When you envision a computer programmer, what comes to mind? A solitary worker in a cubicle, with a can of Coke, and a couple of Dilbert cartoons taped to the monitor. They have strong ideas about how to do their job, and they’re used to being left alone. Most people don’t expect great social skills… Read More Pair Programming
Most of us have mixed feelings about meetings. Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em, is the best we can think to say, and it goes downhill from there. Like everyone doing knowledge work, I found myself in a meeting earlier this week, developing a new course that is being co-taught by the legendary… Read More Who should run the meeting?
The government pays for billions of dollars of scientific research every year, using taxpayer funds. Most people don’t know anything about how the government decides how to spend the money. Unlike just about every other government program’s budget, spending decisions are not made based on political priorities or in backroom negotiations with powerful senators and… Read More Your tax dollars at work
I just finished doing an interview with Adrian Savage (www.slowleadership.com) about how freelancers and the self-employed can best stimulate their creativity. This is a great question, because my research shows that significant innovations always emerge from groups and from collaborative conversations. The risk is that, if you stay in your basement office all week long,… Read More The problem with freelancing
I’ve just come from giving an invited talk to the “Exploring Innovation” conference, hosted by the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank. Andy Hargadon was also a speaker at the event, and it was great to hear him talk again and to have some time to catch up with him. The audience represented community development experts… Read More Innovation in Community Development
The Creativity Guru 