I have limited expertise. (I have many opinions, but I have limited expertise.) That means I need to decide when to trust someone else’s expertise. My decisions depend on many criteria, including the domain—and the personal cost to me. I have substantial expertise in product development, so I check the context, look for options, and […]
Whose Experience and Expertise Do You Trust and When? Read More »
As a consultant, I regularly work with managers who want predictability. To get that predictability, they want to remove “all” of the risk. They do a lot of up-front planning and estimation. They try to predict how things will go. Then, “Something Happens.” That Something requires adaptability and resilience to manage the risk. Some of
What’s Your Tolerance for Risk vs Resilience? Read More »
I try to give people the benefit of the doubt in email or online. We can’t see the other person’s facial expressions. Or hear the music in the language. However, I flip the Bozo bit when I receive a message from someone as I did this morning on LinkedIn: Based on your profile, we think
What Causes You to Flip the Bozo Bit on Someone? Read More »
My expertise spans several dimensions. So does yours. Professionally, I’m an expert in many aspects of management and product development. Personally, since I’ve spent so much time in physical therapy over the years, I know what kinds of PT tend to work for me. And let’s not forget my vertigo. I’m an expert in vertigo.
Whose Expertise Do You Believe? Read More »
You might have noticed I missed writing last week’s question-of-the-week. I definitely noticed. Why did I miss a post? I’m not traveling. I have a handle on my client work, workshops, and writing. (A tenuous hold, but I’m still hanging on.) No, it was this website. I posted last month’s newsletter, and then I realized
Are You Yak-Shaving or Creating More Value? Read More »
Over the years, I’ve been reading about stoicism in small doses. (I can’t stand some of the acceptance nonsense.) I suspect I’m not a very good stoic. I’m too loud and excitable. However, I do find much of stoicism’s ideas useful. That’s because I suggest: We see our reality, first and foremost. We start small
How Much Stoicism Makes Sense for You? Read More »
You might have seen the infamous article about ‘Why I hope to die at 75,‘ revisited. If not, I suggest you read it. Emmanuel’s proposition is that Americans live “too long” after 75. They burden the health care system, their families, and who knows what else. He’s claiming to make this decision for himself. However,
Who Decides on the Value of My Life? Read More »
You might have heard the phrase, “May her memory be for a blessing,” when people discuss Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s death. Molly Conway wrote a wonderful essay. I encourage you to read it. You also might like Rabbi Sacks’ essay about tshuvah, tfilla, and tzedaka. And, I hope you join me in mourning the loss of
How Will Your Memory Be For a Blessing? Read More »
We’re in a new—and uncomfortable phase—of the COVID-19 crisis. We’re balancing these different decisions: Our individual decisions to limit our exposure to others. (A personal decision.) Our society’s need for us to return to work. (Our governor’s decision.) Assuming our work is open, our individual decisions to return to work. (A personal decision.) We’re making
How Do We Decide for Each Other? Read More »
As we live through the COVID-19 pandemic, we see cracks in how we support our partners and loved ones. Some couples divide the work so that only one of the partners knows all the passwords. Or, where the important papers are. Or, the typical things that go wrong in the house. And, too few people
How Resilient is Your Family? Read More »