How to recognize when you start sliding
I joined Scientific Time Sharing Corporation in 1969 to participate in the lucrative mainframe computer timesharing market. By 1978 the market for timesharing had grown, we dominated our market niche, and our customer base was providing sustained profitability and growth. … Continue reading
“If only they had asked me”–how sad.
We were sitting in a doctor’s brand new office. The Physician’s Assistant came in and was quite grumpy. “The examination table is placed wrong relative to the window. The sink and power plugs are all in the wrong places. And … Continue reading
How good is your employee fit and finish?
Based on how well an employee “fits” their job, they can be a platinum-level player or literally a lead-level player dragging the organization down. (For more on the Platinum-Lead model read my Strategic Downsizing article.) What makes an employee a … Continue reading
Do your employees know what they are being paid for?
Many years ago I sat down with one of my employees and asked why he hadn’t made progress on his assignment. “I haven’t had the time to work on it,” he told me. I asked him what he had been … Continue reading
Small teams + tighter communications = better productivity
For over twenty years I had a love affair with APL, the world’s most productive computer programming language. APL is elegant, concise, and powerful. When embedded in the most responsive IBM mainframe timesharing system of the era, it enabled our … Continue reading
It’s a matter of degree
One of my technical mentors was bent out of shape by Celsius. I used to shake my head at his apparent Luddite attitude. After all, one of America’s great embarrassments is its inability to join the rest of the world … Continue reading
Are we there yet? When will it be finished?
Here is a trick question. Assume someone is working on developing a program that will take 100 hours to finish. If they are able to devote two hours a week to the project, how long will it take to finish? … Continue reading
What the world needs now is personal accountability
What does “being accountable” mean? Chances are, one of the definitions on this list comes to mind for you: Commitment and/or buy-in. Completing within agreed timeframes. Having the authority and resources. Knowing how it ties in and communicating this with … Continue reading
Why do people resist change?
People resist changing the status que is because every change creates winners and losers. Continue reading
Do you hire the best or the best available?
You are always better paying the short term price and continuing to search until you identify a candidate who is the best for the job rather than the best available. Continue reading