“What’s the point of listening if you don’t try to help?” “Getting into the hole? What for? Now you’re both…
Oh man – I can riff about testing and #QA until the cows come home. Which is why I absolutely LOVED my…
Silence is under-rated.Nobody likes silence. But sometimes…Sometimes you need to leave a few heartbeats of silence, when someone is sharing…
“I can’t believe they are hiring people with the ‘right mindset’ so that they can ‘train the skill’ but they…
Why am I investing 3 weeks of my own time, to train at no charge to out of work peeps…
Do certifications matter in the #Salesforce ecosystem?How about a university degree?These eternal questions comes up again and again. Experience and attitude matters,…
If you’re a “not my job” sort of person, then you’re going to be left behind. Specialisation and division of…
Do you know the difference between sympathy and empathy? #Samaritans explain it using a metaphor of how one would interact with…
When a Salesforce Discovery isn’t done right by the Partner, it signals a very rocky project implementation. Here are a…
“I just got laid off.” “Yeah I got laid off last year. It sucked. But then I started a business…
Salesforce Partners and Salesforce Professionals – if you want to learn how to run Client Discoveries well, this post is…
Hiring companies may not know how to define proper job titles.So, new Salesforce jobseekers – you need to listen to…
Everyone has a hot button. Mine gets triggered when I take a call and the subject hits close to home,…
Why is a soft skill like #communication listed below hard skills like #Salesforce exam certification in a job description? While the basic expectation is…
You need to go the extra mile to break into the Salesforce Ecosystem. Wise words from Justin Greenberg, #Salesforce BA/Product Owner/ Project Manager/…
The fine art of balancing the extremes is a skill that is so important. Especially when working with startup clients,…
There are a few things that a Project Manager loves to hear. “You’re so awesome” is something I hear a…
It’s about getting the balance right.The “Goldilocks” effect.* Not too hot, not too cold.Not too easy, not too hard.Not too…
People are afraid to approach someone they think is struggling, because What if they’re wrong?What if they say the wrong…
In Consulting, there is an expectation of competency. The job is fast paced, and everyone’s expected to pull their sleeves…
Hayfever is killing me but nothing is going to dampen my glorious weekend! I’ve just finished the last day of…
“Here’s what I want – go forth and build.” Consulting engagements doesn’t really work that way. When clients engage a…
I have my own style that is unique to me.But like all competent Project Managers, I have a job to…
How do you talk to yourself?What kind of questions do you ask yourself? Are you kind?Are you brusque?Are you inquisitive?Are…
The word ‘Consultants’ sometimes conjure up mixed feelings. “Consultants charge a lot”, you say “And sometimes a lot of what…
The life of a Project Manager can be incredibly exciting! You’ll get fantastic projects– new technology– super fun clients– great…
Covid’s shit.The secondary and tertiary victims will become more obvious as the pointy end of the pandemic flattens out. And…
“I really don’t think I can take it anymore.”Her shoulder slumps. Your heart starts beating very fast and you don’t…
How do you make prioritising user stories exciting?You assign animal names of course! This was such a fun talk I…
Here’s a tip if you’re worried about what to say when talking to someone who is struggling. It doesn’t matter…
Is it better to be right, or kind? Many programmes featuring Simon Cowell or Gordon Ramsey seem to teach that…
Pushing a new #Salesforce Consultant ‘into the deep’ end to see if they sink or swim is an awful practice, especially if…
You can’t see it but I’m crying inside. 😭In the new world order, virtual discovery workshops will become more common.…
Human beings are social creatures.We aren’t meant to be alone. Being in a tight knit team, or a close family…
How to create LinkedIn videos in under 30 minutes.Video Link 👇🏻 A few people had asked and I also promised…
We really need to listen when someone’s telling us something. Sometimes, we may need to read between the lines to…
Do you assume people know what you’re thinking?Or do you presume to know what other people are thinking? As a #Salesforce consultant,…
I have a graph of my cholesterol reading for the last 20 years, 📈although the data collection and graphing had…
What’s the difference between operational business processes, and life processes – say, the process of making friends, or finding a…
There is a reason why we have ‘Best Practice’ and the golden mantra: Just because you can, doesn’t mean you…
I consider myself pretty good at process maps. 😎They used to be *so* amazing (cough!) that my clients would ‘oo’…
Sometimes I feel like the noise in my head can get quite overwhelming. When that happens, I find it useful…
Would you name your baby DaBomb?Or BooYah?Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. When you get naming conventions wrong,…
How can you listen to so much darkness and not let it taint your soul and spirit?As a listening volunteer…
His job was to break into homes to find the erotic toys and other sexual paraphernalia and get rid of…
Some #Salesforce or #Microsoft Partners play ‘Hot Potato’ with the projects they sell, and it’s a rotten way to do business. Sometimes a culture…
What’s the number 1 skill for any #Salesforce or #Microsoft consultant? Designing great solutions?Solving problems?Competency in product knowledge? Luke Menzfeld from Cloud Galacticos talks about listening as…
Product champions – did they come first in a 3-legged product race? Nope, they help an organisation leverage its business…
Boundaries are healthy. “Allan. This is my invisible wall. Do not cross into my personal space because I do not…
Self harming is more common than you think. When she tucked her hair behind her ear, her sleeve fell away…
GIGO = Garbage In, Garbage Out. This is especially true when companies believe that all problems will disappear with new…
PM’s job in 4 words: Setting and managing expectations. Any PM who isn’t able to do this, really should look…
Wouldn’t it be great if you were like Dr Strange and could test out different versions of the future? That…
Coerce or convince?What’s your preferred style of influencing others? There’s a whole spectrum of tactics:Force, compel, coerce, convince, persuade, ask,…
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…