I’m in Las Vegas for a workshop. (I’m taking the workshop, not teaching it.) Las Vegas is either a sensory feast or a sensory overload. I’m not sure there’s a place in between. I need to ignore some of the sounds, the cigarette smoke, and some of the lights. I ignore to maintain my sanity. […]
What Can You Ignore? Read More »
I’m staying at a lovely hotel this week, speaking at a conference. For me, the bed is comfortable except for the pillows. The feather pillows scrunch down where my head is and raise up around my ears. I don’t feel the benefit of a raised head. I asked for foam pillows. The lovely housekeeping person brought
What New Information Surprised You? 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 »
I rented a car last week for a 2+ hour drive from Portland to the Oregon coast for a workshop. I used a GPS app on my phone to get the directions. I expected the phone to tell me when to turn. It didn’t. No noise, no directions, nothing. I had no reason to disagree
What Clues Did You Miss? Read More »
I was in Prague last week (Agile Prague and a client). One of the nice folks at the client explained that beer in Prague Is inexpensive. For years, in The Czech Republic, the beer is less expensive than water or a soft drink. (There is now a law that says the bars and restaurants have
What’s Your (Beer) Emergency? Read More »
I’m on my way to Agile Prague, transiting through JFK. JFK is an older airport and the way you move from a domestic terminal to the international terminal is to take a bus, aka jitney. Yes, they call it a jitney. The jitney has a ramp so it’s easy for me to get on and
When is “Let’s Not” the Right Answer? 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 had an appointment this morning and was driving on the highway this morning, at the end of rush hour. There was still plenty of traffic. At that time the road was still busy, but there was more space between the cars. One guy swerved in and out, trying to get past the clump of
I love to take vacations. Yes, I love my work, and I love to take vacations. I just returned from 12 days in Israel. In the past, when I have traveled to Israel, I mostly work and have a little vacation. I changed that this time. I only toured and relaxed. I had a blast.
What Do You Learn from Your Vacation? Read More »
Last month, I took a short vacation in Eilat while Mark went on a bike ride. I ordered some lunch in the lobby “bar.” (No, I don’t drink my lunch!) The bar manager took my order and we continued our discussion from the other day. How was my husband’s bike ride? I said he had
Do You Look for Mistakes or Happy People? Read More »