Shipulski On Design

When there’s a disagreement, listen before you talk.  And if that doesn’t work, listen more. With this approach, disagreement cannot blossom into a problem.

When there’s a decision to be made, make it.  There are problems with any decision you make, and you might as well learn them as soon as you can.

When there’s a change coming, get people together and talk about what’s coming. One thing to remember – the talking you do before the change is much more meaningful than the talking after the change causes problems.

When an important project is behind schedule, pause the project.  Nothing causes dialog, problem-solving, and movement of resources like pausing an important project.

When person A says one thing to person B and another to person C, call a meeting with A, B, and C and within fifteen minutes the source of the problem will be apparent to all.

When someone doesn’t do what they said they’d do, send them an email asking when they’ll do it.  Then, at the same time every week, “reply all” to your email and ask them when they’ll do it.  That way, they get to see the ever-growing, time-stamped record of their problematic non-performance.

When there’s no owner of the problem, there can be no solution.  And that’s a big problem.

When it’s your problem, solve it.

When someone tries to give you their problem, don’t take it.  Like any gift, if you don’t accept it, the would-be giver still owns it.

When there are no problems, there can be no learning.

Image credit — Rob Oo

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