During an online group break-out session, I was accused of mansplaining by a female participant. I had never heard the term before and had no idea what it meant. I subsequently learned what the term meant. The word started to become popular amongst feminist bloggers in the years leading up to it making the New … Continue reading Are You a Mansplainer?
After lunch one day, I was wading through the downtown crowds, rushing to get back to work in time for a meeting. Deftly weaving in and out of the pedestrian traffic, looking to save a few seconds here and there. My surroundings blurred as I focused on mentally preparing for the meeting. Out of the … Continue reading Read The Room
What’s in a name? What if that name is a title? Names and especially titles, can mean different things to different people based on what they believe, what they’ve learned by hearing or seeing or reading, and what they’ve experienced. Any one of these used in isolation to interpret a title may lead to an … Continue reading Scrum Master In Name Only
Many of my fondest memories when travelling were unplanned and off the beaten track. Uncovering that special hidden trail after taking a wrong turn. Discovering an unbelievably delicious hole in the wall restaurant in the middle of nowhere. Recovering a moment of natural tranquility away from the noisy tourist traps. In sports, the momentum of … Continue reading From Nothing to Something
To gain a deeper understanding of the Toyota Production System (TPS) and Lean, I dove into a book called “Steady Work” by Karen Gaudet. It was referenced in Jeffrey Liker’s classic “The Toyota Way”. Karen Gaudet was an ex-Starbucks regional director responsible for about 100 Starbucks stores in the northwest region of the United States. … Continue reading What I Learned About TPS From a Coffee Empire
Household chores never seem to bubble up to the top of my life backlog. I never seem to have time to cut the grass, clean the kitchen floor, prep the salad for dinner or plaster that hole in the wall. When the wait time for those mundane backlog items exceeds my wife’s patience, they get … Continue reading Are You a Hamster 🐹 or a Chameleon 🦎?
I sometimes take the simplest things for granted. Electricity until the North East Coast blackout of 2003 left us all in the dark for days Drinking water until I hear about drinking water kits being sent to 3rd world countries Gathering in person with family and friends until a global pandemic comes along in 2020 … Continue reading A Team’s Hierarchy of Needs
When my kids were young, they depended on my wife and I for many things. Providing them shelter Keeping them safe physically and psychologically Offering unconditional love and understanding Nurturing their budding sense of self-worth and morality Walking them to school Preparing their meals Doing their laundry Reminding them about personal hygiene There were many … Continue reading Who’s Holding The Pen?
There are a number of traditional or classical project management tools which have held their popularity through the ages. This, despite having outlived their initial usefulness and utility over 75 years ago when: The world was less volatile, more stable, more certain, simpler and less ambiguous. The people doing the work were more compliant and … Continue reading My RACI Is Not Your RACI
When you have too many cooks in Hell’s Kitchen, you move them over to Next Level Chef. At e least that’s how I interpret what Gordon Ramsey did with those two shows. So, what happens when there’s too many coaches in an organization? You can… Reduce the number of agile coaches Introduce a hierarchy of … Continue reading Next Level Coach
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