Shipulski On Design

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At first glance, it seems easy to run a good test, but nothing can be further from the truth. The first step is to define the idea/concept you want to validate or invalidate.  The best way is to complete one of these two sentences: I want to learn that [type your idea here] is true. […]

Control strategies don’t work, but trust strategies do. Nothing goes as planned.  Trying to control things tightly is wasteful.  It takes too much energy to batten down all the hatches and keep them that way every-day-all-day.  Maybe no water gets in, but the crew doesn’t get enough oxygen and their brains wither. Trust on the […]

We set visions, define idealized future states, define metrics, and create tools and processes to realize them. It’s all knit together, the puzzle pieces fight tightly, and it leaves out the most important part – people and their behavior. Metrics represent the all-important output of our tools and processes, and we’re so fascinated by metrics […]

Although it’s more important than ever, trust is in short supply. With everyone doing three jobs, there’s really no time for anything but a trust-based approach. Yet we’re blocked by the fear that trust means loss of control.  But that’s backward. Trust is a funny thing.  If you have it, you don’t need it.  If […]

Your best engineer walks into your office and says, “I have this idea for a new technology that could revolutionize our industry and create new markets, markets three times the size of our existing ones.” What do you do? What if, instead, it’s a lower caliber engineer that walks into your office and says those […]

For the past two decades, I’ve actively developed engineering leaders.  A good friend asked me how I do it, so I took some time to write it down.  Here is the curriculum in the form of How Tos: How to build trust.  This is the first thing.  Always.  Done right, the trust-based informal networks are […]

It doesn’t take much to make a difference, but if you don’t recognize the need to make one, you won’t make one. When you’re in a meeting, watch and listen. If someone is quiet, ask them a question. My favorite is “What do you think?” Your question says you value them and their thinking, and […]

Building trust takes time.  Tearing it apart does not. Seeing what is there is easy.  Seeing what is missing is not. Concentrating is easy for some.  For others, daydreaming is not. Bringing your whole self to work takes courage.  Pretending does not. Hearing is easy.  Listening is not. Trying is subjective.  Doing is not. Telling […]

Happy – when you can bring your whole self to everything you do. Lonely – when you’re with people all day but can’t be truthful with them. Sad – when you see what could be but never will. Angry – when someone is less than truthful. Happy – when people you care about are treated […]

Here are the top four blog posts from 2024 with a little summary of each. It’s not the work, it’s the people. By far the most popular post.  Here are some important words from the post: hard work, share, struggle, elbow-to-elbow, fear, crew, extra load, friend, through the wringer, smile, sad, care, easier.  And I […]

Holidays aren’t about shopping, gifts, special dinners, or travel.  Holidays are about family. On holidays, people travel.  They don’t travel to tourist sites, national parks, or big cities for big cities’ stake.  People travel to see their families. On holidays, people eat special foods prepared in special ways and served on special plates.  But that’s […]