I see my clients face a continuing challenge when they hear the word NO from their boss or a cross-functional team member. They either see it as an insurmountable barrier to their goals or a little power-play by the other person. Many of us first learn from our parents and authority figures that the word […]
Bringing Russell Ackoff to the next generation of technology professionals
I recently found these videotapes of a two-day workshop Russell Ackoff gave in the 1980s. These tapes are copies of the original tapes that were owned by a colleague of mine from the Aldus Corporation. I was introduced to Russell Ackoff’s work by Skip Walter, another Aldus employee who was the VP of Engineering in […]
Agile Practices: Not just for High-Tech Teams Anymore!
The photo looks like a Kanban Board you would find in any High-Tech company — each sheet of flipchart paper could show a particular process for an IT deployment and the different colored Post-it notes could show the “swim lanes” for each feature being developed. You could imagine a product development team standing in front […]
Context is Key in Conversations
I continue to be amazed by how team members in the same company can use the same words and still come to completely different conclusions. When I find myself in these situations I return to a principle that applies to any situation: Context is Key. Take the time to understand the concerns of others and see […]
Why is “Not Making Requests” the first Linguistic Virus?
I can think of two reasons right off. First, if I looked at all the financial and human waste that is caused because team members aren’t asking for what they needed the resulting costs would be startling. How often have we taken on tasks without asking for further clarification about what we’re being asked to […]
Mary Oliver’s 40-year Conversation
I was looking through my journal as I was doing some year end cleaning and found this note about Mary Oliver’s lecture at Seattle Arts and Lectures. What touched Rissa and me the most was her remembrances of her partner Molly Malone Cook, who died several years ago. As Oliver recalled, “We were talkers — […]
Imagine an Institute for Conversation!
I spotted this language school while my wife and I were vacationing in Mexico City several years ago. My imagination immediately started racing with possibilities — “What would an Institute for Conversation look like? What would it teach? Here’s what Tom Atlee, founder, of the non-profit Co-Intelligence Institute, had to say about conversations and what might […]
Conversational Viruses and Vitamins from “You Are What You Say”
The first book that I want to work with is You Are What You Say by Dr. Matthew Budd. This book details how Dr. Budd used simple speaking and physical exercises to treat people with stress-related illnesses through his Ways to Wellness Program at Harvard University. Through teaching his patients simple things like how to make a […]
Why focus on Quality Conversations?
I recently came across Hal Macomber’s Ten New Rules for Project Managers and was struck by how many of the new rules depend on the quality of the conversations that are happening within project teams. It’s the one thing that I’ve seen that determines the quality of the products I’ve worked on for companies like Aldus […]
During his 25 years as a high-tech manager working for companies such as Adobe, Getty Images and F5 Networks, Brian learned how to be comfortable with complex technical and organizational challenges. He delights in supporting leaders and teams as they create solutions that are just right for them.
