“I got tired of spending every day doing something I didn’t love, surrounded by people I really didn’t like.” — Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart When was the last time you actually looked forward to something at work? That you weren’t up all night Sunday, staring at the ceiling, wondering what fresh hellContinue reading “Game over.”
Small, Colocated Teams … er … uh …. Neighbors?
The more work I do in the community development, engagement, and improvement spaces, the more I realize that cities and neighborhoods are not that much different from companies. Really, hear me out. Cities are nothing if not complex systems, and the same techniques we’ve learned through empirical evidence to rely on in our workplaces, tendContinue reading “Small, Colocated Teams … er … uh …. Neighbors?”
Join me at Global Connect 2026, organized by Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP)
July is shaping up to be a busy speaking month for me! If you missed me at Agilsts4Planet, PMI Milwaukee, or Cincy Deliver, you can still catch me at Global Connect 2026, organized by Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP Global). Here are the details: 🎤 Session Title: The Elephants Among Us: Talking about theContinue reading “Join me at Global Connect 2026, organized by Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP)”
Agilists4Planet: Bridging polarities in an age of increasing isolation and division
Last Thursday I had the privilege of speaking at the online Agilist4Planet conference. Run by a dedicated group of volunteers, this international conference focuses on the intersection of Agile and Sustainability. And this year the topic was super timely: Bridging Polarities: Harnessing the Power of Tension. The speakers and topics were amazing! I appreciated theContinue reading “Agilists4Planet: Bridging polarities in an age of increasing isolation and division”
Come see me (and 35 other great speakers) at CincyDeliver!
I’m speaking at Cincy Deliver on Friday, July 24th and I hope you’ll join me at this awesome event! The topics and speakers are varied and intriguing, everything a member of a software delivery team might need to thrive in these challenging times. I’m doing an updated version of my Elephants talk, the one aboutContinue reading “Come see me (and 35 other great speakers) at CincyDeliver!”
“Ask Me Anything” about Agile at PMI Milwaukee’s PM in the AM on July 15, 2026 (virtual event)
Are the AI keyboard warriors right? Is Agile really dead? What about Scrum? Is it as strict as your last boss would have you believe? Do you cringe at the thought of attending yet another retrospective? Do you want to poke your eyes out with an ice pick during backlog refinement sessions (Yes, I reallyContinue reading ““Ask Me Anything” about Agile at PMI Milwaukee’s PM in the AM on July 15, 2026 (virtual event)”
Life can be hard … but small towns are “Still Standing”
I’m hooked on a new (to me) TV show. It’s called “Still Standing” and it airs on CBC in Canada. The series, now in it’s 12th season, follows comedian and actor Jonny Harris as he travels to small towns “against the ropes”. He tells the stories of the people in these struggling communities who, againstContinue reading “Life can be hard … but small towns are “Still Standing””
Where does real community exist in your city?
I read a post on LinkedIn recently about the tradition of police officers eating donuts. It explained that the routine arose in the 1950s out of necessity. Cops needed a place to take a break during their late night shifts and the only place open was the local donut shop. Donut shop owners and operatorsContinue reading “Where does real community exist in your city?”
That’s What I’m Talking About!
If you’ve skimmed even a few of my posts in the last several months, you’ve likely noticed I’ve been blathering on and on (and on … and on) about how now is the time for us all to step away from the corporate machine and hang out a shingle. You might be thinking I’m aContinue reading “That’s What I’m Talking About!”
JoAnn Fabrics: A Fall From Grace
First posted on LinkedIn in June 2025. By now you’ve likely heard that, for the second time in one year, Ohio-based JoAnn Fabrics has filed for bankruptcy. This time, though, they are closing all of their stores and relieving all of their employees of their jobs. You might be thinking, what happened?! JoAnn’s was killingContinue reading “JoAnn Fabrics: A Fall From Grace”
