by Jim Smelley | Jun 22, 2017 | Other
I was cranky when I got to the airport today. Another car ride. Another security mob. Another Denver train yelling, “YOU are delaying the departure of this train.” Another flight . . .this time in a middle seat. And it’s late. And then I saw a boy walking,... 
by Jim Smelley | May 9, 2017 | Communication, Delivery Methods, Project Management, Strategy, Visibility
Have you ever worked in one of those organizations that has gone through every kind of strategy exercise imaginable? They’ve built a Strategy Map, Balanced Scorecard, Brand Pillars, SWAT Analysis, Priorities Alignment, Yearly Plan, Three Year Roadmap, and... 
by Jim Smelley | Dec 12, 2016 | Consulting, Organization
In 1996, I worked for a prestigious consulting company, but my first major project was in a double wide trailer in a swamp in South Carolina. This is not a joke. A trailer. In a swamp. We walked/hopped to the main office on a few hundred feet of concrete pavers. Those... 
by Jim Smelley | Dec 8, 2016 | Other
This year, I’m thankful for my co-worker, Mike Szymanski. I sat next to Mike at dinner in Dallas a few weeks ago. I’ve known him for awhile now, but I didn’t know we shared a love of fantasy novels (my “love” of these novels might be categorized as something nearer a... 
by Jim Smelley | Nov 22, 2016 | Other
I’ve been doing some back-seat amateur journalism for the last year. I’ve been asking my Uber drivers two questions: How long have you driven for Uber? and Why do you drive? And some of the answers have been quite fascinating: “I was a petroleum engineer. I moved to... 
by Jim Smelley | Nov 17, 2016 | Other
Recently, I walked out of Denver’s airport into the (extremely) crowded area designated for ride sharing. I hunted for my Uber, searching out license plate, after license plate, as they passed by. After watching hundreds of cars, I realized, someone had gotten in my...