Working Up

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

Working Up header image 4

Entries Tagged as 'Competence'

The Opposite of Synergy—Yet Another Example

April 13th, 2017 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Often, the individual members of a group don’t understand what the group has decided. This is wonderful. I found a discussion online where persons who care about words were trying to invent a word for the opposite of synergy. No one suggested the obvious—the US Congress. Politics aside, or maybe politics of […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Communication · Competence · Decide

The Free Solution

September 15th, 2016 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Designers design solutions. The most despised solution a designer can design is often the one that is free. Designers design solutions to problems. In today’s employment vocabulary, designers are called Solutions Architects. (I find that title an insult to architects and the English language, but that is just me. Anyways…) For this […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Competence · Design · Uncategorized

Not a Good Fit – Part 2

September 12th, 2016 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips The second major explanation of what “not a good fit” means. Now for the second explanation (the first was in the immediately preceding post). This explanation is a bit more complex. Basically, it is the interviewing organization is mismanaged, a.k.a., they don’t know what they are doing. The interviewing organization is overworked. […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Competence · Culture · Integrity · Management

A Big Step to Higher Quality

September 1st, 2016 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips There is a simple step that will push you and yours to produce better goods and services. Want higher quality? Want people to delight in your products? Want to accomplish these and other quality improvement goals without spending any money? Yes, yes, and Y E S! Here it is: Put you name […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Competence · Integrity · Management

Show Some Respect

August 18th, 2016 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Okay, I’m an old man. Nevertheless, can persons in the workplace show some respect to one another? As I write this, I remain unemployed. There is always hope for a 50-something with a few job skills (advanced degrees, certifications, books published, etc.), but it is tough. One request for those interviewing the […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Competence · Employment · Respect

YAC – Yet Another Certification

July 7th, 2016 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I receive yet another certification. I just passed yet another exam and received yet another certification. Contrary to advertisements, the exam was full of trick questions and didn’t test knowledge of the subject matter. Nevertheless, that is the certification industry, and it is a big $$$ indu$try. I find it a shame […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Certification · Competence · Education · Learning

Is This a Job Interview or a Consulting Session?

March 3rd, 2016 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I have been interviewed for jobs several dozen times in the last three years. Most “interviews” became free consulting sessions. The past three years have not been good for me and working at paying jobs. I am over age and over qualified. At least I soothe my feelings by telling myself these […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Communication · Competence · Consulting · Employment · Expectations · Greed

Apologies

December 10th, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We never have time to to it right, but we always have time to do it again. The summary above is an old cliche or common sense or something. The trouble with common sense is that it is usually common sense and rarely common practice. (Is that another cliche?) Gosh. How many […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Communication · Competence · Excuses

Being Everyone’s Dad

October 26th, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Too often, some of us take on the role of caretaker of everyone around us, i.e., we try to e everyone’s dad. Such is folly. Sometimes, people are struggling at work. No problem. I will step in and H E L P them. I will take care of the problems that seem […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Adults · Competence · Family · Management

Job Title: Stupid Hunter

September 21st, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I’m not sure what the job title is, but every organization needs a person whose job it is to find the stupid that is hindering everyone. I have seen this every place I have worked. Somewhere in the greater organization, people—often smart, loving, caring people—are doing something that is just plain stupid. […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Change · Competence · Consulting · Work