Category Archives: Management Thoughts

SuperBowl Decision

Yes, I was shocked. Why would Pete Carroll make that play call and lost SuperBowl 49 for SeaHawks? Wouldn’t it be obvious to use the “Beast” to punch through Patriot’s wall and score the game winning touch-down? What was he … Continue reading

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10 Tips for Better Email at Work

For 2015, try this for resolution: “Always edit your email at least once.” And its corollary, “Never send out email right after writing it.” Have an informative signature text that includes your full contact data. Avoid Latin quotes, political or … Continue reading

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Employee Turn-Over

Employees leave for greener pastures all the time. I learned a couple of the ex-employees quickly left where they went for: Amazon. They were starry-eyed to join this prominent employer in Seattle. “That’s not surprising at all,” said someone at … Continue reading

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The Elusive Software Requirements

All textbooks told the developers to begin with the requirements, the more exact the better. Based on the requirements, the developers write the functional spec. In the typical situation of not getting the requirements in time, the developers frequently make … Continue reading

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The Need for Incentive Structure

There are times when the success of the individuals do not add up to the success of the group. The marcom (Marketing Communication) group is in charge of the company website. The director reports to the VP of Marketing who … Continue reading

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Two Ways to Build Your Empire

Bob and Alice are both smart, personable, ambitious, and determined to climb the ladder fast. For starter managers, they followed the conventional wisdom that nudge them to enlarge their fifedom. It is quite sensible: more resources lead to more opportunities … Continue reading

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The Beginning of Corruption

You have a decision to make and you did. Vendor A has practically won in all aspects. The next step is to award the contract. You decided to pay them a visit and shake hands. They went all out and … Continue reading

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Differentiator: the Holy Grail

Every entrepreneurs and enterprise executives wants the differentiator: that one thing that sets us apart from the pack; one pain point that has been under-served; one unfair advantage not duplicatable by the imitators. We read books, we attend seminars, we … Continue reading

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Dear Terry

Dear Terry, You said that you had lost passion for your job and had been thinking of quitting. In various meetings, you would lose your concentration and drift away. You are not learning much and don’t care to figure out … Continue reading

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Retire in place

There came a day when you had a thought, “I am doing OK. Everything is going just fine.” Bills were paid, debts were manageable, kids were fed, hobbies were attended to, health was not an issue. Things just needed to … Continue reading

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