Happy Post-Thanksgiving.... Mabel & I decided to get a jump on things, thus allowing us a bit of a long weekend.
Management is an interesting position. From the roots of being an excellent technician, to the heights of supervisory excellence emerges the manager. We view this rise to fame pretty predictable, but once attained the managers is left to survive without a safety net. Sometime ago we started a service called 'Executive Valet Service'. It was our intent to provide a vehicle where the manager could ask questions, seek council, and even probe sources without the fear of being looked upon as inadequate. We saw that not only were managers without collaborators but were often left to their own demise. Not all that long ago we saw a survey of executives that talked of this, but also lamented the fact that amongst their ranks there was a significant level of fall out. Many would say... "oh, that is to be expected", but the reality is that it is caused by the almost immediate jump from technician to manager. Rules that one would apply to the technical realm are not suitable, or applicable, to in managing a globally reaching enterprise. What is a bit interesting is that Senior Corporate Management holds the IT Executive to a standard that they are often ill equipped to meet. The litany of reasons is large; education, experience, business connections (vs. technical concentration), personality (yes, technicians are often inept in this area), but most important is the imbalance that exists between senior management expectations and IT service capabilities. Overlooked is probably by far the easiest and most effective solution.... Coached Facilitation. The difficulty in picking a Coach who can facilitate is that the person needs to be versed in technology, in business and in coaching. While there are many coaches in each of these areas, they fail to be balanced and intensely knowledgeable.
We wish to leave you with this thought, know that your secret is safe with us... but reach out and take the first step to overcome this shortfall. Don't hide in a daily fear, when it is solvable.
For another week Max & Mabel... Out!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Technical Advise Week #16 - Turkey Trot
On the brink of Thanksgiving it has given us rise to think about priorites and values. Mom & Dad attended two conferences this week and brough back lots of observations about the industry we are in and the things that are most important. Since Mom is not a technical person we seem to value her opinion more than Dad's (since he is after all a techie type, haha). Mom said, that she observed allot of people with very sad expressions on their face. It seemed, at least from casual conversations that two isses prompt this; stress and taking yourself a bit too serious. If, in the final analysis, results is the barometer of whether these traits/deeds are worth the effort... the answer seems to be NO. So how can we become more effective? Here are some ideas...
1. Relax
2. Flexibility
3. Utilize ALL Options
4. Relax
5. Build Capabilities and Knowledge
6. Balance Recreation with Professional Pursuits
7. Relax
8. Look for Similiarities and Assimiliations
9. Practice-Practice-Practice
10. Relax
You notice that we utilize 1, 4, 7 & 10 allot but we also exercise #9 too. We practice what we preach. We might also suggest starting implementing your New Year's Resoolutions early (why not right after Thanksgiving?). No need to put things off.
We plan on taking it easy (maybe easier) this week. Friends from North Carolina will be sharing Thanksgiving with us. Both Max & I are looking forward to having Bubba visit us. Bubba is even smaller than us but he we have taught him to enjoy and not to stress. It was amazing to see him enjoy letting go of these old habits and to let his inner-self shine through. We hope that you will do the same and get the full benefit of these blessings.
Our wishes to all and have a very Happy Thanksgiving. Share your joys with others!
1. Relax
2. Flexibility
3. Utilize ALL Options
4. Relax
5. Build Capabilities and Knowledge
6. Balance Recreation with Professional Pursuits
7. Relax
8. Look for Similiarities and Assimiliations
9. Practice-Practice-Practice
10. Relax
You notice that we utilize 1, 4, 7 & 10 allot but we also exercise #9 too. We practice what we preach. We might also suggest starting implementing your New Year's Resoolutions early (why not right after Thanksgiving?). No need to put things off.
We plan on taking it easy (maybe easier) this week. Friends from North Carolina will be sharing Thanksgiving with us. Both Max & I are looking forward to having Bubba visit us. Bubba is even smaller than us but he we have taught him to enjoy and not to stress. It was amazing to see him enjoy letting go of these old habits and to let his inner-self shine through. We hope that you will do the same and get the full benefit of these blessings.
Our wishes to all and have a very Happy Thanksgiving. Share your joys with others!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Technical Advise Week #15 - In Search of Excellence
Hi all and sorry for the latest of our post. We have been pre-occupied with loads of work and simply didn't realize that time passed us by so quickly.
