Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips I contemplate a simple yet still effective management tool—the humble calendar. What will I do tomorrow? What about the day after? What about next month. Oh, wait, is next week in next month or this month? How can I keep track of time? We revisit the humble calendar. If this is insulting […]

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by Dwayne Phillips I review yet another fundamental of accomplishing work that seems to have been forgotten. In order for us to accomplish our work and our mission, we need you to do something. Here is the work. Here is the schedule. Here are the resources. Please. I suppose we leave off most of those […]

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by Dwayne Phillips We work in the real world; not in one where what we wish is true. Sometimes we simply need to teach a little. A: I told these people what to do…and AARGH (pained expression interrupts speech). B: How did you teach them how to do that? A: What? What do you mean? […]

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by Dwayne Phillips Another troubling thing recruiters often say. Recruiter: Oh, so you’re interested in an oversight position as opposed to hands on. Me: No, I am not looking for an oversight position. I really don’t understand what that is. Since it is your word, would you please explain it to me? Recruiter: …silence… Me: […]

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by Dwayne Phillips Confronted with a big mess? What do you fix first? What order? Try this suggestion. I once entered a job where everything was a mess. Chaos? Well, I won’t write that chaos reigned as that implies there was some order someplace. I found none. It was a mess, where to start? I […]

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by Dwayne Phillips When building and maintaining a system, the fundamental question is, “Whom am I trying to please?” This post offers a different answer. User, Customer, Manager, Boss? What do I call the person I am trying to please when building or maintaining a system? Whom am I trying to please? Here is a […]

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by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes the way to accomplish more sooner is to acknowledge the person and wait until later. A short but true story: We were short of persons in one particular skill category at work. Work piled up. We were waiting, mostly impatiently. Finally, a new person arrives in that skill category. All of […]

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by Dwayne Phillips An exercise to do at work or anywhere that more than one person gathers from time to time. Caution: this is not for the faint of heart. Here is something to do at work or anywhere that more than one person gathers from time to time: Sit in a circle. Go around […]

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by Dwayne Phillips We are usually happy to have outsiders walk in and help us. Help, however, comes with our conditions. We have so much work to do here, we will never catch up. Help? Of course we will accept help. What kind of help? Well, you know, someone like me, just like me, and […]

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by Dwayne Phillips Old adage, but still true. Something about pointing a finger at someone else means you have three fingers pointing at myself. The News Channel (fill in with your favorite news channel that you dislike) reports that corporations are greedy and only want more money. Of course, The News Channel is itself a […]

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