Blog

Kill me (no pun intended) if I spent too much time at a two-day meeting sequestered in a windowless casino conference room in VEGAS discussing the topic of Deathcare (how AWESOME is that?!?!?! It makes me sound like a character from some indie film), where part of the conversation included timeless management discussions about the Who (not the band), the What, the Why,...

One of my favorite things about my job is the fact that I learn something new every single day. It's a pretty grand statement - but it's true (and often just a little bit painful).

This week, I learned a lot. And while attending a client meeting in Las Vegas discussing the subject of funeral planning, I was exposed to a new concept with great appeal: Umami....

by Carrin Johnson and Tara Wingo

We both recently upgraded our 3g and 3gs iPhones to the new iPhone 4s. Our lives are forever changed. As project managers we rely heavily on our iPhones to tell us where to be, what to do, what to say, what to eat, where to look…OK, so we’re exaggerating, but seriously it would be hard to live without this thing now that we’ve experienced...

• Where is my TC with those LMs?
• My phone’s ringing…answer it or ignore? Ummm…voicemail for sure.
• What color pen should I use today?  Green, Blue, Pink, ORANGE!
• Did I update my schedule for status?  It’s in 5 minutes…
• Print status
• Oh, something shiny…
• Print status!
• Is that a shiny...

At many companies, escalation is a threat and something that is done to begin a disciplinary process for a particular individual.

At Hacker Group, escalation is a problem-solving instrument.  You have a problem;  you’ve tried to solve it, but you can’t. Sounds  like a good time to escalate. Escalation is a method in which you can seek relief of a burden that may...

Some personality tests would tell you that people tend to either be process-oriented or results-oriented. I find that a little amusing. Around here, we’re process-oriented because we’re results-oriented. But we try to never let our processes get in the way of the results.

I’m a problem-solver by nature. I’ve learned there is no silver bullet or one method...

Everyone has their own agenda. When we get offers to partner with someone via cold call, e-mail or at a networking event, we ask a lot of questions: Does this product/service benefit me? Do I need to give up something? How can I trust that person? Are they reliable? Will they compete with me? Will they taint my client relationship?

The Hacks showed up last evening for one heck of a playoff game.  The tension was high, the ball was lively and the team was looking for a little revenge against Worktank.  In true Hacker spirit, they showed a tenacity and desire to win – playing hard with a never say die attitude until the very end.

How do I recap such a gut-wrenching evening? The Hacks, possessing the killer instinct that screams “never say die”, persevered last evening in a game that felt more decided by the umpire than by the teams.

In a show of support by the fans not previously seen this season, the stands were filled with a rowdy lot of Hacks backers.  They came out to see the Hacks unload...

What do a Lil’ G (Gina) belly flop around third base, a Marcus (Marc Smith) game ending kneeling catch in center field and two lovers running towards each other on a beach have in common? 

They all happen in slow motion.

Fresh off of Glamazon (Averyl) becoming the Hacks first disabled list player, thanks to a fractured knee cap, the team was down a woman, but up in spirit. ...

Expectations were flying high as the Hacks arrived at Maplewood to play the vaunted Poo-blee-seeees.  Freshly minted team jerseys graced the torsos of each player, the Hacks’ logo being worn with pride.  A win would pull the Hacks even at .500 and continue the momentum from their dramatic victory only two nights before.  Bring it on, the players were saying.  We can take...

After falling victim to both a rain-out and a lights-out in the first four weeks of the season, the true potential of the Hacks had yet to be revealed, as inconsistent play and erratic fielding had plagued an otherwise impressive looking team.  What was needed, the team agreed, was some solid weekend practice to sharpen their skills, refine their hitting technique and add some swagger to our...

On an incredibly balmy summer (or is it still spring?) late evening in Queen Anne, the Hacks came to play.  Warmed up from a successful Saturday morning practice where 80% of the team attended and the thirst for their first victory of the season, the team arrived early and determined to play hard. 

Evenly represented by nine women and nine men, the lineup was packed eighteen deep. ...

After a highly anticipated opening week drubbing, followed by a drubbing of the weather sorts the following week, the Hacks were anxious to play last evening.  With the winds blowing out to left field and the temperature mild, the Hacks showed up in their temporary t-shirts of red, confidence level high and beer supply higher

K-arlene struggled early, allowing three in the first, but...

Opening night of softball season has come and gone, and after an inspiring performance by our 17 person deep team, I believe it is safe to say we have earned our team name, the Hacks.

Inspiration (and entertainment) was found lurking around a few key corners. Mr. Benner sent a Ruthian blast deep into the night. Willie narrowly avoided having a chalk line smeared into his face as his own...

I read this quote the other day, and it struck me as exceptionally valid. As the chairman of the Philanthropy Committee here at Hacker, I often get swept away in a romanticized view of service. It's...

We were having an internal creative review meeting where the full team looks over everything the creative team put together — before it gets presented to the client. The Account Manager had to be out of town that day, so she phoned in.

We were all...

Just like the first week of classes, I've discovered I'm already behind -- and it's only January 9. I have reading to catch up on, assignments coming...

Every element has to...