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 »
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 »
Early in my career, IBM dominated the computer landscape. They had the big mainframes. There were some alternatives, such as Xerox. I used a Xerox Sigma 6 in school. (I didn’t use punch cards until I started to work!) Later, they missed the minicomputer phase. There were two big competitors, Digital Equipment Corp (DEC) and
When Do You Choose the Safe Path? Read More »