Empathy vs Sympathy. It’s the difference between getting into the hole to be alongside someone, and standing outside the hole…
How do you know when you’ve completed a user story?When– functionality has been built in sandbox?– test classes completed at…
If your customer feels that they aren’t being heard, they will vote with their feet. In today’s world, there is…
When I pick up the phone during my shift at Samaritans, my heart drops into the pit of my stomach…
Did you know that you can’t plant the seeds of suicide in someone’s head by asking them the question? Many…
What’s a monster facial disfigurement to you, may be a lovely freckle to someone else. Your priorities, opinions and feelings…
I got stabbed yesterday.By a super efficient nurse called Isla.With a vaccine to fight evil people-killing/maiming virus called Corona. Technology…
Big fish little pond. Little fish big pond. 🐟 Which is better? To work in a small/boutique #SalesforcePartner or a biiiiiiiig GSI…
Users will always want what they want.Babies will always poop and eat and cry.Puppies will always want to play and…
On Star Wars day (May 4th) … I’m offering 3 weeks of no-charge LIVE Consulting Masterclass training for #salesforce peeps: – Consulting…
OK, the drawing is tongue in cheek. When you’re presented with a requirement that… doesn’t quite make sense, you don’t…
Inspired by Jay Harrington‘s post today. My feed is normally inundated by those whose answer is (A), and I scroll on…
“Chase your dreams. The consequences are often minimal.” This is similar to “Follow your passion to build the life of…
Consultants – should you– Specialise or generalise?– Go deep or wide?– Niche or go every which way? I faced this…
“Which is better – a contract role or a permanent one?”The lawyer-y answer would be: It depends. There are a…
Why are you always asked to put out fires?It can be a grinding, thankless job.Is it because you’re good with…
Today’s video is for both #Salesforce or other #CRM job seekers and Consulting Partners, and is a response to the excellent article posted by Maurizio…
“How long is it going to take to complete the #Salesforce project / build this function / roll out this requirement for…
Eating.Gaming.Exercise.Sex.Netflix binging.Alcohol or other drug of choice. There are so many ways that people can use to cope with the…
Almost everyone wears a mask.To look strong.To appear calm.To fit in.To hide pain.To hide vulnerability. That’s the danger, you see.Because…
As long as my new car is red and has flame throwers to kill zombies, I don’t care about the…
“Great granny, I fell and hurt my head.”“Oh dear. Did your brain fall out?” I always love to hear people’s…
Eliciting Requirements.It’s an Art.So – is your answer a faster horse, a car, or Internet access and home learning kit?…
One of the critical job of a #Salesforce or Microsoft Consultant or a #awesomeadmins is to tactfully challenge requests. So many business applications can…
How are humans and organisations like zombies?No, we don’t eat brains. We can however, get to a point where our…
It is inevitable that sales can sometimes paint a picture that is a little too beautiful, too bright and too…
If you’re a junkie for adrenaline and dynamic career requiring military execution, you can either be in the Army or…
Who am I, and what do I do?If you’re a #Salesforce Partner looking to grow and develop your internal talent into high…
“It’s no fun testing a game; It’s like playing, but it’s not.It’s trying to find all the glitches and then…
10,000 hours for Mastery feels like an epic impossibility sometimes. I’ve always had fantasies about having the ability to plug…
Matching up with a Consulting Partner is like matching up with a romantic partner. You want someone compatible.Someone who meets…
Does size matter? 👀I like the big ones, I like the small ones, and those in between. 😁 Of course…
How often would you poke a bear with a red hot poker? 🐻Once? Twice?How about every weekday? People would think…
Have you ever been handed a baby with a HUGE bulging nappy?The one where you’re afraid of peeking inside just…
Day 3 of my #30daysofvideo challenge. I thought that I’d answer some commonly asked questions.In today’s video post, I talk about the…
Nuance and context is so important.Nowhere more so, than when having an intensively emotional conversation about life and death, as…
How long will you take to learn how to make donuts with only your feet? 👣Uhh … whut? Estimating #Salesforce…
When is 1 * 100 <> 10 * 10?When estimating #Salesforce project costs. If 10 tasks is estimated to take…
When problem solving _IS_ a problem. 🤔 What? I hear you say. Many of us are wired to be problem…
I ❤ estimating #Salesforce projects.Perhaps it’s a nerdy thing, but I love the planning, and the thinking that goes behind…
“So talk to me about how you worked out your project estimates.” My ex-colleague, T, had just joined a company…
“So how many sandboxes will you have? Whaaaaat? 😱“Why do I need more than one?” “If you want to replace…
“You’re worried that your mum will reject you because you’re gay? Maybe it’s a phase… go on a few ‘normal’…
“So essentially, you knocked up your estimates on the back of a fag packet?” He got a bit defensive.“No, I…
The speaker schedule is out WOOOOOT! Join my session at London’s Calling Ltd on 19th March 2021. You’ll hear how mastering Active…
The new IT Director showed me his CBAR-Cost Benefit Analysis Report.My right eyebrow went so far back it joined my…
“Why don’t you just quit your job?”“Let me talk to your teacher about your grades.”“You’re such a doormat. Just tell…
“Hiring #Salesforce Functional Consultants – currently remote (so you can zoom with your pyjama bottoms). However, when all of us…
I almost never use “Are you OK?” on its own. Otherwise I get the standard reflex response of the English:“Yep,…
