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Mega Minute Archives
Welcome to Merge’s Monthly Mega-Minute - a bite-sized, yet substantial and practical, nugget of information that you can use immediately to enhance your professional and personal success.
Mega Minute Archives 2026
January: What does it take to motivate employees? | Full newsletter
February: Build electrical cables, not chains | Full newsletter
March: If you play with dog, you must get fleas | Full newsletter
April: Just stay silent to listen | Full newsletter
May: It was never about the strap! | Full newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2025
January: Learn from the Aztecs | Full newsletter
February: Be a quark! | Full newsletter
March: A lesson in communication from ants and farming | Full newsletter
April: Tell them why | Full newsletter
May: Stop playing it safe: why taking risks moves you forward | Full newsletter
June: What video games can teach us about motivating employees | Full newsletter
July: Why difficult people are like sandpaper | Full newsletter
August: Sail close to the wind | Full newsletter
September: When you look at an apple, what do you see? | Full newsletter
October: Broken windows and leadership | Full Newsletter
November: Do your employees want chemistry sets or rescue rangers? | Full Newsletter
December: When should you act on feedback? | Full Newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2024
January: One size doesn’t fit all | Full newsletter
February: Get up and get it yourself! | Full newsletter
March: Isn't soap just soap? | Full newsletter
April: The king and his coronation robe | Full newsletter
May: Sho-u-gan-ai | Full newsletter
June: How business cards can be so much more than just business cards | Full Newsletter
July: A life lesson from the hermit crab | Full newsletter
August: The paradox of ice cream | Full newsletter
September: Set them up to succeed by helping them fail | Full newsletter
October: Why humans are like turtles | Full newsletter
November: When you squeeze the ketchup bottle what comes out? | Full newsletter
December: One size doesn't fit all! | Full newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2023
January: Why does the buffalo look so strange? | Full newsletter
February: Solomon’s Paradox can get in the way of making good decisions | Full newsletter
March: That's Impossible | Full newsletter
April: The problem with crisis management | Full newsletter
May: A sailboat as a metaphor for continuous learning and workplace change | Full newsletter
June: Do you solve problems by trial or by effort? | Full newsletter
July: Diversity and inclusion is isn’t enough; we should be striving to create belonging | Full newsletter
August: Panopticons don’t belong at work | Full newsletter
September: Deliberately push yourself outside your comfort zone | Full newsletter
October: Good leaders always put on their own oxygen mask first | Full newsletter
November: Managing drop-in visitors assertively and effectively | Full newsletter
December: Play tennis, not golf | Full newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2022
January: Are you falling victim to the Dunning-Kruger cognitive bias? | Full newsletter
February: Yes, you are a salesperson! | Full newsletter
March: Why would someone bungee jump naked? | Full newsletter
April: Obligation versus choice | Full newsletter
May: Microscopes and telescopes | Full newsletter
June: How much is an old beaten-up trunk worth? | Full newsletter
July: Why do sidewalks have lines? | Full newsletter
August: A sound approach to making difficult workplace decisions | Full newsletter
November: Are you a thermometer, or a thermostat? | Full newsletter
December: The customer is NOT always right! | Full newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2021
January: “Any” versus “Some”; one is better than the other | Full newsletter
February: Does risk-taking scare you? | Full newsletter
March: Invest in the right equipment, and then trust that it will do what it is supposed to | Full newsletter
April: If you want to achieve objectives, you need to set goals | Full newsletter
May: How does your garden grow? | Full newsletter
June: What will it (really) take to effect behaviour change in your employees? | Full newsletter
July: How are you handling workplace pressure? | Full newsletter
August: When it comes to making good decisions, context matters | Full newsletter
September: Leaders, take action to “weed your garden” | Full newsletter
October: Trying to motivate employees? Watch out for the cobra effect | Full newsletter
November: When duct tape becomes good enough … | Full newsletter
December: Through the customers’ lens | Full newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2020
January: Are you doing your job or are you doing your work? | Full newsletter
February: The chimpanzee, Mike, and his gasoline cans | Full newsletter
