‘Governance’ is a term that is becoming more and more popular in today’s business. Governance, in essence, is the process of policing an organization internally, making sure standards and policies are adhered to, budgets are kept and that decisions are rational and appropriately transparent. Governance is there to ensure your organization complies with Sarbanes-Oxley, should […]
Is Governance a pain in the ass? Read More »
A number of emails led me to write this article on communicating ‘Bad News’. This is a common issue in business, particularly in the western world where short-term results are king. Passing on information that is considered to be unwelcome fills a lot of people with angst and dread, so I want to address this
Communicating ‘Bad News’ Read More »
I’m constantly reminded how a dynamic of argument and debate is in the wrong place. A recent issue cropped up where a colleague was pushing back to a technical supplier because insufficient information had been provided against a change request. The problem though was that the phrasing of the pushback was principle-based, i.e. he argued
Principle vs Specific arguments Read More »
This might resonate with you if you’re a technical professional: how many times have you been asked to do a piece of work (often portrayed as a ‘small’ job) which disrupts planned activities and means one of both slip or are done with compromise? A study in 2002 found that IT departments can be spending
The impact of Unplanned Work Read More »
Below is a link to a great article that discusses No Excuse Leadership, which I think you should read. Why? Well I think it discusses an important aspect of leadership (and I stress leadership and not management) – creating a vision that inspires an organization to break down resistance to change and to set behavioral
No Excuse Leadership Read More »
This is a debate I often see in technical circles, mostly between technicians and their less technical managers or stakeholders. It’s a debate that often leads to conflict or a reduction in morale or motivation in each party. It has career implications too; as technical leaders aiming to build a career, its something we need
Perfectionism vs Pragmastism: Career Implications Read More »
Where does a leader get power from? A leader can use 5 types of power: here’s advice on when these powers should be used, and perhaps when not
The Five Types of Power, and how (and how not) to use them Read More »
This is my second installment on this subject as I get reminded of it constantly! Positive energy is such a…. positive thing! Its what urges us to succeed, we should absorb and create as much of it as we can. This time I’m considering the personal aspects of this subject 1) Boredom can generate negative
Creating Positive Energy in Yourself (2) Read More »
