The essentials of project management in under 500 words What’s a project? A project is any endeavor that takes time and involves more than one person. Typically, we don’t call it a project unless it involves at least 3 to …
How to manage a project Read More »
We all ask this question now and then, particularly when the computer or its application software is not working as it should. Or at least when it’s doing things we don’t understand. Our smartphones are no different – they are …
What’s going on inside my computer? Read More »
MENLO PARK, Calif.—July 3, 2013—Computing visionary Douglas C. Engelbart, Ph.D, passed away peacefully at his home in Atherton, California on July 2, 2013. He was 88 years old. Engelbart’s work is the very foundation of personal computing and the Internet. …
The life of a hero – Doug Engelbart 1930 – 2013 Read More »
Technologists love intricate mechanisms. That’s why many of us, as kids, took things apart, and some of us even put them back together again. In my training as an engineer, I enjoyed learning how mechanical, electrical and chemical things worked. …
What’s wrong with complexity? Read More »
I have great respect for software developers. Because software is abstract, invisible and runs at extreme speeds, the people who are good at building it have to possess a particular talent at visualization and a willingness to use complex tools. …
Software development – not by PERT alone Read More »
Designing, implementing and integrating major IT systems has numerous pitfalls that don’t appear, for example, in building construction. People who are responsible for delivering major IT projects – or are paying for one – need to be aware of what …
Red flags indicating possible project failure Read More »
How do you evaluate how well a team is functioning? A key indicator is energy. Energy is a quality of the interactions going on in the room the team is working in, a quality that you feel when you’re in …
What generates energy for your team? Read More »
This article is about attention and focus, in your own life and the life of the teams you lead. Attention is a precious commodity, for you, for people you manage and for teams you lead. Here’s what journalist and author …
How many threads can you hold? Read More »
We call too many things “teams,” just because it sounds good. A group of people is not necessarily a team just because they happen to work in proximity to each other. What’s a team for? A team is a small …
Clearing conflict on a team Read More »
Summary Architecture is about design at the top level, including interfaces and protocols. Architecture of complex systems requires knowledge of the technology in all of the components. In software, there are few constraints on how the components are put together, …
What does an architect do? Read More »
Business managers often find themselves bamboozled by technologists and their managers. After spending a lot of money on IT or Engineering, they still don’t have what they want. Here are nine ways a business manager can ask questions to improve relations with the technologists.
There is a lot of skepticism about Agile and Lean among business managers for a lot of good reasons. It’s best that we understand these reasons, because they shouldn’t keep us from proceeding with Agile and Lean transformations of our companies and projects.
