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Entries Tagged as 'People'

Don’t Let Agile Slow You Down

August 12th, 2013 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips It seems that everyone is using an Agile process these days. There really isn’t anything new in Agile. And, in some cases, Agile can slow the delivery of software to users. What? Agile be slow? Yes, Agile processes can slow the delivery of software to users. Twenty years ago, I worked in […]

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Tags: People · Process · Programming

It’s Not the Org Chart

August 1st, 2013 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips In government, we loved the org chart. We loved it so much that we often forgot that the org chart was not the people. The org chart is a representation of how we organize persons. The org chart is just a picture, not the reality. Often, in soft matters, we confuse the […]

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Tags: People · Systems

TPM – Thoughtful Project Management

May 2nd, 2013 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I attempt to get a million dollars by inventing a new three-letter acronym about project management. TQM, Agile, Heavy – all nice words used to describe different types of project management. So, here goes, my three-letter acronym that summarizes my recommendation for project management: TPM That stands for Thoughtful Project Management. What […]

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Tags: Management · People

Go to Their Place

April 11th, 2013 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips To work with other persons, establish trust. One technique is to go to their place and show a genuine interest in them as a person. Someone asked me recently about how I would influence other people in an inter-department project. My reply was: establish trust Of course, the next question was, “How?” […]

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Tags: Communication · People · Work

Flip Flopping to Extremes

November 29th, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I have observed people change their mind from one extreme to another. Is there a name for this behavior? I have observed something about people and I am searching for a name for this behavior. I have observed this across decades, organizations, and areas of endeavor. Here is how it goes: Consultant: […]

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Tags: Communication · Culture · General Systems Thinking · Observation · People

We Need More PeGAFOS

October 25th, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips More often I find myself needing help from a person who is good at figuring out stuff. A PeGAFOS. I have simple needs at work. I need a person good at figuring out stuff. Someone who can consider a puzzling situation and figure out how to work our way out of the […]

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Tags: Excuses · General Systems Thinking · Ideas · People

Lurking in the Hall

October 22nd, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips In the hall, in the dark corners that cannot be seen by humans, lurks a monster. We, or us, know the monster. It goes by the name “they” or “them.” I suppose this post goes under the category of “something that happens almost daily when ‘we’ talk about our problems.” Someone is […]

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Tags: Communication · Health · People · Work

Jumping to Conclusions

October 4th, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Try as we might, we often jump to a conclusion while bypassing the rather boring gathering of facts. Results are predictable and predicted. “Jump to conclusions” is an old cliche. Let’s try to put a little more thought into this topic. Consider the Satir Interaction Model from the late family therapist Virginia […]

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Tags: Communication · People

Disdain and the Transfer of Power

August 16th, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I observe that some people will transfer the power over their lives to people whom they disdain. I find this odd, but I find it often. Some people will give other people power over their lives. The conversation goes something like this: Person A: “That person is ruining my life!” Me: “How […]

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Tags: Communication · People

The Ideal Co-Workers

August 9th, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I find there are three characteristics I want to see in the people who work with me. There are three things I want to see in the people who work with me: They know what they are doing They have the self-discipline to do it They have the courage to tell the […]

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Tags: People · Work