I was in Prague last week (Agile Prague and a client). One of the nice folks at the client explained that beer in Prague Is inexpensive. For years, in The Czech Republic, the beer is less expensive than water or a soft drink. (There is now a law that says the bars and restaurants have […]
What’s Your (Beer) Emergency? Read More »
A few weeks ago, Mark coined the term, “excessively above average.” Since then, he’s used it for his progress on rehabbing his Achilles tendon post-surgery, my hyperbole, and other things, such as my book sales. We laugh every time we use the term. I like to be above average in almost everything. And, that’s quite
When are You Excessively Above Average? Read More »
I hear a lot of “No, but…” and people tell me why they can’t possibly do the thing I suggested. I agree with them. I often say something like this, “Yes, you are correct. Yes, that would be a problem here. And, could this other thing be a possibility?” Sometimes they say yes, and we
How About Yes, And … ? Read More »
I’ve been busy writing books for almost a year. (One is the Agile Practice Guide, and the other is Create Your Successful Agile Project.) I wanted to finish my book. But, I got stuck a few weeks ago. I was not sure how to address certain areas and I was tired. Worse, I was so
How Do You Refresh Yourself? 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 »
Long ago, I had a huge fight with my grandmother. She said something untrue. I told her it was untrue and I explained why. Her response was, “You have such a black-and-white view of the world.” That’s true. I don’t believe in what we now call “alternative facts.” I call them “lies.” Notice that I
How Can We Discuss a Difference of Beliefs? Read More »
I was coaching a prospective consultant. He had big plans for his business. He wanted to make a ton of money. He wanted to run gigantic workshops. (His word, not mine.) He had Big, Big Plans. I asked him what success meant to him. He had an answer all about money. So I asked him
What’s Enough For You? Read More »
I was watching John Green’s Who I Was in High School video and I was struck by how much I resonated with it. I wasn’t a poor student in high school, but my teachers always said I wasn’t quite reaching “my potential.” I was curious how they thought they knew my potential when I had no idea.
What’s Your Destiny? Read More »
Back in What Are Your Rules for Getting It All Done?, I briefly spoke about doing work that was valuable. That has a precondition: you need to know what you value. We hear a lot of talk about “time management.” I don’t buy the time management part. We can’t “manage” time. We can manage actions.
How Do You Value Your Time? Read More »
We’ve all heard this phrase, “It’s not personal. It’s just business.” There are several things wrong with that saying. “Just” is a keyword that says, “Don’t look here, you won’t like it. Just ignore me…” (Here’s a writing tip: write a sentence with just in it and then when you edit, remove the just. What
What’s Personal to You? Read More »