March: Are contra-indications reducing your effectiveness? | Full newsletter
April: Are you being like the Sankofa | Full newsletter
May: Perfect is the enemy of good | Full newsletter
June: To cultivate high-performing teams, you need two elements | Full newsletter
July: Respond calmly by “putting a stone in your mouth” | Full newsletter
August: What the practice of medicine can teach us about solving problems | Full newsletter
September: Sea turtles and Yellow Tang fish | Full newsletter
October: Are you on the wrong train? | Full newsletter
November: A lesson in collaboration from hermit crabs | Full newsletter
December: Pain serves a purpose | Full newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2019
January: What bungee cords are keeping you tied to the past? | Full newsletter
February: Lifeboat or lighthouse – what kind of a leader are you? | Full newsletter
March: Nature abhors a vacuum ... as does communication in organizations | Full newsletter
April: No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible | Full newsletter
May: A few rotting leaves will ruin the whole salad | Full newsletter
June: A leadership lesson from the monarch butterfly | Full newsletter
July: Leaders, don't try to boil the ocean | Full newsletter
August: How owls hunt can teach leaders something about how to lead | Full newsletter
September: Misinformation: an unusual approach to spur discussion and creative thinking | Full newsletter
October: Use the “convenient fruit principle” to influence employee behaviour | Full newsletter
November: Complacency is the enemy of progress | Full newsletter
December: Focus your employee retention effectiveness by invoking Price’s Law | Full newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2018
January: It’s a lot easier to drink water when you have a glass | Full newsletter
February: It is better to have no timepiece than one that is wrong | Full newsletter
March: When a senior manager asks you the time, don’t describe how a watch works | Full newsletter
April: Is your kayak moving? | Full newsletter
May: Use the Diderot Effect as a way to inspire and re-ignite your team | Full newsletter
June: In order to shift bicycle gears, you have to be in motion | Full newsletter
July: Worrying won't help you solve problems or make decisions | Full newsletter
August: Periods of vulnerability can present both threats and opportunities | Full newsletter
September: When you turn and face the sun, your shadow will always be behind you | Full newsletter
October: What the science of flying kites can teach us about leadership | Full newsletter
November: Leadership lessons from ants | Full newsletter
December: When you eat peanuts, what do you do with the shells? | Full newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2017
January: A goal achievement lesson from a sea otter | Full newsletter
February: Making risky decisions: a simplified approach | Full newsletter
March: A problem-solving insight from watching an active lava flow | Full newsletter
April: An ageless folktale about dealing with adversity | Full newsletter
May: How complacency can freeze you | Full newsletter
June: Leadership lessons from a bald eagle | Full newsletter
July: What school teachers already know about employee training | Full newsletter
August: Would you run a marathon blindfolded? | Full newsletter
September: Operating lean – hindrance or opportunity? | Full newsletter
October: Earthquake versus erosion: what geography can teach us about leadership | Full newsletter
November: There's no excuse for ignorance | Full newsletter
December: The tale of the Vasa: one king’s folly | Full newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2016
January: The tale of four birds | Full newsletter
February: Feedforward gets better outcomes than feedback | Full newsletter
March: Build in a buffer to compensate for Parkinson's Law | Full newsletter
April: Use constructive controversy to build consensus | Full newsletter
May: Change doesn’t come from watching, it comes from doing | Full newsletter
June: Don't forget to celebrate what is happening behind the scenes! | Full newsletter
July: Man only truly respects what he pays for. True or false? | Full newsletter
August: The value of compound interest | Full newsletter
September: Squirrel!!? | Full newsletter
October: Why do goldfish only grow to the size of their bowl? | Full newsletter
November: Managing change is like journeying on a bus | Full newsletter
December: Tornados and termites – do both get your equal attention? | Full newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2015
January: Shake up the champagne! | Full newsletter
February: The value of instant feedback | Full newsletter
March: A leadership lesson from six blind men and an elephant | Full newsletter
April: Leadership lessons from a penguin | Full newsletter
