3 concepts every business can learn and use – for free

What we have to offer can be boiled down to one concept: the power of zero. We get more done with less of just about everything, from our people to our workplaces to our vendors. Zilch is what drives us to be more innovative, more passionate, more creative. Read more

Free PowerPoint-Tastic Templates – #015: Better Mouse Trap

Each week, the Fast Track Tools training company and the Cubicle Ninjas design firm work together to publish a template that makes it easier for you to communicate your ideas. This week, we bring you a way to illustrate a new method using the metaphor of inventing a better mouse trap. Read more

Business lessons from a sneaker

Million-dollar sponsorship deals for athletes are commonplace today, and one book brings the past to life and explains how it all started. Sneaker Wars by Barbara Smit tells the fascinating true story of the enemy brothers behind Puma and Adidas. Their feud fed the ambitions of many entrepreneurs and shaped sports sponsorships forever. Read more

5 questions to uncover your weaknesses in an interview

When interviewing with a former colleague, friend, or for an internal position, the hiring team probably knows your strengths. This is when they can really twist the screws and turn up the pressure by probing for weaknesses. Here are five questions that could make you squirm a little. Read more

Free PowerPoint-Tastic Templates – #014: Iceberg

Each week, the Fast Track Tools training company and the Cubicle Ninjas design firm work together to publish a template that makes it easier for you to communicate your ideas. This week we developed a free template that will help you use the metaphor of the iceberg. Read more

5 steps to convince people to change their behavior

Convincing your listeners to stop something is always harder than getting them to buy into a new idea. Bringing a current plan to a halt requires people to admit the idea was bad. Smart people like to be right and will often defend an idea to death. Peer pressure also drives communal thinking, making it even harder to convince a large group that the idea is bad. Read more

5 lessons to write a memorable speech or presentation

As John F. Kennedy closed his inauguration address on that blustery January day in 1961, he made the famous challenge, “Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” Evaluating this address uncovers how to prepare words that will resonate for decades. Read more

Free PowerPoint-Tastic Templates – #013: Cross-Functional Team

Each week, the Fast Track Tools training company and the Cubicle Ninjas design firm work together to publish a template that makes it easier for you to communicate your ideas. This week, we developed an image that busts the silos in organizations. This free template will help you present the strong working relationships between multiple groups or individuals. Read more

What motivates us? It’s not what you think!

Dan Pink has a great video out about what motivates us. Hint – it is not what you think!

In addition to being fun to watch (take my word for it), he shares really surprising research about what compels people to perform. An MIT study has demonstrated that, once you get beyond rudimentary cognitive skills, higher financial rewards actually result in LOWER performance! Read more

Big challenges ahead of big dreams?

Big dreams often come with challenges and hurdles that must be navigated and overcome. No matter the obstacle, dreams are at the core of most great ideas. But what if the barrier was a law that would not allow you to pursue your dream? Here are three people who would not let that stop them. Read more