Weekly Download 15.7

Here’s a recap of news and notes from around the Web that caught my attention over the past week or so.

Decisions vs. Choices: Is There a Distinction? Yes, and it is important. It helps us think about when we cut off alternatives (make a decision) vs. what are the choices we make. Are we clear so that important choices are made or considered before we make a decision? Seemingly, decisions are much easier once we have that clarity.

Read the letter Bill Gates sent to Microsoft employees for the company’s 40th anniversary. He takes a moment to reflect and celebrate, then sets the path for their future: “…what matters most now is what we do next.”

I’ve always been a fan of maps. For that matter, I appreciate just about any effective graphical display of information. Draftsman Henry Beck originally created the subway-style map in 1933 for the London Underground Tube. There is just one minor detail—it’s not really a map. Both Beck and the designer of the NYC subway version insisted that this style it be called a diagram (to represent the data, not be a geographical-based representation of all of the features). Semantics aside, 15 subway-style maps that explain everything but subways is intriguing and I think most of them work well.

If you are wondering how quickly disruptive business models can change things, read this. As of March 2015, Uber represents 47% of expensed rides processed by North America’s second largest expense reimbursement provider—up from 15% in March 2014.

Weekly Download 15.6

Here’s a recap of news and notes from around the Web that caught my attention over the past week or so.

Implementing Cloud as an IT Service Delivery Model  a good article that describes the business value created from implementing the ITIL service model and cloud computing.

For those of us who feel we work best under pressure of deadline, How We Trick our Brains into Being Productive give some excellent tips on the appropriate use of procrastination.

The Inbox of our Lives addresses the challenges of email. But is it email per se, or is email an easy scapegoat for the larger issue of information overload and how to process it all?

Email is the longest. It takes the most from me to respond. It’s the channel that holds the greatest complexity. And why is it complex? Because it’s a place that we put the things that require thought. It’s a place to think about more than the next to-do, the next meeting, the cute-ism we want to share. It’s a place where we can struggle with ideas….email is the place we try to get our minds around the unruly. So of course it’s harder than the others.

I’ve always enjoyed journaling just for pleasure. I hadn’t thought about focusing on a specific change I’m trying to make and noting my progress over time. Need to Change, Keep a Diary shows the value of journaling as a tool for transformation.