personal improvement

Articles

Dependable vs. Irreplaceable

We all like being in demand, feeling wanted, and being dependable. But, we forget that there is a thin line between being dependable and irreplaceable. The result is not only a loss of credibility but also a loss of opportunities
Rinku Sahay's picture Rinku Sahay
September 7, 2011
Do We Have to Choose Between Management and Leadership?

Do organizations need fewer managers and more leaders? Do the qualities of one outweigh those of the other? In this article, Esther Derby defines leadership and management, and shows how one test manager incorporates both.
Esther Derby's picture Esther Derby
February 2, 2006
Helping Your Team Weather the Storm

Jim is mad at Hal. Sara is complaining to Jason. Hal feels hurt; Susan shows up late. Jason thinks only Sara and he have a clue. Is this team falling apart—or just experiencing a normal part of group development? In this column, Esther Derby describes what their team leader Jenny goes through as she learns about the predictable ups and downs of team formation and the one thing any team member can do to help.
Esther Derby's picture Esther Derby
November 30, 2005
Six sigma distribution Is the Grass Greener on the Other Side of the Fence?

We may be creatures of habit—adhering to and promoting processes we know well—but we also habitually look to other work environments that appear capable of nurturing our ideas once an old environment becomes depleted. Ed Weller believes that searching for greener pastures is unnecessary. You just need to learn how to cultivate your managers in order to create an environment that will harbor your ideas. Ed explains why you'll end up grazing fruitlessly if you can't plant your ideas with management.
Ed Weller's picture Ed Weller
August 31, 2005
Free time Free Time is Not Free

Unpaid overtime has negative personal and business consequences. Although regarded as free time by many organizations, there is a true business cost to not estimating or counting overtime hours, whether paid or not. Ed Weller presents the argument that those who do not count free time in their planning and tracking will make poor decisions and often invest in the wrong projects.
Ed Weller's picture Ed Weller
June 15, 2005
How to Make Risk Conversations More Effective

Project managers may be reluctant, even unwilling, to discuss problems that testers discover in a project. In this column, management expert Johanna Rothman gives tips on how best to tell management that "the sky is falling," and how to respond if they don't want to hear about potential problems before they occur.
Johanna Rothman's picture Johanna Rothman
May 22, 2002

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