Creativity
The life of a hero – Doug Engelbart 1930 – 2013
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. …
Project Management at 30 Below — the AGO project cycle, Part 3
So what are the lessons learned that project managers can take for a project like this? When I asked Andy this question, he had a list of lessons right at hand, learned through hard, cold, exhausting experience. I had expected …
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Project Management at 30 Below — the AGO project cycle, Part 2
Once the planning and preparation are complete, getting to an Automatic Geophysical Observatory (AGO) site can seem like a project in itself. Every year Andy, Bob and the rest of the team are required to pass a complete physical, update …
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Project Management at 30 Below — the AGO project cycle, Part 1
Early December. Andy woke to bright sunshine and a light snowfall… inside his tent. The sun had been up already for about 1,680 hours (that’s 70 days) and it was so dry and cold out (-30 F) that moisture would …
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What if two product managers disagree on something and can only agree to disagree?
I received the below great question a few days after my Art of War for Product Managers and High-Performing Professionals. I thought you might be interested in the answer as well. What if two product manager colleagues disagree on something …
What if two product managers disagree on something and can only agree to disagree? Read More »
How to do things that scare us.
There are things in our professional careers that naturally scare us, but are required for advancement and continued growth. We are normally afraid of places we haven’t been before, things we haven’t tried before or subject matter that we know nothing about. If fear is a sign that we are pushing our envelop, then conquering that fear is a sign of real personal and professional growth.
So, how do we gather enough courage to take that next step?
Think Failure to Succeed
“Most success springs from an obstacle or failure. I became a cartoonist largely because I failed in my goal of becoming a successful executive.” Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of …
Introverts Unite! (oh, wait, that’s going to be tough…)
Hi, I’m Camille and I’m an extrovert. (Hi, Camille.) I confess that from time to time I’ve overlooked the talents that introverts have to offer. I’m reforming. On a recent flight, I read Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a …
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Is Project Management a creative process?
Is Project Management a creative process? Full disclosure: I believe it is. I’ve had some colleagues vigorously take the opposing view. Those holding this view came from many fields and disciplines – including a few working as project managers. At …
Your Voice: The Four Amigos: “Ah”, “Um”, “Like” and “You know”
Over the last year, I’ve learned a lot about communicating with the human voice. How did I do this? By hosting an Internet Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio. Prior to the Internet radio experience, I was asleep at the vocal chord wheel, …
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How to handle jealousy in the office.
I received the below great question a few days after my Art of War for Product Managers and High-Performing Professionals. I thought you might be interested in the answer as well. Q: Many senior employees work under my lead. In …
Pro and Con list to make better decisions.
Most everyone is familiar with Pro and Con lists to help make a decision. Often times the Pro and Con List does very little to clarify the decision – because – well – the reason you are creating the Pro/Con list is because it was a ‘close call’ to begin with. We don’t go to the trouble of making a Pro and Con list on ‘no-brainers’. Often times the pro and cons are pretty equal – making the decision still difficult. Our mistake is that we stop at this point. We don’t take the next step to reduce the impact of the “Cons”.
Are You “In the Game”?
In a recent discussion about additional costs being added to my home build project, I made a comment to our builder that “I don’t want to play that game.” He took offense at that comment. I believe he thought I …
Project Managers as Project Marketers
Project Managers as Project Marketers Seasoned project managers understand that a successful project never results from a single endeavor. Instead, it takes a myriad of cumulative and often-subtle accomplishments to bring even the simplest project to completion. Consistent communication with …
Orchestrating Software Development
For years, I’ve been pointing development and project managers to the full-length documentary, Tom Dowd & the Language of Music. (It’s rentable via Netflix, purchasable via Amazon.) Every time I watch Tom Dowd, I’m struck by how closely producing music …