This is a tale of two firings. Names and several other details are changed to protect privacy. Besides, I’ve seen enough versions of Harold’s story that even if you’d been watching over my shoulder my entire career, you’d still not be certain who it’s about.1 The point isn’t the specifics of the two firings, or […] …read more…

Some years ago, I was asked to step into a leadership role of a skilled technical team in an organization undergoing high-level changes in vision and approach. The changes would require the team to do their jobs much differently than they had in the past, with different and higher standards. That’s how I ended up […] …read more…

I live in Iowa,1 a mostly-rectangular state in approximately the middle of the United States.2 I grew up in Wisconsin, a lumpy state in the north central United States.3 Both states are about as far from the coasts of the United States as you can get and still be in the lower 48 states. Both […] …read more…

There is a simple activity called “prioritization” that is often misunderstood and done wrongly, in a way that causes confusion and frustration. Not just for you and your team, but for everyone that depends on you. The way I’ve most often seen prioritization done in real companies is to write down all of the things […] …read more…

There is a tiny soft-serve ice cream shop not that far from my house called “The Freeze”. I believe that once upon a time it used to be a Tastee-Freez. It’s a lot like a Dairy Queen, if you’re not familiar with Tastee-Freez. They serve the soft-serve standards: cones, sundaes, splits, shakes, and most important […] …read more…

In literature, the unreliable narrator can be a delightful way to introduce suspense or tension. An unreliable narrator tells lies or misunderstands the world, and therefore can’t be trusted. They seem believable at first, but the reader soon realizes they’re not credible. You need to doubt what they say, and figure out what is really […] …read more…

Recently, for the first time in my life, I had to report to the county courthouse for jury duty1. I wasn’t selected for the final jury, but I still spent two days participating in the selection process. It may surprise you to know that movies and TV don’t dwell on the boring parts of jury […] …read more…

Stone Soup is an old folktale. I remember hearing the story well before I was in school. And I remember my brother and I begging our mom to let us try making stone soup!1 For those not familiar with the story, here’s my short retelling. Then I’ll get to my point. Stone Soup, A Retelling […] …read more…

Once upon a time, my family decided our powder room1 needed some improvements. When we bought the house, we’d noticed the hardwood floor was discolored around the base of the toilet, like there had been condensation or maybe a few overflows. The toilet itself was prone to clogging. So, we hired a contractor friend2 to […] …read more…

I don’t have answers in this post. Or probably many words. I do have an observation. It’s difficult to be a facilitator while also being a participant. It’s even more difficult if you have strong opinions or key information about the topic. A few weeks ago, I stumbled across the term “neutral convener”1. That’s a […] …read more…