Author Dwayne Melancon is always on the lookout for new things to learn. An ecclectic collection of postings on personal productivity, travel, good books, gadgets, leadership & management, and many other things.
On a lighter note, I just got a link from my friend Gene Kim (who sorta has a blog about Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints, if one post qualifies).
The link is to a Conan O’Brien segment with the truly hilarious comedian Louis CK, who’s describing how everything in the world is awesome but nobody is satisfied.
You can watch the video below, or click this link to go to YouTube to watch.
This is must-see PC, believe me. Enjoy!
Read MoreI’m always on the lookout for ways to make PowerPoint more interesting. In the past, that’s been things like using “Beyond Bullet Points” and whatnot. Here’s another idea: be funny.
I stumbled across the YouTube channel of a comedian named Tim Lee, who uses PowerPoint in his act – and he is very good! Check out the video below (or use this link). If you like it, be sure and subscribe to Tim Lee’s YouTube channel. Enjoy!
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One of the deliverables in the GTD Connect program is an ongoing series of interviews with various people. The latest was an interview with a guy named Frank Sopper who specializes in learning styles. Normally, these interviews are inside GTD Connect’s gated community but I was so intrigued with this latest interview I went looking for a way to share it with you.
I’m happy to report that Frank Sopper has a public link to the interview on his company’s web site.
If you’ve ever been accused of being OCD or ADD, this is a must-listen. For everyone else, it’s just a good idea.
Read MoreI just finished reading one of the best “coach in a book” type of books I’ve read in a very long time. The book is Mark Goulston’s, “Get Out of Your Own Way at Work...And Help Others Do the Same: Conquer Self-Defeating Behavior on the Job.”
This book provides very clear guidance on 40 different problem areas that can limit your success at work, each covered in a separate chapter. 
and many more (you can see the entire table of contents which includes all the topics in Amazon’s preview of the book).
Chock full of goodness
Each section provides a clear description of how each of the self-defeating behaviors might manifest itself, some specifics about the “damage” the behavior can cause, great quotes, and many of the sections include stories from Goulston’s research to further illustrate the point.
The things I liked best were:
It’s like self-service coaching
I think anyone can benefit from this book. When I read through all of the sections, I definitely recognized quite a few areas where I could improve and the advice in the book felt just like it was coming from a wise business coach. Not bad for a book that costs around 10 bucks.
Go check out the topics in the table of contents. If any of them sound familiar (and you want to improve in any of those areas), then pick up a copy of this book.
You can also find some good information and inspiration at Dr. Mark Goulston’s excellent blog.
Read More“The Encore Effect” is subtitled, “How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do.”
The name comes from the notion that, if you deliver remarkable performance it’ll be like at the end of a great concert; others will applaud and call you back for more.
To achieve this effect, Sanborn offers a “formula” that centers around Passion, Discipline, and Action. According to Sanborn, these three elements combine to drive the excellence that leave the crowd wanting more. Each of these critical elements is covered in a separate section of the book.
Create the magic
“I simply set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn.” – John Wesley
It’s one thing to have passion, but quite another to be able to direct that passion toward a goal. In the section on Passion, Sanborn talk about a number of techniques you can use to amplify your passion but, more importantly, he follows that up with a lot of coaching on how you can increase your chances of success through Preparation, Practice, Performance (engaging your audience), Polish (paying attention to the details), and how to anticipate and respond to Pitfalls.
Each aspect is dealt with in a concise chapter with advice that feels “right on the mark” to me, based on my experience.
Share your magic
Once you’ve mastered the art of producing encore-worthy performances, Sanborn encourages you to inspire, coach, and encourage others to achieve their own remarkable performances. He offers some useful advice on how to cultivate the pursuit of excellence in others and I enjoyed reading his counsel.
If you’re feeling like you’re stuck in a humdrum, lackluster world and want to add some “wow” to your performance, I suggest you check out “The Encore Effect.” It’s short and easy to read, but beneath its simplicity there is a lot of advice you can really use to be more awesome.
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