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

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

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 Adam’s Dilbert

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

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

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 . . . → Read More: What Can the Restaurant Business Teach Me?!?