Margin Notes

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...Another tool I have found is to review margin notes of managers, directors, and above. When available, if you are able to take a look at meeting agenda's, presentation handouts, status reports, and the like you may notice something quite interesting. The handwriting which people place on these documents are far more than simple markings. The handwriting which in the margins is the individual's personal take on specific items. In a similar way that handwriting analysts are able to understand a writer from their handwriting (based a direct connection from brain to pen to paper), margin notes are created in the same way...

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IT Farming

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...One interesting aspect to explore here is not the comments or absence of them, but how the situations being commented on came to be. While many times these comments can refer to specific events, more often than not, when you dig beneath the surface, you will find that what is being reacted to is a systemic condition, the seeds (either crop or weeds) of which had been planted long ago.

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Technical Architecture - Static or Active?

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What happens when the technology platform which you have adopted is eclipsed by newer more efficient or effective technology? It is easy for this to happen. The decisions made today will have a shelf life. Vendors of software platforms are frequently purchased leaving the acquired platform in limbo. Different technologies and platforms which perform similar roles can gain more market traction leaving the chosen platform in question.

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Playing to Win

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I see many sports organizations consistently, year after year, playing to win - as opposed to playing to not lose. They will make the extra effort to ensure they have the right players are in place, but much more than that they will ensure the management talent is in place. They will have extensive recruiting networks, deep management talent at all levels (both at the professional and feeder teams), and cultivate a culture of success throughout the organization. In short, they have made the conscious decision to "play to win."

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