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Mixing a Song Is a Lot Like Building a Power Flow Case 2d ago

I’ve been writing music for several years now. What started with an alto sax in marching band has evolved into 9 guitars, a five-string bass, a drumset and 240 sound panels tucked into a makeshift home studio. And over the years of writing,... Read

Crossed Wires: When Expectations Obscure Reality 13d ago

A recurring theme in both life and work is expectation versus reality, and how basing your understanding too much on previous patterns can blind you to the actual reality of a situation. When we encounter a familiar scenario, we naturally load up a... Read

Learning to love other people’s code. 19d ago

As developers, I think we’ve all been there. A client asks for a “small change” to a project you’re maintaining. You didn’t write the code, but the request seems reasonable enough. Two days later, you’re staring at your screen, wondering why you... Read

What We Learned at NASPI 26d ago

The power grid is evolving faster than ever, and the discussions at this year’s Novel Applications for Synchronized Power Instrumentation (NASPI) Work Group Meeting and Vendor Show reflected this rapid transformation. Held in Chicago, Illinois, on... Read

Exploring the CIM Through the Organizations That Make It Happen 34d ago

“Coming together is a beginning;keeping together is progress;working together is success.” —Henry Ford Image source: The School of Athens by Raphael (1511) Intro Last year, I wrote a blog post called, Speaking in CIM: The 26 Year Old Language of... Read

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What an Air Traffic Control Tower Taught Me About Software Design 34d ago

While on a trip to Phoenix, a friend of mine who is a retired air traffic controller was able to arrange a tour through the local union rep of the control tower at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. I thought it was going to be a fun way to... Read

Building a UX Research Brain: Atomic Research, Zettelkasten, and Obsidian 44d ago

If you work in product design or research, your organization has likely suffered from a chronic condition that I like to call “Research Amnesia.” It usually strikes during a project kickoff. A product manager or influential stakeholder asks a... Read

Patterns of Knowing in Product Design 49d ago

Intro In Marty Cagan’s book Inspired, he describes the frustrating experience of laboring long to develop product features that went ignored by consumers. The problem that he identifies is that executives would dictate product requirements long in... Read

The Tmux Intro I Wish I Had Gotten 58d ago

I’ve been using tmux for five or six years now. I encountered it on a project that was using Overmind to locally manage processes for an application under development. Overmind uses tmux for process persistence and output capturing. With Overmind,... Read

A New Kind of Load. The Same Old Playbook. 62d ago

Originally published in our March The Current newsletter. Subscribe on LinkedIn. — — ERCOT has more than 225 GW of large load requests working through its interconnection process right now. Its all-time peak demand record is 85.5 GW. The queue is... Read

Ask a Manager

do I have to hire an employee who went scorched earth after she left? 2h ago

A reader writes: I am a senior administrator, with a team of 10. Most of the positions that I supervise are entry level, a lot of recent college grads. I am happy to have these folks on my team and enjoy mentoring them. Generally, I expect people... Read

my coworker sent a rude message about me and I saw it 3h ago

A reader asks: I was on a Zoom call recently with the president of our company and two junior staff members who I do not manage directly. I made a comment during the meeting, and suddenly a snarky Slack message about me from one of the junior... Read

is there a way to tell a coworker, “stop being sexist”? 5h ago

A reader writes: I’m a trainer in a field that requires significant technical and soft skills (think someone in medicine needing both expertise and a good bedside manner). I do both group trainings and 1-1 coaching and support, particularly with... Read

misinformation after a tragedy in our building, someone cc’d my boss over a tape dispenser, and more 15h ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. A client died in our building, and their family is upset with us I work for a very small (fewer than 25 employees) U.S. social service nonprofit. Not long ago, a regular, well-known-to-us client... Read

how much can I decorate my planner at work without looking like a kid? 1d ago

A reader writes: I have one of those intensely low-stakes questions that I would love to get your and the commentariat’s opinion on. I like using paper planners. I like decorating them. I recently started a new job. My question is twofold: 1. How... Read

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I don’t want my new hire working extra hours 1d ago

