by Dwayne Phillips We usually understand one another better when we speak in simple, real-life terms—also know as plain English (for us English speakers). Please speak in plain English. Instead of: What are the Key Performance Indicators in your organization this reporting period? Try this: What keeps you awake at night? Instead of: Red, Green, […]
In Plain English, Please
January 17th, 2022 · No Comments
Tags: Communication · Management · Work
We Don’t Need an XX on the Team
November 29th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips We don’t need an expert in this or that to build better systems. We need a desire to learn and a desire to please. We don’t need a User Experience (UX) person on the team. We don’t need a Customer Experience (CX) expert on the team. We don’t need an XX (fill-in-the-blank […]
Tags: Customer · Experiment · Expertise · Learning · Resources · Systems · Work
Rules We Cannot Enforce
October 14th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips We make rules. Why? Sometimes it is petty and to serve our ego. Pause and think (two pretty good rules about rules). We make a rule for or over or against the persons we know or our work colleagues. We cannot enforce that rule over all the persons who are supposed to […]
Tags: Adults · Purpose · Respect · Trust · Work
Welcome Back to the Office (?)
August 12th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Folks long for the good old days. That includes rich and famous CEOs. Tim Cook is ready for Apple’s workforce to return to the office building. Many in Apple’s workforce don’t want to return to the office building. Tim Cook is ready for Apple’s workforce to return to the office building. Did […]
Tags: Apple · Employment · Expectations · Leadership · Remote Work · Work
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
“Meetings”
July 8th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips I love meetings. They are fun. At least the meetings I attend. Why attend any other kind? There are many types of gatherings that we call “meetings.” That is a disservice to the English language and to the “meeting.” My little work group has a daily “meeting.” I love it. I laugh […]
Tags: Choose · Communication · Fun · Meetings · Work
Where is the Floor?
July 1st, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Half the persons in any profession are below average. At what point is a person not allowed in the profession? Where is the floor? Half of all teachers are below average. Half of all interior painters are below average. Fill in the blank for whatever job there is. Okay, we know that. […]
Tags: Accountability · Competence · Systems · Work
Telecommuting and Shipping
June 3rd, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Working from home? Ship. End of questions about working from home. Fourteen months into the pandemic, many of us are still working from home. We are about to go back to the office building. I think. I am not sure. There are still questions about this telecommuting, telework, work from home, and […]
Tags: Culture · Employment · Expectations · Goals · Myth · Remote Work · Time · Work
The Monday Morning Secret
May 3rd, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips The weekend tends to erase all prior history. That is a bad thing in endeavors that are worth our time. Monday morning. A good weekend behind me. Okay, now what? Well, what’s interesting in the tech and culture news? Oh, look at that. I’ll spend some time exploring it. Problem: I am […]