A lot of people deride the idea of New Year’s resolutions because so many people make them and don’t keep them. Even if that’s true, it seems to me there is some virtue in trying. But in any event, I looked up some (allegedly) science-based ways to keep your resolutions. Make them … Specific and…
How deeply should you micro-manage people? Do you treat them like competent professionals, or do you get into their business and check their work? I’m not sure there’s a one-size-fits-all answer. What do you think? If you want to understand contemporary issues, read old books. You have to get your mind outside the trap of…
A lot of publishers who have podcasts or webinars are not effectively re-using that content in other mediums. Is it possible to use artificial intelligence to make this easier? I gave it a try. As I mention here, I used Descript to create a video version of the latest Krehbiel Letter. Descript automatically generates a…
My friend Donna Peterson told me about a new way to edit videos called Descript. It uses AI to create a transcript of your video, then you edit the video by looking through the script. It’s an interesting way to do it. I gave it a try on my most recent podcast. I’m no genius…
When software doesn’t do exactly what you need it to do, you’re faced with a choice of buying something that’s not exactly what you want, building your own custom system, or buying something you can customize. There are a lot of dangers in either of those custom options. You need to think long and hard…
A few years ago a publishing colleague asked about some of the simple subscription management plugins that work with WordPress. The question took me back to the days when I was first learning how incredibly complicated circulation systems can get, which also reminded me of the early days of iPad. When Apple first got into…
After I sent my Krehbiel Report on how Krehbiel’s Razor can help smooth your operations, I realized I was basically saying “go thou and think properly” — which is not very helpful for practical operations in a business. If I may draw a lesson from my seminary training, the law is made for the sinner….
It’s not about my beard. It’s about cutting through the misconceptions that sabotage projects. Successful operations require aligning disparate systems toward a common goal. Sometimes those “systems” are people or groups of people. Krehbiel’s Razor is a mindset that breaks down barriers between people and helps find a way to solve problems and finish projects….
I had an interesting conversation with a friend about the unique challenge of supervising a very smart person. My friend asked for my advice, so I did a little research and I did a little thinking, and since I’ve been a lifelong fan of Sherlock Holmes (and have recently been listening to Stephen Fry’s incredible…
It’s the time of the year for 2021 predictions. Most of them will be wrong. But is there a way to profit from them anyway? I believe so. Think with me through a few of my own predictions, and I think we’ll uncover a method that can help you prosper from all predictions, whether they’re…
Summarize decisions in post-meeting emails Have you been in a meeting where everyone seems to have forgotten the consensus you thought you'd won last month? Of course you have. End your meetings with an explicit statement of the decisions you've made, and follow up the meeting with an email to all attendees memorializing those decisions….