Paved With Good Intentions James Wilson

We make difficult conversations so much worse for everyone by delaying, procrastinating, and ruminating. Don't delay, but do prepare. Own the message and deliver it with conviction. This is the first of 3 episodes on difficult conversations that will focus on preparing, being in the room and following up after a conversation. The video is based on the article I wrote here: https://jameswilson.io/difficult-conversations/It references the following books:https://www.amazon.com/Crucial...

I'm often asked, "How can I get started in software development?" My reply is always, "Find a problem you wish to solve, and then learn just enough to solve that problem." Learning by identifying and solving problems that are meaningful to the learner avoids endless learning without doing, and provides the motivation to keep going in the face of challenges presented by ambiguity and unfamiliarity. Best of all, it builds confidence along side capabilities.

Rapidly evolving languages, frameworks and paradigms mean that when we look back on old code we instinctively want to rewrite it -- because now we know a better way to implement it! However, rewriting code is almost always an anti-pattern that overburdens teams and results in burn-out. Incremental progress toward a desired end state is the antidote.This video is based on an article that I wrote here:https://jameswilson.io/never-rewrite/

A relentless pursuit of simplicity is the discipline to say no to an idea despite the potential it might hold, a dedication to simplicity for the end user despite the difficulty in delivering that, and the vigilance to divest non-core activities and reclaim those resources to power innovation of your core product.

Mental Models allow us to step inside the mind of the user to uncover their intent, expectations and extenuating circumstances. The key to building a great app or service that your customers will love is to understand and leverage their mental model. This video is based on the article I wrote at:https://jameswilson.io/mental-models/

When you walk out of the room after a difficult conversation, as the person delivering the message there are some follow up steps that are crucial to making sure your message drives the change you seek. For the person receiving the message, how you respond immediate after you walk out of the room will determine your ability to be successful from this point onward. This video is based on the article I wrote here: https://jameswilson.io/difficult-conversations/