Blog

February 19, 2016

Greg Thomas

Waiting to be asked is an Excuse

“But you didn’t ask me about THAT.” To which my answer always is – “Did I ask you how you got here?” No. The best updates in any meeting, on any project are the ones that come voluntarily and don’t wait for the meeting to happen to volunteer them.  They are the ones that provide the most impact and make you think – “huh we probably don’t need that meeting, so let’s cancel it and keep going”. But the meetings where people are only willing to offer up information when asked about a certain subject?  Yeah, those are the ones,

February 18, 2016

Greg Thomas

The Doomsayer

I love the Doomsayer. This will never work. Nope, when this goes out to the customer it will blow up in their faces. You can’t do that, the API doesn’t work that way. We will have to update everything if you make that change. This is going to blow up in our faces. Everything is always a mountain instead of a mole hill, everything is always going to be so hard that it’ll bring the world to its knees.  No matter what we do will fail. I love it, love it – pushes me to try even harder and prove

February 17, 2016

Greg Thomas

Responsibility vs Accountability

Not from the Dictionary. Responsibility – units of work that I have been assigned where there delivery rests on me, and perhaps my team, to complete by x point in time. Accountability – work that is assigned to me where delivery rests on me, and again perhaps my team, to complete by x point in time wherein if said work is not completed by x point in time I will be the one that will have to explain the why, possibly with consequences built in. One has a threat of consequence built into it, the other one implies ownership and freedom

February 16, 2016

Greg Thomas

Do you want to break out?

Looking for that next pay hike? Want to make a leap into a new position? Doing what you’ve always done for the last few years? Still don’t see where I’m going with this? Look around at the people that have taken a leap and gone past you.   Was their skillset so different than yours?  (You’re in the same organization, so doubtful) Were they that much more likeable than you? (I can’t answer that) Did they sit back and wait for something to happen? (Apparently not) So how did they break out? If I was to hazard a quick guess,

February 15, 2016

Greg Thomas

Leadership when the Waters are Rough

It is very easy to Lead when costs are low, profits are high, everyone’s happy, the world is a glorious place to live in, etc, etc. It is a whole other “thing” to Lead when everyone is unhappy, costs are on the rise, uncertainty is at a record high and nothing is going your way. The really, really good leaders, can lead the same way in times of good and in times of bad.  They can lead as if the bad times ARE the good and no one should be the wiser. They don’t make excuses for what is going wrong