Tetris is a video game where blocks of various shapes slide down the screen, and you have to shift them left and right as they fall, to fit together and make solid rows. The blocks kept coming faster and faster, so it became more difficult to create complete rows, leading to gaps all over the… Read More Avoiding Bad IT Tetris: Eliminate Gaps, Improve Velocity
I learned my lesson from a microphone. I needed one to support an internal meeting once, and some weeks later I was looking at Planned vs. Actual spend for the month and noticed a $5.00 charge. Because it was unusual to see tiny amounts like that, I asked what it was – and sure enough,… Read More Passing The (Charge)Buck: Tips for Reducing IT Chargeback Complexity
“Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” Joe Biden Peering into a budget will provide insight into an organization’s value system. A good litmus test for the true importance of initiatives and operations, is to measure the relative dollars apportioned. There are programs and functions… Read More The Love Or Money Equation: The Clash of Culture & Cash
“Leaders are more powerful mentors when they learn, than when they teach.” Rosabeth Moss Kantor Unusually, last week I spent more time in the company of business women than I did men. The two primary stakeholders of a client are women, I had a business dinner with a fellow executive colleague, and I spent a… Read More Work Hacks for Women
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe When in turn-around situations, helping struggling projects or IT department malaise, common pain points include late delivery, poor quality, insufficient resources. And the common root cause is poor prioritization – too much is critical or important,… Read More Five Tips to Eliminate the Prioritization Limitation
“New technologies and approaches are merging the physical, digital and biological worlds in ways that will fundamentally transform humankind. The extent to which that transformation is positive will depend on how we navigate the risks and opportunities that arise along the way.” Klaus Schwab, German economist A colleague recently gave me a fresh copy of… Read More The Emerging Challenge of Digital Bifurcation, or The Cheese is Moving Faster
“Responsibilities gravitate to the person who can shoulder them.” Elbert Hubbard, American writer and philosopher, 1856 – 1915 Written in 1899, Elbert Hubbard’s essay “Message To Garcia,” is based on the story of President McKinley giving a mission to 1st Lieutenant Andrew Rowan to deliver a message to General Calixto Garcia y Iniguez, leader of… Read More 21st Century Leadership: Four Lessons From The Past
