Working Up

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

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Moving Past “I Don’t Know”

February 3rd, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes we don’t know something. There is a magic question that moves us from unknowing to knowing. Three words: when will you? Person A: How much will this project cost? Person B: I don’t know. Person A: When will you (know how much this project will cost)? Person B: I don’t know. […]

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Tags: Knowledge · Learning · Questions

Happy New-ness

January 6th, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips It is a New Year (as we count time). New is something that has never been here before. New is everywhere, everyday. A few years ago I was on a guided tour of some place unusual. I asked the tour guide what we would be seeing in the next section of the […]

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Tags: Learning · Time

Adult Discussions

December 9th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes some persons should not be in the room during discussions. You may stay in the room if you like. It is obvious from your reaction that this is all above your head. Please keep quiet. Learning is permitted, but interruption is discouraged. This is harsh. Sometimes it is necessary. Greater learning […]

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Tags: Adults · Learning · Work

Have You ever Taught?

September 19th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Teacher? Not me. Of course me. Understanding what it means to teach reveals that almost all of us are teachers. teach: verb, show or explain to (someone) how to do something. Have you ever told someone something that they didn’t know before you told them? Congratulations. You are a teacher. It really […]

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Tags: Communication · Education · Learning

Meta-Mistakes and Management

September 16th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes we can do it right the first time. Other situations render this nearly impossible. Let’s understand the difference and manage accordingly. There is an old saying that goes something like: We don’t have time to do it right, but we seem to have time to do it twice. Some say the […]

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Tags: Agility · Learning · Management · Mistakes

Don’t Try This at Home

August 19th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I know what I’m doing. You don’t. I can have fun. You can’t. As a kid, I used to see wild stunts on television. They always prefaced them with, “Don’t try this at home.” Why not? Why could they do things, but I couldn’t? Of course they had years of this and […]

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Tags: Change · Education · Fear · Learning · Permission

Data Science and that Old Green Textbook

August 8th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Are you a data scientist? Have you ever read that old green textbook? Probably not, and that is unfortunate. I’ve been delving into data science lately. I’ve applied for a few jobs with the title “Data Scientist.” I’m not sure what a data scientist is, but much of what I have learned […]

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Tags: Data Science · Learning · Pattern Classification · Patterns

I Understand this Well Enough to…

August 5th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips One basic progression of understanding. I understand this well enough to: understand it in my mind use it explain it clearly to others invent it invent what comes next ignore it

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Tags: Knowledge · Learning

AI: Some History and Some Future

July 18th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Some of us have been here before. “AI” is hot again. Perhaps this time the future will be different from the past, but I doubt it. I worked extensively in AI in the 1980s. What I see today is remarkably similar. This is due to what I believe is a gross misunderstanding […]

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Tags: History · Learning · Technology

Boring Meetings or Learning Opportunities

July 15th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Is this yet another boring meeting or a new opportunity to learn? Is this naive? I attend meetings. In my former employment, I attended several meetings each day. My current employment has reduced that to several a week. Most meetings are boring. They are inefficient. They are drudgery. Yuck. Some meetings are […]

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Tags: Choose · Learning · Meetings