Get More Done – Interrupt Your Interruptions
Constant interruptions reduce focus and effectiveness. Learn how the human brain handles interruptions (poorly) and how to work more effectively by stemming their flow.
Holly Green
Holly's Blogs
Sponsored Posts
image source 47% of small-business owners manage their marketing efforts themselves. In today’s competitive landscape, small businesses need to think creatively to capture the attention of potential customers. Traditional marketing methods are often too expensive or ineffective, so it’s essential to find innovative ways to stand out. Considering all that, here are some creative marketing…
image source The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has massively transformed into a thriving hub for business and commerce. With its strategic location, world-class infrastructure, and favorable business environment, the UAE offers immense opportunities for entrepreneurs and established businesses alike. This article delves into the various aspects of growing a business in the UAE, highlighting the…
Image source Hey pals! Let’s have a conversation about how our classrooms are getting super smart with DEEPBRAIN AI avatars. These avatars are like super-smart computer buddies who are making our learning time way better! DEEP BRAIN AI avatars are like magical friends in our class. They help our teachers teach in a super cool…
Effective leadership is the cornerstone of any thriving business. A leader’s role is multifaceted, requiring a diverse set of skills to navigate the challenges of today’s dynamic business environment. This article delves into five critical competencies that are indispensable for any business leader, shedding light on their importance and offering insights into how they can…
The battlefield for top-tier talent is no place for the faint-hearted. It demands enticing perks and brand prestige and a deep, demonstrable commitment to employee rights. Companies at the forefront know this secret: the brightest candidates seek a workplace where rights aren’t merely respected—they are celebrated. This realisation isn’t a light bulb moment; it’s a strategy…
Launching and scaling a small business comes with no shortage of questions and uncertainties. Here we tackle some of the most frequent queries entrepreneurs have relating to legalities, marketing, technology, hiring, accounting and more. How Do I Choose The Right Business Structure? Factors like tax treatment, liability, investment needs and record-keeping determine ideal structures. Most…
Are You Focused on Winning in 2012?
A new year is all about possibilities, promise and potential, and sometimes a lot of other stuff gets in the way. Are you ready to win in 2012?
Christmas Dinner Conversation Starters
My Thanksgiving “fun facts” blog was a big hit with readers, generating a lot of buzz (who doesn’t want something that makes life, especially those large family gatherings, easier?). So with the annual visit from the dude in the red suit almost upon us, I thought it would be fun to do another round of…
Three Strategies for Winning in 2012
2012 is almost upon us. And I have some good news and some bad news in regards to the year ahead. The bad news? If you think you’re running fast now, get yourself some new track shoes, because the world isn’t slowing down. In fact, it will continue to go faster and get more complex…
Phases of Innovation
When I ask business leaders to identify which part of the innovation process their organizations struggle with the most, I typically get one of three answers: We have a lot of ideas but most of them get judged as impossible or too hard to implement based on changing the way things currently are We have…
Test Your Innovation IQ
Everyone knows that innovation means coming up with the next great idea in your industry, right? Actually, there’s a lot more to it than that. Test your ability to separate innovation fact from fiction by answering the following questions true or false: Innovation is the act of coming up with new and creative ideas. Innovation…
Behavioral Interview Questions Library
The purpose of behavioral interviewing is to assess the degree of fit for both the candidate and the company. Research shows an 80% success rate for predicting future performance and success when a comprehensive behavioral interviewing approach is effectively utilized, second only to on-the-job observation, such as an internship. Assessing a candidate based on responses…
Putting On A New Pair of Goggles
A few weeks ago I wrote about a stodgy safety products manufacturer that dramatically increased sales of its goggles by studying fashion trends. I’m not suggesting we all start subscribing to Vogue, Glamour or Elle (although maybe that is not a bad idea). What we do need to do is start looking beyond the walls…
Conversation Starters for Your Thanksgiving!
Seeking out new and different sources of information can enhance your innovative efforts. It’s also a fun way to recognize and celebrate one of our most cherished holidays.
Stop Distracting Me!
Do you think email, Twitter, and Facebook are workplace annoyances? When it comes to blocking innovation, they’re not nearly as destructive as your own internal distractions.
Are You Making the Right Connections?
Our ability to see patterns and make connections is one of our mightiest creative assets. Which explains why innovative products sometimes come from the strangest places.
Think Outside the Goggles!
What do the worlds of fashion and safety goggles have in common? More than you might think!
Bursting My Own Thought Bubbles
I just returned from one of my longer road trips of the year, and it’s great to be home! Believe it or not, I used to enjoy business travel. But now, with all the airport security, flight delays, baggage fees, and surly attitudes of airline employees, it has become the least favorite part of what…
Eliminate Your But!
I would love to see the following sign outside every strategic planning conference room: Strategic Planning Session in Progress No Thought Bubbles Allowed! Of course, it will never happen because we can’t get rid of our thought bubbles. What we can do is take a careful inventory of them and update those that no longer…
Slow Down Your Strategic Planning So You Can Go Fast
Bias is defined as “prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.” In the business world, this definition also applies to concepts and ideas. As business leaders we like to think we’re impartial, open-minded and objective in regards to new ideas,…
The Dangers of Traditional SWOT Analysis
It’s that time of year again. And, no, I’m not referring to Christmas shopping. It’s only September, for gosh sake! I’m talking about strategic planning. This is the time of year to pause for a bit longer than usual and think and about what winning will look like next year. It’s when we peer into…
Innovating Your Own Management: Are You Up to the Challenge?
Seems like everyone is talking about innovation these days. Most of the discussion centers on the need to add value to customers through innovative products and services. But according to Gary Hamel, a leading expert on business strategy, there’s more to innovation than just bringing new products to market. In a recent Harvard Business Review…
Tweet Leads to an Electric Experience
Still think Twitter is a silly fad? A month ago, I posted a blog that included a negative comment about the new Chevy Volt and our cash-strapped government’s plan to support the vehicle through incentives and outright purchases. The very next day, the Volt product manager tweeted me to ask if I would give him…
Avoiding the Dreaded Decision Fatigue
Have you ever made an important business decision late in the day, only to look back on it a day or two later and wonder, “What was I thinking?” It turns out the problem may not have been so much what you were thinking as when. A recent New York Times article, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/do-you-suffer-from-decision-fatigue.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=willpower&st=cse, relates the…
