Organizations
RTO is a lie, 3rd party misinformation, the source of my anecdotes, and how (not) to make decisions. An article of many topics!
Sometimes writing about one topic just isn't good enough.
Latest
Late Career
A Time When I Was Tricked Into Being Honest — Bringing Facts Into Work Discussions
Moving discussions from emotional interpretations to facts and metrics can move a group from conflict to problem-solving.
Late Career
Do Jerks Get Hired For Management Roles, or Does Management Create Jerks?
I assumed that certain rude personalities were promoted to leadership positions. Then I both found myself being promoted, and adopting some of those behaviors.
Late Career
The Art of Simplification: Why We (over) Build When We Should Simplify
Simplifying can add as much (or more) value as building new things. The value is frequently overlooked, which creates an unfortunate trend of spending too little effort simplifying.
Career Growth
The 150 Point Rule of Thumb. How to Strategically Approach Career Pivots.
We don't always begin our careers where we'd like them to end up. We're not stuck with jobs where we began them. I walk through paths to move your career in a new direction.
Early Career
The Six Steps to Saying No — Why Being a Team Player is Not Necessarily Great
Frequently, saying no is better than saying yes. Our teams can concentrate on the highest value work if we set clear boundaries.
Mid Career
Failure is Necessary for Achievement and Growth — Why Success is Dangerous for Learning
You can only succeed if you are willing to fail. You can only learn if you are willing to be terrible first.
Managing Up
From Star Employee to Struggling Leader — A Simple Explanation of Your Manager's Incompetence
No manager wants to be a terrible boss. Yet even with the best of intentions, it's hard to avoid being at least moderately incompetent.
Mid Career
You Can't Schedule Creativity: Putting Inspiration Into Your Outlook Calendar
Creation can't be forced, but it can certainly be encouraged gently.
Managing Up
The Hidden Advantage of Sharp Edges — Why Being Disagreeable is Best
Anyone can be valuable if they have the right motivation, but strangely enough, being disagreeable multiplies that value.
Late Career
4 Common But Insidious Patterns That Derail Software Projects
With experience, you can recognize the less obvious patterns which lead to costly disasters.
People Managers
Managers Make Teams Deliver More Value, Not Deliver More Output
True productivity for a team is measured by the value created, not the work completed. The job of a manager is to focus on the value hidden behind the piles of work.