Salesforce has changed the way they are certifying their #SalesforcePartners and this is their definition of an Implementation Expert: A…
Ugh. It’s so noisy.Phones going.Office humdrum.The open plan can be so noisy.How do I focus on work? Wait.Is that Sandy…
As a Samaritan’s volunteer, I listen to people every week as they share the difficulties they are going through in…
As a Consulting Partner, asking insightful questions, and listening carefully, will help you understand requirements when it comes to building…
We watched #Soul yesterday – me and the ninjas. There’s a scene where Joe gets a lesson in active listening…
“Would anyone believe that you and me – both successful in our professional lives, have gone through abuse and sexual…
“Are there any PMs on the training who might have very strong personalities?” “Why do you ask?” I was a…
Most of the biggest challenges in struggling projects is issues around scope, requirements and change management. I think the biggest…
Do you want to know the 5 words that are the secret to really effective #communication and connection? No, you…
“The Functional Consultant role is 100% remote – how effective will I be when doing workshops?” M had gone through…
A Consulting Partner needs to really only do two things well: 1. Deeply understand requirements. 2. Execute well. Any Partner…
Who’s the most effective #CRM executive champion/sponsor? A. Finance Director B. CEO C. Marketing Director D. Sales Director E. Ops…
Do you build your CRM platform yourself or do you get someone to help you? Buying software that can be…
“I’m only being paid a fraction of what I’m billed out at. It’s not fair. I can run my own…
“We can do it all ourselves. It’s cheaper than getting a Consultant Partner to do it. How hard can it…
“Yes – you can name your variable ‘bob’ if you want to, but no – you shouldn’t.” Ninja #2 is…
It gives me goosebumps and shivers down my spine! No, it’s not my lovely Husband attempting to woo me with…
“Um… John always made sure things like that worked automagically.” They couldn’t figure out why the financial records weren’t coming…
We were asked to audit a system that had been built by another company years ago. It was a MONSTER.…
“This is sh*t! We are being treated like kids! How do they expect us to perform when they pull stunts…
Congratulations, you’ve just been appointed the Exec Sponsor for the CRM Project. But, what do you do now? The 5…
Which grabs your attention? I’m submitting a few topics to London’s Calling’s Call for Presentation/Speakers in March and What topic…
When I hear about CRM projects that are so badly designed and implemented, it makes me want to poke my…
“You must try this restaurant, it’s got the most delicious pad thai – they even made me a non-peanut version…
Funky new features is not a good reason to get Salesforce. Although I admit, there are some features that are…
A beautiful new swimming pool in a hotel is not successful if no one is using it. “It’s too cold.”…
How did out of date apps like ‘Netscape Communicator’ and ‘Mozilla Mail’ get referenced as ‘modern’ in the Brexit deal?…
Bid response, Proposals, Solution documents. These are just some of the documents that may need more than one person to…
“Here you go – these are the build estimates for the user stories. Can you come up with a pricing…
What happens when you don’t manage expectations properly? Anger and disbelief. And #Tier4. That press conference yesterday definitely provoked a…
“So I’m calling to thank you for guiding me through the Consulting Masterclass – it helped so much during the…
“You might be a rockstar Certified Technical Architect, but your arrogance and your pattern of belittling others, will be your…
How do you handle explosive situations in a workshop when emotional outbursts have derailed the conversation? It can happen. I…
A team that has chemistry, where the group dynamics just works – is magic. It’s like conducting an orchestra, where…
Solutions Architect vs Project Manager. To become super expert at a special skill, or to become really good at a…
Hot potato. Some partners treat their clients like hot potato when the organisational culture doesn’t promote cohesive behaviour. Sales will…
How do you feel when you get a contract that seriously leans AGAINST your favour? I’ve seen contracts and agreements…
“Yes he worked with me on these dates. He performed some of the duties of a Junior Project Manager, and…
What do you call a consulting partner who misrepresents their internal capability and competency to the client and signs them…
“But what if I don’t get another contract? I still have a mortgage to pay.” I was just speaking to…
Sometimes I wish I could do the Vulcan mind-meld. 🖖🏻 The ability to directly connect my mind to yours, and…
Agency. The control you have over your life, your work, your circumstance. There is a difference between what control you…
Sooner or later, short term thinking leads to pain. If you are only keen on closing that deal without spending…
2020 has been utterly crap for so many people. Job losses, financial insecurity, illness, death. There are so many LinkedIn…
In Dec, I am giving away 12 courses on The Art of being an Excellent Salesforce Consultant (all sessions from…
To close projects successfully, you need to have delivered to spec. To deliver quality specs , you must test robustly.…
Many of us walk around unconscious, without seeing, and without hearing. I asked my current batch of trainee Samaritan volunteers…
A process diagram should be so good that you can hand it to someone who has never seen one before,…
What does leadership and project management have in common with the values of Stoicism? A lot, in fact. Wisdom The…
“You don’t have a billable project code against the pre-sales activity? Sorry, not interested.” Be careful what you wish for.…
In situations where consultants go into project as the solo team member, they typically have to handled the end-to-end engagement,…