Let's Do Lunch.....Leadership and Career Growth in Silicon Valley » General Thoughts http://devinetics.com Thoughts on Leadership, Management, and Career Growth in Silicon Valley Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:07:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 “I” and “Me” vs. “Us” and “We” Leadership http://devinetics.com/2010/07/13/i-and-me-vs-us-and-we-leadership/ http://devinetics.com/2010/07/13/i-and-me-vs-us-and-we-leadership/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:54:24 +0000 Devin http://devinetics.com/?p=187 When I first started managing people someone told me to shift from the pronouns “I” and “Me” and start focusing on “Us” and “We”. Words that we use often define the way we think and the subsequent approaches that we take to solving problems. The only reason that leaders and managers exist is because . . . → Read More: “I” and “Me” vs. “Us” and “We” Leadership]]> http://devinetics.com/2010/07/13/i-and-me-vs-us-and-we-leadership/feed/ 1 Is the Job Market Beginning to Turn Around? http://devinetics.com/2010/04/30/is-the-job-market-beginning-to-turn-around/ http://devinetics.com/2010/04/30/is-the-job-market-beginning-to-turn-around/#comments Fri, 30 Apr 2010 02:06:53 +0000 Devin http://devinetics.com/?p=174 The job market has been dismal for a couple of years now and job seekers have become weary and have even stopped looking. Fortunately, over the last quarter there has been a large increase in job postings. I have several friends and colleagues that have decided its time for a change and have been . . . → Read More: Is the Job Market Beginning to Turn Around?]]> http://devinetics.com/2010/04/30/is-the-job-market-beginning-to-turn-around/feed/ 1 Burnout: Things are Just Going Wrong http://devinetics.com/2010/01/30/burnout-things-are-just-going-wrong/ http://devinetics.com/2010/01/30/burnout-things-are-just-going-wrong/#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:04:24 +0000 Devin http://devinetics.com/?p=167 Burnout is rough. You know that feeling when you’re sitting on the couch in the evening and dread going to work in the morning. Or the Saturday that you tell yourself that the weekend is almost over and you’re that much closer to having to go to work. You’re burned out and need . . . → Read More: Burnout: Things are Just Going Wrong]]> http://devinetics.com/2010/01/30/burnout-things-are-just-going-wrong/feed/ 1 How Can I.T. Become a True Business Partner? http://devinetics.com/2009/12/15/how-can-i-t-become-a-true-business-partner/ http://devinetics.com/2009/12/15/how-can-i-t-become-a-true-business-partner/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:08:49 +0000 Devin http://devinetics.com/?p=161 There’s a good reason that the Scott Adams cartoon, Dilbert, has a character called “Mordac The Preventer of Information Systems”. I’ve heard many disparaging comments about I.T. departments in general and in the last 3 weeks I’ve been at my wits end trying to get a project approved in our I.T. department.

From Scott Adam’s Dilbert

I.T. . . . → Read More: How Can I.T. Become a True Business Partner?]]> http://devinetics.com/2009/12/15/how-can-i-t-become-a-true-business-partner/feed/ 0 Death By PowerPoint http://devinetics.com/2009/09/29/death-by-powerpoint/ http://devinetics.com/2009/09/29/death-by-powerpoint/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:12:14 +0000 Devin http://devinetics.com/?p=150 We’ve all sat through long presentations that left us wondering how to get that fraction of our lives back. You know, those “FYI” presentations that are often more self aggrandizing than informative. During this economic downturn, I have seen an increased number of internal company business communications that have made me wonder who the . . . → Read More: Death By PowerPoint]]> http://devinetics.com/2009/09/29/death-by-powerpoint/feed/ 2 The Pecha Kucha Experiment http://devinetics.com/2009/07/14/the-pecha-kucha-experiment/ http://devinetics.com/2009/07/14/the-pecha-kucha-experiment/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:31:56 +0000 Devin http://devinetics.com/?p=123 When I first heard about the modified Pecha Kucha exercise that I was invited to participated in (see Pecha Kucha on Summer Vacation) I wondered “what kind of nonsense is this?”. I first had to look on Wikipedia to figure out what it was. I’m not one for gimmicks, and this seemed like . . . → Read More: The Pecha Kucha Experiment]]> http://devinetics.com/2009/07/14/the-pecha-kucha-experiment/feed/ 0 Pecha Kucha on Summer Vacation http://devinetics.com/2009/07/09/118/ http://devinetics.com/2009/07/09/118/#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:12:18 +0000 Devin http://devinetics.com/?p=118 I was invited to a pot luck dinner with other industry leaders and the host organized a very clever group activity that was a lot of fun. The invitation said that we would each be doing a modified and shortened Pecha Kucha that will consist of 2 to 4 slides with a couple of things . . . → Read More: Pecha Kucha on Summer Vacation]]> http://devinetics.com/2009/07/09/118/feed/ 0 The Wacky Job Market http://devinetics.com/2009/05/31/the-wacky-job-market/ http://devinetics.com/2009/05/31/the-wacky-job-market/#comments Sun, 31 May 2009 15:43:11 +0000 Devin http://devinetics.com/?p=93 The economy seems to have stopped its free fall and is wallowing at a bottom. Individual savings has increased as a percentage of earnings and the housing market looks like its begun to stabilize. Unfortunately, credit has not been as readily available as the government policies have promised and businesses are not expanding their . . . → Read More: The Wacky Job Market]]> http://devinetics.com/2009/05/31/the-wacky-job-market/feed/ 3 Hiring During a Talent Glut http://devinetics.com/2009/04/30/hiring-during-a-talent-glut/ http://devinetics.com/2009/04/30/hiring-during-a-talent-glut/#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:38:55 +0000 Devin http://devinetics.com/?p=73 The economic downturn drags on and the job market has gotten tough. There is a lot of speculation that the economy is at or near a bottom of this slump but how long will we stay there until recovery begins? Companies continue to let very talented people go as they hunker down against slower . . . → Read More: Hiring During a Talent Glut]]> http://devinetics.com/2009/04/30/hiring-during-a-talent-glut/feed/ 1 Paternal Leadership http://devinetics.com/2009/02/09/paternal-leadership/ http://devinetics.com/2009/02/09/paternal-leadership/#comments Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:26:41 +0000 Devin http://devinetics.com/?p=46 I’ve known many leaders that are extremely protective of their staff.  You know, those managers who people go to when they’re struggling with problems or have gotten themselves in trouble.  These “paternal” leaders often provide answers and approaches to problems that are clear an easy to follow.  The loyal follower just goes off and executes on . . . → Read More: Paternal Leadership]]> http://devinetics.com/2009/02/09/paternal-leadership/feed/ 1