Never Too Late for A Better Idea

Some say:  "There is nothing new under the sun."

NOT TRUE.

It is NEVER too late for a better idea.

Perhaps you have some innovative ideas you'd be willing to share?  If you would like, we'll publish them here and give you credit.

Contact us.

Thank you!

Analysis of Paralysis

Dan Heath and Chip Heath propose a minimalist solution in the November 2007 Fast Company.

Why Even Thinking About Retirement Can Be A Bad Idea

Another superior idea from Marshall Goldsmith, featured in the January 2004 Fast Company.

"How many times have we all thought about how nice it would be to have enough money so that we would never have to work again? We think about all that we won't have to do: We won't have to get up early. We won't have to go to work. We won't have to meet deadlines. We won't have to be stressed. Unfortunately, it is hard to find much fulfillment in what we won't do. We can only find fulfillment and meaning in what we will do.

Dave discovered that quickly enough. Dick taught me that as well. You may well have too much intellectual curiosity and too much enthusiasm for life ever to retire. When and if that day comes, you might not be doing what you're doing now, but you will want to be doing something that matters.

Forget about retirement. Forget about planning for it. Just find something that you love to do."

A New Look at Leadership

"The best leader, the people do not notice. When the best leader's work is done, the people say, 'We did it ourselves.' "

Marshall Goldsmith.  
"It's Not About the Coach." Fast Company, Issue 87, October 2004, page 120.

www.MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com

Greetings!

Thank you for referencing my Fast Company article “It’s not about the Coach” on your website. Please check out my new website, www.MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com where I have decided to give away as much as I can. My online library is filled with articles, columns, interviews and videos to download, duplicate, send and share for FREE. If you or someone you know benefits from these materials, I will feel great!

Life is good.

Marshall
www.MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com
www.MarshallGoldsmith.com
858-759-0950

SOURCE:  Email dated August 1, 2005

Honoring H. J. Orchard - Professor, Mentor and Friend - Obituaries, Los Angeles Times, 7/21/04

Professor Emeritus, UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering & Applied Science, died June 23, 2004, of respiratory failure in Santa Monica. He was 82. 

An authority on filter design and network theory, he joined the UCLA faculty in 1970 as full professor in the Electrical Engineering Dept. and served as Vice Chair of Graduate Affairs from 1982 until he retired in 1991. He continued to work at his office and publish papers during his retirement. 

Born and educated in England, he received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of London. He worked for the British Post Office from 1942-1961 as lecturer at their Central Training School in Cambridge and as principal scientific officer at the Engineering Research Dept. in London. In 1961 he immigrated to the U.S. to head the Networks & Mathematics Group of GTE Lenkurt, Inc., in San Carlos, CA, until 1970. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1973. 

Author of over 50 published papers and patentee in the field of network design, he was made a Life Member of the IEEE in 1995. Among his awards were the 1999 IEEE Golden Jubilee Award for outstanding contributions to the IEEE Circuits & Systems Society, the 2003 IEEE Technical Achievement Award, and the 2004 Lifetime Contribution Award (posthumously) from the UCLA Engineering Alumni Association. 

He was a dedicated teacher, his lectures rated a model of clarity by his students, and a skillful administrator, known for high standards and fairness. He will be remembered for his analytical mind, his love for the English language and noontime walks around campus. 

He is survived by his wife Marietta, son from a previous marriage Richard (Patricia) and grandson Nicholas. The family would appreciate donations to the UCLA Foundation for the H.J. Orchard Memorial Scholarship (6266 Boelter Hall, Box 951600, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1600) to support senior undergraduate electrical engineering students or to the American Cancer Society.
Published in the Los Angeles Times on 7/21/2004.

Better Ideas - Marshall Goldsmith

Making a Resolution That Matters.
To make resolutions that matter, don't look forward.  Look back.
Fast Company, Issue 79, February 2004, page 92.

By now, about half of all New Year's resolutions have already been broken. It is probably a good time to revisit your goals and think about what you really want to change this year.

Take a deep breath. Take a deeper breath.

I want you to imagine that you're 95 years old. Before taking your last breath, however, you're given a great gift: the ability to travel back in time--the ability to talk to the person who is reading this column, the ability to help this person be a better professional and lead a better life.

