Ansari Information: 2020

Monday, November 23, 2020

iPhone Slowing Down? Check Battery Health First

Updated September 2026: in 2020, disappointed by the iPhone 12's price, I was still using an iPhone 6 that had slowed, and noted Apple had acknowledged throttling older iPhones with weak batteries. I have rewritten it into an explainer on iPhone performance management and battery health.

I had been using an iPhone 6 for years, and it no longer worked as it should. Apple had admitted slowing older iPhones with degraded batteries, which added to my frustration when the iPhone 12's price put an upgrade out of reach.

Why did Apple slow older iPhones?

In 2017 Apple confirmed that iOS managed performance on some older iPhones whose batteries had degraded, to prevent unexpected shutdowns when the battery could not deliver peak power. It had not explained this clearly to users, which led to criticism, a discounted battery replacement programme, and legal settlements in several countries.

How do you check your iPhone's battery health?

Go to Settings, then Battery, then Battery Health. It shows the maximum capacity compared with new, and whether performance management is active. On recent models it also shows the cycle count.

Can you turn performance management off?

On supported models, yes, from the same screen, but the setting returns after an unexpected shutdown. The better fix is replacing the battery, which removes the need for throttling.

When should you replace the battery?

When maximum capacity falls below about 80 percent.
When the phone shuts down unexpectedly.
When performance management has been applied.

A battery replacement at an authorised service provider is much cheaper than a new phone and can make an older iPhone feel responsive again.

When is it better to upgrade?

When the phone no longer receives iOS updates, as with the iPhone 6. A new battery then helps speed but not security.

How do you make a battery last longer?

Avoid heat, keep iOS updated, and leave Optimised Battery Charging on so the phone does not sit at 100 percent overnight. On recent iPhones you can also set a charging limit.

What changed for later models?

Apple now documents battery management openly, and newer iPhones handle peak power better.

Keep reading

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Two Urgent Tasks at Once: Finish Both Without Escalation

Updated September 2026: in June 2020 I had two tasks: solution slides from the onsite team, ahead of client information, and a task from my manager that I judged irrelevant. I prioritised so both were handled without escalation. I have rewritten it into a method for prioritising conflicting tasks without upsetting anyone.

One task came from the onsite team, who wanted solution slides before the client had shared information. The other came from my manager, based on details I felt were out of context. I needed both completed on time, without escalations or follow-ups. I knew my manager's task mattered less, so I parked it until the onsite work was done.

How do you decide which task comes first?

Client impact: work visible to the client or onsite team usually comes first.
Deadline: which is due soonest.
Dependencies: which unblocks other people.
Effort: quick tasks can be finished first to clear them.

Is it safe to park a manager's task?

Yes, if you tell them. "I'm finishing the onsite slides first, due at 5; your analysis will follow by tomorrow noon" is a plan, not neglect. Silently parking a task risks it being noticed as ignored.

How do you handle work requested before inputs arrive?

Build what is stable: structure, standard content, placeholders for client information. Flag the gaps clearly. It meets the request without inventing details.

How do you avoid escalations?

Communicate priorities early to everyone affected, deliver what you promised when you promised it, and send a short note on completion. Escalations usually come from surprise, not from the order of work.

What if you think a task is irrelevant?

Ask what it is for before deciding. Sometimes a manager's request has context you have not heard. If it still seems unnecessary, say so politely and suggest a lighter version, rather than ignoring it.

How do you keep track of several tasks?

A short list with the requester, due date and status for each, reviewed at the start and end of the day, is enough for most workloads.

What if both tasks are urgent?

Ask your manager to choose, with the facts. If they cannot, do the client-facing one first.

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Sunday, June 7, 2020

Build a Personal Repository to Finish Work Faster

Updated September 2026: in 2020, working from home for two days before a long vacation, my manager asked in the afternoon for several documents by the next day. Instead of building them from scratch, I checked my repository for existing material and finished quickly. I have rewritten it into a guide to building a personal repository that saves you under pressure.

I had permission to work from home for two days before my leave and hoped for quiet. At noon, nothing. Then my manager asked for multiple documents by the next day. I was angry, but I have a habit of checking my repository for similar past work first, and it let me complete the documents quickly.

What is a personal repository?

Your own organised collection of past work: decks, documents, diagrams, estimates and useful answers to common client questions. It complements any team repository, and it reflects the work you actually do.

How should you organise it?

By topic, not by client or date.
With clear file names describing the content.
With a short index listing the most reusable pieces.
Removing client names and confidential details from reusable versions.

What should you save after each piece of work?

The final version, plus the two or three slides or sections that were strongest. Five minutes at the end of each request builds a valuable library over a year.

How do you reuse without making work look generic?

Use past material as a starting point, then tailor names, context and specifics. Clients and reviewers notice copied content quickly, especially if another client's name slips through.

What about confidentiality?

Follow your company's rules on storing documents. Keep the repository on company-approved storage, and never reuse confidential client data in another proposal.

How do you keep it current?

Review it every few months. Replace outdated figures, remove material that no longer reflects your company's offerings, and mark the date each item was last checked. A repository full of stale content is almost as slow as having none.

