Month / February 2020

by peter

Beware the Power of Dark Scrum

Agile project management needs to be aware the power of dark scrum. Scrum is an agile methodology for managing development projects — mostly software projects but increasingly used in other fields needing flexible and innovative project management solutions. Working in small increments of time (sprints), the scrum teams deliver in predetermined increments, with measurable goals and the flexibility to learn and pivot on the fly.

Scrum goes dark when agile flexibility and teamwork are undermined unreasonable expectations, creating dissension among team members and stakeholders, and turning quick, agile moves into awkward stumbles.

Continue reading →

by peter

Buying in the Hot Toronto Condo Market

 

Is it a good time to buy a condo?  More and more people are asking themselves this, looking to break into one of Canada’s hottest housing markets, or to downsize their empty-nest homes.

And the answer is frequently yes.

These days a condo makes sense from an investment point of view – even when housing prices dip in the city, condominium values tend to remain strong and even increase. And the condo-building boom in Toronto continues.

Continue reading →

by peter

The Man Who Would Be King

Who says print is dead? While it has definitely taken a backseat to digital media, it still has specialty uses for when marketers want something tactile, with value, that they can put into people’s hands as important keepsake and selling tool.

A case in point is the magazine-style publication I helped to create with branding agency 52 Pick-up for Bianca, a condominium being developed by Tridel in Toronto’s New Dupont district. The magazine serves as a city guide for prospective buyers, showing them the kind of the lifestyle they would enjoy here, with outstanding cultural, culinary and shopping attractions.

Continue reading →

by peter

Minding Broken Hearts

UHN cardiologist Dr. Heather Ross says cardiac patients using technology to monitor their own conditions are less likely to be readmitted to hospital. PHOTO By THOMAS BOLLMANN

Mobile technologies allow high-risk cardiac patients to look after themselves at home

Patients at high risk of cardiac arrest can now be closely monitored at home through a smartphone app that transmits vital signs to their health-care team. An increase in weight, for example, may prompt an intervention call from the doctor’s office, says Dr. Heather Ross, a cardiologist at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at University Health Network, which is implementing the mobile technology.

“We find out the patient had dim sum or pizza – something that is notoriously high in salt content. His weight goes up as a result,” notes Dr. Ross. “It becomes a teachable moment for the patient.”

Continue reading →