Hanlon’s Razor

 

 

“In explaining any human shortcoming, the first tool I reach for is Hanlon’s Razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. The kind of stupidity I have in mind has nothing to do with ignorance or low IQ; in fact, it’s often the brightest and best informed who suffer the most from it.”

 

Seeing this quote I chuckled for at least two minutes. Hanlon’s Razor is a derivative of Occam’s Razor. A principle too many people violate. I particularly enjoyed learning that Hanlon was a real person and the law originates from a well known science fiction writer.

 

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A Little Midwestern Humor

Recently I was at a dinner party and one couple had just attended a high school reunion.  Reading the local weekly newspaper they discovered a column entitled Alban’s Album in the Ogden Reporter.  “Thank God for church ladies with typewriters” and for small weekly newspapers.  Here are a few of these bloopers from church bulletins:

“Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale.  It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house.  Bring your husbands.

Miss Charlene Mason sang “I Will Not Pass This Way Again,” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir.  They need all the help they can get.

For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7pm.  Please use the back door.”

After that brief pause, back on task.  Excellent article in the NYTimes on hiring entitled Hearing the right notes from a candidate.

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14 Habits of Miserable People

From time-to-time a colleague will send an article that both gives me a chuckle and also describes someone I know to a T. Here are 14 self-defeating behaviors that will assure anyone a miserable life. Who says we cannot learn for a negative example?

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Can Money Buy You Happiness?

 

Recently the WSJ had an interesting article on happiness and money. Turns out that it isn’t how much you have but how you use it. No surprise to psychologists who study personal satisfaction (aka happiness).

Boosting Engagement – Making Decisions

 

 

 

When I began consulting in organizations, that would be when Moby Dick was a minnow, we often heard the term participation, then somehow it morphed into involvement (I  liked this one better); then it  morphed into empowerment (I didn’t like this one at all) and now it has morphed into engagement (pretty good). What do these synonyms mean? Mary Kay Asche wrote a wonderful management book about 20+ years ago entitled “Mary Kay On People Management.” Full of common sense, practical, do-it-tomorrow advice. Here is her definition of the above terms: PEOPLE SUPPORT WHAT THEY HELP CREATE.

Ain’t it easy? Nope! How do you do it? One way is by understanding the nature of decision making in organization, having a repertory of each of the four and knowing when to use them appropriately. To see how go to Boosting Engagement – Making Decisions.

 

Archimedes” Lever OD#1

 

Over the past several years I have written very little about organization development, preferring to focus on personal, managerial and leadership development. this blog begins a sometime series on OD.
We start with a very big picture of OD by thinking about Archimedes’ Lever. “”If I have a lover long enough I can move the Earth.” We begin by going to a recent article on organizational change: Archimedes Lever and Organizational Change.

 

 

 

Just For Fun

From time-to-time someone sends me a video that is pure fun.

Behold four minutes of delight:

 

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