by Brooks Mendell | Nov 30, 2024 | Thinking/Analysis, Forestry
The economist Mohamed El-Erian, in his book The Only Game in Town, writes about the importance of having and revisiting frameworks to support clear thinking. He tells a story from the 1980s when the International Monetary Fund (IMF), for whom he worked at the time,...
by Brooks Mendell | Oct 31, 2024 | Books, Learning, Thinking/Analysis
In 1935, Eleanor Roosevelt published an article in The Saturday Evening Post titled “In Defense of Curiosity.” In describing the benefits of being curious, she wrote: I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most...
by Brooks Mendell | Sep 11, 2024 | Learning
My Dad is the dream dental patient. He role models superb oral hygiene. I remember, as a kid, our dentist saying, “Your Dad is the best patient we’ve had. He’s a poster child, an all-star for orthodontal self-care.” Growing up, I watched him floss, brush, and then...
by Brooks Mendell | Aug 25, 2024 | Communication Skills, Leading/Managing
My parents gave me a sport coat earlier this year. The sleeves were too long, so I looked for an experienced tailor near my home. Multiple calls later, I found a helping hand at the local Men’s Wearhouse, where the staff didn’t require me to have bought the coat in...
by Brooks Mendell | Jul 30, 2024 | Learning, Thinking/Analysis
In college, my friend and mentor Mark Lundstrom taught me that “earning good grades gives you more freedom.” I had struggled as a freshman, and Mark, an actual rocket scientist, talked to me about how getting straight on study habits and academic performance...
