by Dwayne Phillips We are almost always uncertain. That is why we should plan key decision points. “We knew what were were doing, right?” asked one of the decision makers after everything collapsed. “Well, it sounded good when we started,” replied another one of the decision makers after everything collapsed. No, sorry, we didn’t know […]
We Knew What We Were Doing, Right?
November 4th, 2021 · No Comments
Tags: Decide · Knowledge · Management · Planning · Resources · Time
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. […]
Tags: Communication · Excuses · Listening · Management
Back to the Office? On What Occasion?
August 5th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips After the pandemic, some of us will return to the office building on some days. When? Why? Let’s think a bit. The pandemic is over, I guess. It is time to commute to the office and work there. Right? Well, maybe. There are several activities for which online telecommuting doesn’t fit. This […]
Tags: Management · Meetings · Remote Work · Resources · Thinking · Work
Earned Value Management in Two Sentences
July 26th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Earned Value management can be explained at great length (it has). Let’s try two sentences. Some people live by earned value project management. Some people, well, not so much. There are many books and chapters written on the topic (I am one guilty author). Let’s cut it down a bit. If it […]
Tags: Approximation · Estimation · Management · Work
Of Course They were doing That
July 15th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips We sometimes are surprised at what some persons will do. We shouldn’t be. A recent story reminds us of an oft-repeated story: people will do that. Yes, even that. The recent story is about how some persons working at Facebook used their inside administrative privileges to “spy” on other persons. There were […]
Tags: Accountability · Excuses · Leadership · Management · Privacy · Respect
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 […]
Tags: Communication · Failure · Information
Data, Information, Money—a Simple Example
June 7th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Data is money. Information is money. Here is a precise, concrete, and specific example. Data is money. Information is money. Yeah, we hear that all the time. Really? What are you trying to sell me? A few years ago (dates and names withheld to protect the guilty) I worked in a job […]
Tags: Data Science · Information · Management · Money
Our Reaction to…
May 20th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Once again, its not the event, its our reaction to the event. Here is an exercise in reading news headlines. Read the headlines (these are paraphrased from the Washington Post on one day): Virus tied to increased risk of neurological and psychiatric illness The pandemic has caused parents to slow down Expanding […]
Tags: Adults · Alternatives · Choose · Management · Reaction · Reframe
The Tidal Decision-Making Technique
April 12th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes decisions just sort of drift in and out with the tides. The tide comes in; the tide goes out. Sometimes we find something that drifted in with the tide and remains on the beach. The next day, the next cycle or two of tides, and that something is gone. It was […]
Tags: Choose · Decide · Judgment · Lifecycle · Management
The Winner is…
March 8th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips The “winner” will be declared by fallible persons with prejudices and favorites (just like us). Surely we can do better than this. Right? Surely, all us smart people can put our heads together and create a better community, a better consensus. Alas, not this year. We’re all working from home, at least […]
Tags: Change · Leadership · Learning · Listening · Management