By MajGen Perry M. Smith, USAF (Ret.)
The following article was originally published in the Marine Corps Gazette in January 1997.
Part 2 of 2
16. Thank the Invisible People
There are lots of fine people doing great work who seldom get thanks because they are "invisible." They work so quietly and so competently that they often are not noticed by the leader.
17. Don't Send Out "I Don't Trust You" Messages
People who say "I never want to be surprised" or "Check with me before you start anything," or "I'm off on a trip; I will call in every morning for an update" are sending out very strong "I don't trust you" messages to their subordinates. People who know they are not trusted will never contribute at their full potential.
18. Serve, Don't Humor the Boss
Too many leaders see their big tasks as keeping their bosses happy, getting to the bottom of the in-box, or staying out of trouble. That is not what leadership is all about. Leadership is serving the mission and serving your people.
19. Criticize Up, Praise Down
Leaders must deflect at least some of the bad guidance they get from above. Is it being loyal to your boss and to the institution you serve to tell the bosses when they are wearing no clothes?
20. Be Physically Fit
Everyone has a "health age." If you exercise regularly and watch your diet, you can make yourself four or five years younger than your chronological age.
21. Develop Solid Leadership Skills
The best leaders in business, the nonprofit sector, and government are superb at time management and are competent in speed reading, personal computers, dictation skills, and the use of manual and electronic brainstorming techniques.
22. Help Your People Understand You
When you take over a new organization, get your key people together and tell them what your top priorities and your pet peeves are. It is especially important for them to learn very early what really bugs you. They will appreciate your candor.
23. Smoke Out Those of Low Integrity
Leaders must sniff the air constantly to ensure high standards of ethics are maintained. In almost all large organizations, someone is walking out the back door with something. Expense accounts, personnel records, training reports, and contracts need regular scrutiny.
24. Concentrate on Performance, Not Just Results
How you get results is important. Leaders who don't concern themselves about the process and the performance that leads to the results are making a big mistake. Always ask yourself what it took to gain those great results.
25. Maintain a Sense of Outrage
There are many super-cool managers who worry too much about keeping their bosses happy. As a result, they never allow themselves to be outraged when the system is doing serious damage to those who work for them. The best leaders get mad occasionally and, using controlled outrage, can often make right wrongs that are levied upon their people.
26. Beware of Intimidation
Be very careful here. Some bosses allow themselves to be intimidated by outsiders, by their bosses, and even by their subordinates. An intimidated boss can never be a great leader. You have to have an independent mind to make the right choices.
27. Avoid the Activity Trap
Don't confuse being busy with being productive. Without discipline, managers can become slaves to their meetings, travel schedules, in-boxes, and telephones. They get so wrapped up in the minutiae that they can become "in-box managers" rather than visionary leaders.
28. Build a Robust Braintrust
One of the great secrets of success is to have a braintrust of experts on various issues. I have learned that a braintrust of around 300 real smart and quick thinking friends can be very helpful whenever I need help. I have their office and home phone numbers and their e-mail addresses so I can get hold of them quickly. The braintrust is reciprocal in that we help each other.
29. Beware of the Paul Principle
Too many leaders allow themselves to slowly slide downhill in competence. When they lose touch with the issues, the new technologies, and the people, they have fallen victim to what I call the Paul Principle.
The future is coming fast. Leaders need to think about the future and prepare their people for it. To keep a close eye on the future, join the World Future Society and read two magazines regularly - Business Week and The Futurist.
30. Get Ready for the Future
Soon leaders will have exciting new technologies to help them be more efficient and effective leaders. The automatic dictating machine will allow leaders to quickly answer their daily mail or write their memos or weekly column. Teleconferencing will reduce the need for travel and speed up consensus-building and decision-making. Electronic brainstorming will accelerate the velocity of innovation. Electronic mail will reduce time wasted with "telephone tag."
All leaders must work hard to build the future, for that is where they and their people will spend the rest of their lives.
A retired major general, Perry M. Smith served for 30 years in the U. S. Air Force. During his career he had a number of leadership experiences, including command of the F-15 wing at Bitburg, Germany where he provided leadership to 4000 personnel. Later, he served as the top Air Force planner and as the Commandant of the National War College, where he taught courses on leadership of large organizations and on strategic planning. He is the author of the book Rules and Tools for Leaders and is currently the President of Visionary Leadership in Augusta, Georgia.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Where is My Brain?
To followup yesterday's post, click the link below to view a short PowerPoint presentation by Merlin Mann entitled "Who Moved My Brain - Revaluing Time and Attention". Good stuff.
Time Management Presentation by Merlin Mann
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Getting Things Done
David Allen has a great website for people wanting to "Get Things Done". The graphic listed below is on David's website as well as lots of other useful information to help you better manage your time.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Where are the Assets?
How well is your company managing their assets? I continue to work on an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) deployment project, and we are just now getting a handle on some of the costs to procure, deploy, operate, maintain, and dispose of many of our assets.
When an organization has assets valued in the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars they better have a plan to manage them efficiently.
Check out this link for a good Asset Management article.
Check out this link for a good Asset Management article.
Hofstadter's Law
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hofstadter's Law is a self-referencing time-related adage, coined by Douglas Hofstadter and named by himself. The law states:
"It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take Hofstadter's Law into account".
—Douglas Hofstadter: Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, 20th anniversary ed., 1999, p. 152. ISBN 0-465-02656-7
Hofstadter's Law was a part of Douglas Hofstadter's 1979 magnum opus Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. It is often cited among programmers, especially in discussions of techniques to improve productivity, such as The Mythical Man-Month or Extreme Programming.
Hofstadter's Law is a statement of the difficulty of accurately estimating the amount of time it will take to complete tasks of any substantial complexity.
Hofstadter's Law is infinitely recursive in nature (i.e., it calls itself by reference), as it has no terminal condition or case. That is, even after one has taken Hofstadter's Law into account, by Hofstadter's Law one must still apply Hofstadter's Law, and so on.
Projectsteps Note: This makes sense to me especially when estimating software development projects. Comments?
Hofstadter's Law is a self-referencing time-related adage, coined by Douglas Hofstadter and named by himself. The law states:
"It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take Hofstadter's Law into account".
—Douglas Hofstadter: Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, 20th anniversary ed., 1999, p. 152. ISBN 0-465-02656-7
Hofstadter's Law was a part of Douglas Hofstadter's 1979 magnum opus Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. It is often cited among programmers, especially in discussions of techniques to improve productivity, such as The Mythical Man-Month or Extreme Programming.
Hofstadter's Law is a statement of the difficulty of accurately estimating the amount of time it will take to complete tasks of any substantial complexity.
Hofstadter's Law is infinitely recursive in nature (i.e., it calls itself by reference), as it has no terminal condition or case. That is, even after one has taken Hofstadter's Law into account, by Hofstadter's Law one must still apply Hofstadter's Law, and so on.
Projectsteps Note: This makes sense to me especially when estimating software development projects. Comments?
Monday, August 11, 2008
Learning to Lead - Part 1
By MajGen Perry M. Smith, USAF (Ret.)
The following article was originally published in the Marine Corps Gazette in January 1997.