A reader writes: I manage a fully remote team. It can be difficult to draw a line between work and life when you work from home, so I try to emphasize the importance of work-life balance within my group. I don’t send emails outside of traditional... Read

my boss treats me like I’m invisible 1d ago

A reader writes: I’ve been working at this smallish company for five and a half years now. I started as the office manager when we were nine people and now we’re approaching 50. I am a friendly person and have great relationships with many of my... Read

interview questions meant to identify North Koreans, I promised an employee a promotion before I should have, and more 2d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Interview questions meant to identify covert North Korean workers As you may already know, with the rise of remote work, some sectors in the U.S. have had an issue with North Korean workers... Read

a senior leader threatened to kill someone in a meeting 2d ago

A reader writes: I work for a large nonprofit organization; I started here a few months ago. I am a mid-career professional, and in general, I feel like I usually have pretty good instincts for how to handle interpersonal conflict at work. But I... Read

“other duties as assigned” – the 4 words that can make your job anything 2d ago

Tucked at the bottom of countless job descriptions is a line so familiar it may barely register: “other duties as assigned.” That language generally feels like a formality—an obvious catch-all to cover the reality that job descriptions can’t list... Read

my employee wants to work from home for a job that requires being on-site 2d ago

A reader writes: I have a tough situation. Our new business manager of one year for an office that requires in-office management (due to daily printing requirements) has come to higher management to state their childcare is no longer available. And... Read

coworker is poisoning a new hire with his bad attitude, am I getting an unfair advantage by working on-site, and more 3d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Coworker is poisoning a new hire with his bad attitude A guy who works in our IT department, Steve, is just genuinely a negative human being, and pretty overt about it. He complains constantly... Read

weekend open thread – May 16-17, 2026 5d ago

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: Leonard and Hungry Paul, by Ronan Hession. Two men... Read

open thread – May 15, 2026 5d ago

It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on any work-related questions that you want to talk about (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best... Read

colorful pimple patches at work, mentioning kids when networking, and more 6d ago

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Should I say something about our intern’s bright blue pimple patch? We have a paid intern on a four-month term with government. He has some social anxiety things and general workplace norms we... Read

how much should I monitor a struggling employee’s work hours? 6d ago

A reader writes: I’ve been working with a report who has had some troubles with organization — he would have dropped a few balls if I hadn’t spotted that he was missing things. I’ve given him some very direct feedback which he agreed with. He’s... Read

work is weirder now 6d ago

It’s hard to think of another time in modern history where workplace trends have changed as quickly and as dramatically as they have in the last five years. From the enormous increase in remote work, to employees grappling with careers that look... Read

let’s discuss small things that nearly took down an entire company 6d ago

Let’s discuss small things that almost took down an entire team or company. To kick us off, here’s a story that was shared here recently: About 10 years ago, I was at a job where a huge drama erupted over email signatures that ultimately resulted... Read

interviewer didn’t ask me any questions, people keep asking for unpaid consulting, and more 7d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My interviewer didn’t ask me any questions I just had my second ever job interview (I’m a college student applying to a student job on an editorial team at a big media company). I feel pretty good... Read

the printer destruction, the metronome denial, and other dysfunctional behaviors you’ve been driven to by a toxic office 7d ago

Last month we talked about what dysfunctional behavior you’ve been driven to after a toxic office warped your norms, and here are 15 of the best stories you shared. 1. The printer destruction At a past job, management was extraordinarly cheap. My... Read

should sloppy writing be a deal-breaker when hiring? 7d ago

A reader writes: I’m getting a lot of applicants for jobs like welders, electricians, etc. These resumes tend to have more mistakes (think grammar and spelling errors). I’m having a hard time figuring out if a candidate’s attention to detail on the... Read

my employee says everyone is rude to her, but she’s actually the problem 7d ago

A reader writes: I supervise a team that provides internal services to other employees, some of whom are demanding customers but are on the whole polite and professional. I have one team member, Jamie, who is convinced that the majority of her... Read

employee’s skirts are too short, blessing the food at work event at my home, and more 8d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Do we need a dress code because one employee’s skirts are too short? I work in a small marketing office and am part of the leadership team. It shouldn’t matter for this, but I am a woman. We have... Read

