I see a push-pull situation at many of my clients. On the one hand, the managers want adaptability—the ability to respond to changes. And, on the other hand, the managers want great (some say perfect) estimates and assurances that the project will proceed as planned. I don’t see how you can have both things: assurances/guarantees […]
How Do You Encourage Your Own Adaptability? Read More »
I was thinking about some of the changes my clients are considering. Most of them want to use agile approaches, all the way through the organization. A laudable goal because it will produce the business results they want to see. What’s the first thing people can do? Change their behavior. Not change their system. Not
What Behavior Can You Change? Read More »
A friend sent me a very long treatise about complexity. The author contends that we, as humans, have a confirmation bias towards complexity. I’m not linking to it because I found the writing too complex to read. I’m not going to inflict that on you. However, I do think the question is useful: are we
Are We Biased to the Simple or Complex? Read More »
We live in a world filled with constraints. Sometimes, those constraints are on where we can travel or be. Sometimes, those constraints are about our physical capabilities (such as my vertigo or my height). Many constraints we impose on ourselves or allow our organizations to impose on us. Often, we fight against those constraints inside our organizations,
When Do Constraints Help? Read More »
It’s the beginning of a new year, and that means many people have resolutions. They’re thinking about what they will add to their lives. While addition might be helpful, what about removing things from your life? What would that look like? Here’s what happens to me if I’m not careful. I see a good idea
What Can You Remove? Read More »
In my coaching and consulting, I often encounter people who think in “or.” They ask, “Should I take this action or that action?” (They might talk about decisions, but it’s the same idea. It’s one or the other.) I’ve been asking them this question, “Can you mash those two ideas together to use an “and”
How Do You Create a Third Option? Read More »
At this time of year, many people start their todo lists or write down resolutions. Actions and resolutions are about the “what we want to accomplish.” Many people start with “what” instead of “why.” For example, many people (including me) want to lose weight over the coming year. You might want to learn a new
How Can You Think About Who You Want to be Next Year? Read More »
I like to build habits for things I want to do more of and less of. I’ve been writing like mad these days: blogging here and on my business site, writing a geographically distributed teams book with a colleague, and writing other articles and books. I’ve been writing every day—not necessarily a lot, but every
Are You On a Streak? Read More »
I was wandering around the kitchen this morning, making my breakfast. I notice this tag on the counter. I held it up and asked, “Can I delete this?” Mark immediately cracked up laughing. So did I. In the real world, as opposed to our computers and the virtual world, we throw out trash. We don’t
Can You See Your Own Mental Models? Read More »
I find the current sexual harassment and discrimination scandals dispiriting. Regardless of the good work these men (and some women) have achieved in their lives, their legacy will always be one of sexual predation, an abuse of power. (I wrote a little about this and how it plays out in work in Power, Management, and
How Do We Reconcile Our Perceptions vs Our Realities? Read More »