Articles for category: Initiative

October 20, 2023

Greg Thomas

Build Trust Fast

The fastest way to build trust is to get everyone onto one page. We’re on this journey together, no one is getting off, we’ll see it through, whatever happens. We aren’t looking for experts, rockstars, ninjas, or gurus to solve our problems with and gift them all the problems we have – we are looking for someone to be there with us, to work with us, to support us and not leave partway through. Trust requires showing up every day, that’s the hard part, it’s incremental.  When you’re starting with a new team that needs to “deliver” immediately, you need

October 9, 2023

Greg Thomas

What Timers Do?

They stare you in the face and countdown to the end of a pre-defined time. What do they really do? They stare you in the face and give you the indication that this thing you’re working on, this thing you don’t want to do that you wish would end, will be over, at some point, boiled down to minutes and seconds (no one sets a timer for an over an hour). And they get you focused – because if anyone comes up to you and says – “do you think you can do this for 30 minutes?” – your first

What’s On Paper

“On Paper we shouldn’t be doing this well” I’ve heard that statement many times and it always comes back to the team effort. When the project, the delivery, and the timeline start, it doesn’t matter how many people you have, how much cash is in the bank, and who has delivered more in the last quarter. All that matters is what the team can do and if the team can deliver past what is expected of them. Then the team is on the path towards being unstoppable.

September 30, 2023

Greg Thomas

The Wrong Tools

We all have our set of GOTO tools when we need to work a problem. Markers, Whiteboards, NotePad++, libraries, extensions, plugins, etc, etc. Starting with a new set of tools that are not your own feels wrong, out of place, and forced upon you.  It feels like you are trying to crush a square peg through a round hole and it refuses to go.  You keep pounding it in, but it won’t go. Give them time, after a while, you might not value them all, but you’ll grow to like a few that might give you some benefit, save you

September 28, 2023

Greg Thomas

I’m Supposed to Stand Up More

I have a stand-up desk. I have a sticker on it that says “STAND UP”. I don’t overdue it in 45/60 minute increments and try to go for a basic 15 or 30 morning/afternoon. But when the days are long, when I need it most, I don’t do it. I have no idea why.