Working Up

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

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Dependably Undependable

November 18th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Some people are undependable. Most of the time, I can choose to work with them or not. My choice can tell me much about myself. I know people who fit the title of this post. If they tell me they will be someplace at nine o’clock, I am almost certain they will […]

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Tags: Adapting · Choose · Differences · Excuses · Learning · People · Reframe

Deciding Well vs. Documenting Well

September 23rd, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips There is a difference between deciding well and documenting a decision process well. The human condition means that we are mistaken a good portion of the time. Processes and documents can help, but they don’t erase that. I once worked in a government organization that prided itself on its excellent decisions. They […]

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Tags: Coffee · Excuses · Government · Lifecycle · Management · Meetings

Tradeoffs

September 9th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Tradeoffs involve decisions. You choose that one thing is more important than another. This is not popular, especially in public projects. Last week I saw a post about people wanting to build high-speed train lines between cities. This would reduce automobile traffic between the cities, provide construction jobs, provide operations and maintenance […]

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Tags: Choose · Systems

More Difficult People, Reframing, and Changing Me

September 6th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips In an earlier post, I discussed difficult people and reframing statements. Once again, I meet a difficult person. Once again, I can choose how frame the situation, and once again I can choose how to live and work. I worked with a different set of people this week. Some of those people […]

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Tags: Change · Choose · Reframe · Work

Location (In)Dependence

March 30th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes we feel that we cannot do what we want to do unless we go somewhere else. Most of the time, however, we can do just fine right where we are physically. We merely have to move mentally and emotionally. I follow the Location Independent Professional blog and a few that are […]

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Tags: Choose · Writing

Stressful Situation – Another Reframe

March 4th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We often give power and control to our surroundings. This change of words returns those to me. I have heard it many times and said it a few times. Things like: I am under a lot of stress. This is a stressful situation. The stress here is too much. Let’s look at […]

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Tags: Change · Choose · Reframe · Writing

Magic Words: “For Now”

February 11th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Our works need not be final; we need not be finished with anything. Using a couple of magic words, we can give ourselves a choice of coming back to our work. Consider the statement: I am finished with this. Writers often say this. (I’ll use the example of writers and their writing. […]

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Tags: Choose · Magic · Writing

Paying the Tuition and (Maybe) Getting the Education

January 6th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Life is full of bad experiences. There is always something that can be learned in each experience. The bad experience is a form of tuition. The learning is a form of education. Nothing guarantees we get the education with the tuition. The education, however, is there for our choosing. College is pretty […]

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Tags: Change · Choose · General Systems Thinking · Learning

Choose to Learn

December 3rd, 2009 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Given any endeavor, their are circumstances beyond our control. These circumstances can keep us from achieving something. One thing that is always in our control is our own learning. We can all choose to learn. I work hard. I work smart. There are days when I believe that I can achieve what […]

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Tags: Choose · Learning