Working Up

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

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No More, “Maybe I Didn’t Remember Correctly”

September 12th, 2024 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Given histories on the Internet, the good news is that I can find the correct date and event. The bad news is, I no longer have the excuse that, “Maybe I didn’t remember correctly.” That is just lazy. I am making notes of my life for my children and grandchildren. The sort […]

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Tags: Accountability · Childhood · Error · Event · Excuses · History · Internet · Research · Work

Always Be Ready to Teach

August 19th, 2024 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Hiring new people? Want to them to know everything that people who already work here know? There is no easy answer, but there are some answers. When look at the Help Wanted ads, I frequently encounter employers who want to hire people who already work for them. The ads are easy to […]

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Tags: Adults · Learning · Reality · Teaching · Time · Work

It’s All Written Except for the Words

August 15th, 2024 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I have a concept, an idea, just the right thing. Now “all I have to do” is put it into words. I have a great idea. Here, you write it up and we’ll share the money.—Many a person who thinks they are a great thinker. A famous author (I can’t think of […]

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Tags: Concepts · Ideas · Thinking · Work · Writing

Pretty Printing

June 24th, 2024 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes it is worth the effort to make the output “look good.” Sometimes this pretty printing is a waste and only aggravates those involved. This past week at work I spent hours and hours pretty printing. We had “done the work” and were trying to make a printout of the work for […]

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Tags: Appearances · Clarity · Communication · Design · Expectations · Please · Work

Just Doing Their Jobs (For Better or Worse)

May 30th, 2024 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Despite the celebrity appearances of celebrities, the vase majority of folks just do their jobs (for better or worse). As I write, the months-long antitrust trial of Google may draw to a close. As this article reports, the vast majority of Google employees aren’t giving that thing the slightest bit of attention. […]

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Tags: Appearances · Fable · Fashion · Google · Humility · Justice · Work

That Won’t Work or It Shouldn’t Work

May 27th, 2024 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips There are techniques, tools, methodologies, etc. that won’t work—until they do. They shouldn’t work—until they do. What is happening here? Many years ago, we were sitting in a conference room watching a presentation video on a television. The television has a cathode ray tube with a curved glass cover (I wrote that […]

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Tags: Alternatives · Practice · Process · Reality · Success · Tools · Work

Believe Reality

May 23rd, 2024 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips No matter what is in a document, believe what you observe in the here and now. Believe reality. While writing this, we are in the middle of having the carpet replaced at work. The big room where I work is filled with cubicles (one of the great torture chambers invented by man). […]

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Tags: Adapting · Observation · Planning · Reality · Work

Evidence of Work

May 20th, 2024 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips In our brave new world of remote working and such, one thing remains: evidence of work. A: What are you doing? B: Working. A: What have you done? B: I read three books and six papers as assigned. A: Uh, why should I believe that? There is no evidence of work. All […]

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Tags: Adapting · Appearances · Remote Work · Review · Work

An Important Question

May 6th, 2024 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips There are many important questions that relate to one situation or another. I find that there is one question that is more important than most in any situation What did I learn? That is the more-important question. I try to accomplish things that I want to accomplish. I have a goal. I […]

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Tags: Education · Learning · Problems · Questions · Teaching · Work

Which Part Do I Write Now?

May 2nd, 2024 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I have to write all the parts to have a whole. But the parts that comprise the whole will probably change. I am facing a big writing project (“big” of course is subjective). I have divided the whole big project into parts. Now, write each part, check off the parts in the […]

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Tags: Adapting · Choose · Work · Writing