The 95-year-old you understands what was really important and what wasn't, what mattered and what didn't, what counted and what didn't really count. What advice would this wise "old you" have for the "you" who is reading this page?

Take a few seconds and answer this question on two levels: personal and professional. Jot down a few words that capture what the old you would be saying to the younger you that is here today.

My suggestion is simple. Just do whatever you wrote down. Make that your resolution for this year and next.

A friend of mine actually had the chance to interview people who were dying and ask them what advice they would have had for themselves. The answers he got were surprising.

One recurring theme was to "reflect upon life, to find happiness and meaning now," not next month or next year. The great Western Disease lies in the phrase, "I will be happy when . . ." The wise old you has finally realized that the next promotion, the next achievement, or the corner office really won't change your world that much. Many older people say they were so wrapped up in looking for what they didn't have that they seldom appreciated what they did have. They often wish they would have taken more time to enjoy it.

Another common response revolved around friends and family. You may work for a wonderful company, and you may think that your contribution to that organization is very important. When you are 95 years old and you look at the people around your deathbed, very few of your fellow employees will be waving good-bye. Your friends and family will probably be the only people who care. Appreciate them now and share a large part of your life with them.

Older people offer other valuable advice: "Follow your dreams." Figure out your true purpose in life, and go for it! This doesn't apply just to big dreams; it is also true for little dreams. Buy the sports car you always wanted, go to that exotic locale you always imagined yourself visiting, learn to play the guitar or the piano. If some think your vision of a well-lived life is a bit offbeat or even goofy, who cares? It isn't their life. It's yours. Old people who pursued their dreams are always happier with their lives. Few of us will achieve all of our dreams. Some will always be elusive. So the key question is not, "Did I make all of my dreams come true?" The key question is, "Did I try?"

I just finished a major research project involving more than 200 high-potential leaders from 120 companies around the world. Each company could nominate only two future leaders, the very brightest of its young stars. These are the kinds of people who could jump at a moment's notice to better-paying positions elsewhere. We asked each of them a simple question: "If you stay in this company, why are you going to stay?"

The following are the top three answers.

"I am finding meaning and happiness now. The work is exciting and I love what I am doing."

"I like the people. They are my friends. This feels like a team. It feels like a family. I could make more money working with other people, but I don't want to leave the people here."

"I can follow my dreams. This organization is giving me a chance to do what I really want to do in life."

The answers were never about the money. They were always about the satisfaction. When my friend asked people on their deathbeds what was important to them, they gave exactly the same answers as the high-potential leaders I interviewed.

So do the reverse New Year's resolution. Don't look ahead. Look behind. Know that you need to be happy now, to enjoy your friends and family, to follow your dreams. This is good advice for everyone who wants a fulfilling career. It's also great advice for everyone who wants to live a meaningful life.

Marshall Goldsmith (marshall@A4SL.com ) is corporate America's preeminent executive coach and founding director of the Alliance for Strategic Leadership.

Better Ideas - Journal for Healthcare Quality

Regulatory Compliance Issues in Behavioral Health

Abstract:  Behavioral health as a discipline has grappled with regulatory compliance issues on its own, tending to be isolated from other specialties and to benefit little from the mistakes and solutions of the rest of medicine. The most common problems with behavioral health regulatory compliance have to do with documentation, billing and coding, treatment plans, and medical necessity. Regulatory compliance is inextricably linked to quality of care. Providers can assess their compliance efforts by asking themselves a series of questions and, most important, by assessing the quality of the care they provide. Sound research and outcomes-based practice are the best ways to improve outcomes in behavioral health treatment and will be the most effective methods for aligning practice with regulations.

Reprinted, with permission, from Fisk, A., & Thomas, M.B.. Sept-Oct 2003. Regulatory Compliance Issues in Behavioral Health. Journal for Healthcare Quality, 25(5), 15–20. Copyright 2003 by the National Association for Healthcare Quality. Copies of the article can be obtained from Cinahl, 1509 Wilson Terrace, Glendale, CA 91206, 818/545-3439, fax 818/546-5679, Web site www.cinahl.com.

Better Ideas - IHI

Improving Patient Safety by Incorporating Human Factors

We can’t change the human condition, but we can change the conditions under which humans work.

QualityHealthCare.org