Part 1 of 2
Successful leaders don't need rows of sharp teeth to swim with the sharks. Here are 30 common sense, often-forgotten tips for good leadership.
In speaking to large audiences on leadership, I am often asked to do the impossible. In less than an hour's time, I am expected to motivate them to improve their skills, inspire them to be better leaders, and to acquaint them with the new technologies and concepts.
To cover all these points in the time allotted, I have come up with "30 Blazing Flashes Of The Obvious" about leadership. Here they are:
1. Know Yourself
All leaders should realize they are, in fact, five or more people. They are who they are, and who they think they are, (and these are never the same); they are who their bosses think they are; and who their subordinates think they are.
Leaders who work hard to get feedback from many sources are more likely to understand and control their various selves, and hence be better leaders.
2. Develop Mental Toughness
Leaders must be brutally honest with themselves or they will slip into the terrible habit of self-deception. Even the best leaders make mistakes. By smoking out these mistakes and correcting them quickly, a good leader can become a superb one.
3. Be Magnanimous
Leaders who share their power and their time can accomplish extraordinary things. The best leaders understand that leadership is the liberation of talent; hence they gain power not only by constantly giving it away, but also by not grabbing it back.
4. Squint With Your Ears
The most important skill for leaders is listening. Introverts have a great edge, since they tend to listen quietly and usually don't suffer from being an "interruptaholic." Leaders should "squint with their ears." Too many bosses are thinking about what they will say next, rather than hearing what is being said now.
5. Trust Your Instinct and Your Impulse
If something smells bad, sounds funny, or causes you to lose sleep at night, take another look. Your instincts combined with your experience can prevent you and your organization from walking off the cliff.
6. Learn By Failure
In my professional career, I have learned much more from my failures than from my successes. As a result, I have become tolerant of the honest failure of others. When a major setback comes along, try to treat it as a marvelous learning experience, for most certainly it will be just that.
7. Protect Innovators
For three years I had a Medal of Honor recipient from Vietnam, Army Col. Jack Jacobs, working for me. He is by far the most innovative person I have ever known. Well over 50 percent of his ideas were awful, but buried among these bad ideas was an occasional pearl of great wisdom. I learned that I had to protect Jack and my organization from his bad ideas while encouraging him to present all his ideas, so we could use his great ones.
8. Beware of Certainty
Leaders should be a bit skeptical of anyone who is totally certain about his or her position. All leaders should have a decent doubt especially when dealing with "true believers" who are always sure they are right.
9. Be Decisive
Top leaders usually must make prudent decisions when they only have about 60 percent of the information they need. Leaders who demand nearly all the information are usually months or years late making decisions.
10. Don't Become Indispensable
Organizations need indispensable institutions not indispensable people. Leaders should not allow themselves to become indispensable, nor should they let any of their subordinates do so.
11. Avoid the Cowardice of Silence
During meetings, so-called leaders often sit on their hands when it is time to raise a hand and speak up. Leadership requires courage - courage to make waves, courage to take on our bosses when they are wrong, and the courage of conviction. Every Robert E. Lee needs a James Longstreet to tell him exactly the way it is.
12. Fight Against Paranoia
Welcome criticism, help people understand that it is OK to have "love quarrels" with the organization. Loyalty and criticism are mutually supporting while slavish loyalty is deadly. Avoid the defensive crouch. Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
13. Be Goal Oriented
Leaders, even at a lower level, must try to set some long-term goals for their people and for their organization. People want to know where they are going and in what order of priority.
14. Follow the Platinum Rule
The golden rule is marvelous. But in leadership situations, the platinum rule may be even better: "Treat others the way they would like to be treated."
15. Don't Waste People's Time
The best question a leader can ask a subordinate during a counseling session is, "How am I wasting your time?" Not everyone will tell you, but cherish the ones that do, for they will help you grow and prosper as a leader.
The following article was originally published in the Marine Corps Gazette in January 1997.
Part 1 of 2
Successful leaders don't need rows of sharp teeth to swim with the sharks. Here are 30 common sense, often-forgotten tips for good leadership.
In speaking to large audiences on leadership, I am often asked to do the impossible. In less than an hour's time, I am expected to motivate them to improve their skills, inspire them to be better leaders, and to acquaint them with the new technologies and concepts.
To cover all these points in the time allotted, I have come up with "30 Blazing Flashes Of The Obvious" about leadership. Here they are:
1. Know Yourself
All leaders should realize they are, in fact, five or more people. They are who they are, and who they think they are, (and these are never the same); they are who their bosses think they are; and who their subordinates think they are.
Leaders who work hard to get feedback from many sources are more likely to understand and control their various selves, and hence be better leaders.
2. Develop Mental Toughness
Leaders must be brutally honest with themselves or they will slip into the terrible habit of self-deception. Even the best leaders make mistakes. By smoking out these mistakes and correcting them quickly, a good leader can become a superb one.
3. Be Magnanimous
Leaders who share their power and their time can accomplish extraordinary things. The best leaders understand that leadership is the liberation of talent; hence they gain power not only by constantly giving it away, but also by not grabbing it back.
4. Squint With Your Ears
The most important skill for leaders is listening. Introverts have a great edge, since they tend to listen quietly and usually don't suffer from being an "interruptaholic." Leaders should "squint with their ears." Too many bosses are thinking about what they will say next, rather than hearing what is being said now.
5. Trust Your Instinct and Your Impulse
If something smells bad, sounds funny, or causes you to lose sleep at night, take another look. Your instincts combined with your experience can prevent you and your organization from walking off the cliff.
6. Learn By Failure
In my professional career, I have learned much more from my failures than from my successes. As a result, I have become tolerant of the honest failure of others. When a major setback comes along, try to treat it as a marvelous learning experience, for most certainly it will be just that.
7. Protect Innovators
For three years I had a Medal of Honor recipient from Vietnam, Army Col. Jack Jacobs, working for me. He is by far the most innovative person I have ever known. Well over 50 percent of his ideas were awful, but buried among these bad ideas was an occasional pearl of great wisdom. I learned that I had to protect Jack and my organization from his bad ideas while encouraging him to present all his ideas, so we could use his great ones.
8. Beware of Certainty
Leaders should be a bit skeptical of anyone who is totally certain about his or her position. All leaders should have a decent doubt especially when dealing with "true believers" who are always sure they are right.
9. Be Decisive
Top leaders usually must make prudent decisions when they only have about 60 percent of the information they need. Leaders who demand nearly all the information are usually months or years late making decisions.
10. Don't Become Indispensable
Organizations need indispensable institutions not indispensable people. Leaders should not allow themselves to become indispensable, nor should they let any of their subordinates do so.
11. Avoid the Cowardice of Silence
During meetings, so-called leaders often sit on their hands when it is time to raise a hand and speak up. Leadership requires courage - courage to make waves, courage to take on our bosses when they are wrong, and the courage of conviction. Every Robert E. Lee needs a James Longstreet to tell him exactly the way it is.
12. Fight Against Paranoia
Welcome criticism, help people understand that it is OK to have "love quarrels" with the organization. Loyalty and criticism are mutually supporting while slavish loyalty is deadly. Avoid the defensive crouch. Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
13. Be Goal Oriented
Leaders, even at a lower level, must try to set some long-term goals for their people and for their organization. People want to know where they are going and in what order of priority.
