Dealing with intimidating projects
I’m working on my first big IBM project, something that goes beyond Perl scripts and Drupal websites. My manager thinks it will be a good assignment for me. The component diagram looks like alphabet...
View ArticleGet More Value from Blogging, part VI: Let’s Get Down to Business
Paul Gillin invited me to do a tweetchat on the professional and personal value of blogging yesterday. When I brainstormed some of the things I’d like to talk about, I ended up with a big list: not...
View ArticleUsing behavioural economics to motivate yourself when working on risky projects
We’re scrambling to respond to a request for a proposal (RFP). We’re not sure if the RFP is a formality and the client is already planning to choose a different vendor, or if it’s a real request, but...
View ArticleOn people changing companies
Over the past few weeks, several people I’ve had the pleasure of working with have left the company. I used to feel confused and a little disturbed by people’s departures, particularly if they’d tried...
View ArticleDecision review: Working at IBM
I joined IBM four years ago today, sliding right from my master’s degree into a position that was tailored to my passions. I wanted to focus on Web 2.0 consulting and open source web development, and I...
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Getting ready for my next experiment!
It’s been four years of awesomeness at IBM. I’ve: helped companies and communities collaborate facilitated brainstorming workshops with executives from leading companies built web apps in Drupal and...
View ArticleSetting things in motion
The more people I talk to about my plans for leaving IBM and experimenting with business, the more real the idea becomes. The more excited and confident I get about it, too, which is a good sign. Today...
View ArticleNotes from my exit interview with IBM
I had my exit interview yesterday. It was more of a follow-up, as I had found a list of common exit interview questions, drafted a blog post with my answers, and sent it to Joyce Wan (my interviewer)...
View ArticleBridging from intrapreneurship
One week to go before I leave IBM and experiment with building something on my own. I realize that I’m drawn to something familiar about this experiment. It’s not freelancing that interests me,...
View ArticlePre-experiment potluck
Today was my pre-experiment potluck, organized by Jennifer Nolan. I brought cookies, she brought cupcakes (which she had frosted with flowers), and other coworkers brought food. A few former IBMers...
View ArticleFive things I’ve learned from five awesome years at IBM
I was going to write stories from my five years at IBM (one year as a graduate student, four as an IBM consultant) while they were still fresh in my memory. Then I realized I was on page 8 of a...
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Visual book notes: The Start-up of You (Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha)
(Click image for a larger version) The Start-up of You is a book about networking and career planning using tips pulled from the startup world, sprinkled with hip jargon such as “pivot” and...
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Sketchnotes: Dave Ley, Jen Nolan, Leo Marland and me at the University of...
(Click on the image for a larger version) Kelly Lyons and Isidora Petrovic invited Dave Ley (CIBC), Jen Nolan (IBM), Leo Marland (IBM), and me (… figuring things out! also, formerly IBM…) for the...
View ArticleDealing with professional envy
One of the things that both rocks and sucks about the Internet is that it’s easy to find people who are better than you. This is great because you’re surrounded by inspiration. It’s easier to figure...
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Sketchnote: Managing Oneself (Peter Drucker)
Xiaoxiao asked me to sketchnote Managing Oneself, a classic article by Peter Drucker. Here are my notes. Click on the image for a larger version. Please feel free to share this! (Creative Commons...
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The power of no: being completely* unhireable until 2017 (and possibly longer)
When I started this 5-year experiment, I didn’t know if I could stick with it. My track record for sticking with interests is not that good. I’m delighted to report that (semi-)retirement gets easier...
View ArticleThinking about rewards and recognition since I’m on my own
One of the things a good manager does is to recognize and reward people’s achievements, especially if people exceeded expectations. A large corporation might have some standard ways to reward good...
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Reflecting on my growth as a programmer
One of the things I realized from dealing with that programming issue is that I don’t have a mature development workflow for front-end work yet. On previous projects, I focused mostly on back-end...
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Sketched Book: Take Charge of Your Talent: Three Keys to Thriving in Your...
Don Maruska and Jay Perry’s Take Charge of Your Talent: Three Keys to Thriving in Your Career, Organization, and Life (2013) has plenty of tips for developing your skills and taking charge of your...
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Sketched Book – So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in...
It seems almost given that you should follow your passion, but what if you don’t know what that is? Or what if following your passion prematurely can lead to failure? In So Good They Can’t Ignore You:...
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