Working Up

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

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The Great Transition (Chaos)

June 20th, 2022 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips A part of the Great Resignation and Great Embarrassment is the Great Transition. We are in this period of time now. We think we know the end state, but things sure are chaotic now with many unforeseen and unwanted events. We had the Great Resignation. That is still in progress. The pandemic […]

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Tags: Change · Chaos · Expectations · Jobs · Remote Work

Hacking the International Order

March 3rd, 2022 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Expediting the fall of the nation state are the hacktivists or activist hackers. We have had mercenaries for many centuries. These were soldiers hired by governments to fight battles for them. Sometimes nations hired the armies of other nations to do this. Sometimes nations hired individuals. And we have had Internet mercenaries. […]

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Tags: Change · Computing · Concepts · Government · Technology

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

The CRUD Systems

December 23rd, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Once stripped of all the extras, the great majority of computers systems we use are CRUD. And that is okay. We invented computers to compute, i.e., to calculate things. 1+2=3 and so on. We also learned that computers are good at storing information. We put information in the computer, it is there. […]

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Tags: Change · Cloud Computing · Computing · Writing

Where are We Going? (Linear Regression)

December 6th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Linear Regression is an old, basic technique to predict the future given the past. It seems that its utility has been forgotten by many. How did we get here? Why didn’t anyone see this coming? These are a couple questions I heard recently when groups of persons gathered to discuss … well, […]

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Tags: Accountability · Analysis · Change · Data Science · Economics · Estimation · Hope · Planning

What is Different in this Situation?

November 15th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips This is a variation on the question, “What is the difference that makes a difference?” When trying to modify behavior, we must be able to answer the title’s question. The title of this post is a fundamental science question. You are telling me that factor A is important here. Okay, it seems […]

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Tags: Adapting · Change · Data Science · Decide · Information · Science

Do that Tomorrow, Too

October 7th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips A phrase to add to every assignment or action item or anything that goes on a “to do” list. Years ago, author and consultant Jerry Weinberg gave an assignment to attendees of his writing seminar. It was something like: Think of what you should write today. Write that. Do that tomorrow, too. […]

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Tags: Change · Decide · Experiment · Growth · Planning · Self · Simple

Where is Their Energy?

September 30th, 2021 · No Comments

Dwayne Phillips We can tell when we have affected another person by observing their energy. One of the better questions to ask when trying to convince or teach or somehow affect another person is, “When do they gain energy?” Consider: At what point does the other person change their posture? That is the energy. That […]

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Tags: Change · Energy · Influence · Notice · Observation · Reaction · Visibility

Wrapped in Plastic

September 13th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We decide that, “We will stop this and never do it again.” That holds until we discover “this” and “it” are necessary. I flew to California recently. On the flight, instead of giving us a bag of pretzels, they gave us a clear plastic bad that had a small clear plastic bottle […]

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Tags: Change · Decide · Emergency · Time · Virus · Wealth

Change Changes Things

September 6th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips As much as we might not want to admit it, when one change occurs, everything in that system changes. Tech workers, who can work from anywhere, are moving to places with a lower cost of living and hence increasing their quality of life. This raises the average salary in those lower-cost-of-living places. […]

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Tags: Change · General Systems Thinking · Hope · Systems · Wishes