About this blog
I write about communication, leadership and change, drawing on a 30-year career in journalism, public relations and management.
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Author Archives: Jay Morris
Keep your data secure with these simple steps
Over the last few years, I’ve done a lot of writing for clients on the topic of data security. I’ve pored over reports and talked to experts for articles and white papers on POS systems, smart cards, data breaches and … Continue reading
Posted in Management, Technology
Tagged cyber crime, cybersecurity, data, data breaches, ID theft, Internet, security
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Using digital tools to make change stick
Last year, when I was doing research on change management for a book project, I came across a depressing statistic: up to 70 percent of change initiatives fail, usually due to employee resistance or lack of management follow-through. I first … Continue reading
Posted in Communications, Management, Technology
Tagged change management, digital tools, feedback, McKinsey
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To subcontract or not to subcontract, that is the question
I’ve been wrestling lately with a question that all self-employed people face at some point: to subcontract or not to subcontract. Is it better to retain the business you have, or should you farm some of it out? It’s a question … Continue reading
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Management
Tagged outsourcing, public relations, self-employment, solo practice, subcontracting
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Strunk & White’s little book on style still packs a punch
It’s been 95 years since William Strunk Jr.’s guide to style was first published by Harcourt. In the years prior to its publication, Professor Strunk circulated his “little book” to English students at Cornell University, one of whom was a budding … Continue reading
Posted in Communications
Tagged E.B. White, grammar, style, The Elements of Style, usage, William Strunk Jr., Writing
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Great leadership, like storytelling, answers ‘why’ not ‘how’
Several years ago, I attended a Dave Ramsey EntreLeadership seminar. Ever since then, Dave (or more likely someone on his staff) has been very good about emailing me with business tips and info on his latest offerings. If anything, he’s … Continue reading
Posted in Communications, Leadership, Purpose
Tagged branding, Daniel Pink, Dave Ramsey, Jim Collins, storytelling, vision, why
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Are you the Duck tape or Allen wrench of your organization?
Many years ago, when I first moved to Washington and started working in communications, an older and wiser colleague gave me some sage advice: “Jay, you can be a generalist or a specialist, there is no set path to success … Continue reading
Posted in Careers, Management, Organization
Tagged Allen wrench, Duck tape, generalist, management, Miles Davis, public relations, specialist
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On rereading ‘Walden’ and the seasons of life
Midway through my vacation last week, I opened Thoreau’s “Walden,” the same paperback edition I first read in ninth-grade English class. I still have all of my old notes. (How neat my handwriting was back then!) I remember Mrs. Smith … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness, Purpose
Tagged life lessons, reading, seasons, Sherman Paul, Thoreau, transcendentalism, Walden
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‘Attraching’ and other portmanteau words
I’m a big fan of portmanteau words. These made-up words combine elements of two existing words to form a new one with a blended meaning. You might call them verbal mash-ups. A portmanteau is a trunk or suitcase that opens … Continue reading
Posted in Communications, Marketing
Tagged attrach, Humpty Dumpty, Lewis Carroll, portmanteau, Through the Looking Glass
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The Wayward Journey 