Basic Concept #58: Saying Less Can Be More Generous
You have so much to offer. Experience, insights, perspectives, solutions. When someone brings you a challenge, you want to share everything you…
-
-
Basic Concept #55: Don’t Coach When People Want Comfort
The Development Lesson That Backfired I learned this lesson the hard way during what should have been a mentoring moment with one…
-
Basic Concept #61: Don’t Assume. Ask.
Most confusion doesn’t come from malice. It comes from assumptions. And assumptions are the mother of all fuck ups. We assume people…
-
Basic Concept #59: Everybody Needs Their Success
The project presentation went perfectly. Your team delivered something exceptional, and everyone knows it. As the meeting wraps up, you have a…
-
Basic Concept #48: Create a Great Team
I spent most of my early career believing that great teams happened through lucky chemistry—the right mix of technical skills that somehow…
-
Basic Concept #60: Managers Hate Surprises -Good or bad
You crushed your goal, closed the deal, solved the problem. Instead of celebrating, your manager looks uncomfortable. Blindsided. What happened? You surprised…
-
Basic Concept #44:When You Need Help, Ask
You’re smart. Capable. You’ve solved a lot on your own. So when things get messy, your instinct is: “I’ll handle it.” You…
-
Basic Concept #51: You Can’t Motivate a Team When They Don’t See You
I learned this lesson by watching my first director fail despite having all the right words. When David was promoted to lead…
-
Basic Concept #52: Providing Upward Feedback Can Have Its Benefits
I learned this lesson during a critical system redesign when staying quiet would have been disastrous. My director had decided to migrate…