As I coach writers and consultants with their various businesses, I hear a lot of “but”s. “But, I can’t offer that product or service.” Or, “But, I can’t write an article in a day.” Or, “But, I don’t know enough to do that.” The “buts” prevent people from experimenting. What prevents us from experimentation? Often, […]
What Does “But” Really Mean? Read More »
I read Dwayne Phillips’ One of the Ultimate Compliments at Work and started thinking about being indispensable. I wonder if people want to be indispensable or if they want to be missed. I’m not a fan of indispensable people. They create bottlenecks in projects and cause delays. (See Change the Indispensable Employee Mindset.) And, even
Will They Miss Me When I’m Gone? Read More »
I’ve been working on my 2020 strategy and tactics. I think further out, but I don’t plan for more than one year at a time. And, I break that down into quarterly and monthly planning. Because things happen. (For more details, see How Often Do You Reflect?) My yearly plan is a set of options.
When Can You Optimize For Resilience Over Anything Else? Read More »
It’s the new year (Happy New Year!). Many gyms, weight loss programs, and educational programs focus on catching the people who like resolutions. I have never succeeded at resolutions. Never. That’s too many years to not succeed at something. Instead, I recommend you consider one, two, or maybe three watchwords for next year. By watchword, I mean the idea of
Three Options for Your Next Year’s Watchword Read More »
I like years that end in zero or five. I think of these years as bookends. A nice way to wrap the previous years and to start the next year(s). I get to choose again, how I want to be in the world. In some ways, I’m no different as a person. I’m still “too”
How Do You Want to Be in the World? Read More »
I’m gathering my data from this past year to prepare for my strategy for next year. I gather quantitative data about books, workshops, talks, and more. I assess my feelings as I finished my various work—the qualitative data. And, I note what I didn’t do. I gather this data every quarter. I actually note what
How Often Do You Reflect? Read More »
You might have heard the apocryphal story about a landscape architect and shortcuts. The architect doesn’t put sidewalks or trails in a large green space. Instead, he waits for a year as walk across the space. He then puts the sidewalks/trails where the people walk. I am not quite ancient-history-years-old. I have never seen this
When Does a Shortcut Make Sense? Read More »
On my way to an appointment the other day, I saw traffic backed up. The left lanes—the through lanes—looked stuck. I signaled and turned to get into the middle lane. That lane was stuck, too, so I signaled and turned to the right lane. I zoomed through in just a minute. The other drivers behind
When Does it Make Sense to Change Your Lane? Read More »
I’ve learned a ton about software projects. One thing I know is that any project that uses continuous integration (agile or not) has a better chance of succeeding. Not a guarantee, but a much better chance. I’ve learned other things I find necessary for successful software projects. Two of my favorites are the need for
Are You Too Busy to Continue Learning? Read More »
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 »