Month: October 2015

Why not plan to operate dramatically under capacity?

If you’ve been responsible for running a company then you’ll be aware that it is impossible to keep everyone 100% productive, as in working productively every hour of every day. It’s just not wise to try. Most people would suggest you should also plan to leave some percentage of your “capacity” unallocated or free for the unknown. To run at…

Why Agile isn’t the answer.

For years I was a proponent of Agile techniques. Of course I say that knowing that the word Agile is about as ambiguous as the word God. The one thread of consistency in how Agile works out in practice is the reason why it’s not the answer to managing software development. In the 12 principles of the Agile Manifesto, there’s…

You’re wrong

It’s easy to get caught up in the moment when we have a sense that perhaps we’re wrong. Perhaps our position isn’t sound. Perhaps our opinion doesn’t add up. Something we believe to be true has received a legitimate challenge. But, when you have this sinking feeling, it is often for a reason. When you feel there’s something “wrong” what…

The most important characteristic of managing your time

Whatever you do to manager your time, the most important mechanism you need is the mechanism to reject what you should not do. Many people obsess over tracking what they should do and fail because they just don’t realize what they need is a means to let ideas die, not to ensure the ideas come to fruition. How do you…

The best way to get through a pile of stickies

There’s nothing as wasteful as doing what shouldn’t be done. Sticky notes with hair brained ideas make perfect fodder for the paper shredder. You should feel a sense of accomplishment feeding your shredder, especially if you haven’t done what’s on a sticky note to do, that should not be done. When staring at the sticky note, ask yourself, is this…