We come up with processes, systems, and patterns daily in an effort to get work done. To improve our lives. To simplify our delivery. To make things easier. To generate more value from what we are already doing. To show us where we need to improve. If at the core of whatever process you are building, does not meet some or all of those goals, then the question must be asked – what are you…
Aiming for a moving target is easy – we do it every day as we try to line up plans and delivery schedules to get to where we need to be. At some point, there become too many variables in play that you are no longer planning for delivery but instead trying to figure out how everything comes together. If you’re finding yourself overwhelmed by the variables and not the output, focus on removing variables…
I did a presentation a little while ago that was a deep dive analysis on the probability of delivery of across a variety of factors. It looked pretty good on paper but then we got to the last page with all the caveats. Numbers are good, but caveats drive it home. Caveats are everything that needs to be in place for you to be a success, for you to align your team, for you to…
I used to work with someone who had an email signature that read – “Your failure to plan does not constitute an emergency on my part”. When I would be up late fixing bugs, I would come back to this line and think about this line – “whose emergency is this?”. You can’t plan for everything, but you can plan for your need. I recently finished a month-long planning and strategy session with a client. …
When people were absolutely fed up with a meeting, they would physically get and leave the room. That was a sign, a sign that the meeting was so far gone that there was no point in continuing. It was a physical action and reaction that made people pause and wonder what just happened. We don’t have that in remote meetings. People are always disconnecting – because connections everywhere are strained. People are always turning their…