Last month I started an analysis about an argument… I mean a “passionate discussion” on social media. My goal in this series is to use that conversation as a framework to explore and solve some sub-optimal thinking patterns that I’ve seen in both beginners …
A recent argument on Twitter (“What?!” I can hear you exclaim, “People disagree on Twitter? This cannot be true!”) highlighted for me just how persistent people can be in holding on to outmoded beliefs, despite the overwhelming preponderance of evidence to the contrary (“WHAT!!” …
or “It’s not just the cost of buying the puppy, it’s the cost of feeding the puppy that adds up” This is a story I’ve told out loud many times, on conference calls, and around water coolers. But I’ve never written it down fully until now. …
Where are you in your career arc right now? Trusting simple statistics, I can say that the majority of you are either just starting out, or somewhere in the middle. Relatively few of those reading this essay will be at, or near, the end …
What does a wireless thermometer have in common with ping? Both can keep a business from losing cash. One of the ways businesses stay in business is by keeping a tight rein on costs. So, it should come as no surprise that convincing executives …
Recently, my friend Phoummala Schmitt, aka “ExchangeGoddess” and Microsoft Cloud Operations Advocate, wrote about her struggles with imposter syndrome. It’s a good read that I highly recommend. But one element of it stuck with me, like an itch I couldn’t quite reach. I knew this itch wasn’t …
My wife called me for the third time, and I could hear that she was working hard to remain calm but was undeniably at the end of her rope. She had missed the freeway exit. For the third time. And was going to be …
For THWACKcamp 2018, I had a chance to return to a task/skill I haven’t really done much of in a while: programming. That may be a surprise for some people, so let me explain. I have done a lot in my career, from desktop support to …
As we all know, lists and their thinly-veiled derivatives, listicles, drive social media. Post the “top 5 kinds of belly button lint” and you’ll probably get at least a few clicks from people with 5 minutes and nothing better to read. One of the …
Recently a coworker was giving a talk and he just froze up. When I asked him about it later, he said, “What happened yesterday has never happened before. It was like my throat clenched up and I couldn’t get words out. It psyched me …