How did it help before my leave?

It turned an evening of work into a couple of hours, leaving my last day for handover rather than drafting.

Keep reading

Friday, March 13, 2020

No Feedback on Your Draft? How to Get a Response

Updated September 2026: in March 2020, after much discussion, the delivery person and I sent a work-in-progress document to onsite, nervous about whether our storyline answered the client. The next morning, there was still no response, as with the previous version. I have rewritten it into advice on handling repeated silence from reviewers.

At the end of a tiring day, we took the bold step of sending onsite a work-in-progress version. I worried whether the storyline covered everything the client had asked for. I logged off and went home. The next morning I checked eagerly for feedback. There was none, just as there had been none on the earlier version.

Why do reviewers not respond to work in progress?

Often because they are waiting for the client, busy with other deals, or do not know what kind of feedback is wanted. A document labelled "work in progress" can feel optional to review.

How do you get a response?

Ask two or three specific questions instead of "please review".
Set a response time and say what you will do if there is no reply.
Follow up by phone or chat the next morning, briefly.
Involve your manager if silence continues and threatens the deadline.

How do you check the storyline yourself?

List the client's requests and tick each against a section of the document. If every request maps to a section, the storyline covers the brief, whatever feedback arrives later.

Is sending work in progress a good idea?

Yes, when it carries clear questions. It invites early correction, which is cheaper than late correction. Without questions, it often gets ignored.

How do you manage the anxiety of waiting?

Keep working on parts that do not depend on feedback, and record your assumptions. Waiting passively makes silence feel worse than it is.

How do you phrase the follow-up?

Keep it short and make answering easy: "Could you confirm by 2 pm whether the approach on slide 5 works? If we don't hear, we'll proceed as drafted." One clear question gets answered far more often than a general reminder.

What if silence continues to the deadline?

Submit with stated assumptions, after confirming with your manager and the delivery lead.

Keep reading

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Covering a Colleague's Work and Handing It Back

Updated September 2026: in February 2020, after a document I had helped with was reviewed, I expected my colleagues to take ownership so I could focus on a new opportunity. The next day they asked for one more day of my support. I went to my manager. I have rewritten it into advice on handing work back to its owners.

My manager had reviewed the document with me and given his input. I hoped my colleagues would take it from there, freeing me for the new opportunity assigned to me. The next day a colleague called: onsite had reviewed it, there were many more updates, and they needed me for another day. I was frustrated and went to my manager.

Why does support work keep extending?

Because the person who knows the document best is the easiest to ask. Each extra day seems small to the requester, but it adds up, and the original owners never fully take over.

How do you hand work back properly?

Agree an end point when you start helping: a date or a deliverable.
Hand over explicitly: a short note on the document's state and what remains.
Walk the owner through it in a short call so they can carry on.
Copy your manager on the handover.

Should you agree to one more day?

Sometimes, if the work genuinely needs your knowledge and your new commitment allows it. Agree it as a defined extension, "until 3 pm tomorrow, covering the onsite comments on sections 2 and 3", and confirm the handover after that.

How should you raise it with your manager?

Calmly and with the trade-off: "Supporting another day delays the new opportunity's first draft by a day. Which should come first?" Your manager can then decide rather than you absorbing both.

How do you help colleagues become independent?

Share your sources and reasoning, not only the finished document. A colleague who understands how it was built can handle the next round of comments alone.

What if it keeps happening?

Raise the pattern with your manager and ask for clearer allocation of support work.

Keep reading

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Partial Weekend Support: Setting Clear Limits

Updated September 2026: in January 2020 I agreed to support a deck partially over a weekend, had personal commitments, and shared what I could. The delivery person then told my manager more updates were needed for the leadership review. I have rewritten it into advice on agreeing partial weekend support that holds.

My manager left me no option, so I told the delivery person I could support partially over the weekend. I had personal work at home and spent limited time, sharing the slides I managed. The delivery person then called my manager to say more updates and information were needed for the leadership review. My manager started checking with me again.

Why does "partial support" cause trouble?

Because "partial" means different things to each person. You may mean a couple of hours; the delivery person may hear "most of what we need". Without a specific scope, the gap only shows after the weekend.

How do you define partial support?

State the time: "I can give three hours on Saturday morning."
State the output: "I will update slides 4 to 9 with the new figures."
State what you will not do: "The leadership summary will need someone else."
Copy your manager.

What if the other person escalates anyway?

Point to the agreed scope: "As agreed on Friday, I covered slides 4 to 9 on Saturday morning." When the scope was written down, the escalation usually becomes a request for someone else to cover the rest.

Should you mention personal commitments?

Briefly, without detail: "I have family commitments this weekend." You do not owe more explanation, and stating it up front sets expectations.

How do you prevent weekend requests?

Ask for leadership reviews to be scheduled during the week, with drafts due by Thursday. Many weekend requests come from reviews planned for Monday morning.

Should you ask for time back?

Yes. Record the hours and ask for compensatory time off the following week, if your company allows it. Weekend work that is never recorded tends to become expected.

What should your manager do?

Agree the scope with you before offering you to another team, and back that scope when questioned.

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