I have been happily using a Pixel 2 XL from the day it came out. It was easily the phone I had kept the longest since I bought the very first Android HTC G1 which was introduced in 2008. Several times over the two years that I used the Pixel 2, I considered purchasing several…
#CRE is all about the “experience” these days but beware of it being just another buzzword
Every conversation at CRE gatherings over the past 18 months have focused on one of two things: either PROPTECH! (the excitement is over the top) or Employee/Workplace/Building/People Experience. Both have become the buzziest of buzzwords in our little industry. The first just means “technology that seems cool and pretends to be focused only on real…
How had I not heard the term Internet of Broken Things?
Reading through the news today, I stumbled across the phrase “Internet of Broken Things.” Upon researching, it’s been around as a term for a long time but somehow never came to my attention. It’s a great phrase because it both skewers a giant buzzword and accurately describes most IoT projects. If I’ve said it once,…
Real estate data can turn personalized quickly
There has been a significant push over the past few years to focus on individuals’ data privacy and control. There is a lot of attention on big technology companies’ use of customer data. Alexa, Google Home, and the like are attention getters. Websites, cellular providers, and other service providers get a lot of attention but…
Are you choosing the easy way or the right way?
Every task has many ways it can be completed. There’s a great saying that for any given solution you must pick no more than two of the following: Fast Cheap Good Fast and Good will cost you money. Fast and Cheap will sacrifice your quality. Cheap and Good sacrifices your schedule. Theoretically, you can even…
Choose your words carefully, they carry a lot of power.
It’s one of my favorite talking points. Language is power. The words you choose to use (or use without thinking) say a lot about your approach to a subject. Choosing when to be formal versus casual is an important consideration for many meetings. Choosing to convey context through the choice of a single word can…
Consistency is the great equalizer but it’s very hard work to remain consistent over time
Every company wants to return consistent results quarter over quarter, year over year, decade over decade. They want to consistently beat expectations. They want to consistently beat their competitors. They want to consistently satisfy and retain their customers. Unfortunately, we live in a very inconsistent, yet highly interconnected, world. Achieving next year’s expectations is sometimes…
Can you articulate why you do what you do?
I find people’s motivations for the jobs they do to be fascinating. Imagine a job and then picture three different versions of a person in the role: Striver – someone trying to use the position to keep moving up into a bigger and better position. Careerist – someone trying to do a good job but…
When things are slower, it’s more difficult to ignore the crazy around you
An interesting phenomenon occurs based on how busy you are. The busier you are, the easier it is to ignore the crazy around you. As things slow down, the crazy comes more into focus. Let’s be honest, all of us deal with some crazy in life or in our jobs. Crazy are the little things…
You have to practice thinking if you want to do it clearly and quickly
Most people like to think they think clearly. It’s possibly the thing we do most in life. Before we speak, the words run through our minds. Before we act, we plan what is going to happen. As we perform an action, our thoughts review the progress for errors, faults, and ommissions. In hindsight we look…