Working Up

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

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One Facilitator, Nine Teachers, and Ten Learners

August 31st, 2023 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Facilitated learning sessions offer big benefits. They are not as easy to arrange, but are much better than other methods. There are various ways to conduct classes and learning. The usual method is to have one teacher and nine students. The teacher talks, the students listen (we hope), and the students learn […]

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Tags: Adults · Change · Education · Learning · Listening · Teaching

Someone Else’s Experience

August 21st, 2023 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips People have their own experiences. Assuming their experience denies them as a person. Try to avoid such. Each person has their own experience with something. It is often the case that several people have similar experiences. That gives me the luxury of describing some “average” experience and continuing to satisfy the “average” […]

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Tags: Adults · Expectations · Learning · Other · Patience · Self

Apology

July 31st, 2023 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips An apology is just that—an apology. It is neither an explanation nor a justification. Rats! An apology is simple: I did this wrong. I am sorry for that. I ask your forgiveness. An apology does not contain an explanation: I was trying to do such-and-such and … An apology does not contain […]

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Tags: Accountability · Adults · Authentic · Change · Communication · Conversation · Error · Ethics · Excuses · Honesty

In Praise of the Table

May 11th, 2023 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips In which I consider what is the ultimate purchase for the home, family, and home business: the table. Consider the humble flat horizontal surface. Narrow the consideration to the kitchen table with four chairs. A quick search shows plenty of choices from $100 on up. Let’s settle for $150. A family eats […]

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Tags: Adults · Authentic · Concepts · Conversation · Economics · Family · General Systems Thinking

Culture and Size

March 30th, 2023 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips A simple equation provides some insight into how culture must change with the number of people in the group. Years ago, the late author and consultant Jerry Weinberg told me of a little equation he used to note the shifts in culture in groups of people. The equation is 3N. If that […]

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Tags: Adults · Culture · Meetings · Work

We Have That Information (Tucked Away Somewhere)

January 30th, 2023 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We know the answers. We have the information. Can we access it? More importantly, can you access it? We have the data silo. Some call it the data stovepipe. Some call it the sandbox. Others call it job (in)security. Enough of the metaphors and cliches. We have the information. I can find […]

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Tags: Accountability · Adults · Information · Knowledge · Security

Little Hand Prints on the Glass Door

December 22nd, 2022 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Let’s step aside from the usual thoughtful post and muse a bit a few days before Christmas. Sitting in Starbucks as I write these posts, I sometimes see small children pushing open the glass door as they exit. They are as excited when they exit as when they entered. Starbucks has a […]

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Tags: Adults · Childhood · Starbucks

Another Silly Silence Agreement

April 4th, 2022 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We seem to create silly rules about silence. This is another one of those, “What happens here stays here.” We create silly rules about silence. I wrote about one earlier in this blog, “Silence is agreement.” Nonsense. Another that just came to mind is, “What is said here stays here.” That permits […]

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Tags: Accountability · Adults · Agreement · Meetings · Talk

The Reading of the PowerPoint

January 10th, 2022 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips As crazy as it sounds, high-level, recognized expert, professionals still read their PowerPoint to the audience. I watch a lot of presentations. Not just a weekly briefing by someone who has relatively little experience on the job and making presentations. I watch presentations of research work. The presenters are experts, have years […]

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Tags: Adults · Change · Communication · Expertise · Reading

Okay, Write Those Words

December 20th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips For some reason, we often run away from the words that we want most to convey. I work with persons who are trying to write. They show me their draft, we talk, we walk through the words, and I ask questions. The questions usually lead to grimaces and twisted expressions, struggled breathing, […]

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Tags: Adults · Brevity · Clarity · Communication · Word · Writing