I write a quarterly newsletter for this site. Subscribers received this newsletter August 22, 2014. If you like the newsletter, you can sign up in the right navigation bar. Where Did the Pencils Go? At the gym this week, I searched for a pencil. I use a pencil to track my workouts. Am I […]
Where Did the Pencils Go? Read More »
I often hear people say, “I don’t have enough time.” Or, “We don’t have enough testers.” Or, “I don’t have enough authority or influence to do what I want to do.” That’s scarcity thinking. You’re right. You don’t have enough to do things the way you always have done them or would like to do
Are You Sure You Don’t Have Enough? Read More »
If you’ve read any of my project management writing, you know I’m a huge fan of replanning. We had a chance to do that with our house remodel. I have a space in my new office that used to be a closet. We planned to open it up and create what I call a “nook,”
When Is It Time to Replan? Read More »
I cleaned out my closet with Helene, a professional organizer, last week, in preparation for our move to a new house. I said No to countless pocketbooks and belts, all gifts from either my mother or mother-in-law. I also said No to old shoes that I am never going to use: Old top-siders I used
What Did You Say No to Today? Read More »
I often hear people asking for something, such as “How do I measure productivity?” In knowledge work, you can’t measure productivity. You can measure the throughput of a team, but you can’t measure the productivity of a person. But that doesn’t stop people from asking the question. What you can ask is, “What would that
What Would That Do For You? Read More »
I was thinking about how I solve problems, and I realized that I often ask three questions. I thought I would share them with you. First question: What’s the next step? I use this a lot on myself (grin), and in coaching. This question is useful when you think you’re stuck. You can almost always
Three Questions for Adaptable Problem Solvers Read More »
I went shopping with Daughter #2 this weekend. Yes, we braved the post-Christmas mall craziness. I brought my rollator so I could more easily pack water and have a place to sit. The rollator was a great idea for managing my vertigo. But there was a side effect. I seem to be invisible with my
What a Cloak of Invisibility Really Hides Read More »
I had to fill my gas tank the other day. I’m one of the few people who enjoys filling the tank, because I see a full tank as a source of endless possibilities. When you have a full gas tank, your car can take you many miles. All you have to do is decide where
Creating Possibilties Read More »
My brother-in-law’s father died recently. He was clear about how he wanted his death: cremation and no shiva, the traditional Jewish mourning for the dead. Death rituals are not for the dead. They are for the living. When we eulogize someone, we remember them for the ages. We pass on their memories so other people
We Control Our Lives, Not Our Deaths Read More »
During one of my workouts with Bill, my trainer, I was having trouble with something. I said, “Let’s do it again. I’m too stubborn to give up.” I was talking about doing leg lifts or some such. He said, “You’re the good kind of stubborn, the kind of person who grows from your stubbornness, not
Which Kind of Stubborn Are You Today? Read More »