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Longer-form writing from the community: procedures, opinion, case studies and career advice.
362 articles
Blog

Create Value: Map the Value Stream

“If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing.” W. Edwards DemingOur work and home lives our bounded by standard operating procedures and process—and too many of them stink. We all have encountered Byzantine-like bureaucracies where the lines are long, the…

30 Jul 2020 · Alan Zucker · 5 min read

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Making Complex Decision

“…when faced with a difficult question, we often answer an easier one instead, usually without noticing the substitution.” Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and SlowIn the midst of the pandemic, we have and will continue to face numerous complex decisions where there are many unknowns and no clear…

1 Jul 2020 · Alan Zucker · 6 min read

Blog

Feedback: The Right Way

Feedback is a critical and valuable management tool. For managers, it is the engine of continuous improvement. For employees, it is the gift of valuable insight. Unfortunately, many managers feel uncomfortable giving regular feedback, which deprives them of the ability to affect change. And, many…

4 Jun 2020 · Alan Zucker · 5 min read

Blog

Be Productive by Focusing on Value

Productivity is defined as our ability to create value. Traditionally manufacturers and farmers became more productive by adding resources—people and machines—to the process. Knowledge workers can generate more value by working smarter, rather than harder. The massive shift to remote work caused by…

30 Apr 2020 · Alan Zucker · 5 min read

Blog

Leadership in the Time of Coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic is the most frightening, disruptive, and widespread crisis of our lifetime. As managers and leaders, none of us have faced challenges of such a magnitude or scale. Over the next several weeks and probably months, our teams will look to us for guidance, support, and leadershi

28 Mar 2020 · Alan Zucker · 6 min read

Blog

Agile Project Governance: It Should be Easy

Many organizations struggle with project governance, oversight, and control. The truth is that most projects are not successful. Over the past 25-years, only 30% of all projects are delivered on-time, on-budget, and with the desired scope. Traditional waterfall projects have phase gates that…

3 Mar 2020 · Alan Zucker · 5 min read

Blog

Agile Project Governance: It Should be Easy

Many organizations struggle with project governance, oversight, and control. The truth is that most projects are not successful. Over the past 25-years, only 30% of all projects are delivered on-time, on-budget, and with the desired scope. Traditional waterfall projects have phase gates that…

3 Mar 2020 · Alan Zucker · 5 min read