Naomi Karten's Blog

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Naomi Karten's Blog

Naomi Karten has always been fascinated by human behavior. In this blog, she focuses on observations, thoughts, ideas, and the wisdom of others as it concerns people and how they function (or don’t), particularly in organizations.

Nasty Knuckleheads? Not!

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by Naomi Karten

Jun 26 2012 - 10:50am

When conflict arises between two parties that barely know each other, their ability to work together can plunge, especially when they’re located far from each other.For example, consider the customer department that needed a technical fix for a nagging problem. When I asked why they didn’t contact IT, they unleashed a stream of invectives about the IT department. In their view, IT personnel were...

Eye Contact and You Contact

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by Naomi Karten

Jun 20 2012 - 9:18am

A while back, I had dinner with a faraway friend, Jim, when I was in his town to see a client. Jim was thrilled about the new project he was working on and his excitement was palpable as he described it. But as he spoke, his eyes were focused above my head, as if I were perched up there on the rafters. I kept thinking, “Hey, I’m down here, look at me!”

Uncertainty about Uncertainty

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by Naomi Karten

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May 15 2012 - 12:07pm

A few years ago, I read an article by Daniel Gilbert called “What You Don’t Know Makes You Nervous.” Gilbert is a Harvard University professor of psychology and author of the superb book, “Stumbling on Happiness.” When I read the article, I agreed with most of his points. Now, I’m wondering about possible exceptions.

Outside-the-Box Thinking? Maybe Not.

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by Naomi Karten

Apr 24 2012 - 12:44pm

If I had a donut for every time someone advocated thinking outside the box, I would be too bloated to squeeze into the box to point out the potential flaws in this idea.The problem with outside-the-box thinking is that we often do a dismal job of thinking inside the box. We fall victim to familiar traps, such as doing things the same old ineffective way or discounting the ideas of colleagues,...

How to Cope with Troublesome People

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by Naomi Karten

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Apr 11 2012 - 11:36am

I recently read yet another post about dealing with difficult people. These articles are often based on the premise that something is wrong with these people and your challenge is not to change anything you’re doing, but to find ways to tolerate their undesirable behavior.

To Whom It May Concern: Thank You

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by Naomi Karten

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Apr 4 2012 - 3:10pm

When I received a printed note from a client after speaking at the company’s annual sales conference, I received a valuable lesson about the personal touch – or the lack thereof.The note says: “Thank you for helping to make our Sales University a great success! Your participation made this year’s a valuable learning experience. We greatly appreciate your support and look forward to future...

How Customers Describe Negative Experiences

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by Naomi Karten

Mar 22 2012 - 12:41pm

When people have negative experiences, they can’t wait to tell others. They tell them in person, they blog, they tweet, they post comments on ratings websites. Any way they can communicate their tales of woe, they do.But that’s not all. I’ve noticed that when people relate a negative experience, they add details. They focus on fine points. They stress certain parts of the story out of proportion...

Before You Create Your Next Presentation

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by Naomi Karten

Mar 12 2012 - 10:38am

Are you going to be giving a sales presentation any time soon? Don’t let the word “sales” mislead you; most presentations have a sales angle to them. Whether you’re selling a product, service, strategy, idea, way of thinking, or course of action, you’re trying to persuade your listeners to take some action or adopt a certain behavior or mindset.

An Obvious Bug or a Deliberate Strategy?

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by Naomi Karten

Feb 21 2012 - 6:00pm

A friend of mine wanted a new ski jacket. He decided to order several jackets online, pick the one he liked best, and return the rest.He ordered four jackets from Store #1 and two jackets from Store #2. The total came to four figures.When he received the six jackets, he picked out the one he liked best. It was from Store #2. He returned all four jackets to Store #1 and the second jacket to Store...

On Deadline

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by Naomi Karten

Feb 5 2012 - 1:42pm

Here’s a fascinating factoid: The word “deadline” — something every project manager and software professional knows well — didn’t originally have anything to do with due dates. Apparently, the term arose during Civil War times. A deadline was an actual line, indicated by a fence or railing or by a line in the dirt, intended to restrict the movement of prisoners in Civil War stockades.