Francie Van Wirkus's Blog, page 13
September 12, 2018
Transparency
“We need you to be (more) transparent with what you are doing.
We are transparent.
We give you a status report n times per week/month.”
Transparency is not found in a status report. It is found in persistently visible work, with behaviors and relations that connect people and teams to it.
September 10, 2018
The Wait
The moment you stop waiting…
for someone to change,
for permission to lead,
or for perfect conditions…
is frightening, exhilarating, and all-together the right moment.
That moment for me was some time in 2015. I have been very uncomfortable, but I haven’t looked back.
Because now is all we have.
No waiting.
No looking back.
September 5, 2018
The Exposure Fallacy
“It would be good exposure for you to come to this meeting.”
Maybe, because your corporate culture dictates vanity presentations.
Yet, stop and consider: do you understand the intent of this meeting? Does it connect to the reason you want to attend?
Exposure might sound nice, but being in the right place with the right intent will help you create value, instead of vanity presentations.
September 2, 2018
Time to Meet
So you’ve got a meeting planned where you know the intent, and you have the right people invited.
Are you cramming the meeting in the shreds of the day or week, hoping people will attend? After all, there are no other times left for your group to meet.
What message will you send if you book a meeting for Friday at 3:00pm?
What message will you send to the group if you book it at 9:00am on a…
August 29, 2018
The Invite
So, you’re booking a meeting.
Are you inviting only the key players?
Do you know who the key players are? If you don’t, stop here and revisit the intent of your meeting.
The intent of the meeting will drive who should be there, and no one else.
If this is new to your organization, it might require a phone call or two to get this right.
Your efforts will be worth the outcome of focused, productive…
August 27, 2018
Book a Meeting
Before you book that meeting, hold on.
What is the intent of your meeting?
If you don’t know, stop here.
Value creation won’t be likely without a clear intent.
August 22, 2018
Sense Maker
“I am a sense maker,” the leader announced, during a productive team discussion. Next, the leader took over the discussion and dictated what was to happen next. The team had to (once again) roll over, and allow the leader to take over, this time with a new buzz word.
Leaders have a time and place to be leaders. We need your vision and your ability to remove barriers.
Squashing the team the same…
August 19, 2018
Value, and the Second Half of 2018
Value, and the Second Half of 2018
What do you do?
Not your formal title of cloud engineer, director, scrum master…
What do you do? As in…what value do you create?
Make a list, draw a photo, do it as a small team exercise. It shouldn’t have any numbers, tallies or aggregates of work. The honest list has words like connect, customer satisfaction, develop, secure…
A great reality check, as we dig into the second half of this year.
August 15, 2018
The Resident Toad
Some people ask many questions in meetings (and other interactions) for sport. They have no real interest in the topic.
Some people ask many questions for a deeper meaning. They care about the topic, even if they do not say so.
It’s easy to see these people as distracting, detracting, not adding any value to the conversation or the work.
Seeing a toad in your garden might seem like a bad thing.…
August 12, 2018
Own the Transaction
The pilot who stands outside the plane to greet you, before and another your flight.
The camp director who greets every family at the camp entrance, as they are about to drop off their child for a week, or several weeks.
Families anxiously await the bugle call, signaling the happy beginning of a summer camp session at Camp Minikani.
People notice the ownership of your service or your leadership…
