by Dwayne Phillips The day we fixed a supercomputer with a cardboard box. I suppose this post has to do with good old American ingenuity or some myth we like to create about ourselves. Regardless of myths and selective memory, this is actually a true story. On the job we had serial number one of […]
Entries Tagged as 'Consulting'
Ingenuity or Let’s Try Something
July 24th, 2017 · No Comments
Tags: Computing · Consulting · Failure · Listening
Important Nonsense
May 22nd, 2017 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips When an otherwise rational person starts speaking nonsense—pay attention as something important is happening. People tell me how important a topic is to them by how they speak to me. Rational, logical, focused—nope. Not those adjectives. I am writing about important topics. When something is important, something burns inside. The heart quickens, […]
Tags: Breathe · Communication · Consulting · People
The First Few Minutes
May 11th, 2017 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Be alert when first meeting someone. You first few minutes are often the most valuable. Consultant and author Jerry Weinberg once told me, “Pay attention, your customer will tell you their problem and its solution in the first few minutes.” I have found this to be true, many times. Recent examples of […]
Tags: Consulting · Customer · Meetings · Observation
The Reframe or Perhaps We have this all Backwards
May 8th, 2017 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips One of the more beneficial techniques I have learned is how to reframe a situation or turn it around backwards or upside down. Is it (1) the donors aren’t giving enough money or (2) the leaders aren’t inspiring the donors. I hate my boss, so I should (1) become my own boss […]
Tags: Change · Communication · Consulting · Reframe
Neighborly
April 25th, 2016 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips I encourage managers and other influence-rs to speak to their colleagues in the place where the colleagues are most comfortable. I encourage managers and other to speak with each of their colleagues. I find two points here: First, speak to your colleagues everyday. If nothing special is happening, talk about “the weather.” […]
Tags: Authentic · Consulting · People · Trust · Uncategorized · Work
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 […]
Tags: Communication · Competence · Consulting · Employment · Expectations · Greed
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. […]
Tags: Change · Competence · Consulting · Work
We All Agree on This
July 27th, 2015 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips I have never be part of a group that stated the title and time showed that their words were true. I have facilitated groups of people who were trying to issue a policy or a statement on some matter. Often, the first meeting of the group in my presence begins without someone […]
Tags: Consulting · Group
People-Augmented Applications
February 26th, 2015 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Every now and then we remember that we can allow a person to help another person and that we have the technology to enable that. Be My Eyes is a combined application and service that helps sight-impaired people see things clearly. The impaired person points their smartphone at a thing and is […]
Tags: Communication · Consulting · Ideas · People
Us as the User Guide
February 16th, 2015 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Don’t look to the provider’s user manual; look to the rest of us. I don’t know why it has taken me so long to write about this topic. Almost everyone already knows this, but for the record… I ran into this situation again this week. I was learning how to use a […]
Tags: Communication · Consulting · Education · Ideas · Internet · Knowledge · Learning