What to do when you inherit a low-energy IT team

Quarantine the sources of low-energy contagion and bring in sources of high energy to replace them... more

How to save an IT project after a change in leadership

An IT manager must know how to keep a project on track -- and how to take the right corrective action if plans go awry... more

Managing an employee who is not 'executive material'

It's tough to manage an employee whose personal goals are unrealistic, but it's even harder when style rather than substance limits those aspirations... more

Programming guidelines: Best practices or basic professionalism?

Whether the subject is programming guidelines or nearly anything else, there's a difference between documenting and prescribing. Be clear on the task before you start... more

Looking for a new job in a different location? Improve your odds

Despite all the tools at the modern job-seeker's disposal, there's nothing easy or risk-free about finding a job in a new locale -- but it can be done... more

You can have an early, effective impact as a new manager

New managers and executives should spend their first month listening in and learning the ropes -- but it's possible to make a quick impact at the same time... more

Can't get hold of your boss? Take advantage of the situation

When your boss plays hard to get, it's hard to know what you're supposed to do. But you can use the opportunity to make your own decisions... more

Questions and answers about business postmortems

Here are some tips on how to successfully organize a project postmortem at your company... more

How to start a job search when you're out of work and out of ideas

If you lost a dead-end job and lack the skills for the next one, don't give up -- you can get back on the path to employment... more

The best way to conduct an IT postmortem

Project postmortems not only achieve continuous process improvement; they also enable continuous knowledge improvement... more