- Expectations. Incorrect expectations are often why things fail.
- Get client closer to the team
- Short feedback cycles (weekly communication and estimates to keep project spec up to date)
- Project management tools
- Be mindful of your inner problem-solver Someone comes to you with an idea, don't shoot it down by 'diagnosing' all the problems.
It sounds like criticism. Sucks to be on the receiving end.
- Use 'Yes, and...' instead
- Pay attention...! People notice when you listen.
- Software development is a Craft Craft means making useful objects with some decorative touches. Not purely for beauty. This is not fine art.
Consulting is sometimes more challenging than doing your own thing.
Disney: Don't build for yourself. Know what the people want and build it for them.
- Delegate and Improve the System E-Myth: all businesses are systems. Project managers are people who ENJOY and are GOOD AT organization. Same with Attorneys.
DELEGATE EVERYTHING YOU SUCK AT.
Do the Math: Consider the full time barista at a tech company that keeps employees from getting up from their desk. Maybe you are making money by havin the full-time barista. Sometimes improving the system comes in a strange form.
- Keep Learning Inside and Outside the Company
- Book Club
- Learning Lunches
- Eat together
- Invite everybody to one on one lunches
- Screencasts
Send 3 to 5 minute screencasts each Friday to client. They loved it. Team lunch on Fridays to watch other's screencasts.
Great way to show each other 'what other people do here'.
Retrospectives: 15 minutes of what went well, what didn't, and what to do different next time. Buy a subscription.
- Stay out your Comfort Zone Your task list may have some things that are scary. You want to do the hard ones that scare you!
Inbox 0 is not an accomplishment.
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Have Friends and Nurture your Relationships Friendships at work mean better work and happiness. Ask people what they like to do.
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ASK FOR HELP. Give yourself 30 minutes. From the moment you get stuck, you have 30 minutes. After that, you MUST GET HELP.
If something is taking too long, you're probably doing it wrong.
It's not natural to be productive 100% of the time.
- Eliminate Distractions
- Get rid of distractions.
- Turn off communication.
- Notifications are the enemy.
- Use asynchronous communication. Don't interrupt other people in the zone.
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Most complex solution rarely the best Sometimes the solution is Wordpress. Don't overengineer stuff.
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Communicate better than everyone else
- Hire the great writer if all else is equal. Clear writer = clear thinking.
- Use images and videos to communicate, not just words
'Solve problems that are meaningful to you. That's true happiness.'