I think about this graph all the time. I first encountered a version of this graph in the Ballast ARE Review Manual, where it accompanied a description of what the authors termed "Project Perfection Syndrome": In their efforts to complete a job, a project team spends time working toward some established or idealized level of … Continue reading How much more time should I spend on this project?
Category: Working Life
Evidence-based ways to make our meetings better
You want to make your meetings better? First, stop reading those repetitive Business Insider listicles by anonymous, uncredentialed writers, and pick up a book by Steven G. Rogelberg. The book—excuse its over-excited title—is The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance. A nifty overview of Rogelberg's work, this book … Continue reading Evidence-based ways to make our meetings better
The (once) mortal threat of the deadline
I know that they can be a big deal, but do we really need to be calling them deadlines? Must we invoke our own mortality when we're talking about an RFP? Can't we just call it a due date?! Strangely enough, it turns out that deadline has a long, strange history and, sure enough, was … Continue reading The (once) mortal threat of the deadline
7 pieces of writing advice from Roman & Raphaelson
One of my favorite books about writing—and I mean the real nitty-gritty of writing—is Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson's Writing That Works: How to Communicate Effectively in Business. The thesis put forward by Roman & Raphaelson ("R&R" from here on out) is that most of the writing we encounter in the office workplace is just … Continue reading 7 pieces of writing advice from Roman & Raphaelson
Did I receive the “fatherhood bonus”? (Um, yes.)
Recently, in researching parental/family leave, I came across a worrying concept: the fatherhood bonus. In an article published in the Third Way, sociologist Michelle Budig looks at the fatherhood bonus alongside and its partner concept, the motherhood penalty, and explores some of the reasons that they occur in workplaces across the US. Of course, the … Continue reading Did I receive the “fatherhood bonus”? (Um, yes.)
Should we stop using shoot to talk about photography?
Sometimes, certain words just don't feel right. Around a year ago, I was writing an email to the principal of a school my firm had designed, which had recently been completed. My email began something like this: Hi [Principal],I am reaching out to discuss when we might be able to come and shoot your school. … Continue reading Should we stop using shoot to talk about photography?
Has remote work killed the hard copy?
The past year of remote work poured accelerant on many workplace trends, including flexible work, collaborative platforms like Microsoft Teams, and fully remote meetings. Less remarked upon is another trend, which has been quietly creeping along for years now: the death of the hard copy. When I started in the A/E/C industry five years ago, … Continue reading Has remote work killed the hard copy?
Avoiding the rule of reciprocity in business situations
Back in 2019, my wife's company made an unpopular decision: they eliminated vendors outings. As the lead media planner for several large clients, who represent have advertising budgets in the millions of dollars, my wife is a prime target for advertising industry vendors, who sell everything from traditional ad space to pools of credit card … Continue reading Avoiding the rule of reciprocity in business situations
The (selfish) reason to turn your camera on in virtual meetings
Let me begin by saying that while there are plenty of good reasons for turning your camera on—providing an additional communicative layer with gestures and expressions, bonding with your colleagues and collaborators, and driving yourself to engage (and not multitask), among others—I am going to focus on a more selfish reason you might do it: … Continue reading The (selfish) reason to turn your camera on in virtual meetings
Adapting “watch one, do one, teach one” for my career
Recently, I learned about a classic teaching strategy in the world of medical education: watch one, do one, teach one. Usually (and worryingly?) applied to surgeries, the premise is that the best way to learn a new surgical technique or method is to watch someone else do it, then do it yourself, and then, finally, … Continue reading Adapting “watch one, do one, teach one” for my career
Taylor Coe 