Thoughts
Ideas that transform people, businesses, and industries
Deeply rooted in our organizational ethos is the celebration of authentic and unapologetic “thought.” We believe each member of our team brings with them a unique view of themselves, our clients, and of the world we live in. We make a point to not only articulate our individual experiences, senses, emotions, and actions internally, but to share them with you here.
Thought Tournament, Thoughts Anyone?
With the Masters in full swing this week, I can't help but meld golf and work, so I have an idea I'd like you to consider. A while back, one of our clients and I were discussing the needs of their IT organization and they suggested that Thought Ensemble host an event...
Is Your Innovation Leader a “Guru” or just PMO Overhead?
Innovation is quite the hot topic these days. It seems everyone wants to be innovative and for some companies it is absolutely required. Software companies that don’t constantly evolve their products will become stale. Consulting firms that don’t come up with new and...
Why not use the MBTI for hiring?
One of my favorite parts of my job is leading MBTI workshops for our clients. Yesterday, I spent the day with the executive team of a fast growing software company. We had a lot of fun together and the group really embraced it as a tool for team building. They got so...
Outsource Innovation Thoughtfully
Our thought topic this month was: “Innovation in Technology Organizations”, so if you follow Thought Ensemble’s website, you’ll see a flurry of blogs on this topic over the next couple weeks. Our focus was on technology groups (software engineering or IT...
Write Your Culture Down… But, Very Carefully
We’ve all been in companies where core values, missions and visions are plastered all over walls and employee badges, but the culture we experience is, well, different than what is described. In January, our thought topic of the month was on corporate culture, with...
My New Year’s Resolution: 45 Days and Counting
I love New Year's resolutions. I love hearing what “one thing” would change someone’s life enough that they elevate it to the supreme importance of a New Year’s resolution. I love supporting friends and colleagues in achieving their resolutions. I love sharing my...
Managing my Ability to Relax
We all live in a chaotic world where the demands on our time are relentless. There are always things to be done and how we manage ourselves throughout the day can drive our overall demeanor as well as our ability to relax at the end of it. It seems that everyone is...
How often are YOU tested?
Here I am T-minus 5 hours until my first final exam in law school. The last time I had a final exam was almost a few decades ago, so it's hard to really feel overly prepared for such a thing - especially when the final exam is the only grade I will get in an entire...
Why I love the cloud today
I received a new computer last week and I’ve been reticent to open the box because I've had too many other things to do... but today, I realized that was kind of ridiculous. How long could it take in this day in age to get a new MacBook Air as fully functional as my...
Everyone’s jumping into tech strategy
When we started Thought Ensemble in 2008, the market for the type of work we founded the company on was smaller. In fact, some of our colleagues thought we were a little crazy for focusing the company on technology strategy. In the early days, it was more likely that...
It’s not who you know, but who knows you!
I have encountered this so many times that I had to write a quick blog on the topic. Have you ever heard the saying, "It's who you know?" Whether it's during an inspirational networking speech, or coming from a mentor, professor or co-worker, it is something that is...
Personalities and communication: MBTI vs. “the quadrants”
If you've followed my blog, you know I'm a huge fan of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. What you may not know is that I've seen a few other personality indicators in my day. At last count, I've been through at least ten different personality-based team building or...
Preventing Reactions
I recently made a visit to a wellness facility here in Dallas that touts how much better it is to focus on preventative lifestyle choices vs. reacting to problems that may come up later. The doctor said I was in the 3% of people that strive for preventative care vs....
Why do we work from home?
"The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office." —Robert Frost "A train station is where a train stops. A bus station is where a bus stops. What’s a workstation?" —William...
Meditating for a Change, How Flying Changed My Life
Everyone on this flight is either working, being entertained or sleeping. No one is writing, staring out the window or even talking to each other. The guy next to me is playing every game he can find on his tablet. He's also completely oblivious to the fact that his...
Rant: Giant Headphones?
Have you seen yourself? Seriously, you look ridiculous. That tech is so outdated. It's as old as the headsets that the operator had on to connect your call. Squishing a speaker against your ears is significantly less effective at blocking out noise compared to putting...
The end of the alarm clock
I’ve noticed an interesting trend in hotels recently: the bedside alarm clocks don’t seem to have the right time. In hotel after hotel recently, I’ve noticed that the clocks are off… and not by a little bit. Last night, the clock was off by 45 minutes. Of course,...
Gluten Free IT
I was at church a couple weeks ago and it was communion Sunday. As the pastor was going through the routine he announced that there were gluten free communion wafers available for those who wanted them. I started laughing to myself (and a little out loud to the...
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Hours
The demands of running any organization are undeniably arduous and at times seemingly (or actually) insurmountable. Even if you are taking consistent steps forward, the ground beneath your feet is ever pushing you back. Your task list is not unlike Greek...
Learning to Fail in the Boy Scouts
I am the proud father of a new Boy Scout and a big supporter of scouting in general. When I was a kid growing up in Colorado I was into scouting big time and I reached Eagle when I was in the 8th grade. Although I love Texas, I have to argue that Colorado is...
The Challenges of the COO’s Job
It’s tough being the operations guy. You have to “make it happen” in terms of cost savings and sometimes you are even responsible for the top line. The COO is often responsible for a vast swath of the business aside from some administrative functions such as legal and...