Currently reading: Electrify by Saul Griffith đź“š
Currently reading: Small Things Like These (Oprah’s Book Club) by Claire Keegan đź“š
Finished reading: Lent by Jo Walton đź“šexcellent novel, history and fantasy adjacent, about a 15th C. monk. Meditations on how to make a difference and live a good life, while knowing that life is also futile.
Finished reading: The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates đź“šNot my favorite book of his, felt a bit unfinished, but still worth reading.
Currently reading: Meet the Neighbors: Animal Minds and Life in a More-than-Human World by Brandon Keim đź“š
Currently reading: Lent by Jo Walton đź“š
Finished reading: Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout đź“šSometimes Elizabeth Strout annoys me but I really liked this one. It’s a good 2025 novel, describing our time in a way that feels accurate, albeit for white upper-middle-class New Englanders.
Currently reading: Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout đź“š
Finished reading: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney đź“šWorth reading.
Finished reading: Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay đź“šKinda fun, slightly romantic novel. You learn a lot about dancing at the Bolshoi and the jewelry auction business.
What’s the best thing I can make today with a head of cauliflower?
Currently reading: Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay đź“š
Finished reading: Turning to Stone by Marcia Bjornerud đź“šI really enjoyed this non-fiction book about a woman’s life as a geologist. Lots of great geologic insights in addition to some good life lessons.
Currently reading: The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates đź“š Our April Library book club read.
Finished reading: Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon by Melissa L. Sevigny đź“šA pretty good read about two botanists who rafted the Colorado River through the Glen and Grand Canyons before the dams were built.
Finished reading: Swordheart by T. Kingfisher đź“š Annoying but also very readable, to the point where I stayed up until 3 AM finishing it (ugh). Way too much “I love them but they couldn’t possibly care for me.” I guess this is a Rom-antasy? Some very fun characters, interesting world.
Musk's DoGE and Project Management
Did you know that Elon Musk’s DoGE first took over an important project management office within the Federal Government?
Per the Washington Post, “DOGE’s grab of personal data stokes privacy and security fears” Gift Link https://wapo.st/3QzOnj5
Let me first quote a portion of that article:
On Tuesday, 21 staffers of the U.S. DoGE Service, the entity formed as the U.S. Digital Service under President Barack Obama and renamed in Trump’s Day 1 executive order establishing DoGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency, announced their resignations in protest. The group — consisting of engineers, designers, product managers, and IT and operations staff — said they had been subjected to questions about “political loyalty” as part of a DoGE interview process that introduced “significant security risks.” DoGE’s actions, they wrote, have included “mishandling sensitive data” and “breaking critical systems” in ways that are incompatible with the original USDS mission.
I have done quite a bit of project management training for the Federal Government. In that role, I am familiar with the U.S. Digital Service (https://www.usds.gov/), which is the group that DoGE and Musk took over to have some legitimacy.
Per its mission statement, which is still available on the Internet as of 02/26/25, the USDS strives “To deliver better government services to the American people through technology and design.”
One of the ways they achieved that mission was through promoting excellence in project management. In my teaching, I always pointed out the Digital Services Playbook (https://playbook.usds.gov). The Playbook encourages good project management, and enumerates a set of best practices including “Understand what people need” and “Use data to drive decisions.”
For the 21 employees who resigned, these past weeks must have been a nightmare. They understand the importance of planning and risk management, yet they have been asked to work in a completely ad hoc way that is the opposite of good project management practices. I salute their bravery in standing up to the chaos and resigning rather than compromising their integrity.
✅ NEXT STEP If you don’t want to be running your projects like DoGE, message me here on LinkedIn. Let’s set up a Discovery Call to explore how I can help you achieve your project goals.
All of my Federal project management work has dried up, no surprise there. I’m looking forward to a gig in Portsmouth, NH, in May.
Currently reading: Swordheart by T. Kingfisher đź“š
Currently reading: Turning to Stone by Marcia Bjornerud đź“š
Finished reading: An Equal Music by Vikram Seth đź“š This is one of my favorite authors and this novel did not disappoint, even though I did not trust the narrator. It was interesting to learn quite a bit about chamber music, interesting to consider as I begin my second year of fiddle lessons.
Finished reading: 142 Ostriches by April Davila đź“šFun novel, sort of a coming-of-age story. Good characters, and you learn a lot about ostriches. The end is a bit of a muddle but I’m willing to forgive because it was a good ride.
Currently reading: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney đź“š
Currently reading: 142 Ostriches by April Davila đź“š
Currently reading: Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon by Melissa L. Sevigny đź“šThis month’s book group read.