14. Follow the Platinum Rule
The golden rule is marvelous. But in leadership situations, the platinum rule may be even better: "Treat others the way they would like to be treated."
15. Don't Waste People's Time
The best question a leader can ask a subordinate during a counseling session is, "How am I wasting your time?" Not everyone will tell you, but cherish the ones that do, for they will help you grow and prosper as a leader.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Project Management Needed In Health Care
Health Information - Author Unknown
This is scary stuff, and I'm sure it has gotten worse since this was written.
The worlds most influential Medical Journal, 'The New England Journal of Medicine' has admitted that 50% of drug therapy reviews were written by researchers for undisclosed financial support from the drug pharmaceutical companies. This only represents those who admitted this breach of ethics. This is for the period 1997 to 1999. In 2002 some admitted to falsifying research results so as to be more favorable to drug company claims. This raises the question of medical integrity of lesser publications and the Medical Industry as a whole. Most lesser Medical Journals do not consider allowing the fox in the chicken coop as being an ethical problem. Some believe this is only the tip of the iceberg on how far pharmaceutical companies have gone in the control of academic research and publishing. (Feb 2000)
Eighty-seven percent of doctors who set guidelines on disease treatment have financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. The 2002 study suggest the percentage is likely in the 90% range. It is the pharmaceutical companies who finance most of the nation's drug research.
MAJOR MEDICAL MYTH: Physicians have an ethical obligation to tell patients about significant medical errors when such disclosure would benefit the health of the patient, would show respect for the patient’s autonomy, or would be called for by principles of justice.
INFORMATION: Major faulty medical advice that has been widely communicated when proven in error only receives very minor public coverage. Statistics on systemic medical delivery problems are not recorded and communicated to the general public for correction. Hospital errors in the United States for example are estimated to be as high as 3,000,000 per year at a cost of 200 billion dollars.
Medical errors are the leading causes of death and injury in America according to the medical authorities in both Canada and the U.S.A. Health-care professionals cause 225,000 deaths per year in the United States. 12,000 from unnecessary surgery, 7,000 from medication errors, 20,000 from hospital error, 80,000 from infections acquired in hospital, 106,000 from non-error, adverse effects of drugs. Another 199,000 deaths are attributed to adverse effects in outpatient care. 2000 Journal of American Medical Association.
Only 50% of medical mistakes are even disclosed to the attending physician.
Only 25% of medical mistakes are ever disclosed to the customer, we the patient.
In 1998 in the United States 160,000 patients died because of adverse medical events.
Canada is estimated at 20,000 deaths per year because of medical errors. The Canadian Medical community admit that there are likely 4,000 to 10,000 die due to medical errors, more than are killed in automobile accidents.
Studies conducted record 100,000,000 people believe they were adversely affected by medical mistakes.
- 42% were directly affected themselves, a family member or a friend
- 40% site misdiagnosis and wrong treatment
- 28% for medication errors
- 22% for mistakes during a medical procedure
The largest 50% sited carelessness, improper training and poor communication.
My dad was the victim of several medical mistakes when he was in the hospital last year. He died at the hospice within hours of leaving the hospital.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Free Audio Book - The World is Flat
The World is Flat Audiobook Giveaway
With the No. 1 bestseller The World Is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman helped millions of readers see and understand globalization in a new way. Now you can have it for free.
From now until August 4th, you can download the audiobook version of The World Is Flat and receive an exclusive audio preview excerpt of Hot, Flat, and Crowded.
Sign up here for details
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Technobabble Defined
Since I used the word "technobabble" in today's post I thought I would include the definition of the word as taken from Wikipedia. I see this behavior exhibited occasionally and it always strikes me as funny.
Technobabble (a portmanteau of technology and babble) is a form of prose using jargon, buzzwords and highly esoteric language to give an impression of plausibility through mystification, misdirection, and obfuscation. This is not to be confused with jargon itself, but rather technobabble is a conscious attempt to deliver jargon to outsiders, without insight or comprehensive explanation, to make unsound or unprovable arguments appear to have merit.
Various fields of practice and industry have their own specialised vocabularies (jargon) that are intended to convey specific features in a concise manner to those educated within that industry, which would otherwise appear confusing or nonsensical to an outside listener. Additionally, the sound use of jargon will concisely convey information (even if that information is not fully understood by the listener). Conversely, the primary function of technobabble is to obscure the truth of a situation by overdressing the words and concepts.
Read the rest at Wikipedia
Technobabble (a portmanteau of technology and babble) is a form of prose using jargon, buzzwords and highly esoteric language to give an impression of plausibility through mystification, misdirection, and obfuscation. This is not to be confused with jargon itself, but rather technobabble is a conscious attempt to deliver jargon to outsiders, without insight or comprehensive explanation, to make unsound or unprovable arguments appear to have merit.
Various fields of practice and industry have their own specialised vocabularies (jargon) that are intended to convey specific features in a concise manner to those educated within that industry, which would otherwise appear confusing or nonsensical to an outside listener. Additionally, the sound use of jargon will concisely convey information (even if that information is not fully understood by the listener). Conversely, the primary function of technobabble is to obscure the truth of a situation by overdressing the words and concepts.
Read the rest at Wikipedia
VUGs and Projects - REPOST
I created and posted this here almost two years ago. Can anybody relate?
I like the quote by Malcolm Forbes that goes, "You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them". I have been fortunate over the years to have worked for people that had good character and lived by high ethical standards. At the same time, I have worked with and for people that only care about their own vague agendas, that speak mostly gibberish (technobabble), and refuse to acknowledge the accomplishments of others. I call these people, "VUGs". VUG is an acronym for Vague, Unclear, and Gibberish- speaking.
I'm sure you know a few VUGs. They come to meetings, (they love e-mail) and try to prove how smart they are by using "industry" jargon, corporate gibberish-speak, and what has been referred to as "technobabble". They are generally laid back, often personable, will complement you to your face, and put you down behind your back. They are insecure, generally soft-spoken, power hungry, yet calm in the face of crisis. They blame others, never apologize, and love recognition. When they do try to recognize others, it is usually out of guilt or a sense of corporate duty.
VUGs like unclear (immeasurable) strategies and objectives. They ensure that they can't personally be held accountable because they speak in vague terms and future perfect scenarios. Timeframes usually aren't important to VUGs. In fact, they will never state a definitive deadline for anything that can come back to bite them. They love to delegate, are unwilling to debate, and are usually unable to deal effectively with others because of a lack of self-confidence or guilt from the way they have treated others.
VUGs speak in VUGlish, a language all their own. When VUGs speak what they say rarely has a connection to organizational strategy, is peppered with gibberish, or is a long-winded rambling of disconnected thoughts and ideas linked to immeasurable goals.
So what does all this mean? For the project manager, having a VUG for a project sponsor, as your manager, or as one of your stakeholders is inevitable. How we handle them will help determine how successful we are when managing our project.
