TETRIS teaches Daily Accountability
Posted: September 5, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Book, Daily Accountability, Decisions, Game, Lean Leave a commentPlay Tetris to Set-up your mind for Daily Check-in Meetings
We cannot say which is more dreaded, anxiety caused by the relentless nature of the block-stacker Tetris or the anxiety felt when peppered with unanticipated questions at the daily huddle meeting. Consider using Tetris as a training ground “to think on your feet” and “to deal with what you can do.”
When Tetris debuted, rules were not yet written for this game.
Tetris presents a piece and you have to fit it into your tableau that is already succumbing to the forces of entropy. When you have a “left hand z” and you really need “right hand L”, those are the times that you decide: “find a spot for it and use the next piece to deal with it.”
This is a situation not unlike project management. For every evening when you go home with a clear desk and the hope that the project is finally “on track”, there is a morning where the project presents a new problem “we have never seen before.” Having a mind that quickly explores options can help.
- Put the Piece to the side: What can we do right away to contain this problem?
- Find a less problematic placement: What can we do to make things better?
- Identify a future piece: What can we do in the future?
When you don’t Win at Tetris, Tetris gets you into Winning shape.
Tetris is like the Terminator:
- It never gives up.
- It never gets tired.
- It will always win.
The relentless nature of the game purifies the mind as it is stressed to its limits.
I had always thought that the game was some sort of subversive reminder of the defeatist attitude from the old USSR. Three decades later, I understand the game to represent Hope.
Every time the game defeated me, I had hope that I could win the next round because:
- “I know more now.”
- “I will be smarter next time.”
- “I won’t let that happen again.”
Rule book
Read the Graphic Novel cum biography by Box Brown, Tetris.
Use “The 4 Disciplines of Execution” to Defend Against the Whirlwind of Distractions.
Posted: August 12, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Book, Daily Accountability, Lean, Organizational Behaviors Leave a commentSet Up your Storm Shelter.
I received this book from a manager who does not like to read books. He said, “I am too busy to read this. Let me know if there is anything good in there.” This turns out to be my Go-To book for Project Management. I believe the theme of this book can be defined as, “Defend yourself from the Whirlwind of activity.” Read the rest of this entry »
“Let’s Stop Meeting Like This”, and start meeting like this…
Posted: August 12, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Book, Daily Accountability Leave a commentSet Up: We all have meetings that we do not like.
I worked with the author, Dick Axelrod, a number of times. He helped a group I facilitated to troubleshoot their meetings. The participants were manufacturing supervisors with many experiences with poorly run meetings. He helped the team to break through the bad behaviors they have seen in the past — disorganization, domination, work avoidance. I know of two supervisors who went on to make great improvements with their teams and results. Read the rest of this entry »
The Book of Five Rings
Posted: August 12, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Book, Business Leave a commentSet Up
In a recent post, I reviewed a few popular teachings from U.S. Navy SEALs. I remember a time when required business reading included The Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi, which essentially encouraged excellence in all things. Read the rest of this entry »
Lessons from U.S. Navy SEALs
Posted: August 8, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Book, Business, Manager Leave a comment
Set Up
There is a recent infatuation of business managers studying the U. S. Navy SEALs for lessons on organizational behaviors and achieving success. Like all of the military’s special forces, Navy SEALs are highly capable individuals who practice execution within a team. Their high profile exploits are achieved through specific tools and behaviors that we can relate to. Read the rest of this entry »
The Effective Executive
Posted: July 16, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Book, Management, Organizational Behaviors Leave a commentSet Up
Peter Drucker may be the most quoted business writer of all time. Every business class, research article, or management book I have read somehow references his wisdom. Over fifty years ago, Mr. Drucker established the basic behaviors of successful executive managers, and we continue to learn them over in our day and age. The Manager-Tools podcast recommends reading this book at least once per year.
Game Rules
In his 2004 article (he died in 2005 at the age of 96) in Harvard Business Review, What Makes an Effective Executive?, Drucker continues to refine his original concepts. The three that I look to most often are:
Do what is best for the organization
Drucker looks to people’s strengths and how those strengths could be turned to best benefit the organization. He focuses on the contributions of team members that deliver the organization’s desired results. In the Prezi, you see that the only weakness that matters is, “Would I let me son or daughter work with this person?” Every other weakness is acceptable because we must accept those in order to get the strengths that are important to the organization. Our opinions of people are secondary to their results.
Make Decisions, develop Action Plans
Drucker wants effective decisions. He would often create disagreement to his ideas in order to listen to opposing viewpoints. He did not like team leaders to say, “Yes, sir.” Having disagreement provides options, and options ensure that there is a best decision as well as an alternate, Plan B, if necessary.
