Shipulski On Design

Search Results

If you didn’t get what you wanted, why not try wanting what you got? If the timing isn’t right, what can you change so it is right? If it could get you in trouble, might you be on to something? If it’s impossible, don’t bother. If it’s easy, let someone else do it. If there’s […]

Praise is powerful, but not when you don’t give it. People learn from mistakes, but not when they don’t make them. Wonderful solutions are wonderful, but not if there are no problems. Novelty is good, but not if you do what you did last time. Disagreement creates deeper understanding, but not if there’s 100% agreement. […]

With projects, there is no partial credit.  They’re done or they’re not. Solve the toughest problems first.  When do you want to learn the problem is not solvable? Sometimes slower is faster. Problems aren’t problems until you realize you have them.  Before that, they’re problematic. If you can’t put it on one page, you don’t […]

The time to start getting ready is before we need to be. We don’t get ready because the problem hasn’t yet kicked us in the head.  It has only started getting ready to do so. We don’t get ready because we don’t see the early warning signs.  Like the meteorologist who doesn’t make time to […]

What happens when you bring your whole self to work?  Are you embraced, rejected, or ignored? If you’re not invited to meetings because you ask difficult questions, what does that say? When you call someone on their behavior, does that get you closer to a promotion? When you’ve done the work before but no one […]

X: When will you be done with the project? Me: This work has never been done before, so I don’t know.   X: But the Leadership Team just asked me when the project will be done. So, what should I say? Me: Since nothing has changed since the last time you asked me, I still […]

Fascination with the idealized future state isn’t ideal.  Before moving forward, define the current state of things. Improvement opportunities mean nothing unless they come from a deep understanding of the state of things as they are.  Define things as they are before settling on improvement opportunities. If you want to converge on a common understanding […]

If you always want to be right, it’s time to ask new questions. If you want to listen well, don’t talk. If you want to start something new, stop something old. If you want to do it again for the third time. give someone else a chance. If you want it to be perfect, you […]

Show customers what’s possible. Then listen. The best projects are small until they’re not. Today’s location before tomorrow’s destination. The best idea requires the least effort. Ready, fire, aim is better than ready, aim, aim, aim. Be certain about the uncertainty. Do so you can discuss. Put it on one page. Fail often, but call […]

When you spend time with a group in person, you get to know them in ways that can’t be known if you spend time with them using electronic means.  When meeting in person, you can tell when someone says something that’s difficult for them.  And you can also tell when that difficulty is fake.  When […]

If there’s no problem, there can be no solution. If there’s no dissatisfaction, there can be no change. If there’s no caring, there can be no disagreement, though there can be arguments. If there is a wanting for things to be different, there can be no happiness, though there will be suffering. If there’s no […]