by Dwayne Phillips A simple question can start a meaningful conversation that prevents bad things from happening. As I write this post, our elected representatives ended a partial shutdown of our Federal government a couple of days ago. Such shutdown set some type of record and brought lots of grief to thousands of people. I […]
What Do You Want?
December 1st, 2025 · No Comments
Tags: Conversation · Leadership · Learning · Management · Questions · Work
Garbage In, Garbage Out
November 20th, 2025 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips One of the oldest phrases in computing is still true. Rats. Some folks thought AI would fix this. If I meant to find the sum of 2 and 3 but typed 2+4, I would have the wrong answer. Rats. Inputing the wrong information produces the wrong output. So said Charles Babbage some […]
Tags: Artificial Intelligence · Chaos · Commitment · Competence · Expertise · Humility · Technology · Tools · Work
AI, Tools, and Jobs
November 17th, 2025 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Here come new tools. Adopt them or lose your job? Probably not. Yet more recent news about big tech eliminating jobs due to AI. Or perhaps they were eliminated because those companies simply hired too many people and they weren’t doing much of anything on the job. Here are more thoughts on […]
Tags: Artificial Intelligence · Jobs · Technology · Tools · Work
Predictable (yikes!)
October 23rd, 2025 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips It isn’t flattering to understand that what I do is quite predictable. Ah these AI chattering bots—they are amazing. Type a question, they call it a prompt, in plain English and out pops answers, sometimes as long as books, in plain English. This is amazing! Well, the software looks at a bunch […]
Tags: Analysis · Artificial Intelligence · Context · Jobs · Problems · Work · Writing
Coming Back to It
October 2nd, 2025 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips One of the great habits of highly effective persons and organizations is that they “come back to it.” “We will come back to it when we have the time,” an oft-repeated but seldom completed phrase of the well intentioned. Sigh. We will come back to this. How many times have I heard […]
Tags: Commitment · General Systems Thinking · Patience · Time · Work
But That’s Your Job
September 15th, 2025 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Managing work and leading people isn’t easy. It is, however, the job of managers. I have recently seen several articles about the struggle to bring people back into the office two, three, or even five days a week. And there are requirements to prove that a person actually came to the office, […]
Tags: Jobs · Leadership · Management · People · Work
Simple Tools, Strong Emotions
September 8th, 2025 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes the best pieces of writing are still from simple tools and strong emotions. I recently read yet another post from a writer about how in the world you can write while you are traveling or on vacation or something or other that perplexes those who attempt to write. Ten years ago […]
Tags: Authentic · Communication · Notebook · Remote Work · Work · Writing
New Tools, Modified Techniques
July 28th, 2025 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips New tools sometimes allow us to modify the techniques we use. The new tools don’t require modification, but allow it. These kids today, these engineers and scientists under 30, they just … well, they just do things differently. They have new tools (and I have new tools). They work the way the […]
Tags: Artificial Intelligence · Problems · Solutions · Technology · Tools · Word · Work
Don’t Be That Person
May 29th, 2025 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips AI tools are here. They don’t do everything, but they boost productivity. Use the tools. I am old enough to remember a time in the late 1980s when word processors appeared. There were many older managers who were accustomed to writing in cursive on yellow pads with pencils and handing those to […]
Tags: Adapting · Artificial Intelligence · Choose · Create · Learning · Tools · Work
Eating Your Own Dog Food (Again)
May 26th, 2025 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Some new AI companies are using AI so that they only have a couple dozen humans. Fifteen years ago I blogged about eating your own dog food. Not a nice phrase, but a good point about using my own products. If others should buy and use my products, so should I. Now […]
Tags: Artificial Intelligence · Knowledge · Learning · Process · Work