businesses
Reading: Strategic
Reading: Elastic
Our 2023 Year-End Shout-Out

Vol-23_No-17_Dec-11-2023 Read More »

Communication Secrets of The Explainer

Water Cooler / Rob Wood

In this 8020Info Water Cooler we look at the art of explanation, the roles of safety and clarity in innovation work, tips for coaching and reviewing performance, three distinct roles for system partners, and providing your board with a better agenda package.

Communication Secrets of The Explainer
Getting the Board Data Pack Right
A Formula for Workplace Innovation
Improving your Performance Reviews
The List: 10 Things Good Coaches Do
Specialized Roles for Collaborating Partners
Reading: Hidden Potential
Reading: Clear Thinking

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Vol-23_No-15_Oct-23-2023

Water Cooler / Rob Wood

In this 8020Info Water Cooler we look at defining problems for better decision-making, Elon Musk’s management “algorithm”, leadership in the AI era, managing your own ego, simple rules for balancing autonomy and collaboration in a complex world and, for fun, some new words. Enjoy!

How to Define a Decision-Making Problem
Elon Musk’s Management Algorithm
Leading the AI Expedition
How to Counter Your Egotistical Behaviour
The List: Simple Rules to Manage Complexity
New Words in the Language
Reading: Good Charts
Reading: Necessary Endings

Vol-23_No-15_Oct-23-2023 Read More »

Vol-23_No-14_Oct-02-2023

Water Cooler / Rob Wood

In this 8020Info Water Cooler we look at clarity of organizational purpose, types of motivation, how to communicate bad news, power words for marketing success, characteristics of effective executives and necessary endings. Enjoy!

Five Tests for a Purpose Statement
An Overlooked Form of Motivation
Communicate Bad News with 4Rs
Two Words for Marketing Success
Zingers: • Moving-Average Culture
The List: What Makes an Executive Effective
Deal with Necessary Endings
Reading: Right Kind of Wrong
Reading: How We Got to Now (Six Innovations that Made the Modern World)

Vol-23_No-14_Oct-02-2023 Read More »

Vol-23_No-13_Sept-11-2023

Water Cooler / Rob Wood

In this 8020Info Water Cooler we look at helping others to achieve their potential, some enduring and recycled management tools, tips on delivering negative feedback, goofing off, principles of continual improvement (Kaizen), and crisis communications. Enjoy!

When an Employee Doesn’t Meet Potential
Management Tools: Recycled and Enduring
How Best to Deliver Negative Feedback
Make Room for Skylarking
The List: 10 Principles of Kaizen
Seven Assessments for Communications in a Conflict
Reading: The Manager’s Handbook
Reading: How to Change

Vol-23_No-13_Sept-11-2023 Read More »

Vol-23_No-12_Aug-21-2023

Water Cooler / Rob Wood

In this 8020Info Water Cooler we consider unique aspects of thinking strategically, what the worst bosses do, marketing with email signatures, advance interview questions, ethical boundaries, and a communications checklist for pre-testing your message. Enjoy!

What’s Different About Thinking Strategically?
Dealing with Ethics in the Workplace
Three Things the Worst Bosses Do
Email Signature Essentials
The List: Use Interview Questions in Advance
A Communications Checklist for Your Message
Reading — The Experience Mindset
Reading — Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World

Vol-23_No-12_Aug-21-2023 Read More »

Vol-23_No-11_July-31-2023

Water Cooler / Rob Wood

In this 8020Info Water Cooler we look at different aspects of using AI tools (and where to start), how to stop a habit of being late, why we should write things down, and some tips on why partnering strategies fail. Enjoy!

Where to Start with AI
Rethink Idea Generation in an AI World
Tips to Stop Being Late
Why Write This Down
Where AI Writing Is Weak
Why Partnering Strategies Fail
Reading – The Perfection Trap
Reading – Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life

Vol-23_No-11_July-31-2023 Read More »

Vol-23_No-10_July-10-2023

Water Cooler / Rob Wood

In this 8020Info Water Cooler we look at six types of generative AI, common pitfalls for strategy, the habit of overpreparing, defining content fundamentals, navigating succession in family businesses, and finding flow in a world of overwhelm. Enjoy!

Understanding Six Types of Generative AI
Define Your Content Fundamentals
Curbing Tendencies to Overprepare
Strategies for Family Business Succession
The List: Six Strategic Pitfalls to Avoid
Finding Flow in a World of Overwhelm
Reading: Power to the Middle
Reading: Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand

Vol-23_No-10_July-10-2023 Read More »

Vol-23_No-09_June-19-2023

Water Cooler / Rob Wood

In this 8020Info Water Cooler we consider ways to benefit from disagreements, give references, nurture client referrals, organize your summer reading, prepare as a first-time manager, and design strategies better than “best practices”. Enjoy!

Ways to Gain from Disagreement
How to Give a Reference
Four Categories for Your Summer Reading
How to Attract More Referrals
The List: Tips for First-Time Managers
A Strategy Better than Best Practice
Reading: Generation Why
Reading: Ego is the Enemy

Vol-23_No-09_June-19-2023 Read More »

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