Below is a listing of principles collected and developed while determining the best methods for low-stress, impactful work over the last 18 years. This is the first revision of my Calm Critical Work Manifesto. I will revise it over time as it develops. Maybe you can use some of these principles in your own work…
Stop Encouraging “Heroes” at Work and Encourage Processes
We encourage a frantic work culture rather than encourage building and maintaining work processes. How often do typical tasks become emergencies that require extra effort to meet the deadline? Then after the urgent deadline is met congratulations are given to the “heroes”. If it was a typical task, shouldn’t there be a process for it?…
Breaking Free from the ‘Always On’ Work Culture: Methods to Reduce Stress and Get More Done
We have built a culture that rewards responsiveness and makes employees afraid to actually focus on the work that matters. I have been coaching my team members to turn off email, block out time in their calendar for critical work, work one thing at a time, and get as close to completion as possible before…
Conquering the Never-Ending Task Onslaught: Strategies to Regain Control and Prioritize Effectively
In my last post, I listed sources of never-ending tasks that we are forced to endure at work. In this post, I would like to share ways to reduce the flow of never-ending tasks or, at least slow them down. First, how would it feel if you were not constantly deluged with more tasks that…
The Dark Side of Continuous Improvement: Sources of Never-Ending Tasks
Imagine a machinist who was responsible for operating a mill. As part of his job, he was expected to stop what he was doing anytime someone wanted to talk to him. On top of that, others would regularly place items on his workbench for him to address with little explanation. When the machinist would complain…
Mastering the Art of Time Management: How I am Reducing Busyness as a Manager and Regained Control
I am insanely busy as a manager. Often, I’m booked all day with meetings, supporting my team members, and solving problems, with little time to move projects forward. Here are some thoughts on why I am so busy that you may consider too. Here are the primary items that I can improve to reduce my…
Addressing the Root Causes of Meeting Overload
I have too many meetings. Here are my thoughts on what is needed to reduce them and why there are so many. When deciding to set a meeting, the goal of that meeting should be determined. Then you should decide if the goal could be met through better means. Maybe it would be better as…
Put An End to Email Ping Pong…Get on The Phone
Too often, I read email conversations that go back and forth many times. It is typically because the individuals communicating do not understand each other or they are having an indirect professional disagreement. There are other cases where a team member mentions that they are having trouble getting a response from someone, often someone outside…
The Art of Confident Forecasting: A Blueprint for Engineers to Embrace Project Deadlines
Forecasting completion dates for projects can be a challenging task for engineers. While management expects them to provide these dates for accountability and coordination purposes, engineers often grapple with the inherent uncertainties and variables that could impact their ability to meet those deadlines. However, by adopting a systematic approach and implementing a few key strategies,…
Improving Enterprise Software: Revolutionize Your Workflow and Stay Ahead of the Competition
In today’s competitive business landscape, knowledge work companies must embrace software solutions to stay ahead of the curve. Failure to effectively leverage software can result in being outpaced by competitors who excel in this area. Let’s delve deeper into the challenges faced by knowledge work companies in implementing enterprise software. Consider the typical scenario observed…
Career Conversations
I discuss career plans with each of my team members at least two times a year. These conversations are usually awkward. Partly because we are engineers, and partly because of the many underlying expectations we feel we are not meeting. Our culture tells us we need to have a defined plan in life. Long-term goal…
You are checking email too much at work
I have limited checking email to 1-2 times per day most of the time for 14 years. My stress level increases whenever I fall off the wagon and start checking email more often. When I tell others they should try this, they worry that they will miss something urgent. This has never happened to me.…
We Are Under Seige
I feel like there is a siege on my house that I am losing. As much as I try, stuff keeps being catapulted over the walls (gifts, mail, toys, stuff that I am enticed into buying). It is a constant onslaught and I am losing ground against everyone who is trying to convince us to…
Now It Is Gone, How Do We Keep It Out?
Now that we are getting rid of all of this junk I don’t want to collect it again. I don’t want to waste the money and I want to hold on to the freedom. We need to change our philosophy and stop operating on autopilot. We need a pattern interrupt. Here are some ideas: Regularly…
What if We Lost Everything-What Would We Replace
What would we replace if we lost everything in a fire? Some clothes, our computers, our cars, some kitchen stuff…maybe the TV. Probably not the PlayStation. We would replace the things that we use every day. There would be so much that we wouldn’t replace. What would I not even notice that was missing? Imagine…
My “Stuff” Addiction
I need a separation from all of my stuff but I cannot get myself to leave this unhealthy relationship. As I write this I am sitting in my basement where most of our junk is stored. It is an effing mess but I can see the freedom at the end of the tunnel. I…
I Feel Like I have Been Tricked Into Buying Things
I wonder if I have been tricked into buying a bunch of stuff that I don’t need. Companies spend billions of dollars a year to persuade us to buy things. Many of their methods use psychology and our natural tendencies against us. With the overwhelming psychological knowledge in their hands, do I even have chance?…
Why Do I Continue To Collect All This Stuff?
I have been asking myself “why do I continue collected all this stuff?” while barely using most of it. A lot of it is junk that I don’t need. There are many possible reasons: I wanted something new, it made me feel good, I thought I needed it, I did not have any barriers to…
Maybe I Should Move to A Tiny Home
Have you heard of the tiny home movement? There is a small percentage of people who have chosen to trade in their standard sized house for a one-room house. This is appealing to me. What if I only had one room, how easy would it be to clean? How easy would it be to save…
What If I Lived Out of One Bag
What if everything I owned fit into one bag? My house would become obsolete. I wouldn’t have to maintain a yard, a car, a garage or the vast majority of stuff I currently take care of. Yes, I would spend money on things that I don’t own (eating out all the time) but wouldn’t be…