May: Does the wisdom of Segal's Law help or hinder decision making? | Full newsletter
June: Anger is an expression of helplessness | Full newsletter
July: What Canada geese can teach us about teamwork | Full newsletter
August: Why rubber balls are better than raw eggs | Full newsletter
September: Amazon’s leadership forgot that ‘how’ is as important as ‘what’ | Full newsletter
October: What do you do when you see a spider? | Full newsletter
November: Instinct can sometimes be a bad thing! | Full newsletter
December: Lessons in teamwork from long-nosed bats | Full newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2014
January: Recalculating ... does it make you cringe? | Full newsletter
February: Leadership lessons from a sea turtle | Full newsletter
March: Four lessons about teamwork from the meerkat | Full newsletter
April: Is persistence and tenacity always a good thing? | Full newsletter
May: Be proactive – think like a chess grand master to avoid a "checkmate" | Full newsletter
June: Fill employee's buckets with recognition and praise | Full newsletter
July: Can you be liquid if the situation requires it? | Full newsletter
August: A leadership lesson (from a cat) on how to stay focused | Full newsletter
September: Where do pearls come from? | Full newsletter
October: Stillness offers greater depth and clarity | Full newsletter
November: You must squeeze out a sponge for it to absorb more liquid | Full newsletter
December: Getting to your destination is easier if you are facing the right direction | Full newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2013
January: What leaders can learn from (righteous!) surfers | PDF
February: Are you shining the spotlight on your employees? | PDF
March: Don’t let your business relationships become rusty | PDF
April: Are you using your tusks or your teeth? | PDF
May: Who are you ignoring? | PDF
June: Dogs don’t bark at parked cars | PDF
July: Are you a hummingbird? | PDF
August: What the “Fosbury Flop” teaches us about innovation | PDF
September: The similarity between wax and workplace relationships | PDF
October: Find a “mirror” to grow as a leader | PDF
November: Airplanes take off against the wind. So can you. | Full newsletter
December: Self-efficacy — impressive words with immense impact | Full newsletter
Mega Minute Archives 2012
January: Customer satisfaction is relative | PDF
February – Could your weakness be your competitive advantage? | PDF
March – Do you have any QWERTYUIOPs? | PDF
April – Are you leading from the front or from the rear? | PDF
May – Procedure manuals are worth the effort | PDF
June – Hachiya persimmons – from distasteful to delicious | PDF
July – Leadership is NOT about managing people! | PDF
August – If I groom you then you’ll groom me (a cat’s formula for success) | PDF
September – Leadership lessons from a mountain | PDF
October – Competitiveness is a barrier to creativity and innovation | PDF
November – What will it take for a rattlesnake to bite itself? | PDF
December – You can’t read the label from inside the bottle | PDF
Mega Minute Archives 2011
January – Pits or seeds? | PDF
February – Don’t shoot yourself in the foot! | PDF
March – Survival depends on how well you transform to fit your environment | PDF
April – Actively seek to discover what others are saying about you | PDF
May – You are not an expert at everything! | PDF
June – How clay becomes porcelain | PDF
July – Curiosity never killed the cat! | PDF
August – What the ancient Hawai’ians can teach you about leadership | PDF
September – Old habits die hard! | PDF
October – Don’t ask the barber whether you need a haircut | PDF
November – Process matters, but don’t lose sight of the outcome | PDF
December – Don’t be a strangler fig! | PDF
Mega Minute Archives 2010
January – Which fisherman are you? | PDF
February – Are you the bulldozer, or the road? | PDF
March – Stop waiting for someone else to act, do it yourself | PDF
April – Reprogram your vending machine | PDF
May – Three lessons in teamwork from the world of dolphins | PDF
June – Which juggling balls do you keep aloft? | PDF
July – What does it take to get things done? | PDF
August – Workplace negativity is toxic | PDF
September – When making decisions, be aware of anchoring | PDF
October – Why flying is better than driving | PDF
November – What gets measured and publicized gets acted on! | PDF
December – The power of focus | PDF
Mega Minute Archives 2009
January – Sea anemones and clownfish | PDF
February – How to protect your Spitfire | PDF
March – Humuhumunukunukuapua’a | PDF
April – Always take your best shot! | PDF
May – Are you taking the extra step? | PDF
June – The wonder of why | PDF
July – The importance of culture | PDF
August – How welcoming are you to your new employees? | PDF
September – The whole is greater than the sum of its parts | PDF
October – Three birds and a squirrel | PDF
