Many years ago, when I first started my consulting firm, a friend of mine, Jane*, who worked for a large company, suggested I speak with her colleague, a man named Fred, who might be in a position to hire Bregman Partners. So I called Fred, … [Read more...]
Diversify Your Self
October 21, 2009 By
Recently, a woman working for France Telecom sent an email to her father. Then she walked over to the window on the fourth floor of her office building, opened it, stepped through, and jumped to her death. The email read: "I have decided to kill … [Read more...]
To Change Effectively, Change Just One Thing
October 6, 2009 By
I lost 18 pounds in the past month and a half. I didn't exercise harder or longer than usual. I didn't read a new diet book supported by evidence and filled with rules and recipes. I didn't eat prepared meals from a diet organization. I've done … [Read more...]
Choose the Fantasy World You Live In
September 22, 2009 By
A few weeks ago my wife Eleanor and I escaped for a few hours to go mountain biking in Panthertown Valley, North Carolina. Several times during our ride we stopped to admire the incredible views and warm our faces in the sun. The perfect day, we … [Read more...]
How to Escape Perfectionism
September 1, 2009 By
According to the World Database of Happiness (yes, there is one), Iceland is the happiest place on earth. That's right, Iceland. Yes, I know it's cold and dark six months out of the year there. I'm just giving you the data. The secret to their … [Read more...]
What to Do When You’re Out of Control
August 25, 2009 By
"Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking. We have a situation." And with those words, the saga of my aborted flight from New York to Dallas began. The captain told us we had an "equipment problem" that required we make an emergency … [Read more...]
To Get More Done, Slow Down
August 18, 2009 By
On a Friday afternoon almost twenty years ago, soon after I had started working at a New York consulting firm, I was working on an important presentation with Andy Geller, who ran the office. We'd promised to deliver it Monday morning, and we were … [Read more...]
Prepare Yourself for the Next Downturn
August 12, 2009 By
I started my consulting business 11 years ago with a laptop computer in a living room. It grew quickly. The first year I made more money than I had in the previous three combined, the second year I doubled that, and by the third year I began to … [Read more...]
To Get What You Want, Don’t Go With Your Gut
July 30, 2009 By
About five years ago I took on a new client in New York City. This company had lawsuits against it, high turnover, and terrible press. One of the first people I met was a senior leader we'll call Hunter. "Look Peter, you seem like a nice guy," … [Read more...]
Undo Send in Real Life
July 15, 2009 By
I am alligator man, a dangerous amphibious monster. I swim quietly toward my prey, a seven-year-old girl named Isabelle, who also happens to be my daughter. Sensing the danger, she nervously scans the surface of the pool. Suddenly she spots me. … [Read more...]
