One of my readers sent me a private email responding to the When Are You Excessively Above Average? question. The reader felt as if he should want to master some learning. However, the work had no meaning for him. Too often, people feel stuck in their roles, because they should want to master them. Or they should […]
Are Your Shoulds Trapping You? Read More »
I have a Fitbit Zip. I use it every day to track my steps. Mark and I took a vacation last week, so our normal laundry routine changed. I did the clothes on Sunday. We had a lot of dirty clothes, so we didn’t get to the sheets and towels. On Monday, Mark stripped the
What Surprises You When It Works? Read More »
At the Agile 2017 conference last week, I volunteered for “Agile Therapy,” a chance to discuss a topic of your choice for 20 minutes with an experienced coach. I was the coach. Just in case you weren’t sure. One of the people who came to me asked about automation. We had a wide-ranging discussion which
What Is Your Obligation? 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 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 »
Why do all the batteries die at the same time? I had a dying battery day yesterday. My mouse batteries died a day after I replaced them. The kitchen scale batteries died. My little clock near my computer had a dead battery. I went back and forth to the battery box several times yesterday. Things
When Do You Address This Problem? Read More »
My town is replacing water meters (I think all the water meters, but certainly ours). They had records of what kind of water meter they expected—the size of the pipes in and out, etc. The water meter guy got here yesterday, took one look at our meter, and called the foreman. Our water meter didn’t
How Do You Prepare? 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 »
Last week, Mark and I took a long weekend in the Florida Keys and basked in the sun. It wasn’t crazy-hot, so our few days were terrific. We’re back and it’s crazy-cold in Boston now. (Oh well!) We flew an airline I hadn’t experienced in several years. The most recent time I flew that airline,
Whose Problem Are You Solving? Read More »
I’m working with clients on their agile transformations. I’m working on that book project I alluded to several weeks ago. These efforts have at least this in common: We need to work with other people to finish the work. And, surprise, surprise! People have their own ideas about what to do and when. In at least one
When Do You Go Meta? Read More »