Month: April 2023

Make yourself dispensable. Many of us in the early part of our careers seek to make ourselves indispensable so that we will be safe. At one of my early jobs, I had written 90% of the code in use, so I could speak up on issues facing the company (including calling out the CEO) in…

I love Seppo Helava ‘s approach to writing resumes that he generously shares in the linked document. Everybody I know who has talked to him has come away inspired with a fresh perspective on how to frame their own story. Even if you’re not looking for a job right now, I recommend taking a look…

If you see something, say something. When confronted with an uncomfortable situation, we often stay silent because we don’t know what to say in the moment, or we don’t want to get involved. For instance, when we witness people making potentially racist or sexist comments, it’s easier to say nothing, because why take the risk…

Offer a choice. One of my friends gave me this advice for parenting toddlers. Ask “Do you want the red shirt or the green shirt?” and let the toddler choose. If you tell them “you’re wearing the red shirt”, it can quickly become a power struggle. A similar trick I’ve learned is not to tell…

I recently read about a Statistical Process Control theory principle that “Management is prediction”. I also recently read a reference to Jeff Hawkins’s book A Thousand Brains, where he lays out the cognitive theory that “thinking is prediction”. I connected these two ideas and explored the possibility that #management is organizational #cognition and connected that…