My husband, Mark, momentarily lost his keys this morning. Except, it wasn’t just a moment—it was about five minutes. He planned to load several items into the car, return to the house to kiss me goodbye, and then leave. Except, he was stuck on Step 1, loading items into the car. We have other car […]
When Do You Assist, Support, or Inflict Help? Read More »
I see problems—often system problems—everywhere. It’s partly that I trained myself to see problems. Sometimes, I trip over them. (Literally. Ouch.) I like to solve problems, too. That’s what consultants do. Most often, we get paid to solve problems. At times, I like to offer these services for free. I might be inflicting help or
What’s the Difference Between Problem Whining and Problem Solving? Read More »
In my coaching and consulting, I often encounter people who think in “or.” They ask, “Should I take this action or that action?” (They might talk about decisions, but it’s the same idea. It’s one or the other.) I’ve been asking them this question, “Can you mash those two ideas together to use an “and”
How Do You Create a Third Option? Read More »
I had a great day yesterday. I had some meetings that went well. I heard from the guy I’d asked to write the foreword to Agile and Lean Program Management. He said yes, and wrote a terrific foreword. Then, I received an email with the edits from an editor for an online magazine. When I write,
What Does Your Anger Reflect? Read More »
I spent much of September, October, and November traveling. My rollator and I saw the world. (I’m delighted to be back in my office.) One question I hear a lot is “May I help you?” That question is often followed by someone grabbing the top bar of my rollator to “help” me up a ramp,
How May I Help You? Read More »
I announced that my estimation book was done and ready for sale today. (See Predicting the Unpredictable is Available.) When I started to manage my book projects myself (as opposed to working with a publisher), I was not sure what to expect. I didn’t know how long anything would take. I didn’t know if I
What Do You Expect of Yourself? Read More »
About 18 months ago, I noticed that my vertigo symptoms were changing. I brought a list of my symptoms and when things had started to change. I wrote about this and my choices in Making Difficult Choices. If you are trying to solve a nasty problem in your code, tests or your projects, it’s the
If you live in New England, you know how long and difficult our winter has been. It’s the end of March, and it’s still cold and windy. Two days ago, we missed snow in Boston, but it was windy. 40-50 mph sustained winds. As I like to call them, “Small person warnings.” I had taught
Dancing With the Sidewalk 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 »
Yesterday, Mark came banging down the stairs. Clang, clang clang. “Do you need me to do something for you?” I yelled through the door. I was somewhat alarmed. “Nope, I got it.” He sounded positively gleeful. By the time I got to my office doorway he had stopped making so much noise. He was putting