Podcast episode No. 0046: What the heck is Brian up to?
A professional update, some new things, a request, and a reading.
Improve Something Today
Continuous improvement in a complicated world. A blog, podcast, and free e-mail newsletter by Brian Kerr. Simplicity, patience, compassion.
Latest posts
A summertime check-in: Comfort-Stretch-Panic & Disability Pride Month
A simple method for checking in; a reading & a game for Disability Pride Month; plus some recent updates across the site.
Podcast episode No. 0043: The stone boat
Episode details A reading of a short poem by W.S. Merwin: The Estuary . I share a few words about what might have influenced Merwin at the time of the poem’s composition. More podcast episodes online or in your favorite app .
What kind of water is this like? A simple practice for noticing awareness
A momentary observation for seeing the quality of your experience without, hopefully, worrying too much about how or why.
Wrapping up the first 10 years of Improve Something Today
It’s been a busy two weeks on the site :)
A decade in books
Nine books I’m always reading.
Describing highly variable processes with Work Unit Routing Analysis (WURA)
A method for documenting & understanding processes when people say there isn’t a process.
Our favorites, so far
Now that Improve Something Today is a decade old, here are some of your favorite—and my favorite—of the things I’ve offered to date.
Tilopa’s six words of advice
A six-word poem to be appreciated, for today, as a poem.
Five contributions to a project: money, effort, attention, memory & wisdom
Following on Jerry Weinberg’s point that ‘the money is usually the smallest part of the price,’ what other prices are to be paid, and how should a consultant approach these contributions?
Open space technology, principle 4: “When it is over, it is over”
Appreciating circles that have been opened but not closed.
Three ways people respond to a problem (other than solving it)
Noticing responses to problems; there’s a whole set. The consultant’s reaction to each of these as they arise.
Two facilitation methods starting with a single line: Actions|Results & +|Δ
Two simple facilitation methods you can start anytime by drawing a single line on a sheet of paper. What these are and when to use them.
10 things I’ve learned in 10 years of writing Improve Something Today
This site is about learning in public. As it turns a decade old, I scrounge around for 10 things I’ve learned while writing it. Also: my gratitude.
Timely plugs: Mandy Brown’s workshop, Abby Covert’s next sensemaking book, & new music
Three things to consider this week.