Over the last several months we have been buried with inquiries from foreign companies asking about certifications and qualifications. When asked why they have such an interest almost all respond by saying that it's the key to getting business. Yet, when we talk with companies here in the U.S. almost all consider them to be but only one of the many factors that will determine whether a contact is awarded or not. Ever since dad entered consulting (before Max & I were born) he has conducted assessments of foreign companies, some dealing with capability (before both CMM & CMMi), others dealing with testing (V&VMMx, TPI) and even corporate viability. He decided more than a year ago to package his assessments into commercial products that could be offered in an affordable and straight forward fashion. Since Max & I are here we provide ongoing support for these endeavors and are now responsible for keeping these current. The GSC (Global Star Certification) is a viability model, it measures how capable a company is of remaining in business (viable). We view the GSC as a augmentation to CMMi and not in competition with. It makes little sense that if a company isn't viable that their capability is of little consequence. Likewise, a incapable company is of little value if it is viable. So we think of these as being hand-in-hand elements. A key difference however is that GSC was specifically developed to assess viability amongst outsources. This means that criteria, including fiscal ratios, have been customized to fit a global community with vary norms of goodness. So, when you look for goodness in a supplier, OR if you are a supplier (outsourcer) looking to get a competitive advantage in the market place look to GSC as a starting point and one that offers high value.
Till next week.... we bid you peace! Mabel & Max
Over the last several months we have been buried with inquiries from foreign companies asking about certifications and qualifications. When asked why they have such an interest almost all respond by saying that it's the key to getting business. Yet, when we talk with companies here in the U.S. almost all consider them to be but only one of the many factors that will determine whether a contact is awarded or not. Ever since dad entered consulting (before Max & I were born) he has conducted assessments of foreign companies, some dealing with capability (before both CMM & CMMi), others dealing with testing (V&VMMx, TPI) and even corporate viability. He decided more than a year ago to package his assessments into commercial products that could be offered in an affordable and straight forward fashion. Since Max & I are here we provide ongoing support for these endeavors and are now responsible for keeping these current. The GSC (Global Star Certification) is a viability model, it measures how capable a company is of remaining in business (viable). We view the GSC as a augmentation to CMMi and not in competition with. It makes little sense that if a company isn't viable that their capability is of little consequence. Likewise, a incapable company is of little value if it is viable. So we think of these as being hand-in-hand elements. A key difference however is that GSC was specifically developed to assess viability amongst outsources. This means that criteria, including fiscal ratios, have been customized to fit a global community with vary norms of goodness. So, when you look for goodness in a supplier, OR if you are a supplier (outsourcer) looking to get a competitive advantage in the market place look to GSC as a starting point and one that offers high value.
Till next week.... we bid you peace! Mabel & Max
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Technical Advise Week #14 - Life on the 'WILD' Side
Welcome to our old friends and greetings to our new readers. Mabel & I decided that after 14 weeks we needed to show a little bit of our pug size and give some well wishes. We are immensely appreciative of being given the forum for sharing with you a little bit of us, a little bit of technology and a little bit about the human factor in software engineering. Does it sound like a farewell speech, don't be confused or mislead.... we are far from giving up this jewel of an opportunity.
Recently we were asked about the topic, "The World is Flat". We read both accounts by Rob Preston from InfoWeek as well as lot of opinions generated by the Peanut Gallery. What did we conclude? We concluded that there are allot of opinions, some are founded, some are not, few are conclusive or decisive, and everyone is impassioned. Some with the position of throwing a controversial topic out on the table, while others are impassioned through self-preservation. The world IS flat in many ways; communications (although we could do much better in the human dimension of using some face-to-face tempering the electronic form that is far to convenient to use), travel (now if we could only do something about travel comfort for all.... yes Mabel, no more traveling in the belly of an aircraft!), cultural awareness (we still need to work on learning that other cultures need to be respected, and that as guests that we need to be respectful), and the act of kindness (refer back to Week #12 'Pass It On'). It's okay to disagree and to share, but we only ask for one thing... take this privilege and be responsible in your use of the privilege.
Another week and we are ready to retire for the day. We look forward and encourage your emails. If you are lucky enough... we might even share your pearls of wisdom with others (and we will do so responsibly).
Recently we were asked about the topic, "The World is Flat". We read both accounts by Rob Preston from InfoWeek as well as lot of opinions generated by the Peanut Gallery. What did we conclude? We concluded that there are allot of opinions, some are founded, some are not, few are conclusive or decisive, and everyone is impassioned. Some with the position of throwing a controversial topic out on the table, while others are impassioned through self-preservation. The world IS flat in many ways; communications (although we could do much better in the human dimension of using some face-to-face tempering the electronic form that is far to convenient to use), travel (now if we could only do something about travel comfort for all.... yes Mabel, no more traveling in the belly of an aircraft!), cultural awareness (we still need to work on learning that other cultures need to be respected, and that as guests that we need to be respectful), and the act of kindness (refer back to Week #12 'Pass It On'). It's okay to disagree and to share, but we only ask for one thing... take this privilege and be responsible in your use of the privilege.
Another week and we are ready to retire for the day. We look forward and encourage your emails. If you are lucky enough... we might even share your pearls of wisdom with others (and we will do so responsibly).
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