Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips
Be wary when someone asks for “actionable fill-in-the-blank.”
I few years ago, I was working in a prestigious organization (just ask anyone who worked there, they would happily tell you that it was a prestigious place). A division there had an expiring charter and needed to update it. Several senior managers asked that the [...]

[Read more →]

by Dwayne Phillips
The Technology Imperative states that if a new technology exists, we need it. Logic and business school lessons don’t matter.
It happened again this week. I was visiting someone at their office in another building. The man I was visiting was slouched over in his chair with a face that asked, “Why did I [...]

[Read more →]

by Dwayne Phillips
I hate doing something twice. That leads to disliking short tasks. Short tasks are easy to do all over a second time, especially when someone else decides that they want you to do it again.
This may not sound right, but I would much rather have a long, time-consuming task that one that is [...]

[Read more →]

by Dwayne Phillips
Design reviews can be important parts of projects. At design reviews, we attempt to communicate clearly and minimize misunderstandings. There are several design reviews that are important to the success of a project. This essay describes one design review that people want to have but should never be allowed.
We have design reviews In [...]

[Read more →]

by Dwayne Phillips
Knowledge comes with age. Older colleagues don’t need to be taught some things that younger ones do. There are, however, times when you want older colleagues to attend events that are not necessary for them. Explaining the reasoning makes attendance easier.
I’m in my 50s. I know much more than people in their 20s. [...]

[Read more →]

by Dwayne Phillips
People attend meetings. People make decisions in meetings. Two days later, people rarely agree on what they agreed on in the meeting. This doesn’t have to be the norm.
I lived through one agonizing week a few years ago because notes were taken in a meeting, but they were not done visibly and were [...]

[Read more →]

by Dwayne Phillips
I dislike most meetings as they are not a time to accomplish work but merely a time to socialize. The worst type of meeting is one that is going to be short. Short meetings waste more time and last longer than any other type of meeting.
I dislike the majority of meetings. The meeting [...]

[Read more →]

by Dwayne Phillips
Most meetings are a waste of time and most meetings are conducted by educated, intelligent, and accomplished people. These contradictions fit when I realized that the people conducting the worthless meetings simply didn’t have the energy to make them worthwhile. I needed another tact besides sighing and suffering.
I have sat in a lot [...]

[Read more →]