A note to some less experienced employees:

Yes you are smart, and yes, you are knowledgeable. But you don't know everything, or even everything about the things you think you are expert in. Before opening your mouth and inserting feet, you might pause to consider that maybe, just maybe, someone else knows how to do their own job, and suggesting otherwise is not endearing.

Just a tip.

Right now, I'm reading the Cryptonomicon, an interesting book all the cool kids were reading a few years ago. It's the best story about cryptography, warfare and cross generational treasure hunting I've ever read. The sad part is everyone else has moved on.

Ditto for Freakonomics, Blink, and just about everything else I've read recently. I used to stay quite current with books, but now not so much. I'm sure part of it has to do with being the father of a 2 year old, but it also has to do with the way I get books these days. As I learn about a book that sounds interesting, I add it to my Amazon wish list. Then once a year for Christmas, I send a list of those books around, and I hope I get some. So in general, I don't even bring a book in my house until many months after it has been published, and I usually don't read it until many months after that (in my annual pre Christmas book reading/shelf clearing frenzy).

I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to break this cycle, but I am going to give it some thought.