What is the difference between tactical and strategic thinking?

Let’s look at a few obstacles that currently stand in your way.

By exposing and eliminating these obstacles or problems, you’ll be able to develop your career and be more satisfied than you ever thought possible. These are the same overriding concepts that successful career builders understand and operate on.

The format of this section will be similar to a medical diagnosis. You’ll see the problem, its symptoms, cause and an overview of the solution.

Let’s take a look at one fundamental problem most people experience.
Symptoms: Try every tactic that looks like it’ll make you successful
Cause: Tactical thinking
Problem: Lack of strategy.

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What are you doing to progress your career?

Are you concerned about where your career is heading? Maybe you are unhappy in your job or feel your skill and expertise are not being full use. In reality you are in control. You can control how to progress your career. Technical professionals who are prepared, have enormous opportunities in the next decade. This is because … Read more

Are you a Hedgehog or a Fox?

The first known recording of this observation was a written fragment from Ancient Greek Poet Archilochus around 680 BC: The fox knows many things; the hedgehog one big thing. “The Hedgehog and The Fox” was also the title of an essay by philosopher Isaiah Berlin in the 1950’s. And Jim Collin’s in his book Good … Read more

How to find time for your professional development

You need to make building capability a priority in your life

Do you want to become more marketable and be able to win that promotion or new job or get selected for the best projects? Then you have to regularly take time to learn a new skill and develop your knowledge.

But do you struggle to make the time for personal development, even though it’s on your ‘to do’ list?

The urgent or important tasks that need to be done crowd out your work day, and beyond! And you want to spend time with your family and friends and have some time for yourself.

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A Whole New Mind – a whole new world

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink describes the dawning of the ‘Conceptual Age’. Just as information workers surpassed physical laborers in economic importance, Pink claims, the workplace terrain is changing yet again, and power will inevitably shift to people who possess strong right brain qualities – inventiveness, empathy, … Read more

Four principles of problem solving

George Pólya in his 1957 book How to Solve It suggests the following steps when solving a problem:

  1. First, you have to understand the problem
  2. After understanding, then make a plan.
  3. Carry out the plan.
  4. Look back on your work. How could it be better?

If this technique fails, Pólya advises: “If you can’t solve a problem, then there is an easier problem you can solve: find it.” (1957:114)

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The Two-Step Process for Getting Smarter

Oh no, I could never do that… I’m not smart enough.

So you think you need a high IQ?

All too frequently, this is the kind of thing you hear from people who have big dreams… but who think they don’t have what it takes to make those dreams come true.

They not only think that you need to be smart to become successful…
They also believe that being smart is not something you can learn (at least not without devoting years to higher education).

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Art of the Start

Art of the Start The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything by Guy Kawasaki (2004) Interesting book on what it takes to be an entrepreneur and a lot of these concepts can apply to transport strategy implementation. The Art of the Start gives  the essential steps to launch great products and services. It  shows … Read more