by Dwayne Phillips Time and again I have seen people make a terrible mess, work hard to fix their mess, and be proclaimed a hero. I still don’t understand why anyone would reward such a person. In the mid-1980s I started managing projects. I looked about to see what my peers – other project managers […]
Start a Fire + Extinguish It = Hero (not!)
November 11th, 2010 · No Comments
Tags: Culture · Expectations · Health · Management · People
Sustainability and Grandparents
October 11th, 2010 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Well meaning managers often start new activities. The activities are not sustainable, and the well meaning manager gains a reputation as a liar. I am a grandparent. I have one grandson who is now 23 months old (I have to put up a new photo of him sometime :-). Grandparents engage in […]
Tags: Expectations · Family · Management · Meetings
Gifts vs Contracts
May 20th, 2010 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips There is a difference between gifts and contracts. Givers often confuse the two. I just read several blog posts and comments about giving money to “poor” people only to see them half an hour later buying lottery tickets with the money. They givers were incensed as the poor had promised to buy […]
Tags: Expectations · Ideas · People · Reframe
The Dinner Design Review
March 15th, 2010 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Design reviews can be important parts of projects. At design reviews, we attempt to communicate clearly and minimize misunderstandings. There are several design reviews that are important to the success of a project. This essay describes one design review that people want to have but should never be allowed. We have design […]
Tags: Communication · Design · Expectations · Health · Ideas · Judgment · Meetings · Requirements · Systems
The Minimum Expectation
March 8th, 2010 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips I have always been driven by setting and achieving goals – big goals. Recently, however, I have learned the value of setting a minimum expectation for any endeavor. That minimum removes much of the stress that I have imposed on myself for much of my life. Back in December, we were attempting […]
Tags: Expectations · Learning