Paper over Something (verb) to hide an unpleasant situation, especially a problem or disagreement, in order to make people believe it does not exist or is not serious. Whenever I enter an implementation, and I have the time and space, I love to do the “How’s this going to fail?” exercise. In short, I ask the core team to explain how what I’m about to do will fail. I remember…
Shoshin is a word from Zen Buddhism which means “beginner’s mind.” It refers to an attitude of openness, eagerness, and a lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even at an advanced level – just as a beginner in that subject would. The idea is that as an expert, you have a limited perspective,…
Juvenoia – (verb) The fear one generation of adults holds towards the younger generations succeeding them; It often coincides with the inability to fully recall one’s own childhood. This baseline is used as the starting perspective when formulating opinions about “today’s” youth. It is not uncommon for generations to complain about future generations. Baby Boomers complained…
The project plan should be the basis for getting things done during an implementation. Without a project plan, you might as well buy a Conch and see what happens. Conch? Really? Please tell me that you got that Lord of the Flies reference. With a project plan, you’ll have some semblance of organization. (With less…
Techsplaining – (verb) When an experienced technical consultant talks down to their end-users – typically based on their use of technology or level of technical ability. Like mansplaining, this phenomenon results from “overconfidence” and “cluelessness.” First, there is a difference between Training and Techsplaining. When someone is going through training, they tend to learn….
I first ran across the term Noble Obstacle in the book “Finish: Giving yourself the gift of done” – Read the review of the book here. A noble obstacle (noun) is an attempt to make your goal harder than it has to be so you don’t have to finish but can still look respectable….
Sandbagging – (verb) Hiding your strength, skill, or action only to overperform later. Revenue Grid states, “The term dates back to the late 1880s and refers to a bag filled with sand that would be swung as a weapon towards some unsuspecting receiver, likely knocking them unconscious. In the 1940s, the verb evolved to…
Satisficing – (verb) Pursuing the minimum acceptable results or outcome because that decision is familiar, hassle-free, and requires the least investigation. Herbert Simon first coined the term in 1956. The difference between satisficing and iterating is the idea of permanence. When you satisfice, you’ve accepted an end-state far less than ideal. In other words,…