Working Up

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

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The Document is a Person

October 28th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Some persons know what they want, but they don’t have the resources to tell me. Perhaps they don’t know what they want. Perhaps they have many other reasons for passing me to another person. Perhaps I should just stay away. Do you want to know what I want? Talk to Mr. ABC. […]

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Tags: Communication · Excuses · Listening · Management

Emergency Operations Centers

October 25th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Most “Emergency Operations Centers” function to show that the emergency operations center has electricity. Does that describe yours? A recent serious weather event caused me to interact with an Emergency Operations Center or EOC. The website for that place proclaimed quite proudly how it was built to withstand such serious weather events. […]

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Tags: Accountability · Communication · Emergency · Purpose · Systems

The Government

August 23rd, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I guess we will never stop putting individuals into a group and attributing the actions of some individuals to an entire group. Hence, we discuss “the government.” I have been a citizen of the United States since birth. I was an employee of the United States Federal government for 28 years. The […]

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Tags: Accountability · Communication · Government · Journal

Why Persons Don’t Become Vaccinated and How to Convince Them to be Vaccinated

August 19th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Many persons want many other persons to become vaccinated. Their methods, however, are achieving the opposite. “Become vaccinated,” is an oft-heard cry. (Actually, I read “get vaccinated” which brings cringes of pain to those of us who know the meaning of words.) And there are many who do not get the vaccine […]

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Tags: Breathe · Communication · Conversation · Health · Listening · Patience · Please · Respect · Science · Virus

Thank You for Helping, but Enough is Enough

August 2nd, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Kind, caring, helping persons tend to keep going to be more kind, caring, and helpful. Delete the last part. I have met many kind, caring, and helpful persons, who love others. They speak and write and teach in all forms to convey helpful information. They want to be helpful, to ensure others […]

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Tags: Breathe · Brevity · Clarity · Communication · Help · Respect · Time

This is not the Last

July 29th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips There will be many more opportunities to convey something. I don’t need to “slip it in” today and ruin today’s message. This will not be the last blog post. This will not be the last essay. This will not be the last speech. This will not be the last public appearance. This […]

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Tags: Calendar · Clarity · Communication · Patience · Time · Writing

Throw Away or Put Away (for now)

July 22nd, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We don’t have to “throw away” or discard ideas. We can always put them in a place to visit later. I have lots of ideas for writing, speaking, and generally contemplating. I don’t always have the time to use the ideas right now. That is fine. I save them for later, i.e., […]

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Tags: Communication · Ideas · Journal · Knowledge · Library · Notebook · Writing

“Meetings”

July 8th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I love meetings. They are fun. At least the meetings I attend. Why attend any other kind? There are many types of gatherings that we call “meetings.” That is a disservice to the English language and to the “meeting.” My little work group has a daily “meeting.” I love it. I laugh […]

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Tags: Choose · Communication · Fun · Meetings · Work

The Backwards Information Thermocline

June 24th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Information at the bottom of an organization usually doesn’t move up to the top. In the past, I have written about the information thermocline and the authority thermocline. Organizations have levels. Even “flat” organizations—regardless of claims to the contrary—have levels. Information and authority don’t flow down into the lower levels. About half […]

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Tags: Communication · Failure · Information

Nouns or Verbs, Things or Actions

June 14th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips The words we use most often provide some indication of our selves. Try some experiments. Learn. Adjust. Try this: right now, write ten words on whatever is in front of you. Napkin. Table cloth. Back of your hand. How many of those ten are nouns? How many are verbs? This one is […]

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Tags: Communication · Experiment · Ideas · Language · Patterns · Play · Self