As project managers we have to de-VUG our projects. We de-VUG our projects by ensuring that language in our scope documents, project plans, and other project documentation is:
Specific and Clear
Linked to Organizational or Departmental Strategy
Is Written in Plain Language
Is Measurable
Has Definitive Dates (deadlines) for all Milestones and Deliverables
If you are ignorant of the VUGs that can influence your project, your projects could get VUGly!
What do you think? Do you agree, or disagree? Do you know a VUG?
Leave me a comment or e-mail me.
I like the quote by Malcolm Forbes that goes, "You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them". I have been fortunate over the years to have worked for people that had good character and lived by high ethical standards. At the same time, I have worked with and for people that only care about their own vague agendas, that speak mostly gibberish (technobabble), and refuse to acknowledge the accomplishments of others. I call these people, "VUGs". VUG is an acronym for Vague, Unclear, and Gibberish- speaking.
I'm sure you know a few VUGs. They come to meetings, (they love e-mail) and try to prove how smart they are by using "industry" jargon, corporate gibberish-speak, and what has been referred to as "technobabble". They are generally laid back, often personable, will complement you to your face, and put you down behind your back. They are insecure, generally soft-spoken, power hungry, yet calm in the face of crisis. They blame others, never apologize, and love recognition. When they do try to recognize others, it is usually out of guilt or a sense of corporate duty.
VUGs like unclear (immeasurable) strategies and objectives. They ensure that they can't personally be held accountable because they speak in vague terms and future perfect scenarios. Timeframes usually aren't important to VUGs. In fact, they will never state a definitive deadline for anything that can come back to bite them. They love to delegate, are unwilling to debate, and are usually unable to deal effectively with others because of a lack of self-confidence or guilt from the way they have treated others.
VUGs speak in VUGlish, a language all their own. When VUGs speak what they say rarely has a connection to organizational strategy, is peppered with gibberish, or is a long-winded rambling of disconnected thoughts and ideas linked to immeasurable goals.
So what does all this mean? For the project manager, having a VUG for a project sponsor, as your manager, or as one of your stakeholders is inevitable. How we handle them will help determine how successful we are when managing our project.
As project managers we have to de-VUG our projects. We de-VUG our projects by ensuring that language in our scope documents, project plans, and other project documentation is:
Specific and Clear
Linked to Organizational or Departmental Strategy
Is Written in Plain Language
Is Measurable
Has Definitive Dates (deadlines) for all Milestones and Deliverables
If you are ignorant of the VUGs that can influence your project, your projects could get VUGly!
What do you think? Do you agree, or disagree? Do you know a VUG?
Leave me a comment or e-mail me.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Untouchables? Maybe a new project manager is required?
The Untouchables - HUMAN EVENTS — Pat Buchanan wrote the essay below asking if the Obamas are getting kid-glove treatment by the press. Interesting read.Why did progressives recoil [over the New Yorker cartoon]? Because the more savvy among them sense that, like much humor, this cartoon was an exaggeration that contained no small kernel of recognizable truth.
After all, Barack did dump the flag pin. Michelle did say she had never been proud of her country before now. Barack did don that Ali Baba outfit in Somalia. His father and stepfather were Muslims. He does have a benefactor, Bill Ayers, who said after 9-11 he regrets not planting more bombs in the 1960s. He did have a pastor who lionizes Black Muslim Minister Louis Farrakhan. Put glasses on him, and Barack could play Malcolm X in the movies.
And assume the point of the cartoon had been to satirize the Obamas. Why would that have been so outrageous? Journalists, after all, still celebrate Herblock, the cartoonist who portrayed Richard Nixon with the body of a rat climbing out of a sewer. Hillary Clinton has been compared to the sex-starved Glenn Close character in “Fatal Attraction.” George Bush’s verbal gaffes are endlessly panned by late-night comics and Comedy Central. But Barack gets the special-ed treatment. Our first affirmative action candidate.
And assume the point of the cartoon had been to satirize the Obamas. Why would that have been so outrageous? Journalists, after all, still celebrate Herblock, the cartoonist who portrayed Richard Nixon with the body of a rat climbing out of a sewer. Hillary Clinton has been compared to the sex-starved Glenn Close character in “Fatal Attraction.” George Bush’s verbal gaffes are endlessly panned by late-night comics and Comedy Central. But Barack gets the special-ed treatment. Our first affirmative action candidate.
The New Yorker made a “damn-fool decision,” said George Lockwood, a lecturer on journalistic ethics. David West of Brookings wailed to USA Today of the cartoon: “It’s the mass media at its worst. It perpetuates false information, and it’s highly inflammatory. … It gives credibility to what’s been circulating for months, and that’s what makes it dangerous.”
But dangerous to whom? Again, it is only a cartoon.
For it suggests that Obama is an untouchable to be protected. As an African-American, he is not to be treated the same as other politicians. Remnick and Hertzberg obviously felt intense moral pressure to remove any suspicion that they had satirized the Obamas. No problem, however, if they were mocking the American right.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Good List of Personal Productivity Websites
Credit for this list goes to: Dustin Wax author of Lifehack.org
43 Folders: Merlin Mann started a lot of us on this journey, so now he has to pay. In the meantime, though, he and his crew of happy Folderers keep on providing great tips on productivity and getting things done, especially for Mac users.
All Things Workplace: Tips from Steve Roesler on becoming a more effective leader.
Awake At The Wheel: Great stuff from serial entrepreneur, yoga expert, and writer Jonathan Fields on being happy and successful in all your endeavors.
Black Belt Productivity: Co-written by Jason Echols and Michael Ramm, BBP covers workplace productivity and GTD. Home of the “GTD Primer”, an excellent series of posts introducing GTD methods.
Change Your Thoughts: Steven Aitchison’s blog on health, finances, relationships, writing, and generally keeping a positive perspective on life.
Conflict Zen: Formerly “I Can’t Say That”, Conflict Zen is all about dealing with and resolving interpersonal conflict. If you know people, you probably need to get a little conflict Zen.
Cranking Widgets: Brett Kelly offers practical GTD-minded advice on life and productivity.
Creating a Better Life: Personal development in its purest form, CaBL deals with productivity and related issues from the perspective of creating internal attitudes that make us more productive. Check out the rather thorough listing of free personal development e-books, too!
The Daily Saint : I have it on good authority that Mike St. Pierre isn’t a saint at all. But who cares? He offers great tips on being more productive and managing time better, with an emphasis on creating meaning in your life.
Design Your Writing Life: Lisa Gates poses thoughtful questions and exercises to help you tap into and express your inner creativity, in writing or any other form.
Diary of a Four-Hour-a-Weeker: Like the title says, this is the journal of an entrepreneur trying to implement the suggestions of Tim Ferriss’ 4-Hour Workweek.
Did I Get Things Done?: Andrew Mason’s blog focuses around his efforts to implement and live by the principles in David Allen’s Getting Things Done.
D*I*Y Planner: The blog is wacky and often deeply obscure, celebrating a sometimes unholy love between the writers and their pens and paper. But the main attraction is the DIY Planner templates — an incredible assortment of print-them-yourself forms for all your productivity and creativity needs.
Dumb Little Man: DLM’s Jay White ain’t so dumb after all. Jay shares tips on productivity, personal development, and business life.
