Articles for category: Initiative

December 19, 2024

Greg Thomas

Foundations of Working

If you are testing a website that puts data into another application, it helps to have access to that application. If that application requires you to have an account and a set of permissions to see the changes that are being made, it helps to have those permissions. If that application has to send out notifications to clients, it helps to know how the notifications are going out, what the conditions are, how they work, and what you need to do to run them. Whatever you’re building, testing, or using – knowing what is at the foundational level of what

December 18, 2024

Greg Thomas

Running too Fast

I was asking someone the other day how I could improve at playing soccer. Their response is – “You run too fast in the first, but are more successful when you slow down in the second.” Truth, I do better in the second, I calm down more, I relax more, I’m warmed up, I have a feel for the game, who we’re playing, who I’m playing with – everything at that point in time is known. But at the beginning, I don’t, so I go too hard. We see this all the time, projects start off with great success, everyone

December 17, 2024

Greg Thomas

Jump In

If it’s not organized, organize it. If the current code doesn’t work, fix it. If the words don’t fit, rewrite them. If the team is suffering, get them together, and figure it out. If you see the problem, jump in. You don’t have to have all the answers or the final solution. You do have to be willing to take that first leap to make the change happen. Otherwise, sit, complain, stew, grumble, sulk – resolve yourself to do that instead (but you can do better).

December 12, 2024

Greg Thomas

Start Chopping

Too much on your plate? Start chopping. Too much to get done? Start chopping. Too many thoughts running through your head? Start chopping. We’re past the whole “say no” to new things, you already said yes, so now your options are to keep going or to start chopping and moving on the tasks that matter to you and that you want to get done.

December 9, 2024

Greg Thomas

Losing Creative Flow

When things go wrong, sideways, and you feel lost – all creative flow goes out the window. It’s one thing if creativity is a heavy part of your job – your livelihood depends on that flow existing to some extent – so you’ll need to put in the time. But when you don’t have that dependency, it’s an ebb and flow and the hardest thing with any creative endeavor is to get started. Show me someone who does creative work (drawing, coding, writing, speaking, etc, etc) and has never lost their flow? It’s impossible. Yeah, sit down at the chair

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