Sometimes people we work with and communicate with “lose the plot”. They forget the mission. They misconceptualize the conversation. Sometimes it is because we are not conversing frequently enough – and our thinking has evolved differently from theirs. Other times we are unaware of other issues that may be urgently pressing the other person. Occasionally…
The Gulf of Uncertainty
Passage across the gulf is difficult. It is too wide and deep to bridge, and unpredictable weather makes surface travel risky at best. Two modes of travel are common: 1) Individual swimmers – those of unusual strength and skill are able to cross. Sometimes carrying many along with them as if on their back. It…
Clear mind covalence
“Clearer minds prevail” – I have heard this phrase uttered as a hope recently. Let’s hope that clearer minds prevail. It expresses a desire for those who understand (as we do or better) to triumph over those who may be confused, ignorant, hold hidden agendas (different from our own) or are just plain stupid. What…
Setbacks
Sometimes when we think things are rolling along, or going according to plan, or even before we get going, something unexpected happens. It can be anything that appears to impede our progress, add work, make work less fun, reduce our confidence, etc. The impact of the setback can be obvious or subtle; easy or hard…
Emotional intelligence
I want to be a better coach and mentor to my staff. I recently took a course offered by employer on emotional intelligence. One thing that came home to me was that it is more powerful to add value to my staff by asking questions than by giving answers. A manager should always be looking…
Autonomy
Autonomy requires trust. Trust requires accountability. Accountability requires measurement. Measurement requires standards. Standards require preparation. If your manager/company will not invest in preparing meaningful standards – not functional but qualitative and quantitative standards, then all accountability is based on opinion or whim, and trust is based on results and history, and autonomy is unstable, and…
A new pim – part 2
My trial of chandler is a few days old. Overall I like the metaphor. Calendar and task list. Everything has notes. User definable categories. Good stuff. I have not used any of the advanced features yet like group stuff – ‘cuz I am the only one using it. My experience is that it has trouble…
Productivity
I have some bad habits. Most of them cause productivity problems. Most of them derive from my tendency to wear many hats. I tend to be interrupted often. I tend to lose track of tasks that are not accomplished quickly. New tasks displace old tasks. I have been looking for some handles to grab to…
The cynic
It has been oft said that an optimist views the glass as half full, while the pessimist views the glass as half empty. I know engineers who would say that the glass has 2x the required capacity. The cynic is the one looking for the SOB who drilled the hole in the glass at the halfway…
Project hope
I manage project managers. I am not a good project manager, but I know one when I see one. Sometime a project manager will provide a status or answer a status inquiry with the phrase “I hope” followed by some outcome. This almost always leads me to recite the oft quoted aphorism: “Hope is not…