From the category archives:

General

Mantra for IT: “Participate in the process rather than confront results”

November 4, 2008

Let’s sail into a stretch of a metaphor this time. You probably know by now how much I embrace metaphors as a way to impart, often via a concrete example, ideas and concepts that are hard to grasp. So let’s go way back and talk about a metaphorical influence from long ago. When I was [...]

Read the full article →

“Hot stove” lessons, part II: development and operations

October 28, 2008

I noted last time, once again, that “IT is hard. In fact, it’s so hard that it seems most people have to learn certain core lessons by themselves.  It seems like everyone needs to burn his or her own hand on the hot stove.”  I went through some examples of this sort of “hot stove” lessons particular [...]

Read the full article →

“Hot stove” lessons in IT, part I

August 27, 2008

Regular readers here have certainly noticed the recurring nature of many of my posts: “things about IT that should be obvious, but clearly aren’t.”  Each week, as I set about writing on my chosen topic, it often strikes me that what I have to say is anything but new or radical; rather, it seems to [...]

Read the full article →

Speed vs. bureaucracy: management issues confronted by companies in transition

August 21, 2008

I was at a relatively young company once where a senior executive suddenly sent out a message to the entire employee base, asking for general input on the  cause and treatment of the following concerns: “There is a feeling that the company is not able to move fast enough or nimbly enough — we’re not [...]

Read the full article →

Next Entries →