My Blogs & Vlogs
Old Rules, New Behaviors
Sometimes old rules help promote new behaviors.
Punch Drunk
used to really be into magic when I was a kid. At one of my birthday parties, I put on a rented tux, assembled a bunch of tricks on a card table, pulled a stuffed rabbit out of my felt top hat, pretended to cut off my finger, and other fun things. I wasn’t very […]
Catch Someone
Catching someone doing something well that they enjoy doing—often without even getting paid to do it—is the kismet of a good manager.
All Games Get Boring
’ve become more and more intrigued with gaming theory lately, particularly how it applies to motivating people. I don’t know all of the complex math and psychology behind gaming theory (yet), but as a very basic metaphor for motivation, I get it. It’s never a great idea to be your employee’s psychotherapist (even if you […]
Who Knows?
The manager of one of our stores slacked off this summer. We’re not sure why. It could have been personal issues, disinterest in the job, dislike of the people who work for him, or their dislike of him. Who knows? Whatever, he lost focus. Schedules and time sheets went unfinished and merchandise never got unpacked. […]
I Smooshed a Squirrel
I smooshed a squirrel while moving the BBQ grill yesterday. I didn’t know he was hiding under there when I started to move it. But then I heard him squeal. I guess he fell out of the oak tree above it and, waiting to clear his head before re-ascending, was hiding, traumatized. It was traumatic […]
Pursuing a Hope
My dad was a politician, first an Ohio State Representative (48th District, northwest side of Columbus), then Speaker Pro Tem (he raised the gavel when the actual Speaker was out), then sat on the Court of Appeals (in Ohio, an elected, non-partisan seat), then was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ohio by Jim Rhodes, […]
Jump the Net. I’m Ready.
There’s an approach for giving feedback out there that says you should only talk about what you feel and observe, and not assume or imply the other person’s intentions. A tennis metaphor is used: “Don’t jump the net,” meaning, when giving feedback, say what you see, not what you think the other person’s motivation was. […]
Fixing a Sore Thumb
Interview Tip #598: It’s not a great idea to tell your interviewer all that’s bad about their company’s mobile app, web site, customer experience, or customer service (though you think it’ll make you look smart and on it). Nine times out of ten, your interviewer will be well aware of the problem and more embarrassed […]
Consultants Bore Quickly
t’s not that hard to figure out when you are working with a consultant who already has a preconceived model he or she thinks will solve your problems. Today in the software delivery world, it’s bound to involve agile, kanban, or design thinking. Not that any well researched and tested methodology or framework is bad, […]
Catch Someone
