Think about your responsibilities at work for a minute. How many do you have? Can you even name them all? As technical professionals, we have a myriad of responsibilities This is especially true in today’s economy when so many of us are being asked to do more with less. It’s easy to get caught…
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“Come on, hit somebody!” That’s the sage advice I once received from my high school football coach. Later he elaborated to our entire group. I’m paraphrasing here: If you don’t know who to block, that’s a mental mistake. You should know who to block. Period. But if you don’t know who you’re suppose to block,…
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“The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.” observed Academy Award winning movie producer George Jessel. I think there is some truth to that for many of us. As a regular speaker at conferences, SQLSaturdays, and other organizations, I’m often asked about…
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Have you ever taken a sip of sweet tea only to discover that it was soda instead? Eeww! What an eye-opening experience! Don’t misunderstand; I like soda. But when I’m expecting sweet tea, the normally pleasant taste of the carbonated beverage is face-wrenchingly awful. Thus, the importance of expectations. What To Expect? When working with…
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A client of mine recently asked me to help fill a junior-level position in their organization. This isn’t uncommon; I regularly help clients interview and select qualified IT Professionals to join their ranks. Usually I’m usually given a detailed job description with very specific requirements. The manager frequently believes that the requirements for the…
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Balancing Work and Life March 16, 2011 2 Comments Balancing work and home life is nothing new; we’ve had this challenge for a long time. But in recent months when so many companies are streamlining operations and asking their employees to do more with less, the challenge has gotten noticeably more difficult. I recently interviewed someone…
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“There is nothing more uncommon than common sense.” Some attribute the axiom to Frank Lloyd Wright but others are adamant that he’s not the origin of it. Whoever said it had a somewhat elitist or cynical perspective about the general population. At times, however, the saying has proven itself to be true. That’s why sometimes it’s best to…
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One of the hardest lessons to learn and put into practice is that of Real Cost versus Opportunity Cost. Let’s consider an example. Real Cost Real Cost is straightforward. If the water pipes in my house freeze and burst due to the cold weather, I can fix the leak myself or I can call a professional plumber.…
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Balancing work and home life is nothing new; we’ve had this challenge for a long time. But in recent months when so many companies are streamlining operations and asking their employees to do more with less, the challenge has gotten noticeably more difficult. I recently interviewed someone who had struggled with this in a…
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Have you ever taken a sip of sweet tea only to discover that it was soda instead? Eeww! What an eye-opening experience! Don’t misunderstand; I like soda. But when I’m expecting sweet tea, the normally pleasant taste of the carbonated beverage is face-wrenchingly awful. Thus, the importance of expectations. What To Expect? When working with…
Read more
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