Working Up

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

Working Up header image 4

I Hope Nothing Comes Up in Today’s Meeting

February 27th, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips There is something called the “hope nothing” meeting. In it, I hope nothing comes up that causes me pain, effort, and general angst. Hope nothing meetings are pleasant, but can be deadly. I sit in meetings. People tell me things. Sometimes they tell me things that cause me work. Sometimes they tell […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Communication · Information · Learning · Management · Meetings

Our Past Brought Us Here

February 13th, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We hate to admit it, but we are here and now because of our past actions. “How did we get here?” bemoans a person currently caught in some quicksand of life. The answer is, “Out steps brought us here.” Another answer is, “The system is the way it is because we made […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Adapting · Alternatives · Choose · Humility · Learning

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. […]

[Read more →]

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 […]

[Read more →]

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 […]

[Read more →]

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 […]

[Read more →]

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 […]

[Read more →]

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 […]

[Read more →]

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 […]

[Read more →]

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

[Read more →]

Tags: Knowledge · Learning