While reading Kim Scott’s Radical Candor recently, I was struck by this (on page 93 of my paperback revised edition): The next time you spend 2 hours helping somebody edit … Continue reading Editing down for clarity
Category: General management
Creating guidelines using reverse engineering
Quite often I have to write down rules or guidelines about what’s considered acceptable for some situation. These might be bullet points in a job advert (characteristics we want candidates … Continue reading Creating guidelines using reverse engineering
Supporting difficult conversations
A couple of years ago a colleague sat me down to have a “difficult conversation”. He was unhappy with something I was doing, and wanted to tell me about it. … Continue reading Supporting difficult conversations
Determining success criteria
I used to work with a content production team. Every day they would write and source various articles, and every day they would publish a good deal of material. Then … Continue reading Determining success criteria
Embedding process in technology
Some time ago I was discussing the use of a centralised software system that had various configuration options (naturally), one of which would allow us to force employees to follow … Continue reading Embedding process in technology
Advice doesn’t have to agree
A colleague once needed some help with a work-related problem, and she spoke to a large number of people to see how they had tackled similar problems in the past. … Continue reading Advice doesn’t have to agree
The chisel stage and the sandpaper stage
Once upon a time I was speaking to a software developer who was explaining why he wasn’t taking the kind of care in his work that he would have liked … Continue reading The chisel stage and the sandpaper stage
Don’t confuse silhouettes with x-rays
The other day I was reading Patrick Lencioni enthusing about Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality tests. He gave examples of various situations where a clear description of someone’s biases and … Continue reading Don’t confuse silhouettes with x-rays
Goals that show success, but don’t define it
I was reading an article the other day about the dangers of making one-sided judgements about risk (tl;dr: always consider risk and reward together) and in the comments underneath someone … Continue reading Goals that show success, but don’t define it
The bell curve of project versus business
I’m due to have a conversation with someone about an ambitious startup-type idea they’re seeking to run within an established company. They have an idea—it might be a great one–and … Continue reading The bell curve of project versus business
