Stephen Hawking, the world renowned British scientist and author of A Brief History of Time, has just turned 70 in spite of being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease at the age of 21. The usual life expectancy is only a few years after the onset of this terrible disease.

Often we are thrust into situations where we assume the student role. Studying for professional examinations or learning complex systems are examples. One impactful technique you can use is to teach the material to yourself.  Prepare the material as if you were going to teach it to someone or to a group.  Then, act as the instructor to an empty room.

Last year, Netflix was riding high with over 24 million paying customers and a $300 stock price. Now, the stock value closed in 2011 at under $70 a share.  In July, Netflix started separating the online streaming content from the CD delivery system and began charging different prices. Customers rebelled.  You can read my earlier blog here:  http://bit.ly/tBDxUH

I received a recent question asking for my thoughts about joining a local church.  “We can’t seem to find a church to meet our needs.  Every time we start attending, something comes up and we believe we need to find another church.  Any thoughts on how to find a good church?” While this question is not related to business, a business-like approach is helpful. 

Every day we carefully complete tasks that deliver to customers what we have promised. At times we need to understand when precise measurements or details are important and when they are not.