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

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

The Purpose and Importance of Your Resume

Devin — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:20:09 +0000

I saw a great article in the Wall Street Journal that I wanted to highlight, “Fine-Tuning Your Resume for Maximum Impact“. It really focuses on the important aspects of your resume. I’ve been thinking a lot about this because I’ve spent a lot of time looking at resumes over the last 2 months and helping . . . → Read More: The Purpose and Importance of Your Resume

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 . . . → Read More: The Wacky Job Market

Paternal Leadership

Devin — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:26:41 +0000

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

When Times Are Tough, People Try to Show Their Value

Devin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:41:33 +0000

It’s November of 2008 and we are facing the most concerning economic downturn in recent memory. Sure, the mid ’90′s had some challenges but nothing like the economic slowdown that we’re seeing today. People react in funny ways to market challenges. They either take the ostrich approach and try to perform “business as usual” or they . . . → Read More: When Times Are Tough, People Try to Show Their Value

Leaders Ask Rather Than Direct

Devin — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:39:47 +0000

I was in a series of leadership offsites this week and had some interesting observations about communication. All the leaders around me were the best that I have ever worked with. They understand business and how to lead. Each leader has their own style and strengths which create their own organizational culture. . . . → Read More: Leaders Ask Rather Than Direct

The Most Dangerous Business Assumption

Devin — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:38:15 +0000

One of the biggest traps that we fall into in technical companies is we assume we know what customers want or need. Silicon Valley companies grew up building engineering products for engineers. This means that we started by making products for ourselves and assumed that customers needed the same stuff too. Fortunately, we . . . → Read More: The Most Dangerous Business Assumption

Leading: Turning Conflict Into Conversation

Devin — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:10:00 +0000

People hate to fight. Its human nature to avoid conflict and we all want to be liked. Unfortunately, people often mistake confrontation for aggression. The reality is that conflict can be positive and constructive. Confrontation does not have to, and shouldn’t, be personal nor does it have to be mean. Direct . . . → Read More: Leading: Turning Conflict Into Conversation

The Business Is Never About You!

Devin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:47:10 +0000

I was chatting with a member of my management team in the hallway the other day and something she said really stuck in my head. We were talking about the organizational performance turn around that we were in the midst of and she said, “You’ve really added simplicity and definition to what we need to . . . → Read More: The Business Is Never About You!

The Consultant’s Mindset

Devin — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:39:04 +0000

Working for a large company makes it very easy to get comfortable. You wake up and go to the same office, work with the same people, and do relatively similar things consistently. It’s easy to get lulled into the pattern. In Silicon Valley, that pattern became a lifestyle. The internet bubble has . . . → Read More: The Consultant’s Mindset