November – What a cat can teach you about concentration | PDF
December – Seek out specialized skills to solve workplace problems | PDF
Mega Minute Archives 2008
January – A leadership lesson from the school of writing | PDF
February – Remember that people need “sipping” time | PDF
March – Do you need a leadership leap day? | PDF
April – Just trust your equipment! | PDF
May – What you expect, so you will find | PDF
June – “An elephant does not die from one broken rib” | PDF
July – Why grouper fish and moray eels work together | PDF
August – Use Ockham’s Razor for difficult decision-making | PDF
September – Are you giving your people butter knives or bread knives? | PDF
October – Are you paying attention to those who disagree with you? | PDF
November – How leaders overcome fear and doubts | PDF
December – When the annual X’mas party isn’t JUST a party | PDF
Mega Minute Archives 2007
January – Marshmallows, self-discipline, and success | PDF
February – The second rule of ocean kayaking | PDF
March – Building sandcastles that endure | PDF
April – There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow | PDF
May – What choice will you make on the expressway of change? | PDF
June – “Every bread have its cheese” | PDF
July – Choose to add more keys to your key ring | PDF
August – From average to exceptional: the power of passion | PDF
September – Are you harnessing the power of wikinomics? | PDF
October – A defining moment in the life of an Arizona state trooper | PDF
November – Three leadership lessons from my cat | PDF
December – You can’t drive a car by looking in the rearview mirror | PDF
Mega Minute Archives 2006
January – Don’t ask for permission, ask for forgiveness! | PDF
February – A riddle about squirrels | PDF
March – Commitment or compliance? | PDF
April – Do you have a Martha on your team? | PDF
May – The birth of a butterfly | PDF
June – The case of the uneaten chicken wings | PDF
July – Why pykrete is better than ice | PDF
August – Others can’t read your mind. Really! | PDF
September – Giving feedback is like eating spinach | PDF
October – The longer you carry it, the heavier it gets | PDF
November – What leaders can learn from the medical profession | PDF
December – The geophysics of earthquakes in Hawaii | PDF
Mega Minute Archives 2005
January – What does it take to motivate employees? | PDF
February – Build electrical cables, not chains | PDF
March – “If you play with dog, you must get fleas” | PDF
April – Just stay SILENT to LISTEN | PDF
May – Indifference leads nowhere | PDF
June – A leadership lesson from crabs | PDF
July – Prune your trees carefully, but don’t cut them down | PDF
August – Are you willing to get involved? | PDF
September – What you can learn about success from sharks | PDF
October – Making order out of chaos: the theory of dissipative structures | PDF
November – The trombonist who played out of tune | PDF
December – Develop anablep vision | PDF
Mega Minute Archives 2004
January – Learn from the Aztecs | PDF
February – Be a quark! | PDF
March – A lesson in communication from ants and farming | PDF
April – Tell them why | PDF
May – Stop playing it safe! | PDF
June – What video games can teach you about motivating employees | PDF
July – Why difficult people are like sandpaper | PDF
August – Sail close to the wind | PDF
September – When you look at an apple, what do you see? | PDF
October – Broken windows and leadership | PDF
November – Do your employees want chemistry sets or Rescue Rangers? | PDF
December – When should you act on feedback? | PDF
Mega Minute Archives 2003
January – Get up and get it yourself! | PDF
February – Isn’t soap just soap? | PDF
March – The king and his coronation robe | PDF
April – Sho-u-gan-ai | PDF
May – How business cards can be so much more than business cards | PDF
June – What you can learn from the hermit crab | PDF
July – The paradox of ice cream | PDF
August – Something special happened on July 30 | PDF
September – Set them up to succeed by helping them fail | PDF
October – Why humans are like turtles | PDF
November – When you squeeze the ketchup bottle what comes out? | PDF
December – One size doesn’t fit all! | PDF
Mega Minute Archives 2002
July – Step outside your comfort zone! | PDF
August – For an effective meeting, try this radical technique! | PDF
September – Put on your own “oxygen mask” first | PDF
October – A life’s lesson from a lobster | PDF
November – Managing drop-in visitors assertively and effectively | PDF
December – Play tennis, not golf! | PDF
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Merge Gupta-Sunderji turns managers into leaders. Through engaging keynotes and seminars, she gives people specific and practical tools to achieve leadership and communication success. Contact her at www.turningmanagersintoleaders.com or 403-605-4756.
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