Escape From Corporate America: Advice on working the corporate world to your advantage — even if that means leaving it — from career change expert Pamela Skillings.
Even Happier: Counselor and former Italian pop sensation Marco shares his insights on living a happier life.
Flipping Heck!: Productivity notes with an emphasis on the workplace. Offers lots of tutorials on using various pieces of software as well as on dealing with common workplace tasks.
Genuine Curiosity: Dwayne Melancon reviews books, software, and other tools that help keep us productive.
Get Rich Slowly: GRS is devoted to personal finance, offering tips and advice on saving money, investing wisely, and getting a grip on your investing.
Getting Things Done: Getting Things Done (the blog) is all about applying the principles of Getting Things Done (the book). Home of the Ultimate GTD Index, which pulls together feeds from GTD sites across the ‘Net.
The Growing Life: Clay Collins takes on everything you thought you knew about productivity with his anti-hacks and the concept of lifestyle design.
GTD Times: Officially sanctioned by David Allen, GTD Times focuses especially on business productivity.
LifeClever: Tips on life and productivity with an emphasis on design, both how design aids productivity and the special challenges designers face.
Lifehacker: Lifehacker offers a mix of daily news on the productivity beat as well as an assortment of handy little apps that help you get things done. It’s not Lifehack
The Life Hackery: Lots of clever tips on health and fitness, household organization, Internet apps, and plenty more.
Life Learning Today: Learn about life and live to learn with Life Learning Today. Tips on personal development and productivity, but also health, money, work , blogging, and more.
Life Lessons of a Military Wife: The title says it all: this site offers life lessons from a military wife, with a focus on personal and home finances and family organization.
Life Optimizer Life Optimizer: Donald Latumahina’s blog about making the most out of the resources you’re given to live with. Great stuff to keep your outlook strong.
LifeReboot: Shaun Boyd’s blog on finding and pursuing your passion in work, learning, relationships, and life as a whole.
Life Sutra: The 4-Hour Workweek Journal: Andrew Brick, a 30-something software professional, offers tips and tricks centered around the ideas in 4HWW.
LifeTweak: Blogger Manu writes on general productivity topics. Distinguished by his amusing hand-drawn illustrations and earnestly helpful content.
LivSimpl: Happiness through simplicity (and the elimination of silent e’s).
A Long Long Road: Lawrence Cheok’s blog on personal growth, careers, and relationships.
Matt’s Idea Blog: Matthew Cornell is a personal productivity consultant who shares his ideas on productivity, motivation, and personal growth.
MonkAtWork: Adam Kayce is not a monk. Instead, he writes about bringing a sense of spirituality and passion to your work. If you must have a monk, though, there’s a very cool drawing of one.
Newly Corporate: Group blog covering workplace and life “best practices” for young professionals.
One Bag Nation: Ann at One Bag Nation documents the journey of a naturally disorganized person in her quest to gain a little order in her life.
Open Loops: Good, solid GTD-oriented advice from a man with a beard (there’s no About page, is what I’m saying).
Organize IT: Practical-minded advice on productivity, health, finance, personal growth, and GTD.
Nick Pagan: Nick Pagan wants you to understand you better. To that end, he presents productivity and personal development information based on how the mind works. Meaty, deeply researched stuff.
Steve Pavlina’s Personal Development Blog: Are you smart? Then you owe it to yourself to check out Steve Pavlina’s personal development tips for smart people. Steve writes eloquently about entrepreneurship, especially working online, and the tools and attitudes that make it work.
Personal Development Blog: Gleb Reys shares what he learns on his own quest for personal development.
Personal Development Ideas: You want personal development ideas, Personal Development Ideas has personal development ideas. Goal-setting, time-management, and personal growth top the bill here.
Persistence Unlimited: From the man who gave MobilePC users “Achieve-IT!” comes a blog about coming up with and acting on your ideas. By turns inspirational and funny, PU knows how to get stuff done.
John Place Online:John Place helps you maximize your potential for happiness with tips and advice, with a lot of strong material on relationships.
Productivity501: Great blog from Mark Shead on productivity tools and techniques. As the name suggests, Mark is focused not just on getting started but on advanced thinking about productivity.
Put Things Off: Nick Cernis enlists the aid of a fuzzy kitten and his lunchtime banana to transform productivity from a hobby into a way of life. Refreshingly contrarian — and a little silly. Focuses on freelancing, software, entrepreneurship, and general productivity.
Right Attitudes » Ideas for Impact: Nagesh Belludi offers practical advice for developing the right attitudes in life — and transforming attitudes into behaviors that help you be more productive.
Ririan Project: Ririan is a guy on a quest to remake his life, and he shares the process with us.
David Seah: David Seah offers advice and a set of great templates (including “The Printable CEO” series) to empower you to reach new heights.
Alex Shalman : Lifehack.org contributor and medical student Alex Shalman’s site offers thought-provoking essays on relationships, the examined life, and health, along with general productivity and personal development tips.
SimpleProductivityBlog: Lots of great ideas here, including several multi-part series on various aspects of GTD and productivity.
Slow Leadership: Focused largely on business leadership and the evils of “hamburger management”, Carmine Coyote’s ideas about leadership can be adapted to any life.
Slower Living: Slow down! What’s the big rush, anyway? Find peace, happiness, and even greater productivity (in the things that matter to you most) with these tips on living life in the slow lane — or off the road entirely.
SuccessMinders: Jacob Cazell’s tips on developing a success-oriented mindset.
Success Soul: Shilpan Patel offers inspiration and advice drawn from the greatest minds, all with an eye towards what you and I can learn so we can make our own success.
Technotheory.com: Technology and productivity talk from a DC-based efficiency trainer.
Think Simple Now: Creativity, clarity, and happiness — what could be better? Think Simple Now covers the tools and techniques to get there.
Today is that Day: Aaron Potts’ goal is your empowerment, with posts on success, wealth, and happiness.
Uncle Joe’s Leadership Blog: “Uncle” Joe Hungler shares his advice on cultivating and teaching leadership.
What’s the Next Action?: Read What’s the Next Action for advice on project planning and getting things done.
Wise Bread: A personal finance site committed to helping readers live within their means with budgeting tips and advice on finding the best deals saving money on life’s necessities.
Work N Play: Good advice from Ritu, especially on making the most out of the web for networking, freelancing, and doing business.
Scott H Young:: University student Scott Young takes on general productivity topics as well as offering studying tips and advice on lifelong learning.
Zen Habits: Leo Babauta writes incredibly well about productivity, health and wellness, and most of all about living the simple life.
43 Folders: Merlin Mann started a lot of us on this journey, so now he has to pay. In the meantime, though, he and his crew of happy Folderers keep on providing great tips on productivity and getting things done, especially for Mac users.
All Things Workplace: Tips from Steve Roesler on becoming a more effective leader.
Awake At The Wheel: Great stuff from serial entrepreneur, yoga expert, and writer Jonathan Fields on being happy and successful in all your endeavors.
Black Belt Productivity: Co-written by Jason Echols and Michael Ramm, BBP covers workplace productivity and GTD. Home of the “GTD Primer”, an excellent series of posts introducing GTD methods.
