Reflections on Life and Leadership
I’m a numbers vulture. I count everything. I count the people in a room, the number of children singing in a choir, how many people click on my post each week, my car’s mpg. I’m probably obsessive about tracking numbers, but that’s better than the alternative. Attention to numbers is important. Data is your friend. …
Continue reading “Numbers matter; you can’t manage what you don’t measure”
Anchoring (also called focalism) is a cognitive bias in which we become inordinately influenced by initial information (considered to be the “anchor”). Once we accept the anchor, all future judgments, decisions, negotiations, arguments, estimates, etc. are made in relation to the anchor. And we become reluctant to embrace information and facts that challenge the initial …
Continue reading “Normally $450; on sale now for $215 — don’t be snookered by the anchoring effect”
My grandson, Benjamin (seven years old), learned how to read this year. I am so happy for him because he now has access to the world’s knowledge. He can learn anything he wants to. I hope he will be a lifelong lover of books. (I’ve bequeathed my library to him.) If you’re not a reader, …
Before Mary and I got married, we developed a simple, handwritten budget—two columns (income, expenses)—and every month we updated it and talked about any variances. When computer software became available we used Quicken. We’ve had an annual budget for 46 years. It’s worked well for us. Every organization and family needs a viable budget. I’m …