I'm hearing a lot of hub-bub about people being offended by Starbuck's for not including more design on their red coffee cups during the holiday season. Merely having a red cup does not seem to be enough for some people. Being offended by this is creating a distraction from the real tragedy. The tragedy is Starbuck's coffee really isn't that good! People are offended because a corporate organization chooses not to do something extra? Seriously, this is your biggest gripe? How about asking them to put better coffee in the cup!? I'm offended that they continue to pass off this coffee as a premium product. It just doesn't taste that good. So, before Starbuck's goes off and starts printing blue cups for Hanukkah and some other colors or Ramadan or Diwali, they should try roasting some coffee worth paying premium prices for. A corporate organization has the right to not print whatever they want. The narcissists in our society need to accept that people are different and corporate organizations do not need to pander to them, just because they think they are different or special. You are not special or different, if you are drinking Starbuck's coffee. Get in line, order your pumpkin spice latte, and stop complaining that the cup is red or that they spelled your name wrong.
When Pumpkin Spice Jumped The Shark
I was driving with my family when something caught my attention. A Mom-and-Pop garage was advertising the "pumpkin spice oil change is back". Images like this are classic Reddit (so of course I posted it there). In the last few years, I've notice pumpkin spice beer and pumpkin spice lattes showing up in every liquor store or coffee house. I roll my eyes to these each Fall almost as hard as my wife when she sees holiday decorations go up before Thanksgiving. Are we all realizing that pumpkin spice is as great as salt and pepper or is this just one more thing in our lives that goes a little too far? Has pumpkin spice jumped the shark?
Moving my website
I've been blogging at The Critical Path since May of 2008. At the time, my life was Project Management. Over time, I've noticed my thinking evolved but my website was kind of stuck. Though I've had plenty I would like to share, I found myself blogging less and less. If I couldn't share it on Twitter, it kind of got lost. The one constant in all of this has been my name. I registered derekhuether.com before I register thecriticalpath.info. With about 6000 pageviews a month on my blog, I figured there is never a good time to sunset one website for another. Moving my website has been on my Kanban board for a while but I've never pulled the trigger. Regardless, I'm doing it.
The focus of my new website is all about connecting people to the channels I'm on. I stood up a Facebook page; I have a YouTube channel; I still have the blog. If anything, I just liberated myself to operate outside the box. So, expect to hear a lot more from me.
If anyone knows offhand how I can cleanly redirect people from The Critical Path to DerekHuether.com, I'm all ears. If you have any recommendations for the site, please leave a comment below or reach out to me on one of my many channels.
Don't Stand in Line for Mediocrity
I had 5 minutes to spare, so I walked into popular coffeehouse to grab a quick cup of joe. I didn't want a mocha-latte-hooya-watcha-ma-call-it. I wanted a good cup of black coffee. I saw a line 5 people deep. I stood there for about 30 seconds and then turned around and walked out. The image the coffeehouse wants to project is that they are this hip place where the popular and successful are seen. This image is greater than the taste of their coffee. The reality is every person and their grandmother walk through the door buying into the lie. More importantly, the coffee isn't that good. It's actually pretty mediocre. I'm glad I walked out the door.
Life is too short to stand in line for mediocrity.
Bad UX on a Menu
popeyes
popeyes_combos
I took the family to Popeyes this weekend. I'm not the fast food type so this is about as close as it gets for me. I'm also not one who eats biscuits or drinks a lot of soda. Why eat at Popeyes, you ask? It was Sunday and Chick-fil-A was closed. Lastly, I am not a UX (user experience) expert. I scanned the menu and I noticed a 2 Loaded Chicken Wrap option. It's basically 2 chicken tenders, beans and rice, wrapped in a tortilla. I was good with that but I only noticed the price for the combo at $6.59. As noted in bold letters at the bottom of this menu sign, combos include a regular side, a biscuit and regular sized drink. I figured that was a reasonable price and would work for me. I would normally just get the main course, some beans and rice, and a cup of water. My plan was to give the biscuit to my son.
What happened? I received 2 chicken wraps, a side of beans and rice, and a 22 ounce cup. I'm not complaining about being charged for a massive 22 ounce cup for soda, when I would have been happy to get a free cup of water. What I was a little pissed about was I didn't get a biscuit to give to my son.
I informed the cashier that she forgot my biscuit. She pointed at the sign and stated, I'm sorry but number 10 and 11 don't get a biscuit.
I then looked at the sign again. My eyes drawn to the word combo. I then looked at the wickedly small text next to the word wraps.
Biscuit not included
Are you kidding me? It's not like I'm trying to buy $9.99 knives off an infomercial and the shipping and handling will cost me $49.99 (written in the footer in super tiny sub-text). I'm at a restaurant getting a sandwich.
I looked at all of the other menu cells that had combos 1-9. None of them included the combos statement in the footer. So, they inaccurately framed this message and deceived me through bad design. I will never order a combo from Popeyes again. If I return, I will only order a sandwich, a side, and a water. They will actually lose money from me over time.
Word to the wise. Don't try to trick your customers. Be upfront with them. Be honest with them. Use simple design and language so things like this don't happen. You're only hurting yourself.
