Maslow’s Hammer, Digitized
Abraham Maslow is attributed with saying that “if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail”. Most of us are guilty of falling prey to such thinking in our personal and professional lives at some points in time. However, I think this mode of thinking also affects organizations. Individuals and organizations attempting to remain relevant and thrive in the digital age should resist the temptation to focus too much effort on transforming their existing skills, products and...
Read MoreSecret Sauce Ingredients: Judgement, Experience and Confidence
The website dictionary.com defines judgement as “the ability to judge, make a decision, or form an opinion objectively, authoritatively, and wisely, especially in matters affecting action”. I believe one of the most important attributes of a good PM is the ability to apply sound judgement at key times. (In fact, this is probably true of good managers in general.) Projects require thousands of decisions, small and large, over their life cycle. All participants are required to make them and...
Read MoreTo Fail or Not to Fail?
I’m torn between the essence of two ideas I find very appealing, but seemingly at odds with one another. The first is based on achieving progress using a “fail fast, fail forward” approach and the second involves achieving excellence by “minimizing mistakes”. The former is more of a philosophy for growth or innovation I suppose. Try new things, learn as quickly as you can, and understand that there is as much (or more) to be learned in what we mess up as there is...
Read More7 Speeds of Fast
I once read that John “Pieface” McKenzie, a Boston Bruin in the Bobby Orr era, described Orr as having “7 speeds of Fast”. I don’t have the actual quote but I recall the context of his comment being that he was skating up the ice one game, thinking he was going pretty fast, when Bobby glided past him, going much faster, but appearing to be barely exerting himself. The world we live in almost always puts a premium on speed. Business wants to bring products to market...
Read MorePain vs. Harm
I only listened to a portion of the audio book Necessary Endings as I found the content quite repetitive. However, one of my key take-away’s was the distinction the author makes between pain and harm. Pain isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In an anatomical sense, it is the body’s warning system to alert us to problems needing attention. In a business sense, the author suggests that while there are lots of scenarios where people and teams undergo pain, these are sometimes...
Read MoreAre You Working Hard?
I’m mentioned in several prior posts that I love sports and the many lessons from the sporting world that can be applied to everyday life, including business. Recently, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcomed a former star back into the fold after several decades of estrangement. Dave Keon, a four-time Stanley Cup champion shared a comment with current Leaf coach Mike Babcock that someone had shared with him early in his career. “Are you working hard or do you think you are working...
Read More