Change Your Thoughts: Steven Aitchison’s blog on health, finances, relationships, writing, and generally keeping a positive perspective on life.
Conflict Zen: Formerly “I Can’t Say That”, Conflict Zen is all about dealing with and resolving interpersonal conflict. If you know people, you probably need to get a little conflict Zen.
Cranking Widgets: Brett Kelly offers practical GTD-minded advice on life and productivity.
Creating a Better Life: Personal development in its purest form, CaBL deals with productivity and related issues from the perspective of creating internal attitudes that make us more productive. Check out the rather thorough listing of free personal development e-books, too!
The Daily Saint : I have it on good authority that Mike St. Pierre isn’t a saint at all. But who cares? He offers great tips on being more productive and managing time better, with an emphasis on creating meaning in your life.
Design Your Writing Life: Lisa Gates poses thoughtful questions and exercises to help you tap into and express your inner creativity, in writing or any other form.
Diary of a Four-Hour-a-Weeker: Like the title says, this is the journal of an entrepreneur trying to implement the suggestions of Tim Ferriss’ 4-Hour Workweek.
Did I Get Things Done?: Andrew Mason’s blog focuses around his efforts to implement and live by the principles in David Allen’s Getting Things Done.
D*I*Y Planner: The blog is wacky and often deeply obscure, celebrating a sometimes unholy love between the writers and their pens and paper. But the main attraction is the DIY Planner templates — an incredible assortment of print-them-yourself forms for all your productivity and creativity needs.
Dumb Little Man: DLM’s Jay White ain’t so dumb after all. Jay shares tips on productivity, personal development, and business life.
Escape From Corporate America: Advice on working the corporate world to your advantage — even if that means leaving it — from career change expert Pamela Skillings.
Even Happier: Counselor and former Italian pop sensation Marco shares his insights on living a happier life.
Flipping Heck!: Productivity notes with an emphasis on the workplace. Offers lots of tutorials on using various pieces of software as well as on dealing with common workplace tasks.
Genuine Curiosity: Dwayne Melancon reviews books, software, and other tools that help keep us productive.
Get Rich Slowly: GRS is devoted to personal finance, offering tips and advice on saving money, investing wisely, and getting a grip on your investing.
Getting Things Done: Getting Things Done (the blog) is all about applying the principles of Getting Things Done (the book). Home of the Ultimate GTD Index, which pulls together feeds from GTD sites across the ‘Net.
The Growing Life: Clay Collins takes on everything you thought you knew about productivity with his anti-hacks and the concept of lifestyle design.
GTD Times: Officially sanctioned by David Allen, GTD Times focuses especially on business productivity.
LifeClever: Tips on life and productivity with an emphasis on design, both how design aids productivity and the special challenges designers face.
Lifehacker: Lifehacker offers a mix of daily news on the productivity beat as well as an assortment of handy little apps that help you get things done. It’s not Lifehack
The Life Hackery: Lots of clever tips on health and fitness, household organization, Internet apps, and plenty more.
Life Learning Today: Learn about life and live to learn with Life Learning Today. Tips on personal development and productivity, but also health, money, work , blogging, and more.
Life Lessons of a Military Wife: The title says it all: this site offers life lessons from a military wife, with a focus on personal and home finances and family organization.
Life Optimizer Life Optimizer: Donald Latumahina’s blog about making the most out of the resources you’re given to live with. Great stuff to keep your outlook strong.
LifeReboot: Shaun Boyd’s blog on finding and pursuing your passion in work, learning, relationships, and life as a whole.
Life Sutra: The 4-Hour Workweek Journal: Andrew Brick, a 30-something software professional, offers tips and tricks centered around the ideas in 4HWW.
LifeTweak: Blogger Manu writes on general productivity topics. Distinguished by his amusing hand-drawn illustrations and earnestly helpful content.
LivSimpl: Happiness through simplicity (and the elimination of silent e’s).
A Long Long Road: Lawrence Cheok’s blog on personal growth, careers, and relationships.
Matt’s Idea Blog: Matthew Cornell is a personal productivity consultant who shares his ideas on productivity, motivation, and personal growth.
MonkAtWork: Adam Kayce is not a monk. Instead, he writes about bringing a sense of spirituality and passion to your work. If you must have a monk, though, there’s a very cool drawing of one.
Newly Corporate: Group blog covering workplace and life “best practices” for young professionals.
One Bag Nation: Ann at One Bag Nation documents the journey of a naturally disorganized person in her quest to gain a little order in her life.
Open Loops: Good, solid GTD-oriented advice from a man with a beard (there’s no About page, is what I’m saying).
Organize IT: Practical-minded advice on productivity, health, finance, personal growth, and GTD.
Nick Pagan: Nick Pagan wants you to understand you better. To that end, he presents productivity and personal development information based on how the mind works. Meaty, deeply researched stuff.
Steve Pavlina’s Personal Development Blog: Are you smart? Then you owe it to yourself to check out Steve Pavlina’s personal development tips for smart people. Steve writes eloquently about entrepreneurship, especially working online, and the tools and attitudes that make it work.
Personal Development Blog: Gleb Reys shares what he learns on his own quest for personal development.
Personal Development Ideas: You want personal development ideas, Personal Development Ideas has personal development ideas. Goal-setting, time-management, and personal growth top the bill here.
Persistence Unlimited: From the man who gave MobilePC users “Achieve-IT!” comes a blog about coming up with and acting on your ideas. By turns inspirational and funny, PU knows how to get stuff done.
John Place Online:John Place helps you maximize your potential for happiness with tips and advice, with a lot of strong material on relationships.
Productivity501: Great blog from Mark Shead on productivity tools and techniques. As the name suggests, Mark is focused not just on getting started but on advanced thinking about productivity.
Put Things Off: Nick Cernis enlists the aid of a fuzzy kitten and his lunchtime banana to transform productivity from a hobby into a way of life. Refreshingly contrarian — and a little silly. Focuses on freelancing, software, entrepreneurship, and general productivity.
Right Attitudes » Ideas for Impact: Nagesh Belludi offers practical advice for developing the right attitudes in life — and transforming attitudes into behaviors that help you be more productive.
Ririan Project: Ririan is a guy on a quest to remake his life, and he shares the process with us.
David Seah: David Seah offers advice and a set of great templates (including “The Printable CEO” series) to empower you to reach new heights.
Alex Shalman : Lifehack.org contributor and medical student Alex Shalman’s site offers thought-provoking essays on relationships, the examined life, and health, along with general productivity and personal development tips.
SimpleProductivityBlog: Lots of great ideas here, including several multi-part series on various aspects of GTD and productivity.
Slow Leadership: Focused largely on business leadership and the evils of “hamburger management”, Carmine Coyote’s ideas about leadership can be adapted to any life.
Slower Living: Slow down! What’s the big rush, anyway? Find peace, happiness, and even greater productivity (in the things that matter to you most) with these tips on living life in the slow lane — or off the road entirely.
SuccessMinders: Jacob Cazell’s tips on developing a success-oriented mindset.
