Published in NewCo Shift·Jan 27, 2017Using Professional “Safe Words” to Defuse the Time Bomb on Your TeamMost leaders manage to get through their entire careers without needing to deal with a highly talented team member who’s also highly volatile. But some of us aren’t that lucky. I had an incredibly able and high potential team member who was passionate about her work and her area of…Leadership3 min read
Published in NewCo Shift·Jan 23, 2017It’s Time For Standardized Job Titles (At Least Internally)Over the past couple of decades, many companies began using job titles that were…a little unusual. From the Chief People Person to the Digital Marketing Magician, Wizard of Light Bulb Moments, and Director of Fundom, it’s become hard to understand what people actually do. On the upside, this is fun…Job Titles4 min read
Published in NewCo Shift·Jan 16, 2017The Risky Business of InnovationFailure is only one of the risks that innovators face — Businesses have always pushed for innovation, but traditionally most of the focus was on improving existing products. In recent years however, that’s changed as more companies have launch “radical” innovation projects — ones that leap outside the box. The result? Failure is no longer the greatest risk of innovation. The Big Failure In The RoomInnovation4 min read
Published in NewCo Shift·Jan 9, 2017Your Boss is Wrong? Here’s How to Tell Them Without Getting FiredYour boss is going to make a mistake at some point. And you might be the lucky one who notices. The question is, what should you do about it, and how do you handle it? First, it’s important to make sure you’re raising appropriate concerns at the proper time and…Management3 min read
Published in NewCo Shift·Jan 3, 2017Shut Up and Listen and Other Lessons on How to Manage IntrovertsWhen you manage knowledge workers — especially developers and other IT staff — you encounter a lot of introverts. They like to work on their own, prefer quiet and solitude, and enjoy digging into problems. While some of these folks learn to push past their discomfort, as a rule introverts…Introvert4 min read
Published in NewCo Shift·Dec 20, 2016Culture Club: Interviewing for Cultural FitOver the years, my really good teams have by and large been pretty strange. Not in a bad way, but in a way where every person on the team was an individual, and yet worked together as a single unit. Each team had a unique culture, and the last thing…Hiring5 min read
Published in NewCo Shift·Dec 20, 2016How to Use Trello’s Powerful Search to Find Just About AnythingTrello is such a powerful way to keep your projects organized, but it can also get a little unwieldy. With Trello’s powerful search features and operators you can quickly find boards and cards, see what’s assigned to you (and others) and even get a quick glance at what’s due, when. Using Search to Find a Board or Card …Trello4 min read
Published in NewCo Shift·Dec 19, 2016Don’t Be a SP*Mmer: How To Upload Your Suppression List to MailChimpIf you’re just getting started with MailChimp, you probably have some email addresses that you shouldn’t send to any longer — those that have unsubscribed previously, bounced or reported your list as spam. Due to the CAN-SPAM laws, you’ll want to make sure you get those off your subscriber list…Tips4 min read
Published in NewCo Shift·Dec 15, 2016How To Add 2 Factor Authentication to Protect Your Xero AccountA huge bee in everyone’s bonnet right now is IT security. And as you’re accessing your company’s financials with Xero, you’ll want to make sure your account is as secure as can be. …Security4 min read
Published in NewCo Shift·Dec 15, 2016How My Little Pony Gave Me A Top Performing TeamIn 2010 I accepted a new position as a Senior Manager. On my first day I found out more about the teams I’d be leading — one team was considered a high quality team, performing at its peak. I’d have a manager overseeing that group, and little to worry about. …My Little Pony4 min read
