Michael Santarcangelo (@catalyst) header
Michael Santarcangelo (@catalyst) profile picture

Michael Santarcangelo

@catalyst

Delivering value in a world built to overlook it. Trusted advisor, close counsel. Founder of ValueSmith™. 30 years in the trenches.

 Tampa, Florida
valuesmith.com
Joined March 2007
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Photo by Michael Santarcangelo (@catalyst)Photo by Michael Santarcangelo (@catalyst)Photo by Michael Santarcangelo (@catalyst)Photo by Michael Santarcangelo (@catalyst)Photo by Michael Santarcangelo (@catalyst)Photo by Michael Santarcangelo (@catalyst)Photo by Michael Santarcangelo (@catalyst)Photo by Michael Santarcangelo (@catalyst)Photo by Michael Santarcangelo (@catalyst)Photo by Michael Santarcangelo (@catalyst)
The finished work can hide the effort it took to deliver it.
The finished work can hide the effort it took to deliver it. — Michael Santarcangelo.

ALT The finished work can hide the effort it took to deliver it. — Michael Santarcangelo.

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The downside of knowing the right answer When we build our career in technology, knowing the right answer gets rewarded. But we start not knowing the right answer. We find ourselves in stressful situations where we need something to work. We struggle through testing, reading, asking, and troubleshooting. Eventually it works. Hopefully in time. While we try to avoid those high stress, high profile failures, tech gives us a lot of challenges to learn from. Over time, we develop the sense of knowing where to look, what to ask, and what’s happening. We embrace the craft of technology. Our experience informs us. When asked, we know the right answer. Then something interesting happens. The more we get known for knowing the right answer, the more people look to us to offer the right answer. It feels good for us, and it works for them. We offer what we know, while inadvertently hiding what it took to figure it out. I’ve noticed that for a lot of people, knowing the right answer becomes part of our identity. The downside of identifying as the person who knows the right answer is the silent fear of not knowing. We figure that not knowing, or worse, admitting we don’t know, somehow comes across as weak. We don’t want to let people down. So someone asks a question, expecting us to know. We don’t immediately know, but then we don’t want to look like an idiot, either. Because we base their trust in us on knowing the right answer. The voice in our head reminds us we know how to figure it out, if only we had more time. We’re still willing to work through what we don’t know. We just don’t want anyone else to know we’re figuring it out. We didn’t start by knowing the right answer. We earned that ability by being willing to find out. When did not knowing become something we needed to hide?
A crosshatched illustration of a woman offering a clean diagram while keeping rough working pages partly covered by a folder. The ValueSmith logo appears at lower left.

ALT A crosshatched illustration of a woman offering a clean diagram while keeping rough working pages partly covered by a folder. The ValueSmith logo appears at lower left.

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Relying on someone else to explain the value of the work doesn’t develop our own ability to explain it.
Relying on someone else to explain the value of the work doesn’t develop our own ability to explain it. — Michael Santarcangelo.

ALT Relying on someone else to explain the value of the work doesn’t develop our own ability to explain it. — Michael Santarcangelo.

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Michael Santarcangelo retweeted
Shawn E. Tuma (@shawnetuma) profile picture
Shawn E. Tuma@shawnetumaOct 29
Hiring criteria are evolving. Beyond technical skills, the ability to collaborate across levels and understand the business is key to success within an organization. #CareerDevelopment #BusinessAcumen
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Michael Santarcangelo retweeted
Ethical Skeptic ☀ (@EthicalSkeptic) profile picture
Ethical Skeptic ☀
@EthicalSkepticOct 29
There is a difference between a civilization becoming more knowledgeable and becoming more capable of discovering when its knowledge is wrong.
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The reward for solving problems There’s no shortage of problems to solve. Everywhere we turn, there’s a problem. Sometimes it feels like all we’re doing is solving problems. What’s the reward for solving problems? More problems to solve. Sounds a bit like Groundhog Day, but it’s different. Much of our growth, contribution, and recognition is a result of the problems we solve. As we get better at solving problems, we tend to face harder, more complex problems. Facing harder challenges is a positive signal, a sign that we’re making progress. There is one trap. Solving the same problems over and over again. This tends to happen when there are so many problems to solve, we naturally select what we know we can do. We get the dopamine hit, reset, and look for the next problem we can already solve. I call that chasing the illusion of progress. The check is simple: are the problems getting harder and more complex? Because the growth that comes from those challenges is the reward.
A crosshatched drawing of a hiker on an uphill path, with a small bridge behind and a larger gold-accented crossing ahead. The ValueSmith logo sits at the lower left.

