Payson Hall

Payson Hall is a consulting project manager for Catalysis Group, Inc. in Sacramento, California. Payson consults on project management issues and teaches project management. Email Payson at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter at @paysonhall.

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All Stories by Payson Hall

How to Question Leadership without Seeming Confrontational

Good leaders sometimes make decisions based on incorrect or incomplete information, and when that happens, we have a professional obligation to encourage them to reconsider. However, correcting them in a confrontational way can be a career-limiting move. Here are four factors to consider when speaking up to leaders.

Sunk Cost: Knowing When to Call It Quits

Acknowledging that a product isn't ready to ship may seem like a simple call—if it isn't the desired quality by the target date, why not pull the plug? But when you start considering all the effort, time, and money you've already invested, it becomes harder to make that decision. Here's a story to help you remember.

The Black Swan Myth Actually Devalues Expertise

People love to hear how someone with no formal training solved a problem that stumped experts because they weren't tainted by years of experience. These "black swan" stories are the exception, though, not the rule, and they can be dangerous because they trivialize hard work and study. Most times, you want an expert.

Take Credit for Your Risk Management Activities

If you have an important implementation date, early identification of the minimum viable product is a vital risk-management step that helps focus your team’s attention on what's important. Rather than apologizing for intelligent phasing of functionality to manage risk, explain it to stakeholders and take credit.

Advice for New Leaders

One of the more challenging tasks for a new leader is joining a new organization. There is an interesting balance that must be struck in making it clear that there’s a new sheriff in town without being disrespectful or dismissive of your predecessor and the organization they established. Here's how to get it right.

Drafting the Right Software Professional for Your Fantasy Team

Teams are systems made up of individuals with different strengths and weaknesses. When people are cooperating on a team—whether in software development or football—sometimes those strengths and weaknesses can be complementary, and other times they can be out of alignment. Be sure to draft the player your team needs.

Making Decisions at the Right Level of the Organization

Decision-making in a climate of ambiguous responsibility is a no-win situation. If you're in a position of some authority, how can you define exactly what that authority allows in order to better secure sponsor support for your decisions? It involves considering some scenarios and asking the right clarifying questions.

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