B2B Data Integration and Transformation Blog

Two Quick Thoughts

The Issue

A popular air freshener company is moving lots of product these days by asking if we have become “Noseblind”.   Noseblindness is the phenomenon where humans become accustomed to the odors around us until we no longer recognize them, while our guests are overwhelmed by the cat’s litter box or the fish we cooked for dinner last night.     

Since none of us want to offend the sensibilities of those who visit our homes and offices, we purchase the latest plug in fragrance or aerosol freshener out of fear that others will detect the offensive odors to which we have become immune.   After all, who has the time to constantly search for things we no longer realize exist? 

A Helpful Tip and a Good Question to Ponder.

You know your favorite white coffee cup or tea mug sitting on your desk or by the sink in the break room?   I bet yours is like most of ours.   Even though you wash it regularly, one day you look down and nearly die of embarrassment because it’s so stained on the inside.  It now sports a light brown color inside that looks nothing like its pristine white exterior.  And the stain won’t wash out no matter how hard you try.   

How did this happen and what will you do about it?  And quickly!  Before someone else notices.

Two Quick Thoughts

We often think of soft skills as being synonymous with interpersonal skills.  However soft skills can also be those personal attributes that help us do our jobs more efficiently.  When interviewing technical candidates it is easy to overlook the importance of assessing a candidate’s soft skills.   Here are a couple of my favorite interview questions that can help in this area.

A few days before my youngest son left for the United States Marine Corps, our family wanted to spend some time together with him.  We decided on a great meal at a five-star restaurant in hopes of creating a fond memory he could lean back on during the tough times at boot camp.

We chose a well-known restaurant housed in an early 1900’s building that served as a police precinct in its former life, and is appropriately named “The Precinct”.  The famous steaks and other specialties they serve draw celebrities, visitors, and locals alike looking for a special place to celebrate a special occasion.

The weather looks great for this weekend, so my wife Amy and I will ‘slip the surly bonds of earth’ in a small private airplane for a summer holiday visit with family a few hundred miles to our south.   And though we will arrive at the same destination, at the same time, in the same aircraft, if you ask each of us about our trip you will find we’ve taken two very different journeys to get there.