Often, in social conversations, I listen to people saying that the solution to our Energy Crisis lies in discovering or creating new Technology that will enable us to be more efficient, greener, or produce safe/clean energy cheaper. More often than not these people are nor scientists or engineers. More often than not I get the [...]

Best Work Under Pressure?

September 11, 2008 | Comments Off

Many people have told me: “I do my best job under pressure!”.
I always wonder what this means? For many years, I did wondered which one of these does it means:

The adrenaline makes me produce the best results, without errors, and with careful attention to details that avoid costly reparations?
I don’t do too much/any work without [...]

Employee or Partner ? – Why Employees Earn Less

September 9, 2008 | Comments Off

Good, responsible small business owners tend to want to share the whealth and success with their contractors and employees: sometimes even much more than the contractors and employees deserve.  At least that is what I have observed.
At a particular point in time I was having an extremely profitable moment in my practice.  An ex subordinate, [...]

The Individual Contributor Trap

June 27, 2007 | Comments Off

Companies say that their biggest asset is their people – something that is ironic, as assets are things with a price tag on it and can be traded or exchanged as needed. Companies depend mostly on the hard work of two groups of people: the Individual Contributors and top level management (Executive VPs and CEO). [...]

Salary Differences

April 22, 2007 | 3 Comments

For years it has been argued that women get a lower salary than men even when they hold the same position, or even show the same results. In the case of the same position there can be an argument about how hard two different persons work or succeed at the tasks given, regardless of [...]

If you really want to learn how to do something, you should learn it from the very best. At least the very best you can afford or find. Otherwise, you will not be making best use of your time – something that could be more valuable than the cost of learning from the [...]

PowerPoint is Not Word !!

April 11, 2007 | Comments Off

One of my pet-peeves is the fact that Microsoft PowerPoint (or any other electronic slide program) is a low density information delivery method. You use it to deliver just a few ideas with a very high impact. You use PowerPoint to convince someone to start moving in the direction you favor or as [...]

When you provide professional services you usually have two contracting options: either you deliver services by the hour (or day) in a “time and materials” kind of contract, or you offer a “fixed cost” for fixed deliverables contract. The former gives flexibility to the client to cut losses soon if you do not [...]

Just like that, a month and a half since I left the world of gainful employment I will start at a new job in a Pre-IPO startup company (beginning of April 2007). So much for my self-employment trial, and I say that with sadness as I was already enjoying the fun of having my [...]

Two Weeks Notice – Why?

February 20, 2007 | Comments Off

It is very common to think that when leaving a company you should give Two Weeks Notice. Some companies even make you sign papers expressing you will, although I have been fortunate not to face those types of contracts.I certainly think that a Two Weeks Notice gives the opportunity for the employer to ease some [...]

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