I see the world as having plenty: plenty of interesting work, plenty of people, plenty of chocolate, plenty of everything. That’s the abundance mindset. Other people see the world more as a zero-sum game, where there is not enough of anything to go around. They need to grab what they want when they see it.
Do You Believe in Scarcity or Abundance? Read More »
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 »
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 »
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 »
I prefer not to make mistakes. Yet, I am human. I make mistakes all the time. Making mistakes is not the problem. It’s the recovering from mistakes that might be the problem. How quickly you recover from mistakes is partly about seeing the need to adapt, your ability to respond to a changed situation, and
How Fast Do You Recover from Mistakes? Read More »
One of my readers sent me a private email responding to the When Are You Excessively Above Average? question. The reader felt as if he should want to master some learning. However, the work had no meaning for him. Too often, people feel stuck in their roles, because they should want to master them. Or they should
Are Your Shoulds Trapping You? Read More »
I was talking with my father recently about my writing workshops. I’m finishing the last touches on the first one and hope to finally make it available for registration any day now. (Famous last words.) I explained that even though people signed up for the workshops knowing they would do 15-30 minutes a day of
When Do You Suffer from FEAR? Read More »
I’m on my way to Agile Prague, transiting through JFK. JFK is an older airport and the way you move from a domestic terminal to the international terminal is to take a bus, aka jitney. Yes, they call it a jitney. The jitney has a ramp so it’s easy for me to get on and
When is “Let’s Not” the Right Answer? Read More »
Mark and I both wear glasses. Several years ago, I bought many microfiber cloths so I could clean my glasses, especially at breakfast. For some reasons, my glasses attract fingerprints and smushes when I’m sleeping. (I know, the smushes were there when I went to bed, but I don’t see the dirtiness in the evening.)
What Are You Saving It For? Read More »
I have a form to fill out and return in the postage-paid envelope. I filled out the form. It’s 21 pages. It does not fit into a #10 (business) envelope. I tore the envelope trying to fit the form into the envelope. I called the person who mailed me the form and explained. I planned
How Do You Know It Should? Read More »