leadership

Managers must be the sharp tool, not the dull one. Avoid micromanaging unless you offer unique expertise or can expedite critical tasks. Follow the "accordion approach": help only when needed, and pull back when the team is competent.

I’ve seen a lot of change during my 45-year career in information technology, some more significant than others.

If the people assigned to give you guidance are AWOL, how might you proceed?

Women in QA drive quiet transformation, bringing empathy and keen insight to ensure quality. They redefine impact by safeguarding user experience, increasingly ascending to leadership, and becoming architects of excellent software.

When should the team and stakeholders be brought together to assure everyone is on the same page?

An IT manager's "chess" metaphor contrasts HR's "checker" mindset: HR seeks homogenous staff, but IT needs diverse specialists. This mismatch creates challenges in hiring, promoting, and compensating IT professionals, often leading to talent loss.

What are the attributes of an effective team?  Can you build or grow one?  What would success look like?

In games like Everquest, World of Warcraft, or Diablo there are significant milestones when you accumulate enough experience to “go up a level”.  It’s always rewarding to watch a project manager do that in real life.