I’m too disabled for my company’s retreat 8d ago

A reader writes: I just started working for an all-remote company who announced an in-person retreat not long after I was hired. (And after I specifically asked during the hiring process if any travel was required and was assured it was not, but... Read

should you tell your boss you’re taking a mental health day? 8d ago

A reader writes: I work in a healthcare-adjacent job with a pretty generous leave policy. When folks are going to take a sick day, it’s our practice to drop a note into Teams and say, “Not feeling well, taking a sick day, contact X about Y if it’s... Read

my manager’s erratic behavior is sabotaging my work 8d ago

A reader writes: I work for a large company and am my manager’s (“Sharon”) only direct report. Sharon is professional and high-performing the three days a week she is in the office. However, on her work-from-home days and even on her scheduled days... Read

I was fired for charging customers’ purchases to my credit card, new boss keeps questioning me, and more 9d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I was fired for charging customers’ cash purchases to my credit card Started my part-time summer job (I am retired) a few weeks ago, working at small convenience/snack/candy store near a local... Read

can I ask for half an extra salary if I take on someone else’s job plus mine? 9d ago

A reader writes: I make a technically reasonable but low salary at my entry-level job, and while I’m not slacking, I’m also definitely not pushing as hard as I could. I do above my quota easily as it is, and I’m confident I could do more — even the... Read

my boss is discriminating against my pregnant employee 9d ago

A reader writes: We recently hired a new employee, “Jane,” to replace someone who is away for a year. Two weeks after Jane started, she told us that she was pregnant and due about six months later. Our company owner, Ron, was very unhappy. He felt... Read

local businesses refused to comply with our salary transparency law 9d ago

A reader writes: This is a completely low-stakes question, spurred on by the town Facebook group. Our province mandated that all job postings need to have a salary included. This is law. There have been two instances where two local restaurants... Read

managing a bossy employee, I can’t get a word in during meetings, and more 10d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How to tell an employee to stop being bossy with coworkers I run a small, seasonal coffee shop with six employees. I generally have two to four return employees per season, which is a huge asset.... Read

weekend open thread – May 9-10, 2026 12d ago

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club,... Read

open thread – May 8, 2026 12d ago

our exit interviews are emailed to all managers, how to ask about AI use in a job interview, and more 13d ago

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Our exit interviews are emailed to all managers I work for a small company with a one-person HR team. When a team member leaves the company by choice, the HR person conducts an exit interview. The... Read

how should I handle an openly hostile job interviewer? 13d ago

A reader writes: I’m returning to the job-searching arena after several years and will be interviewing over the next few weeks. A few years ago, I was interviewed by a panel who were quite hostile and clearly not impressed with my resume or my... Read

things I like 13d ago

Years ago, I used to do occasional round-ups of things I like, just for fun. I haven’t done one in years, so here’s a new one. 1. Alyssa Limperis’s mom videos. Hilarious. 2. Riki Lindhome’s take on So Long Farewell from the Sound of Music. Also... Read

how can I get to know coworkers better when we’re remote? 13d ago

It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I have been with my current employer for 20 years. We have been fully remote since 2020, though we do have in person meetings roughly once a quarter. And I travel for business... Read

I don’t want gifts at work, employee doesn’t wash his hands, and more 14d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I don’t want employees to give me gifts I’ve just switched employers and am now heading up a company’s legal division. I value your advice to gift down, not up, but do you have any scripts on how... Read

the infiltrator, the borrowed research, and other people who were much too honest in job interviews 14d ago

In the recent post on people applying for jobs that were clearly at odds with what they wanted to do, one theme that came up over and over was candidates who were way too honest in interviews. Here are 11 of my favorite stories you shared that fit... Read

candidate lied about the dates of a job 14d ago

A reader writes: I know you say that it’s not a big deal for candidates to leave short jobs off their resumes. But I have an applicant who left a short job off their employment application and changed the dates on their prior position to hide that... Read

how are students supposed to show they work well as part of a team, if group projects in school are so awful? 14d ago

A reader writes: I teach in a business school and previously worked in my industry. I’ve been an AAM reader for a long time. I have seen you write about how group work in school projects is nothing like group work in the real world, and I’m not... Read

my boss punished me for an HR investigation, manager keeps firing people without any warning, and more 15d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss punished me for an HR investigation on her way out the door A little over a year ago, I started in a new workplace. Things seemed great at first — much less stress and a more regular... Read

asking people to do a one-week work trial before offering them the job 15d ago

A reader writes: I saw an ad for a job at a company that says they ask candidates to spend 3-5 paid days working with them before they’ll make an offer. Their ads reads, “Spending 3-5 days in person working together on a real problem is so much... Read

update: can I take care of my baby during the workday if my job is undemanding? 15d ago

