Workplace cruelty is a central issue of our time. But it’s not for “the company” to fix, it’s for you and me to fix. We get outraged by factory production of puppies, as we should. Puppies are fellow creatures; they do not deserve the fear and pain of being mass-produced. Why, then, do we put […]
Tech Marketers: What You Must Not Do
Dear Tech Sales and Marketing People: Someone who loves you really wants you to succeed. All you need to do is to quit acting like you’re working in the 90s. Here’s what to avoid. Everyone needs sales. Everyone needs marketing. So why are most of us allergic to sales pitches? My perspective as a tech […]
How To Talk About Innovation So You Don’t Scare The Kids
Maybe if we talk about innovation in a different way, we won’t freak people out. We might get to the actual goal of innovation more quickly and easily. Why are many people so suspicious of “innovation” at your organization? Probably because at least some large segment of folks pushing it are actually pushing snake oil […]
Why You Should Keep A “Smile File”
A smile file is not only the time capsule of a future pick-me-up, it keeps track of whom you should work with in the future. My mom called it “the good guy” file. I call it “the smile file.” Whatever you call it, keep one. Even if you are a “piler, not a filer,” this […]
Bad Tech Usability? Bye-Bye IT.
In the past, bad technology usability was considered normal; today, this will spell the death of internal IT. Traditionally, IT has been ridiculously bad at making things easy for customers. Traditionally, IT has also had a monopoly on providing corporate IT. IT no longer has the monopoly. IT is now in competition with many, many […]
Our Work And Why We Do It: Top Posts
My top posts recently were all about our work, why we do it, and how we can do it better. I really appreciate all of the conversations on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter; they have helped me to write better, more relevant posts. Thank you! 1. Run A Sane Team At A Crazy Company: 8 Steps […]
To Hour Of Code Participants, From CIOs, With Love
Many of you probably know someone who participated in this week’s “Hour of Code,” the more pop-culture name for “Computer Science Education Week.” As is typical, and beautiful, of computer scientists, Hour of Code is a small, encapsulated function that is biased towards action: a “one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and […]
“Soon” Never Comes: Open Source, And Life
“Temporary” doesn’t turn out that way. If you want something to be a certain way, do it from the beginning. “We’re discussing open sourcing the project code,” she said. “When?” I asked. “Oh, we’ll have to discuss that,” she said. “But soon. Soon.” What’s open source and what does it have to do with the […]
Why Nobody Should Collect Mobile Phones At Meetings
Again and again, I hear folks talk about the “cell phone basket” at meetings, where everybody drops their little piece of electronic addiction into a basket so that they can focus on the task at hand. Except, it’s ridiculous to blame technology for the core problem: meetings that aren’t engaging. What’s next, taking away people’s […]
How To Say “I Love You” At Work
Employees don’t stick around because of money. They stick around for love. The need for money is a given. It’s also at every job. That’s why it’s a job. But money is not why people stick around. All jobs have money. People stick around at a job because of connection and meaning. The human need […]