ALT A crosshatched drawing of a hiker on an uphill path, with a small bridge behind and a larger gold-accented crossing ahead. The ValueSmith logo sits at the lower left.

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Unclear communication takes time and energy to figure out. Clear communication lets people use that time and energy to act.
Unclear communication takes time and energy to figure out. Clear communication lets people use that time and energy to act. — Michael Santarcangelo.

ALT Unclear communication takes time and energy to figure out. Clear communication lets people use that time and energy to act. — Michael Santarcangelo.

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A Plausible Answer Isn't Necessarily the Right Answer Recently, a technician came to the house to repair the microwave. He needed an extra set of hands, so I offered to help. We got talking about craft, pride in our work, figuring things out, and even AI. After the repair, we kept talking for another 90 minutes. He shared a story about a customer whose refrigerator wasn't cooling. Over the phone, he asked a series of questions and suspected a faulty circuit board. The part was in short supply, but he'd found one for about $400. As he recalled it, the customer said something like: "I asked [a chatbot] to diagnose it, and it suggests the problem is likely the display panel. I can order one online." He said he'd tried to explain why he didn't think the display panel was the problem. The panel connected back through the circuit board, and the symptoms didn't fit that kind of failure. He still suspected the board. But the customer was convinced the chatbot's answer made more sense, and it was cheaper. So they told the technician not to order the circuit board because they were going to get the replacement panel. When it arrived, they asked my new friend to install the panel. He did. It didn't fix the problem. He wasn't surprised. With the refrigerator in front of him, he confirmed the circuit board failure. Except now he couldn't find a replacement. I asked him what that meant for the repair, and he shook his head and said he wasn't sure yet. I don't know if or how that situation resolved. What stayed with me wasn't that the technician turned out to be right. It was how he got there. He knew what questions to ask, how to assess the answers, and what he needed to check. The customer had an answer. The technician knew how to find out whether it was right.
A hand-drawn repair scene shows a replacement display panel in an open box beside a circuit board circled in gold. A screwdriver and loose screws lie nearby. The ValueSmith logo sits at the lower left.

ALT A hand-drawn repair scene shows a replacement display panel in an open box beside a circuit board circled in gold. A screwdriver and loose screws lie nearby. The ValueSmith logo sits at the lower left.

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Michael Santarcangelo retweeted
Joanna Wiebe (@copyhackers) profile picture
Joanna Wiebe
@copyhackersOct 27
Change can feel threatening when you've spent years building a life around what you know. Your identity. Your sense of control. Your confidence in your abilities. If you want someone to embrace change, start by understanding what they're afraid of losing.
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Are we sending messages when it’s convenient for us or when people can do something with them?
Are we sending messages when it’s convenient for us or when people can do something with them? — Michael Santarcangelo.

ALT Are we sending messages when it’s convenient for us or when people can do something with them? — Michael Santarcangelo.

