Comments on: Deep Thinkers Need Not Apply: How To Get Ahead In the Modern Business World

By: Bryan

Bryan — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:17:43 +0000

What a flashback into my own lessons in business. Thanks for sharing!

By: John W. McKenna

John W. McKenna — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 20:57:19 +0000

Rob,
You hit a real nerve with this one. I have to agree with you. I just got back from a conference in Orlando and to be honest, I would rather work a month in a desert clinic than a week at a conference. Working the room is easily the most difficult thing I have to do but like you, more often than not, working the room is were the rubber meets the road. By the way, I much prefer your longer format posts. I guess that’s because I appreciate a thinking (wo)man’s post over twitter-sized servings.
Take care…
JWM

By: Brennan Ryan

Brennan Ryan — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 05:48:20 +0000

People like to buy from people they know!

Great read, thanks

Bren

By: Miklos Hollender

Miklos Hollender — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:03:07 +0000

Rob,

I just can’t agree with you because you are overlooking an important question: why do you assume that deep thinkers WANT to “go ahead”? Maybe you want but most of us don’t because we feel success or money quite pointless. I mean the only important things to buy are books and they aren’t that expensive. In fact I’m deliberately behaving even more in the “morose, distant geek” way than I’m actually because that way I can be left alone and bothered less. What’s the use in becoming successful? It’s just a waste of capacity on worthless things. I’m perfectly happy being a plain programmer until pension. Why the heck would I want to go upwards? That would mean taking responsibility for somebody else’s work. But as I don’t often see people who are up to my quality standards I don’t want to manage them. Of couse it’s questionable whether one can actually hold plain programming jobs indefinitely, or it’s more like “up or out”. I think one can, because the thing is, shit happens. And managers know shit happens. And they always want to have somebody around, who they know can fix even the worst kind of shit. So I think the role of morose, distant geek is sustainable practically indefinitely if you are good at what you do.

By: Jay

Jay — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 13:32:18 +0000

Terrific insight. I couldn’t agree more.

By: Colin

Colin — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 09:47:51 +0000

Well you see. Deep thinking and thinkers give you an understanding of a problem.

Understanding the problem gives you a strategy for solving it. The tactical stuff falls automatically from the strategy.

The shallow thinkers are all tactical, they always have plenty of “off pat” answers but they never really bother to understand the problem so have no coherent strategy to solve what’s really going on.

The result is short termism. The next quarter or the next year. Then they’re all out of ideas and eventually products.

btw, Pretty much all of our politicians are shallow thinkers.

By: glardo

glardo — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 05:35:17 +0000

A Unisys employee long in the tooth taught me an unforgettable American Haiku:

“It’s who you know and
who you blow:
Sh** always rolls
downhill.”

By: glardo

glardo — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 05:33:12 +0000

A Unisys employee long in the tooth taught me the unforgettable American Haiku:

“It’s who you know and
who you blow:
Shit always rolls
downhill.”

By: the baldchemist

the baldchemist — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 04:32:08 +0000

I reckon you guys watch Trump’s “Apprentice “too much. People who make decisions about who to hire would never hire anyone who did not have a contribution to make.
How difficult is it to tell people
what you do in two visceral sentences? Hers mine for what its worth- “I arrest the human intelligence long enough to, with magical design,pictorial narrative, words of grace and beauty showcase the essence and aspirations of your company” Works every time – just leave your card and walk politely away. Just wait for the call.
the baldchemist.

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:05:34 +0000

Actually, my experience is that those who tend to be more talkative and friendly also tend to be more creative. I also know people who have good ideas, and are able to communicate them to me, as their friend–but stay quiet in meetings because they don’t want to stir the pot. Creativity, communication skills, and WILLINGNESS to communicate are all essential.

It’s not necessary to be an ass-kisser to get ahead. Everybody recognizes it and my experience is that it never works. Be real. Be honest. Think. Communicate. That’s how you get noticed. That’s how you make contacts. That’s how you make friends. That’s how you get ahead.