Always, look for the right pattern. If you find it, you can claim a piece of the future. But if you fail to make the right connection, you’re too late. The opportunity is gone; the investment is not forthcoming.

Always, look for the right pattern. If you find it, you can claim a piece of the future. But if you fail to make the right connection, you’re too late. The opportunity is gone; the investment is not forthcoming.

In early 1984, the tossed hammer smashing the screen in Apple's iconic Macintosh commercial, was a good predictor of Apple's ability to innovate -- in the sense of creating and taking a big share of enormous new profit pools.

Two stories emerged in the news this month that illustrate polar opposite attitudes toward negotiating salary and benefits in the workplace.

First, a New York Times profile revealed that Ira Glass, the creator and host of the popular radio show “This American Life,” is highly uncomfortable earning a high salary. In recent years, Glass earned about $170,000 in compensation and benefits. In 2013, the board of WBEZ public radio—his show’s producer—raised that figure to $278,000 to bring it in line with his stature and success.

You don’t have to disconnect completely to get away from work.