Success Soul: Shilpan Patel offers inspiration and advice drawn from the greatest minds, all with an eye towards what you and I can learn so we can make our own success.
Technotheory.com: Technology and productivity talk from a DC-based efficiency trainer.
Think Simple Now: Creativity, clarity, and happiness — what could be better? Think Simple Now covers the tools and techniques to get there.
Today is that Day: Aaron Potts’ goal is your empowerment, with posts on success, wealth, and happiness.
Uncle Joe’s Leadership Blog: “Uncle” Joe Hungler shares his advice on cultivating and teaching leadership.
What’s the Next Action?: Read What’s the Next Action for advice on project planning and getting things done.
Wise Bread: A personal finance site committed to helping readers live within their means with budgeting tips and advice on finding the best deals saving money on life’s necessities.
Work N Play: Good advice from Ritu, especially on making the most out of the web for networking, freelancing, and doing business.
Scott H Young:: University student Scott Young takes on general productivity topics as well as offering studying tips and advice on lifelong learning.
Zen Habits: Leo Babauta writes incredibly well about productivity, health and wellness, and most of all about living the simple life.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Arrogant Leaders
Arrogant leaders are by nature self centered. They believe their success is because of their own abilities and qualities. They are quick to point out the mistakes of others and rarely take the blame for anything that goes wrong. They are project killers because of their poor listening skills and their inability to see beyond themselves and their narrow views. They know best, and find it burdensome to give others the stage. Challenge them or try to draw them into a debate and watch out! You will be quickly labeled as inflexible and unwilling to accept “what is best”.
In Jim Collins’ book “Good to Great” he found through surveys that humble leadership (opposite of arrogance) was one of the many leadership traits that contributed to the long-term success of organizations. Humble leaders get involved, are willing to listen to opposing viewpoints, and have high self-esteem. They have high moral values, which causes them to be centered on doing things right for the right reasons. They energize others, and believe their talents are a gift to be kept in perspective both in the work place and in their personal lives.
Note: This doesn’t always apply, but you would be surprised. Look at what the arrogant leader and the humble leader drive to work. That can tell you a lot about who they are and the image they are trying to portray.
One of the things we know is that leaders can’t effectively lead if they don’t know what is going on. A telltale sign of the arrogant leader is they don’t care about the details. That is because details are beneath them. They also believe that execution is beneath them. They are the grand strategist and don’t have time to get involved in the details. They are interested in headlines, not deadlines. Serving the greater good takes a back seat to serving their own self interests.
Another trait you might see is that arrogant leaders are threatened by the “good” leaders. They fear the good leader’s success and often view them as weak and ineffective (envy is a four letter word). In fact, many arrogant leaders see humility and attentiveness in others as a character flaw. We know by observation that the arrogant leaders are the ones with the weak character, the ones with the poor communication skills, and are the ones with the low self esteem. The arrogant leader’s weaknesses are easy to spot. They don’t fool anybody but themselves. Remember the CEOs of Enron, MCI/WorldCom? At one time they were arrogant, now they are in prison.
Emotional Outburst #1 - Arrogant leaders are organizational pariahs, and are terrible project managers.
A leader that motivates and inspires has to be visible, informed, and respected. Like any good engineer knows, you sometimes have to get your hands dirty to solve problems and gain the respect of the people doing the work.
An arrogant leader is the opposite of a servant leader. Whether they wear a skirt or a suit they are inhibitors to organizational excellence and their thirst for power destroys team synergy and employee morale.
In Jim Collins’ book “Good to Great” he found through surveys that humble leadership (opposite of arrogance) was one of the many leadership traits that contributed to the long-term success of organizations. Humble leaders get involved, are willing to listen to opposing viewpoints, and have high self-esteem. They have high moral values, which causes them to be centered on doing things right for the right reasons. They energize others, and believe their talents are a gift to be kept in perspective both in the work place and in their personal lives.
Note: This doesn’t always apply, but you would be surprised. Look at what the arrogant leader and the humble leader drive to work. That can tell you a lot about who they are and the image they are trying to portray.
One of the things we know is that leaders can’t effectively lead if they don’t know what is going on. A telltale sign of the arrogant leader is they don’t care about the details. That is because details are beneath them. They also believe that execution is beneath them. They are the grand strategist and don’t have time to get involved in the details. They are interested in headlines, not deadlines. Serving the greater good takes a back seat to serving their own self interests.
Another trait you might see is that arrogant leaders are threatened by the “good” leaders. They fear the good leader’s success and often view them as weak and ineffective (envy is a four letter word). In fact, many arrogant leaders see humility and attentiveness in others as a character flaw. We know by observation that the arrogant leaders are the ones with the weak character, the ones with the poor communication skills, and are the ones with the low self esteem. The arrogant leader’s weaknesses are easy to spot. They don’t fool anybody but themselves. Remember the CEOs of Enron, MCI/WorldCom? At one time they were arrogant, now they are in prison.
Emotional Outburst #1 - Arrogant leaders are organizational pariahs, and are terrible project managers.
A leader that motivates and inspires has to be visible, informed, and respected. Like any good engineer knows, you sometimes have to get your hands dirty to solve problems and gain the respect of the people doing the work.
An arrogant leader is the opposite of a servant leader. Whether they wear a skirt or a suit they are inhibitors to organizational excellence and their thirst for power destroys team synergy and employee morale.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Project Management is about the Journey and the Destination
I like to use the ProjectSteps blog to vent, and hopefully, every once in a while, I pass on some small piece of useful information to another person. It is hard to know sometimes if anybody is benefiting from my ramblings, but like all free advice it is worth what you paid for it. There was an article published recently that said keeping a blog is therapeutic. I believe there may be some truth to that statement, and that is why I will probably keep the blog going. I need a place to vent my opinion, and occasionally rail against the “demons of stupidity”.
We are in a tough economy right now and It is having a big impact on the area where I live and on the organization I work for. We are struggling to make meaningful cuts (tens of millions of dollars) to achieve savings that will balance our budget. At my workplace people are losing their jobs, and as we all know this is a very upsetting and troubling process to watch. I have faith that I can work my way through this situation and still find time to give back to others in need. These are tough times that may get tougher and we have to all pull together and do what we can for each other.
I feel blessed to have a job and I’m thankful to have a roof over my head and two great kids. I have hope for my career, my country and believe that both will get back on track to better times soon. Sometimes hope and faith are the only things that we have under our control. I believe that while faith can be fleeting, hope lasts forever.
In the end, we all are in charge of our own destiny and our own success. In tough times it takes effort to keep your head in the game and stay focused. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that the career of a project manager can have great rewards, but it can also be filled with great frustrations and experiences that are less than rewarding. My point? Tough times and times of uncertainty require mental toughness and a strong resolve to do the right things at the right times for the right reasons.
In closing I would like to say we lost a good man when Tim Russert passed away. I will miss seeing him and hearing his wisdom on Sunday mornings. Also, I can’t forget George Carlin who also passed away last week. While controversial, Mr. Carlin told it like it was and also loved to rail against the “demons of stupidity”. I will miss them both.
