A client trying to use an agile approach said, “I want to future-proof my organization. I want the assurance we will be here for years and years.” I asked him if he intended to change things. He gave me that deer-in-the-headlights look. He said, “Maybe?” I did quote Franklin about nothing being certain about death […]
Do You Choose to Mistake-Proof or Future-Proof? Read More »
I love to learn. When I learn, I reflect on what I know and refine how I can use my knowledge to change something. I love to learn about how people work—and don’t work together. I love to learn how to make things easier for people at work. I love to learn about all aspects
How Do You Create Your Learning Opportunities? Read More »
I was at a conference recently. The theme was about games (simulations) that would help create psychological safety. Psychological safety matters both at home and at work. I bet you’ve seen people who live with psychologically unsafe families. Their lack of safety makes everything about their lives much more difficult. How can you gain emotional
How Can You Use Your Fear or Vulnerability to Create Courage? Read More »
The more I learn about adaptability, the more I realize I need to generate several options. The options help me select a new response to the altered situation. And, every so often, I find that too many options confuse me. I want to find the One Real Possibility that will solve the problem. Instead, I
How Many Options Can You Hold at One Time? Read More »
Adaptability challenges me on several levels. The biggest is how to balance my experience, with my present, to look towards the future. I might be stuck in the past. I might not realize the present is different from my experience and current perception of the present. I might be afraid for the future. I was
How Do You Balance Your Past, Present, and Future? Read More »
In my work, I meet people who think their problems are totally unique. Their issue, their product, their managers—their context is unique. They are correct. While each of us is unique, we have many common challenges. We can learn from others. We might be able to apply something to our situation. I see this a
When Are You the “Only” One? Read More »
I had a difficult time seeing a site on my iPad. I grumbled about it to Mark. I said, “They must have changed the font.” He replied, “Is your screen dirty?” I took his advice and cleaned both my glasses and my iPad. It was better, but I still had trouble seeing the site. They
What’s the Solvable Problem? Read More »
Several of my clients have told me they want to help people be happy. They measure—well, they attempt to—each individual’s happiness. I have not found measuring happiness all that helpful. For me, happiness is an outcome, a result, of satisfaction. Satisfaction with my choices, satisfaction in finishing, satisfaction with my results. I wonder about happiness
Is Happiness Your Goal? Read More »
Many people use the terms adaptable and resilience interchangeably. However, they mean different things and we live and use them differently. When we are adaptable, we see that reality has changed. We don’t deny that reality. Because we admit that we have a new reality, we can find new approaches to manage our responses to
What’s the Difference Between Resilience and Adaptability? Read More »
I had lunch with a colleague today. We spoke about his freshman-in-high-school age (14?) child who was studying Computer Science. The student is actually solving problems with code (Python) and showing his work to others. I didn’t ask if he was working in a team, but he probably is. I didn’t take my first Computer
Which Number Career Are You On? Read More »