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Working Up in Project Management, Systems Engineering, Technology, and Writing

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Entries from September 2012

Excellent Tools for Writers

September 27th, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Here is a photo of some excellent tools for writers. These aren’t exciting and certainly aren’t new. I consider them to be excellent tools because they are always with me and I can only use tools that are with me. When I notice something, I note it; I write a note on […]

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Tags: Writing

The One Person I can Change

September 24th, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips There are a lot of changes I would like to see in other people. Despite that, the one person I can change is me. I read many blog posts describing how to change people who need to be changed. Of course they need to be changed (not); they are keeping me from […]

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Tags: Change · Choose

Silence is…

September 20th, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I was once told that “silence is agreement” and that “everyone who has a brain knows that.” I disagree. Silence is silence. If you want to know what is behind silence, ask. It was 20 years ago. I had sat through some meeting on some forgotten topic where I rolled my eyes […]

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Tags: Communication · Expectations · Management · Meetings

The Rule of Three Solutions

September 17th, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips The Rule of Three Solutions: one solution is a trap, two solutions is a dilemma, and three solutions helps point to more solutions. A recent post by a friend – Johanna Rothman – reminded me of this rule. It is part of a general idea of finding at least three thoughts in […]

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Tags: General Systems Thinking

Writing Another Book

September 13th, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips People sometimes ask me if I am writing another book. I always answer, “Yes.” I like to write. I like to write books. Now and then, some of my friends will ask if I am writing another book. I consider the following as some of the things I do while writing another […]

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Tags: Writing

A Genius of America

September 10th, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips America breeds misfits. These people sit in the back of the classroom and laugh. Then they grow up and invent things that no one else imagined. Part of the genius of America is that we breed misfits. These persons sit in the back of the classroom. Some of them laugh all day […]

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Tags: Adapting · Differences · Fun

Mac Backups

September 6th, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I had been using a Unix command for Mac backups. My recent experience with a dead disk drive showed that the strategy didn’t quite work. I don’t like commercial products that make backups for disks. My worry is that the backup data are useless without the product to unpack them. Hence, for […]

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Tags: COTS · OS X · Technology

Planning: Working Backwards

September 3rd, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips One planning technique that has worked for me is to start at the end and work my way backwards. I am a planner. There, got that out of the way. I have practiced planning for years and after all that I am pretty good at it. Recent discussions on the topic of […]

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Tags: Planning