As you can tell by the update we put out this week, we have been quite busy at Avalon Labs.  Not only do we constantly monitor our own help forums for suggestions to improve the site, we’re constantly trying out new ideas in house and/or bouncing ideas off Fellowstream customers we know “in real life.” […]

By now, if you have Internet access (and reading this blog, I assume you do), then you’ve heard about the Double Rainbow guy on YouTube.  The guy is obviously high, if not on life, then on various (illegal) substances.  As he captures a vivid double rainbow on camera, he keeps crying about how “intense it […]

In a crazy competitive world where a million people want your job, it may seem that there’s nothing you can do to stand out.  What can be done has already been done by someone else.  There’s always someone better than you.  And, at the extreme, there are a million reasons why you would get overlooked […]

I wrote a quick article on speaking up last time I posted.  This is a subject near and dear to my heart, not only because I like to talk (because I’ll admit it, I do), but because I have managed people who just won’t talk. If you let me talk, odds are, I’m going to […]

Got something on your mind?  A great new project idea?  A criticism of the way the team runs? Then just say it. Okay, so don’t just blurt it out in the middle of a team meeting.  And yes, you may want to take a step back and word it properly.  You want to make sure […]

Unless Independence Day was a documentary, most of the organic beings reading this text are human.  Ergo, we have human emotions.  In a team environment, we’re often asked to put our emotions away in exchange for rational discussion.  By and large, this is a good thing.   Through brainstorming and other collaborative efforts, we can often […]

A good friend of mine (who also happens to be a solid people manager) once told me that there were very few dumb decisions made in an office.  At first, this struck me as completely false.  Don’t people make dumb decisions all the time?  Managers hide information from subordinates.  Marketing doesn’t talk to engineering or […]

In her last guest blog, Cara told us a humorous story of toddler entrepreneurship.  In this second blog, she uses her experience to outline four key elements of great team communication.  Got any to add to her list? The core of standard teamwork is most simply defined as people working together. Good teamwork is about […]

I wrote an article for a really neat little site called The Change Blog.  Check out my post: Throw Away Your Labels and Accept Change in Others Although I wrote it about personal relationships, it applies to teamwork too.  First impressions are an important part of how we judge people, but we need ways to […]

I live in Las Vegas, and yes, I do like going down to the Strip to gamble at the casinos once in a while.  It’s a fun way to pass a weekend afternoon, and besides, I keep my play money well within my budget. My sister and I showing off our penny slot winnings If […]