by Brooks Mendell | Oct 25, 2020 | Thinking/Analysis
This post introduces a recent essay on the dangers of multitasking and the importance of deliberately choosing priorities and focusing attention. The world seems determined to manipulate our attention and encourage us to click, buy, like, forward or watch. These...
by Brooks Mendell | Aug 25, 2020 | Forestry, Thinking/Analysis
This post introduces a recent essay on the danger of using averages for making decisions or evaluating performance. Mathematically, the average tells us the arithmetic mean; it gives a sense for where the middle lies within a group or between extremes. But...
by Brooks Mendell | Jun 14, 2020 | Communication Skills, Leading/Managing, Thinking/Analysis
In my roles as a business advisor and as a team leader, I have the opportunity to continually discuss and test ideas on managing and making decisions, especially in turbulent times. The intensity and urgency of these conversations increased with the arrival in 2020 of...
by Brooks Mendell | Mar 18, 2020 | Communication Skills, Forestry, Learning, Thinking/Analysis
“Without a structured approach to ordering the world, the world will impose its views on us. The fact is some things are more important than others, some things are easily verifiable…Simple processes help us sort the mess and prioritize.” from “Managing Risk by...
by Brooks Mendell | May 19, 2019 | Forestry, Learning, Thinking/Analysis
My work as a researcher in forestry sometimes highlights ideas relevant to developing plans or managing risk in other industries. For example, it helps to have a simple screening and ranking process. Without a structured approach to ordering the world, the world...
by Brooks Mendell | Nov 7, 2017 | Learning, Thinking/Analysis
Quarterly financial statements and annual company reports are the language of investors and executives. At the end of the day, the results of managerial business and capital allocation decisions get translated through audited financial statements, which, like haikus...
