Quantcast
Channel: My Flexible Pencil
Browsing all 47 articles
Browse latest View live

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Think small, even when you’re big

Nearly all of my career has been spent in large organizations.  Whether publicly traded or wholly-owned subsidiaries, most of these companies have thousands, if not tens of thousands, of employees in...

View Article



Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

What to do when you don’t know the way to go

plot a course for home by wildwinyan My 3-year-old is following in his 7-year-old brother’s footsteps and taking an intense interest in Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer.  After a couple years of not...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The end of summer, and the return of blogging

End of summer by TynaS By the definition of summer that is familiar to any school-aged child, anywhere – the time between the last day of school and the first - Summer is officially over in my little...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Why your PMP prep doesn’t feel like reality (and why it shouldn’t)

A Break in Reality by xetobyte I am in the midst of a PMP prep examination these days, diving deeper into the project PMI’s methodology for project management than I ever have before.  Despite more...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Do you envision the ideal?

clear by mrszeldalink Do you have a vision?  If you have no picture in your mind of the ideal state, either for yourself or your organization, you will stagnate. An envisioned ideal helps you to...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Don’t be a tool

tool of the trade by steamby51 If you want to understand slang, there’s no better source than The Urban dictionary.  While far from the classiest site on the internet, let’s face it – there are a lot...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Toy Dogs and the trouble with short-term thinking

Last night was one of those unfortunate, frustrating nights in our house.  At 3:10AM, the dog decided he needed to go out into the yard, which caused him to prance loudly around our bedroom until we...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Be honest with yourself (a call to conscience)

My conscience by bittersweetvenom I am often surprised, when presenting someone with new ideas for how work can & should be done  (many of them proven via case studies or, in some cases, personal...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Lean Concepts/Project Management Techniques

Wondering how the principles of Lean apply to your knowledge work environment?  Download a copy of my presentation that explains Lean fundamentals and demonstrates how the 7 traditional wastes of Lean...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Stump the Chump, and the Steve Jobs Paradox?

iTime paradox by IlookingYou Two weeks ago, I delivered the presentation that’s been adorning the home page to a monthly meeting of the New Hampshire chapter of the project management institute.  That...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Stranded by the tide, and the return of the water

…stranded by the tide…by federstern Those of you who follow this blog regularly…yes, both of you….are well aware that I haven’t done much with the blog for a while.  In fact, I haven’t done anything in...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Well, OF COURSE no one trusts management…..

Backstabber by bat bat In a conversation with a seasoned manager who asked me why I believed morale was so poor in his organization, I stated that the thing most often heard wafting through the...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

A few comments on the language of texting

cell waves by arcticcathuffy I stumbled into a short conversation recently on the value of text-speak or, perhaps more accurately, I was told how text-speak was utterly lacking in value and rotting the...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

I don’t recommend lunch & learns

Lunch Time by X Night I’ll probably incur the wrath of quite a few consultants and HR organizers out there, but I have to state my case.  I simply hate the practice of “Lunch and Learn” sessions. My...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Follow up: Why Lunch & Learn is not for everyone

lonely lady loves lunch by emohoc Last time out, my post on why I dislike the practice of Lunch & Learns drew quite a few visitors to the site, and a small handful of comments on reddit. One...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

So long, Ray Lewis, and a tale of two retirements

Ray Lewis by youngandreckless If any of you watched the Ravens – Colts football game this past weekend, you were treated to the final home game played by one of the NFL’s all-time greats.  Ray Lewis,...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Dad tells a story of inefficient communication, and truly wasteful meeting...

steelwork by roodpa-d4xunzm On a recent trip home for the Holidays, I was railing about such-and-wuch workplace goings on, when my father shared a story from his days managing projects in the...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Project problems can’t be solved with an operational focus

loves distance by peggyopal Straight from the Project Management Institute’s web site (and the PMBoK) is this definition of a Project:  It’s a temporary group activity designed to produce a unique...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Give yourself a thinking day – it’s best for productivity

Thinking Hard by misty dawn I’m probably not going to wow anyone with this insightful statement:  Life is busy. That business has a tendency to feed upon itself, resulting in ever-busier times when...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The value of delayed decisions

decisions by mihaibrrr Most conversations about improvement revolve around finding ways to speed things up.  Whether by focusing on the elimination of unnecessary activities, doing less more often,...

View Article
Browsing all 47 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images