Remember the letter-writer wondering if she could take care of her baby during the workday since her job was undemanding? Here’s the update. Your response gave me a lot to think about, and ultimately I realized that I was completely bored by my job... Read

my coworkers leave dirty dishes in the sink and expect me to clean them up 15d ago

A reader writes: I work at a creative company with 50+ people on staff, about 30 of whom come into the office regularly. It’s a great place to work overall, but I’ll be honest, I’m in a bit of a humbling professional moment. After being laid off... Read

rendezvous with cassidoo

💜 "Technology is cool, but you've got to use it as opposed to letting it use you." - Prince 3d ago

Hellloooo my friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was my first week back from vacation, and my brain is still catching up. Let's get into the goodies. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Moving away from... Read

🤩 "Competition drives innovation, but cooperation sustains it." - Nate Hagens 10d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a great week! I am writing this the night before going back to work after a much-needed vacation in Spain... and I am in denial. Wee! Let's learn something. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links... Read

🪖 "Focus on things that are small enough to change, but big enough to matter." - Kat Cole 17d ago

Hola amigos! Happy May! I hope you've had a great week. I've been in Barcelona with my family on a much-needed vacation, and squeezing in some web surfin time in the wee hours of the night. Let's see what happened this week! Was this forwarded to... Read

🕺 "There is power in being robbed & still choosing to dance." - Amanda Gorman 24d ago

Hey friends! We made it to the end of April! This month was definitely my busiest in a long time, but I'm on vacation now for a very welcome break. Let's surf the web. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week An... Read

🧰 "After all is said and done, more is said than done." - Aesop 31d ago

Hola friends! I hope you had a great week! Mine was a whirlwind getting things in order before heading off to Spain, and now I'm here and very jet lagged. Anyway, let's boogie! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the... Read

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🧑‍🚀 "We will always choose Earth. We will always choose each other." - Christina Koch 38d ago

Hey friends! I hope you've had a good week! Mine has been very jet lagged (I flew back from Korea this week), but also very full of wonderful people and work to keep me busy. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the... Read

9️⃣ "There are no mistakes, only opportunities." - Tina Fey 45d ago

Hey friends! I'm so excited to be in your inbox today! Happy April, happy Easter, or happy Passover, whatever your persuasion is! But also: it is this newsletter's 9th year anniversary!! I'm so grateful for all of you here. Let's keep it going... Read

🍠 "I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done." - Lucille Ball 51d ago

Hey friends! I don't know about you, but March FLEW by for me, and we're going into conference season. Whew! Let's boogie. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week The Great CSS Expansion CSS Refactoring with an AI... Read

🛋️ "Set realistic goals, keep re-evaluating, and be consistent." - Venus Williams 59d ago

Howdy howdy howdy! I hope you had a good week! I enjoyed time with friends and family, ate some good food, and built some fun things too. Let's get into it! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week contrast-color()... Read

🪪 "Your work feels different when it's made with love and care." - Maggie Kang 66d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good Pi Day (3/14) yesterday! My week was a long one, but it was nice ending it with some tasty pie with friends and family. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week What... Read

🌒 "Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity." - Dr. Mae Jemison 72d ago

Hey friends! Happy International Women's Day, and good new week! I hope you had a good one. This past week felt like a blur, so let's get into it. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Finding an... Read

🛵 "The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them." - Ida B. Wells 79d ago

Happy March! I hope your February ended well. The world news is hard to read right now, but focusing on what we can control and having a little fun is good for our brains to push forward. Anyway, time to read! Was this forwarded to you? You can... Read

🌅 "Change. But start slowly, because direction is more important than speed." - Paulo Coelho 87d ago

Hey friends! I'm sleepily writing to you from my couch in Chicago, after a weird week of very warm weather (also known as Fool's Spring), and I'm now watching snow fall. What a weird time. Anyway, time to learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can... Read

💄 "Imaginary obstacles are insurmountable. Real ones aren't." - Barbara Sher 93d ago

