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 can you discover to see if the change is a good idea? How can we get feedback early to see if the change is useful? […]
Can Short Feedback Loops Offer Data? Read More »
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 the project environment, the faster the team can proceed. If you’re a software person, you know that the time you invest in build automation and
Can You Trade Off for Ease? Read More »
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 to see the data and what that data means. In one of my middle-manager jobs, my new boss canceled our one-on-ones every week. In three
What Does the Data Mean? Read More »
My town is busy planning and discussing and planning and discussing (yes, continue for several more recursions) the plans for the new high school. We need a new high school for many reasons. A lot of it is the physical plant, the physical resources. (See where the high school stands.) Note that the Resources and
What Are You Sentimental About? Read More »
I was thinking about being transactional: you do this for me, I do this for you. Often, the transaction is about money. When I pay for a thing—a book, a workshop, something that took you time to create—the transaction is a sort of pay-back. I take classes to learn various things: how to write better,
When Do You Pay It Back or Pay It Forward? Read More »
How do you feel about change: do you like what’s new or what works? Sometimes I like new things. I love to try new recipes—often with company! I’ll try new software without a second thought. I’ll try various processes for my own work, especially if I think I’ll get a throughput bump. I especially like
Do You Want What’s New or What Works? Read More »
I’m part of another group writing effort that’s just starting. We were using regular email, not a listserve to communicate. I got confused with all the emails because we didn’t use good email etiquette such as separating new topics into new threads. Because we didn’t have a list, I couldn’t apply rules/filters to make it
Do You Have Permission? Read More »
I find the current sexual harassment and discrimination scandals dispiriting. Regardless of the good work these men (and some women) have achieved in their lives, their legacy will always be one of sexual predation, an abuse of power. (I wrote a little about this and how it plays out in work in Power, Management, and
How Do We Reconcile Our Perceptions vs Our Realities? Read More »
I was watching Ken Robinson on Passion. He made the claim that too many people live lives that are not fulfilling. Your work drains you. Instead, what energizes you? I reflected on my life. I am lucky. I found many parts of my professional life that energize me: Anything about product development energizes me: programming,
What Energizes You? Read More »
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 »