Let's Do Lunch.....Leadership and Career Growth in Silicon Valley » attitude

Burnout: Things are Just Going Wrong

Devin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:04:24 +0000

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 to find . . . → Read More: Burnout: Things are Just Going Wrong

How Can I.T. Become a True Business Partner?

Devin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:08:49 +0000

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 . . . → Read More: How Can I.T. Become a True Business Partner?

The Plural of Anecdote is Not Data

Devin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:47:15 +0000

The most common corporate buzzwords that I’ve been hearing over the last year are “transformation and “disrupt”. Companies are focusing on how to create a competitive advantage in this tough economic downturn. Markets have been shrinking during this 22 month recession and any advantage must come from focusing on business infrastructure in the reduction of . . . → Read More: The Plural of Anecdote is Not Data

Death By PowerPoint

Devin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:12:14 +0000

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 target . . . → Read More: Death By PowerPoint

The Wacky Job Market

Devin — Sun, 31 May 2009 15:43:11 +0000

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 infrastructures . . . → Read More: The Wacky Job Market

Managing in an Environment of Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD)

Devin — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:14:03 +0000

It’s the spring of 2009 and the economy is in the dumper. The average American family’s wealth has dropped by 18% and California’s unemployment rate has topped 10%. Just about everyone in Silicon Valley knows someone who has been laid off from, what were once, promising economic high flying companies and employees are feeling insecure . . . → Read More: Managing in an Environment of Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD)

What Can the Restaurant Business Teach Me?!?

Devin — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:12:09 +0000

I’m attending a conference in a couple of weeks where Danny Meyer, author of the best selling book “Setting the Table”, will be speaking about his business philosophy. The conference organizers strongly recommend that we read his book. My initial reaction was an internal groan when I thought about how much trouble I have struggling . . . → Read More: What Can the Restaurant Business Teach Me?!?

Living In a “Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt” Culture

Devin — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 01:28:27 +0000

Anyone working in a large company recognizes that cultural frictions occur between organizations. Symptoms of organizational friction can be regular escalations and rumors that create “fear, uncertainty, and doubt”. These symptoms all have common causes: conflicting measurements, different values, or unclear deliverables. Unless values, measurements, and deliverables are aligned, conflict will become increasingly acrimonious. These . . . → Read More: Living In a “Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt” Culture