by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes it is worth the effort to make the output “look good.” Sometimes this pretty printing is a waste and only aggravates those involved. This past week at work I spent hours and hours pretty printing. We had “done the work” and were trying to make a printout of the work for […]
Entries Tagged as 'Work'
Pretty Printing
June 24th, 2024 · No Comments
Tags: Appearances · Clarity · Communication · Design · Expectations · Please · Work
Just Doing Their Jobs (For Better or Worse)
May 30th, 2024 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Despite the celebrity appearances of celebrities, the vase majority of folks just do their jobs (for better or worse). As I write, the months-long antitrust trial of Google may draw to a close. As this article reports, the vast majority of Google employees aren’t giving that thing the slightest bit of attention. […]
Tags: Appearances · Fable · Fashion · Google · Humility · Justice · Work
That Won’t Work or It Shouldn’t Work
May 27th, 2024 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips There are techniques, tools, methodologies, etc. that won’t work—until they do. They shouldn’t work—until they do. What is happening here? Many years ago, we were sitting in a conference room watching a presentation video on a television. The television has a cathode ray tube with a curved glass cover (I wrote that […]
Tags: Alternatives · Practice · Process · Reality · Success · Tools · Work
Believe Reality
May 23rd, 2024 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips No matter what is in a document, believe what you observe in the here and now. Believe reality. While writing this, we are in the middle of having the carpet replaced at work. The big room where I work is filled with cubicles (one of the great torture chambers invented by man). […]
Tags: Adapting · Observation · Planning · Reality · Work
Evidence of Work
May 20th, 2024 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips In our brave new world of remote working and such, one thing remains: evidence of work. A: What are you doing? B: Working. A: What have you done? B: I read three books and six papers as assigned. A: Uh, why should I believe that? There is no evidence of work. All […]
Tags: Adapting · Appearances · Remote Work · Review · Work
An Important Question
May 6th, 2024 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips There are many important questions that relate to one situation or another. I find that there is one question that is more important than most in any situation What did I learn? That is the more-important question. I try to accomplish things that I want to accomplish. I have a goal. I […]
Tags: Education · Learning · Problems · Questions · Teaching · Work
Which Part Do I Write Now?
May 2nd, 2024 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips I have to write all the parts to have a whole. But the parts that comprise the whole will probably change. I am facing a big writing project (“big” of course is subjective). I have divided the whole big project into parts. Now, write each part, check off the parts in the […]
Tags: Adapting · Choose · Work · Writing
Fly Under the Radar for a While
April 18th, 2024 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Keep your earth-shattering new thing quiet for a while. Once it works, shout. This is basic risk management. Something has never been done before. That means it is difficult. I have a solution. I can do it or I think I can do it. The best practice, in my experience of doing […]
Tags: Humility · Management · Process · Risk · Work
The Fireman Arsonist
April 1st, 2024 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips We reward the fireman, the person who extinguishes a fire. Did the fireman, however, start the fire? I used to see this often. I worked in a place where engineers would plan projects and deliver systems per their plans. The trouble was: the engineers were terrible planners. They were good system designers […]
Tags: Design · Engineering · Planning · Record · Systems · Work
Vocabulary and Ceremonies
February 29th, 2024 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips We often use the vocabulary and ceremonies of a prescribed practice without actually doing anything worthwhile. Daily standup, peer review, prototype, minimum viable product, agility, AI, agent, etc.: examples of vocabulary that makes it appear as if something good is happening. Do they have a minimum viable product? Is there product much […]
Tags: Communication · Honesty · Practice · Process · Vocabulary · Work