Supervision
What are you worried about? Why do you want this person or task supervised? How much time and effort will the recording and reporting cost… Read More »Supervision
management
A sense of urgency
No doubt about it: a sense of urgency helps us make get things happen and get stuff done. The problems come when we’re urgent about… Read More »A sense of urgency
Bottleneck: little jobs and emotional friction
Thanks to JG. A particularly troublesome breed of little job are things left undone that hold up the work of other people – a decision… Read More »Bottleneck: little jobs and emotional friction
Seth Godin on slack in systems
If you ask most people who run a factory, or an organisation or a sports team, what they’re looking for is a taut, firm connection… Read More »Seth Godin on slack in systems
Project phase, organisation size and specialisation
A friend shared this great analogy* for how teams work at different project phases. Early phase: Golfing Buddies (2-3 players) In the early phase of… Read More »Project phase, organisation size and specialisation
Raising the average (2)
The basic principle is that when you’re recruiting, you should be seeking to raise the average of your team, bringing in people who increase the… Read More »Raising the average (2)
Responsibility
Whether you’re improving your own work or helping others improve theirs,* it pays to spend time talking about who is responsible for what – and… Read More »Responsibility
More about that monkey
This is a brilliant illustration from William Oncken, Jr. and Donald L. Wass about avoiding taking responsibility for other people’s problems. Where Is the Monkey?… Read More »More about that monkey
Step out of the picture
If you’re up to your eyeballs, and your team isn’t getting the job done, it’s sometimes necessary to do the work yourself so that it… Read More »Step out of the picture
Spec-ulation
If you’re asking someone to do something for you, an appropriate spec goes a long way. A good spec saves everyone time and effort* and… Read More »Spec-ulation