Unexpectedly over the last few years my consulting has gotten entirely “managerial,” working with entire orgs and getting involved in ops, rather than just advising individual execs. One effect is that I’m in “manager time” headspace more and getting into “maker time” headspace is harder🤔😵‍💫

Blogger at ribbonfarm.com, running summerofprotocols.com, host of /gloom ☀️

When I last did managerial work as an employee in 2011, I had complex process notions. Now my philosophy is that management is 70% inspection, 20% resisting the urge to do something, 10% resisting the urge to do nothing.

Inspection is the most load-bearing activity in management and can’t be faked.

Inspection questions may not always get answered immediately or at all (33% now, 33% later 33% becomes moot) but reveal managerial capabilities and competence to managees 100% of the time.

Inspection as a manager mainly consists of asking other people questions. For better or worse any question instantly reveals everything other people need to know about you as a manager:

1. Are you paying attention to the right things?

2. At the right level of detail?

3. And know what you’re talking about?