Have you every been tricked by bad UX? I would love to hear your story.
Favorite Project Management Quotes
There isn't a week that goes by that I don't hear some awesome quote or analogy. I put as many as I can into my mental back pocket, hoping for an opportunity to pull one out at a moments notice. When you're stuck for a quote or analogy, to help someone understand what you're trying to say, do you ever ask yourself what's that awesome quote that I just heard the other day?
Here are 10 that I keep handy. Are there any quotes you would like to share? Please add them to the comments section.
- Because the needs of the one... outweigh the needs of the many. - Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Captain Kirk. I like to use this quote when explaining the contrast between egoism, utilitarianism, and altruism (servant-leadership).
- The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain. - Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Scotty. I'm admittedly a Star Trek geek. I've used this once when trying to articulate Lean thinking. I also segway into the untrue but compelling story of the Million Dollar Space Pen.
- The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care. - Office Space, Peter Gibbons. I like to use Office Space quotes, particularly when referring to empowered teams and while drinking from my Initech coffee cup. Mmm'kay? Greeeeat.
- Luck is not a factor. Hope is not a strategy. Fear is not an option. - James Cameron. This quote was on the back of the LeadingAgile t-shirts we all wore at Agile 2012. I still have strangers walk up to me and ask about its origin.
- That which does not kill us makes us stronger. - Friedrich Nietzsche. I think of this quote during almost every run I take. After taking an inventory as to my physical condition, I have a mental debate as to stopping or keep pushing forward. I keep pushing forward.
- We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.- Walt Disney. I've told my son over and over again to challenge the status quo (I don't call it the status quo because he's seven) and when given the choice, try new things.
- When we go into that new project, we believe in it all the way. We have confidence in our ability to do it right. - Walt Disney The power of positive thinking and an empowered team.
- Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential – Winston Churchill. Another almost identical quote came from Dwight D. Eisenhower: Plans are worthless, but planning is everything When I talk about the Agile Manifesto and how we should be responding to change over following a plan, this becomes one of my most commonly used quotes.
- Stable Velocity. Sustainable Pace - Mike Cottmeyer. This quote appears on the back of the LeadingAgile running shirt. It has become the unofficial motto of my life, as it applies to work, family, and running
- We don’t need an accurate document, we need a shared understanding - Jeff Patton. I was attending Jeff's session at Agile 2012, when I heard him say this. It really resonated with me. I don't know if the quote was scripted or impromptu. Regardless, when I recently quoted him at a Project Managment Symposium in Washington DC, I saw over 400 project managers nodding their heads.
This post was originally published on LeadingAgile
Operating Outside Your Comfort Zone
Last week, I facilitated an Agile game, with the goal to increase product delivery throughput. At the beginning of each iteration, I would remind the team "The seven rules of the game are...". Upon completion of the third iteration and only seeing modest gains, one of the team members questioned the need for one of the rules and proposed a change in the delivery process. She asked me, "Is it ok if we do that?" My response didn't give her much solace. Though I knew she was concerned with potentially lowering delivery throughput, I said "it's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission. Just do it." The team then changed their process, resulting in a dramatic increase in delivery throughput.
Though I know success isn't always the outcome, if you don't go outside your comfort zone and do something different, you're never going to see dramatic results. This applies on both organizational and personal levels. Within the game, I allowed the team to pilot the new processes so they would either fail quickly or prove their theories. Over the course of a few iterations, they figured out what worked and what did not, while adhering (directly and indirectly) to the original seven rules.
Within an organization, I recognize things can be much more complicated. We have regulatory compliance, mandates, and policies to contend with. I do challenge you to question if they all apply to your current situation. As with the game, the team just assumed if the rule was listed then it must apply to them. Without questioning the rules, the results are heavy and burdensome processes.
On a personal level, we litter our lives with artificial constraints. We accumulate a lifetime of unnecessary rules, rarely stopping to ask ourselves why we do things that prevent us from excelling in the areas we desire. I'm not promoting living or working recklessly or unethically. Uphold a few guiding principles and reteach yourself to intentionally go outside your comfort zone. Stop asking permission and let the magic happen.
You can also read this post at LeadingAgile
New PMI Member Benefits
Remember the American Express slogan, Membership Has Its Privileges? Well, PMI is working on providing more membership privileges...and benefits for your $129 a year membership dues.
What would you think about getting your medical insurance or next credit card through PMI?
Personally, I would be happy with PMI discount codes for travel expenses like hotel and airlines or consumables like Sharpies and Post-It notes. Check out what PMI is offering! I may actually look into the Pet Insurance.
These new member benefits initially will be available to PMI members in the United States. Members can learn more about these programs by visiting the Benefits of Membership page on PMI.org.
Insurance Benefits
· Auto · Prescription Discounts · Home · Medical · Dental · Life Insurance · Pet Insurance · Annuities
PMI Credit Card
· No annual fee · Low introductory APR on purchases and no balance transfer fees for six months · 1% cash back that can be used on merchandise, travel (no blackout dates), event tickets, activities, gift cards, and account credits