Projects don’t really exist; they’re a mental model, not an actual thing. We invented projects so that we can talk about a nebulous stream of work as if they were single blocks of time and effort. There are no projects; there are only products. The...
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July 7, 2016 Bruce Benson
Planning
It’s easy for stand-ups, which are supposed to be brief team-sharing ceremonies, to turn into extended meetings. Limit the conversation to simple statements about things the entire team should know — what you did yesterday, what you’re doing today, and any blockers or help needed....
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June 24, 2016 Bruce Benson
Team Management
You wouldn’t believe how sophisticated hacking has become in the past few years. It has, in fact, gotten so mind-blowingly complex and erudite that this word, sophisticated, is now the only one human beings can really use to describe any single act of computer-security violation....
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June 16, 2016 Bruce Benson
Reporting
[S]elf-reporting data can be very misleading. For instance, in an Australian hospital, 73 percent of staff doctors claimed that they soaped up before interacting with patients. But a study based on observed behavior showed that only 9 percent of them did. Stephen Dubner, Freaky Thinkers...
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June 9, 2016 Bruce Benson
Planning
[Anouk] Wipprecht finds that her keys to success are curiosity, being willing to work across disciplines, and having a clear mission. “Whatever triggers your attention, go for it,” she says. “A lot of engineers ask me,” ‘How do I do design?’ I say, just go...
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June 2, 2016 Bruce Benson
Process Improvement
"I truly believe that engineers will do their best when they are constrained" -- Johny Srouji
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May 26, 2016 Bruce Benson
Planning
We’ll be successful, ironically, when it becomes boring.
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May 19, 2016 Bruce Benson
Reporting
"There is no evidence that consumers can self diagnose and self-treat." Really?
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May 12, 2016 Bruce Benson
Change Management
Data we’ve collected show that in the U.S only 30 percent of people are engaged at work. Gallup
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May 5, 2016 Bruce Benson
Staffing
Do you and your team understand the underlying principles that your project targets are trying to achieve?
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April 27, 2016 Bruce Benson
Planning
The best managers I’ve worked with have always been those who honestly immersed themselves in the business.
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April 21, 2016 Bruce Benson
Planning
“What RevUp really is,” says Joe Rospars, an Obama campaign veteran who founded Blue State Digital (a partner and investor in RevUp), “is a software version of Steve himself. He’s put his personality and experience into code.” Steve Spinner Just Fixed The Worst Thing About...
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April 7, 2016 Bruce Benson
Innovation
Who doesn’t want recognition for their hard work and contributions? Early in my career I wanted to believe if you worked hard, and added value, you would be rewarded. I wanted to believe in the utopian ideal that hard work, discipline, and contributions were the...
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March 31, 2016 Bruce Benson
Honesty
Following the Sept. 11 attacks, a consensus emerged that cockpit doors should be reinforced and fitted with elaborate locks. This was an eminently sensible idea. Then last year, a pilot named Andreas Lubitz boarded Germanwings Flight 9525. When his captain left the cockpit, Lubitz locked...
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March 18, 2016 Bruce Benson
Change Management
I think it’s too good of a story not to be told at this stage,” [Johny] Srouji says. “Hopefully, we won’t reveal too much.” When the original iPhone came out in 2007, Steve Jobs was well aware of its flaws. It had no front camera,...
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March 10, 2016 Bruce Benson
Planning
