Mar 2Let’s make talking robots!One of the things we create at work is conversational agents. They may appear as chat windows on websites, answer calls to a contact centre, or respond to text messages. …Conversational Agents5 min readConversational Agents5 min read
Feb 4, 2022I’ve failed at OKRs. You?Have you, like me, failed at OKRs? Have you set objectives to fix broken windows, only to find more shattered glass? Have you reported weekly on a KPI that seems to hover right where you started? A master worker never blames their tools. But it’s also true that some tools…5 min read5 min read
Aug 15, 202010 lessons from the trenches of digital governmentOne of my professional habits is talking to digital leaders in government. I like to ask them how they achieved success in digital transformation. What levers did they pull? What have they learned? I’ve spoken to leaders in New York and Calgary, British Columbia and California, Canada, the UK and…Digital Transformation11 min readDigital Transformation11 min read
Oct 27, 2019California hacks procurementLast week I got to spend a morning in Sacramento, CA at the DMV. Spending time at the DMV is not something most people get excited about, but this was different. I was there because City Innovate had sent an invitation. City Innovate’s Startup In Residence (StIR) program helps governments…Government5 min readGovernment5 min read
Mar 20, 2019Government doesn’t need a CRMI’ve have multiple conversations lately with public sector clients who are searching for a CRM (Customer Relationship Management software). If you’re thinking about this, then you’re starting with the right intent: it’s good to want to treat citizens like customers, and to invest in tools to improve those relationships. …CRM3 min readCRM3 min read
Feb 21, 2019How to run a more profitable services teamPeople who run professional services teams often optimize systems to aim at the wrong metrics. By aiming at more useful metrics, you can change the results and have a healthier business. In a project-oriented professional services team, profit is the result of completing work within a fixed time period, and…Entrepreneurship9 min readEntrepreneurship9 min read
Nov 23, 2018Building digital teams in governmentMy team and I at Yellow Pencil are developing a roadmap for digital transformation. It’s based on lessons learned from organizations you may be familiar with like the UK GDS, the USDS, the CDS, and Code for America. But it’s also based on the work of leaders like Estonia, Australia…Digital6 min readDigital6 min read
Oct 15, 20184 facets: perspective seeking in digital projectsYears ago I built a simple tool to help me think about digital projects, and I still use it today. It’s not a comprehensive framework for thinking about all things digital. …UX4 min readUX4 min read
Oct 4, 2018A formula for the cost of web contentIf you run a mid-sized public sector website then you could be spending $400,000 each year in hidden content costs. WTF? (What’s That Formula?) We work with public/plural sector clients: cities, regional governments, crown corporations, non-governmental organizations, universities, unions, etc. The one thing in common with all of them is that they create a…Content Strategy4 min readContent Strategy4 min read
Oct 1, 2018The value of diversity for leadersI believe that leaders investing in diversity is the most expedient path toward improving the outcomes of technology transformation initiatives. More talk, less rock I’m still a songwriter, but you’d barely know it. I’ve stopped writing in the last few years and I’ve been trying to figure out why. Something is inhibiting my creativity. …Diversity5 min readDiversity5 min read
