You are at a meeting to help set up a project plan for a new undertaking. You have been asked to estimate the time needed for your documentation role in this particular project. How will you know how long it will take to complete the writing project? You could have researched before the meeting and …
The definition of a Swan Song is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful song in the moment just before death, having been silent (or alternatively, not so musical) during most of their lifetime. …
When hikers get together, many of them talk about their boots. When chefs gather, they swap recipes. What do grant proposal professionals do? Many of us talk about the proposal-generating work environments at our nonprofits. What Good Companies Have in Common: Grant proposal professionals can learn how to create good work environments by looking at …
The current government shut-down is affecting everyone, especially trainers who depend on government contracts to stay alive. As a Federal worker, I went through several government shut-downs, and when it got down to dangerous territory one side caved–a compromise. Here, though President Obama has said, he will not compromise or even negotiate with the Republicans …
A few days ago, before the start of a meeting, a couple of developers where discussing ‘Agile’ project management versus the more traditional ‘Waterfall’ project planning. A ‘Waterfall’ approach, you may recall, is the type of project that flows sequentially from stage to stage, much like a waterfall. It came from, and was heavily influenced …
This post is a distillation from Chapter IV of Steve’s upcoming book: Unleashing the Power of Your Story Smash Words, Fall/Winter, 2013. Your Story at Play in your Leadership Have you ever been in the middle of a leadership situation and felt, “I’ve been here before”? The content of the situation may be new, but …
Well, that didn’t take long The first crisis to be directly impacted by the U.S. government’s shutdown reared its head this week in the form of a Salmonella outbreak that’s affecting at least 18 states thus far. Wired’s Maryn McKenna reports: While the government is shut down, with food-safety personnel and disease detectives sent home …
You want your work to be more meaningful. You long for work that serves a higher purpose. You feel a disconnection between what you do for a career and your calling, your life purpose. If these describe you, you are not alone. From 20-somethings to Baby-boomers, more people are waking up from their slumber and …
A participant on a listserve raised the question: “What skills or personal qualities make one competent to ‘make the ask’ when meeting with a) an individual and b) a corporate representative?” Because I have some very strong feelings/opinions about the issue, and didn’t want to be angered/frustrated/annoyed by that discussion, I didn’t read the rest …
You are in the middle of a client meeting, presenting information that your client has asked for. As you progress through the material, she periodically stops you to ask for clarification or more details. You respond and move on to the next point. It’s going pretty well. Then, suddenly you notice the time. Yikes! It …
