Man sits apart. By Mead Schaeffer, c. 1933. Good Housekeeping magazine?

Why You High Potentials Don’t Get “Tapped” in Your 20s

Forrest ChristianCareers, Underachievers 1 Comment

I’ve written before about the importance of being “tapped” for bigger and better things when you are in your 20s if you are a very high potential on the Jaques scale. During my research for a recent project on intelligence testing, I discovered that Gillian Stamp, the bioss founder (and ex-BIOSS and London School of Economics professor), said something along …

Moore, Oklahoma and My Family

Forrest ChristianAdmin 2 Comments

Yesterday, a massive tornado hit the Oklahoma City area, concentrated on Moore, OK. This just one day after a tornado ripped through Edmond and other cities. We think about these things because my wife is from OKC, and she had family in Moore and Edmond. Today, we’re just thankful that everyone is safe. Her brother-in-law was able to clean off …

Belgian royal conservatory's dome, interior with sun. (c) E. Forrest Christian

Does Fluid Intelligence / IQ Matter?

Forrest ChristianOverachievers, Underachievers 6 Comments

(This continues our discussion about intelligence / IQ testing. Read part 1, Intelligence Testing & IQ: What it is, isn’t.) The big issue with intelligence tests is this general mental ability (GMA or g) that they measure. This is mostly “fluid intelligence”. It means how quickly you can solve a unique problem. You would think that it would correlate with …

Get Your Staging Right to Get Your Expertise Heeded

Forrest ChristianChange 1 Comment

Presentation matters. A lot. Whether you are trying to get a job, sell a point, or get some respect in your house of worship, you need to spend some time on how the “you” you present to other people makes it easier or harder for them to believe in you. We co-create social realities. The “presentation of self”, as Erving …

Luck Does Not Determine Your Essential Character

Forrest ChristianCareers, Coaching Leave a Comment

I like to point out idiocy by “experts” when I see it. And management writing in Harvard Business Review is usually such a fertile field! Today, let’s look at idiocy about luck and being a great strategist from Hans H. Hinterhuber and Wolfgang Popp (“Are You a Strategist or Just a Manager?”, Jan-Feb 1992). As Moltke observed, the good strategist …

Mary McQueen on Dragon’s Den: 2HiPo on National TV

Forrest Christianhappiness, Underachievers Leave a Comment

Did you know that one of my raving fans and frequent commenters, Mary McQueen, appeared on the CBC show, Dragons’ Den? It’s like the American Shark Tank, where entrepreneurs make a pitch before a team of investors trying to get money. Mary pitched her brilliant Hand & Beak business: she makes greeting cards with her lovebird partner, Luigi. No, he’s …