We are in a tough economy right now and It is having a big impact on the area where I live and on the organization I work for. We are struggling to make meaningful cuts (tens of millions of dollars) to achieve savings that will balance our budget. At my workplace people are losing their jobs, and as we all know this is a very upsetting and troubling process to watch. I have faith that I can work my way through this situation and still find time to give back to others in need. These are tough times that may get tougher and we have to all pull together and do what we can for each other.
I feel blessed to have a job and I’m thankful to have a roof over my head and two great kids. I have hope for my career, my country and believe that both will get back on track to better times soon. Sometimes hope and faith are the only things that we have under our control. I believe that while faith can be fleeting, hope lasts forever.
In the end, we all are in charge of our own destiny and our own success. In tough times it takes effort to keep your head in the game and stay focused. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that the career of a project manager can have great rewards, but it can also be filled with great frustrations and experiences that are less than rewarding. My point? Tough times and times of uncertainty require mental toughness and a strong resolve to do the right things at the right times for the right reasons.
In closing I would like to say we lost a good man when Tim Russert passed away. I will miss seeing him and hearing his wisdom on Sunday mornings. Also, I can’t forget George Carlin who also passed away last week. While controversial, Mr. Carlin told it like it was and also loved to rail against the “demons of stupidity”. I will miss them both.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Reward Excellent Failures!
Another great video from Tom Peters! I agree with everything he says in this video to my core.
Do you have a comment? Leave it here.
Do you have a comment? Leave it here.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
A Case for a Business Case
Before a project is started, there should always be a business case. Without a business case that defines the problem(s) you are trying to solve and what success looks like your project will start on very shaky ground. Remember, the business case is always written by the organization receiving the benefits.
A business case is nothing more than a story. As you begin to write your business case one of the first things you must define is the benefits (the value) the product(s) of the business case will bring. This value statement should be specific and brief, and additionally the business benefits must be clear and measurable.
Here are some basic questions that must always be answered when developing a business case. They are:
What is the problem you are trying to solve? What are the gaps between where you are and where you want to go? What are the assumptions? What will it cost?
What is the ROI (Return on Investment) and how long will it take to recoup the investment?
When did the problem first appear? How long has it been happening? What is it costing you?
Where is the problem occurring?
Who is impacted?
Why is there a problem? What is causing the problem and what is the effect? Why is it needed now? How big is the problem?
How will solving or minimizing the problem save money or add value? How will you measure the value?
Are the business case’s benefits worth it? Are they realistic?
There are many more questions to be answered when developing a business case, however answering the questions above will get you off to a great start. Also, there are templates available in the Project Management community that can help your organization put together a business case that makes sense for your needs and requirements.
A business case is nothing more than a story. As you begin to write your business case one of the first things you must define is the benefits (the value) the product(s) of the business case will bring. This value statement should be specific and brief, and additionally the business benefits must be clear and measurable.
Here are some basic questions that must always be answered when developing a business case. They are:
What is the problem you are trying to solve? What are the gaps between where you are and where you want to go? What are the assumptions? What will it cost?
What is the ROI (Return on Investment) and how long will it take to recoup the investment?
When did the problem first appear? How long has it been happening? What is it costing you?
Where is the problem occurring?
Who is impacted?
Why is there a problem? What is causing the problem and what is the effect? Why is it needed now? How big is the problem?
How will solving or minimizing the problem save money or add value? How will you measure the value?
Are the business case’s benefits worth it? Are they realistic?
There are many more questions to be answered when developing a business case, however answering the questions above will get you off to a great start. Also, there are templates available in the Project Management community that can help your organization put together a business case that makes sense for your needs and requirements.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Refreshing Break?
Ok, I’m trying to make the blog a little more fun from time to time. Check out the video below.
How To Build A Mentos And Diet Coke Booby Trap
Does your boss drink Coke?
How To Build A Mentos And Diet Coke Booby Trap
Does your boss drink Coke?
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Listening and Respect
I used to work for a guy that spent most of his time checking his e-mail during meetings with his staff, and during one-on-one conversations. He never really cared what others were saying because his responses to questions and his off-hand comments would always deflect to what he wanted to discuss and rarely would he address the other person's ideas or inquiries. I still think of him as one of the most disrespectful and arrogant people I have known.
Looking back, I think he is insecure and uncomfortable communicating face-to-face, which would explain why 98% of his communications to his staff and peers is via e-mail. His poor listening and communication skills hurt his credibility with others, and cause many of of his ideas to be rejected or considered to have little merit. You see when you tend not to respect and listen to others, they tend not to respect or listen to you. It is a shame people like him hold powerful "leadership" positions. Great leaders must be incredible communicators, and must be respectful of others at all times.
Watch this very short video of Tom Peters explain how we can ensure we are showing proper respect to others.
Remember, give people the time they deserve and really listen to them. To be honest, I am guilty of not listening well all the time, but I'm aware of it and I'm trying continuously to improve these skills.
Looking back, I think he is insecure and uncomfortable communicating face-to-face, which would explain why 98% of his communications to his staff and peers is via e-mail. His poor listening and communication skills hurt his credibility with others, and cause many of of his ideas to be rejected or considered to have little merit. You see when you tend not to respect and listen to others, they tend not to respect or listen to you. It is a shame people like him hold powerful "leadership" positions. Great leaders must be incredible communicators, and must be respectful of others at all times.
Watch this very short video of Tom Peters explain how we can ensure we are showing proper respect to others.
Remember, give people the time they deserve and really listen to them. To be honest, I am guilty of not listening well all the time, but I'm aware of it and I'm trying continuously to improve these skills.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
You can now follow me on Twitter
If you are a “Twitter” fan, you can follow me by creating an account with Twitter, or you can just view my “tweets” by coming to this page. My Twitter ID is sfseay.
What is Twitter you say?
As taken from Wikipedia, “Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send "updates" (or "tweets"; text-based posts, up to 140 characters long) to the Twitter website, via the Twitter website, short message service (SMS), instant messaging, or a third-party application such as Twitterrific or Facebook.
Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and instantly delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. The sender can restrict delivery to those in his or her circle of friends (delivery to everyone is the default). Users can receive updates via the Twitter website, instant messaging, SMS, RSS, email or through an application. For SMS, four gateway numbers are currently available: short codes for the United States, Canada, and India, as well as a United Kingdom number for international use. Several third parties offer posting and receiving updates via email.
What is Twitter you say?
As taken from Wikipedia, “Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send "updates" (or "tweets"; text-based posts, up to 140 characters long) to the Twitter website, via the Twitter website, short message service (SMS), instant messaging, or a third-party application such as Twitterrific or Facebook.
Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and instantly delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. The sender can restrict delivery to those in his or her circle of friends (delivery to everyone is the default). Users can receive updates via the Twitter website, instant messaging, SMS, RSS, email or through an application. For SMS, four gateway numbers are currently available: short codes for the United States, Canada, and India, as well as a United Kingdom number for international use. Several third parties offer posting and receiving updates via email.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Thoughts from a Child
WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN‘T LOOKING
(Written by a former child)
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don‘t.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn‘t feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it‘s all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I learned most of life‘s lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn‘t looking."
(Written by a former child)
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don‘t.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn‘t feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it‘s all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I learned most of life‘s lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn‘t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn‘t looking."