Do You Choose to Mistake-Proof or Future-Proof?
A client trying to use an agile approach said, “I want to future-proof my organization. I want the assurance we will be here for years and years.” I asked him…
Read moreHow Many Options Can You Hold at One Time?
The more I learn about adaptability, the more I realize I need to generate several options. The options help me select a new response to the altered situation. And, every…
Read moreHow Can You Make it Easy?
We do favors for each other all the time. Those favors don’t have to be reciprocal. If I do a favor for you, I’m pretty sure I can ask for…
Read moreWhen Do You Choose the Safe Path?
Early in my career, IBM dominated the computer landscape. They had the big mainframes. There were some alternatives, such as Xerox. I used a Xerox Sigma 6 in school. (I…
Read moreIs Happiness Your Goal?
Several of my clients have told me they want to help people be happy. They measure—well, they attempt to—each individual’s happiness. I have not found measuring happiness all that helpful.…
Read moreDoes Your Current Success Define Your Choices?
One of my clients had been quite successful in a particular role. She’d decided it was time to look for a new job doing the same thing. She wanted my…
Read moreWhen Do You Choose Yourself?
Universities choose high school seniors in a crazy game of selection. Publishers choose a select few books to publish. I’m shepherding chosen experience reports for the big agile conference in…
Read moreCan Short Feedback Loops Offer Data?
When faced with a possible change, we often want to see data that shows our transition is a good idea. Sometimes that data exists and sometimes it doesn’t. What data…
Read moreCan You Trade Off for Ease?
I was thinking of how I make tradeoffs. In many projects, people often think we need to optimize for time and against quality. It’s a fake tradeoff, because the cleaner…
Read moreWhat Does the Data Mean?
Sometimes, I find it difficult to see the data in front of me. I might think there is no data. I might make meaning of the data—possibly incorrectly. We need…
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