Friends of Dave #194: SNAFU to FUBAR
Goodbye Summer 2020....we hardly knew you.....
Faster than you can properly sanitize your hands, it seems that the Summer of COVID is OVER. Honestly, it had to be the weirdest one you have ever experienced, right?
Now we face down perhaps an even stranger prospect -- Fall 2020. School, whatever that means, starting back up...."Winter" sports winding down...Football maybe on, maybe off...An election of epic proportions....soon it will be Decorative Gourd Season in the age of Coronavirus....the anticipation of who will be the first retailer to trot out Christmas decorations....and wondering if Santa will be wearing a mask and the reindeer will be social distanced...
Yet amongst all of this, here's a silver lining: you know the old adage that you aren't supposed to wear white pants after Labor Day? In 2020 it doesn't matter, because no one wears pants any more anyway....
And if you happen to need to wear pants and they happen to be white because that is all that is clean or they are the only set of pants you can still fit into, rest assured no one on your Zoom meeting will see. So go nuts Friends....It's the new normal....
That all said, I'm not going to keep you long here. We have a three day weekend ahead of us.
If you are looking for some things to do, in addition to reading the awesome articles below, here's some ideas:
-- Binge both seasons of Cobra Kai on Netflix. I am telling you Season 2 is just as good as Season 1. Look, the acting and production quality may scream Hallmark Channel, but the writing and character development is The Sopranos (I submit the karmic closing scene of Season 2, Episode 6). Really.
-- Catch up on past issues of FoD you might have missed. If you want, read my summer rants from last year....such an innocent time....
-- For you baseball Friends, check out these photos of the weirdest baseball fields in the world. And then watch this interesting short video on why MLB parks have the dimensions they do.
-- Listen to an FoD podcast. Or, better yet, listen to a podcast and then listen to this version of the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" theme as an Irish ballad.
-- While you are at it, also blast this haunting, slowed down version of I've Had the Time of My Life from the movie Dirty Dancing through your bluetooth speakers. And if you are really bored (or have had a few drinks), listen to that version at .5x speed.....FYI this is has to be front runner for theme song for 2020.
Oh, and don't forget it is also Kentucky Derby Day....enjoy your Labor Day Weekend everyone!
XOXO
Dave
Think on This...
Distraction, in other words, is a symptom of a problem – not the problem itself. Those deeper and systemic reasons – such as an inability to cope with fear, anxiety or stress – deserve our concern, because it’s only when we start to address them that we can make real progress.
Stop blaming technology – distraction starts within. Manage your inner triggers to enjoy greater focus and a fuller life. This is a bit of a longer read but you can skip down to the "Key Points" section if you just want the summary.
For Your Day Job...
In Negotiations, Givers Are Smarter Than Takers
That was the art of the deal: Be a taker. But now there’s a science of the deal, with decades of evidence on what separates great negotiators from their peers. It tells a different story: Being a giver may actually be a sign of intelligence.
Generosity is a sign of intelligence, and givers are the rising tide that lifts all boats.
The 8 KPIs That Actually Matter—and How to Measure Them
There are dozens of metrics that can fall under the KPI umbrella. And tracking them all is neither productive nor efficient. So here's the 8 upon which you and your teams should focus. This is great if you are at a startup or smaller company, but also important for those the larger firms too.
A Quick Diagnostic to Determine if Your Sales & Marketing Teams are Aligned
How do you tell if your sales team and marketing team are working well together? Comparing the slopes of marketing’s lead generation efforts to sales’ bookings trajectory will tell you a lot. A quick read, but a really good one that you can put into practice ASAP.
Your Weekly Dose of Randomness...
The meaning of snafu, clusterf**k, and sh*tshow: here's how you tell the difference
I have a weird obsession with clusterf*cks.
It's bad. But how bad? And when does it become FUBAR?
Not moving to dance music is nearly impossible, according to new research
Especially if it is the kind of music that tells you to go out there and be somebody.
"Bro, do u even lift?" Bro, I can’t — why it’s so hard to find dumbbells in the US No supply chain, no gains. The United States dumbbell shortage, explained.
And The Last Word....
The Truth Is Paywalled But The Lies Are Free
The lie is more accessible than its refutation.
Insightful look at how we now get our information in the age of the internet and social media and why it is important to be critical of the free articles you read. Even with historically reputable sources, it is very important to remember to scrutinize everything you consume.
With the established sources, the truth is usually somewhere in there if you are able to read past the headlines. Long one, but thought provoking.
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