Run productive meetings
The best example of Drucker running meetings is his ability to focus on one thing at a time. If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. His ideal meeting discusses one topic at a time, makes a decision and an action plan, then determines a time to check on progress.
A deeper resource for meetings is Let’s Stop Meeting Like This by Dick Axelrod.
See George Ambler, in his blog Helping Leaders Grow, 5 Habits of Effective Executives, for another summary on Drucker’s ideas.
Winning Strategy
When I teach Drucker, it is usually in the context of making decisions and following-up on progress. In my mind, this is the one skill upon which all other management techniques rely.
• Before you Make Decisions in a meeting, encourage disagreement and respectful debate.
• When you Make Decisions, do so for the benefit of the organization.
• When you Make Decisions, immediately make an Action Plan to execute the decision.
Rule Books
- Publisher Page: The Effective Executive
- Article: Harvard Business Review, June 2004, What Makes and Effective Executive
- Blog: George Ambler, 5 Habits of Effective Executives
- Podcast: Manager-Tools, Books to Read (Or Read Again) in 2014
- Compaion Book: The Effective Executive in Action
- Prezi: Brian Suyat, Book Report: The Effective Executive
- For more ways to implement Peter Drucker’s manager behaviors, consider the companion workbook: The Effective Executive in Action.
See the full list of What’s this Book for more summaries of the most influential books in organizational rules.
The Book about Steve Jobs
Posted: March 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Book Leave a comment
I recently read the book about Steve Jobs entitled, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. This is a hefty 642 page biography of the driving force behind Apple.
The Game
I read this book as Mr. Jobs intended, on an iPod. There was a lot of page turning since the amount of text on a screen that size is rather limited. However, it was an important part of the reading experience. I could look at the styling of the device in my hand when seemingly obsessive compulsive arguments were being played out in the book.
I did cheat a little. I read the book on the nook app. Steve Jobs was not in first in favor of third-party apps for the Apple store. He wanted to ensure control over the entire user experience: hardware, software, store front.
Win Condition
Also of note, I would not have been able to finish this book had I had to handle the physical heft that comes from a biography of this scope.
This is easily one of the best biographical books I have ever read. It has a compelling storytelling form that moves through time appropriately to tell the current part of the story. The book builds your knowledge so that there is an intrinsic understanding of “I told you that story to tell you this one”. The intuitive feel of the story emphasized one of the important aspects of the man, Steve Jobs.
Jobs was a visionary, able to tell people what they wanted before they wanted it. It was most impressive that he was at the intersection of the computer industry, the music industry and the movie industry (with the often overlooked Pixar) all at the same time. Whether you are a Mac enthusiast or not (I am in the latter camp), the lessons that Apple teaches are appropriate.
- Give the customer the best experience possible, even if they do not yet know what that is.
- Don’t outsource creativity, “Think Different”.
- Make things simpler and easier; eschew instruction manuals.
How you play the game
Posted: October 29, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Book, Business, School Leave a commentThere are games that we play all the time with ourselves. Whether for amusement or purpose, we construct rules to fight off the chaos of the outside world. What’s the Game talks about these diversions, how we play them and what we consider winning.
I try to make up interesting analogies that tie popular culture with business wisdom. Really, I just like to make a memorable statement so that I can use it later. This leads me to my new catch phrase, “Have you read my book?”
The Game
You can tell the contents of a book by its title — at least that is the case of the books that I would write. So, to remember a good management tip, I write a book title about it.
Have You Read My Book?
This book is about reading books. Or, at least, reminding people that they should have learned something recently. Asking this question reminds us to reflect on our experiences. Before embarking on a solution to a problem, ask yourself, “Have I seen or heard of this before?” Really look at the problem before jumping to conclusions.
The Sky Falls on Friday.
This book help people get things done by Friday. Don’t let little tasks hang on indefinitely. Assume that if someone asks for something, they want it by the next Friday at the latest. If you are consistently bombarded by requests, this book reminds us to make time during the week to respond to questions that come up.
Safety is on Sale
We often think that being safe is to “make sure we don’t get hurt.” This book emphasizes that safety is an investment. At the university, I have to cross the street from the parking lot to the business building. Often I see people crossing against the light. Wouldn’t it be better – cheaper if you will – to invest the half a minute waiting on the light than to cross into traffic?
I have an idea
If you have an idea, speak your mind. If you hear an idea, listen to it.
Win Condition
I win this game if I mention my book title and people ask for more information. Everybody wins when we start talking about how we can work together to be successful.
What's the Game? 