Reflecting on 2023
"Everybody's coming back to take stock of their lives. You know what I say? Leave your livestock alone." Debi Newberry, Grosse Pointe Blank
With Thanks and Gratitude...
Early 2023 had a few wild compass swings and getting my bearings wouldn't have been possible without the kindness and honesty from more than a few people who are close to me.
Top of the list, Q has been my rock and trusted companion. Whether sharing whims or deep reflections, Q has held steady with love and affection.
Close family and friends have been a source of comfort and reassurance more times than I can count: Cathy, David, Bev, Bruce, Angie, Danny, Carol, Creed, Lynn, Ann, (another) Ann, Christopher, Dan, Faye, Fred, George, and Colleen.
To my (so far) virtual circle of international friends who have been an integral part of this year's journey and have been fabulously supportive of my clumsy experiments: David, Jason, Luis, Ana Lucia, Avital, Markus, Jomiro, Thierry, Jonathan, Ton, Susan, Billy, Melissa, Elliott, Alexis, Wendy, Ronnie, Jennifer, Vladimir, Chuck, Red, Nicola, and Darrell.
To round this out, I am deeply grateful and humbled by my Substack readers. Knowing you are there inspires and instills in me a strong sense of responsibility to publish ideas that give more than I receive.
Thank you all.
GE
The Top Ten Posts of 2023
1
The Agile Mindset - Socrates and Aporia
(This article is part of an on-going series dedicated to developing Agile mastery. Each post offers value to students on this journey, however, there is an advantage to those who start at the beginni…
2
The End of Your Knowledge Worker Profession Approaches
Tech pundits have been predicting the end of coders for years. It's always just around the corner. "Next year!", they claim. I don't think they're entirely wrong. The target is there, it's just that …
3
Some Thoughts on Marc Andreessen's Techno-Optimist Manifesto
Having read through Marc Andreessen's Techno-Optimist Manifesto I can say that it hasn't altered how I feel about the future, which is to say: Very cautiously optimistic. There is much in his manifes…
4
A Query into Psychological Safety
I've been working on several posts related to psychological safety. The effort has taken me to some interesting nooks and crannies of workplace psychology. To help round things out, I’m curious about…
5
Less Expectation, More Appreciation
I had the distinct pleasure recently of spending several days with my Aunt V on the occasion of her 90th birthday. A remarkable woman with whom I share many traits that set us apart from our respecti…
6
Can AI Get Mad Cow Disease?
(This post follows on the thoughts expressed in "The End of Your Knowledge Worker Profession Approaches" and Thoughts on AI and the Future of Agile Coaching posts.) We assuage our fears by telling ourselves that AI in the form of software like ChatGPT is a tool. It will make good writers better. It will make good coders better. Maybe so. It will definitely make bad writers even worse, bad coders even sloppier,
7
The Agile Mindset - Shu Ha Ri
(This article is part of an on-going series dedicated to developing Agile mastery. Each post offers value to students on this journey, however, there is an advantage to those who start at the beginni…
8
Unrestrained Moderation
Life is short. That’s all there is to say. Get what you can from the present - thoughtfully, justly. Unrestrained moderation. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4.26 An unrestrained hedonistic lifestyle …
9
Goals, Missions, and The Arrival Fallacy
This past weekend I finished reading "Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier" by Stephen Ambrose. It took me a year and a half to finish. Not just because …
10
Stoic Meditation #9 - Forgiving Others
"Tout comprendre c'est tout pardonner." "To understand all is to forgive all," a phrase generally attributed to Blaise Pascal. The idea is that if you know all the circumstances about someone's behavi…
If you have any questions, need anything clarified, or have something else on your mind, please use the comments section or email me directly.