Howdy y'all! I hope your week was a good one. Mine felt productive, which is always a nice feeling! Let's leeearn. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Building a View Counter for Static Sites with Supabase and... Read

🐰 "Everyone deserves the space to change and for people to recognize their change." - Bad Bunny 100d ago

Hey friends! Happy Superb Owl day! I hope you had a good week. Mine, per usual, was fairly busy, but I had some good times with family and friends, which was good for my brain. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web... Read

🔋 "The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence." - Jiddu Krishnamurti 107d ago

Hey friends! Happy February! Last month felt like the fastest and slowest month ever. I, for one, am hoping for warmer weather, better news headlines, and more interesting projects this month. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can... Read

📀 "Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times." - Aeschylus 114d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week. HUGE thank you to the thousand+ (!!) of you who replied to the last issue, I didn't expect that many, and I'm so grateful for you appealing to the Algorithm Gods for lil ol' me. Thank you thank you! Anyway,... Read

🧯 "You can destroy your now by worrying about tomorrow." - Janis Joplin 121d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week. Before we get scooting: Would you mind doing me a favor and replying to this email (or a future issue, doesn't have to be this one) on occasion? Even if it's to just say "hey" or a joke. It'll help with the... Read

🐷 "The future is sending back good wishes and waiting with open arms." - Kobi Yamada 128d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was productive, but I was also fighting off a cold the whole time so I feel like a pile. Anyway, lots to read, let's boogie! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week A... Read

🎆 "Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, 'It will be happier.'" - Alfred Lord Tennyson 135d ago

HAPPY 2026! Whew! I hope you had a great time kicking off the new year. Let's get started! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Directional CSS with scroll-state(scrolled) !important and CSS Custom Properties... Read

🎊 "The beginning is the word and the end is silence. And in between are all the stories." - Kate Atkinson 142d ago

Oh my word, we MADE IT to the end of the year! This is my last issue of 2025, and I'll be seeing y'all in 2026! I hope you have a wonderful end to your year, and kick off the new one with a bang. Let's wrap things up! Was this forwarded to you? You... Read

🎄 "You only get one life, so you might as well feel all the feelings." - Greta Gerwig 149d ago

Ho ho ho! I hope you had a good week! Mine was so, so busy, and I'm really excited to chill with my family and friends for Christmas this week. Until then, let's boogie! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week The... Read

📙 "Try to create things that are an extension of yourself." - Rob Reiner 156d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was so busy, I'm still recovering from how fast time flew. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Discover Dialog CSS Wrapped 2025 Goodbye to CFE.dev... Read

🦦 "Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going." - Sam Levenson 163d ago

Helllllooo! I hope you had a good week! I celebrated my birthday with family and friends and it was a really great time. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Controlling dialogs and popovers with... Read

❄️ "We all have our down days, but it's not hard to smile and say, 'Thank you.'" - Yvette Nicole Brown 170d ago

Hey friends! November FLEW by for me, it was so busy! But, it was also good to be cozy with my fam for Thanksgiving. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Top layer troubles: popover vs. dialog How... Read

🦃 "A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." - Grace Hopper 177d ago

Howdy! I hope your week went smoothly! Mine was wildly packed at work, and I'm so happy to be going into a holiday week. Let's boogie. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week How to Create 3D Images in CSS with the... Read

🤭 "Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own." - Carol Burnett 184d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was fairly busy at work, but all good things. My kiddos are finally not sick for the first time in a minute, and I'm VERY grateful! Anyway, let's learn. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe... Read

🚒 "If you're not failing, you're not trying." - Reshma Saujani 191d ago

Helllloooo! I don't know about your neck of the woods, but it is SNOWING here in Chicago as I write this. It feels early, but I'm embracing it and playing Christmas music. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links... Read

🎀 "Your voice matters. Your stories are worth telling." - EJAE 198d ago

Hey friends! Happy November! I hope you had a good week. I enjoyed being with the family and making silly CSS jokes. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week The killer feature of Web Components The... Read

🫟 "With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." - Eleanor Roosevelt 206d ago

Hola hola! I hope you're doing well, my friends. I had a good week of being (almost fully) offline, in prep for going back to work from maternity leave (!) and closing out October. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe... Read

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