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Not All Questions Are Asks Ever been in a meeting presenting information when an executive interrupts with a question? Maybe it's a simple question. But it feels substantial, suggesting the answer is something you have and didn't share... yet. Only a few seconds pass as the pressure mounts. We're known for having the right answers, and this feels like a miss. So we promise to get an answer. Without looking up, the executive responds, "Okay, come back to me by the next meeting," or "Great, send me a note when you have it." Meanwhile, our brain starts racing, trying to figure out the answer and how we're going to get it. But was the question a question, or an ask? Sometimes executives like to think out loud. They're brainstorming, engaging the part of their brain that's used to solving problems. They ask questions. Sometimes lots of questions, looking for angles and insights—things they're curious about. In the moment, it feels like we're missing the answers they expected us to have. But consider more casual conversations, when we're working out a challenge with a colleague: "Hey, do you know?" "No, I don't." "Okay, then we won't worry about that yet." With the executive, maybe the question reveals something they do want answered. And that's when the question becomes an ask. Which raises a new challenge. How much time and effort will it take to find the answer? What gets displaced? Another priority? A lunch break? Nights and weekends? In these situations, I answer the question with one of my own: "Are you just asking, or is this something you want us to go figure out?" Often, the executive is just thinking out loud and doesn't even realize it. When they want the answer, they tell us. And then we can work with them to understand the effort and trade-offs involved.
A speech bubble containing a gold question mark casts a dark shadow toward a checklist with a gold check mark. The ValueSmith logo sits at the lower left.

ALT A speech bubble containing a gold question mark casts a dark shadow toward a checklist with a gold check mark. The ValueSmith logo sits at the lower left.

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What was valuable yesterday might not be valuable tomorrow.
What was valuable yesterday might not be valuable tomorrow. — Michael Santarcangelo.

ALT What was valuable yesterday might not be valuable tomorrow. — Michael Santarcangelo.

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Just because something works doesn’t mean it delivers a benefit.
Just because something works doesn’t mean it delivers a benefit. — Michael Santarcangelo.

ALT Just because something works doesn’t mean it delivers a benefit. — Michael Santarcangelo.

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Friction doesn’t just slow work down. It consumes the capacity we need to get it done.
Friction doesn’t just slow work down. It consumes the capacity we need to get it done. — Michael Santarcangelo.

ALT Friction doesn’t just slow work down. It consumes the capacity we need to get it done. — Michael Santarcangelo.

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It’s easier to see the cost of delivery than the loaded cost of operating it.
It’s easier to see the cost of delivery than the loaded cost of operating it. — Michael Santarcangelo.

ALT It’s easier to see the cost of delivery than the loaded cost of operating it. — Michael Santarcangelo.

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Yesterday’s workaround can become today’s workload.
Yesterday’s workaround can become today’s workload. — Michael Santarcangelo.

ALT Yesterday’s workaround can become today’s workload. — Michael Santarcangelo.

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Michael Santarcangelo retweeted
Shawn E. Tuma (@shawnetuma) profile picture
Shawn E. Tuma@shawnetumaOct 22
The core of leadership (or 'commander's intent') is painting a clear picture of the desired outcome. Empower your team with this vision, then let them creatively find the best path to achieve it. #Leadership #Management
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Attention on stalled work can feel like blame. What if it’s a chance to show a way forward—and ask for what’s needed?
Attention on stalled work can feel like blame. What if it’s a chance to show a way forward—and ask for what’s needed? — Michael Santarcangelo.

ALT Attention on stalled work can feel like blame. What if it’s a chance to show a way forward—and ask for what’s needed? — Michael Santarcangelo.

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“I’ll just handle it” can make an unsustainable workload look sustainable.
“I’ll just handle it” can make an unsustainable workload look sustainable. — Michael Santarcangelo.

ALT “I’ll just handle it” can make an unsustainable workload look sustainable. — Michael Santarcangelo.

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Did they lie? No. Did they believe it? Yes. Was it accurate? Also, no.
Did they lie? No. Did they believe it? Yes. Was it accurate? Also, no. — Michael Santarcangelo.

ALT Did they lie? No. Did they believe it? Yes. Was it accurate? Also, no. — Michael Santarcangelo.

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