A Mind Like Water

WOW...What a Ride!!!

2006-05-03T21:12:00.000-05:00

New Challenge Around the Corner

2006-04-14T13:08:00.000-05:00

Those that know me know I spent a significant amount of my time late last year on a big project that kept me quite busy.

Well, yesterday my services were solicited to lead a systems implementation here at the office. This will not be as extensive or time consuming as the other project, but it will be another great opportunity for me to rise to a challenge.

I have already started laying out the project in terms of contexts, next actions, and the like. My GTD prowess will certainly be tested on this project. This time I am the lead as opposed to the hired help. So this is the challenge I was looking for. Its a systems implementation, which is my favorite type of project.

Well, off to build a schedule...

Life Management Systems...Compared

2006-04-13T16:20:00.000-05:00

I read a great analysis today of three life management systems that had been recently posted by Allen at the 43 Folders Forum.

Enjoy

Kicking Caffeine

2006-04-13T00:12:00.000-05:00

I am reaching the age that I am starting to contemplate things that will help me achieve better health. You know how it is for some. Up until you reach 30 or so, you seem to think you are indestructible. You eat what you want, you do what you want (couch potato). Two things happened in my life that have made me reevaluate that.

1) The birth of our two children

2) I turned...WHAT???...30???

So now that I have reached my thirties, I am starting to think about the shape I am in now, the weight, the habits, the lack of energy, the lack of exercise, and think...I want to see my kids reach their potential. I want to see my kids reach for their dreams. To do that, part of the plan must involve taking care of...ME.

One of the habits I have let creep into my life is coffee. I do drink a lot of decaf, but even so, there are still other ways in which coffee can harm you. As a matter of fact, caffeine over time can aggravate health issues. So I am backing off my 12 cup a day habit in favor of decaffeinated teas.

That having been said, I found this neat link on Lifehacker today that speaks to this issue.

http://wiki.ehow.com/Quit-Caffeine

The Professionalism of Communication

2006-04-11T23:14:00.000-05:00

You have been there. Come on...admit it. You have had that conversation at work and thought that the person with whom you are commnicating is being so unprofessional.

Nothing can put a ceiling over your head professionally than having communication problems. I'm not talking about a stutter, or a southern drawl. I'm talking about professionalism.

You will see all kinds in a typical office. But those that tend to move up in their careers are those who are good communicators. It is just as important to be able to neutralize a potentially volitile situation as it is to communiate with clarity.

Below are a few of the keys that I have discovered make for better communication in the office.

1) Never take an accusational tone. When someone has made a mistake, remember that the point is to make sure the problem is corrected and it doesn't happen again. This may be a teachable moment for the person you are speaking with. Therefore, "What did you do THAT for?" is a no-no. That immediately puts the other person on defense. Remember the desired result mentioned above. To get that result, asking someone to explian what they did so you can understand is a much better approach. The key is to remember that the goal is to correct and prevent...not to blame.

2) Just because others are not necessarily agreeing with you, does not mean you are not being listened to. This is a biggie. I attend alot of meetings. Often I deal with an individual who has this misconception..."Well, they do not see it my way, they just are not listening to me". The typical reaction is a rehersal of the point this person is trying ot make...at a higher decibel level. If that does not work...you got it...another notch...this time with more feeling. This reaction communicates alot more than what you are trying to say. It also communicates that you are not open minded, that you are more concerned with your point of view than finding the best solution, and that you are not teachable.

Reality is when we are raising our voice thinking we are not being listened to, often we are the ones who should be listening.

3) When dealing with a group, always think of the message you are trying to send. One of the biggest responsibilties we have when we are trying to lead is the make sure that we are communicating to those whom we are trying to lead.

Alot of times when we face a difficult situation, we tend to think about the individual first and then the group. In my opinon, it should be the opposite. We should think of what we want to communicate to the group, then craft our message toward that desired result. This often helps us avoid the pitfall of double standards in the workplace.

Communication is one of the most important, yet underrated, parts of the foundation of a business. Professional communication sets the tone and culture for the whole organization. If mastered, good communication can make the difference between a disgruntled and ineffective workgroup, and a workgroup who trusts their leadership to look out for their best interest. This breeds effectiveness.

A day with the hockey team

2006-02-15T12:07:00.000-06:00

My son is a chip off the old block.

He is about as in love with the sport of hockey as I am. My love has recently been rekindled as the ten year anniversary of UAH's first division II national title approaches (was that ten years ago? MAN I'm getting old!!!). I was in school there when it happened, and am still friends with a few of the players

My son loves to go with me to see UAH play on the weekends when they are at home. A couple of weekends ago they played their arch rival Bemidji State University and took two great games from them. In doing so, they planted themselves firmly in first place in the College Hockey America confernece.

A couple of times a year, the team come to the Wilcoxon Ice Complex and skate with the public. Two Sundays ago, we took our family to join them. My wife is the bolder of the two of us when it comes to the kids. So she flagged down one of the players for a picture with Dawson. Before we knew it, he had gathered the whole group for a team photo.

Reagan, Dawson and Melody with the 2006 UAH Chargers
(Yes, Dawson is staring at Marc Narduzzi like he can't belive its actually him)

Narduzzi and Bruce Mulherin then took Dawson for a few laps around the rink with one on each arm.

Dawson would not let go of Jeff Winchester (The guy holding him in the team photo). I kinda felt sorry for Jeff. He was there with a girl. But he spent the last 20 minutes or so of the session with Dawson.

Everyone had a good time. Dawson will not soon forget the day he "skated with the big guys that play hockey".

Go Chargers!!!

Winter in North Alabama...

2006-02-12T22:37:00.000-06:00

In recent years, Alabama has been in a weather pattern that has kept the snow away. I lived through the blizzard of 1993. A solid foot of snow.

Until last night, my 5 year old had never seen snow. She was walking around outside last night with her tongue out. It was a joy to see.

Here's to hoping that my children will soon see a foot of snow for themselves.

A Well Written Entry on Unplanned Work

2006-01-24T20:56:00.000-06:00

Dwayne Melancon has a great blog called Genuine Curiosity. Today he made a great entry about something I rant on quite often. I thought I would share.

Lessons Learned

2006-01-15T23:09:00.000-06:00

I am now in celebration mode. The big project I have been speaking of recently has finally come to an end. I am pleased to say that it has turned out to be a huge success. I look forward to returning to some normalcy on Monday. I do not dread going to work at all. But I do wish I had another day or two to relax. I spent last week in St. Louis, and we pretty much worked around the clock for four days. I got around 7 hours of sleep over three nights. So, needless to say, I slept a significant portion of the weekend.

But when projects like this are complete, it is common practice to get together, and discuss what lessons we have learned from the project. Now there are a lot of technical and procedural stuff that we will discuss in our face-to-face next month. But I also have some personal lessons learned that I have kept track of. I may be in a similar project next year, so I want to take these lessons and make them a part of my life before then. I want to do this in order to make the next project more enjoyable and less stressful. These are personal lessons that I feel God taught me through this experience.

1) Nothing in this life is more important than God and family. One of the drawbacks of being a part of such a big effort is that you spend more time with those you work with than those whom you love. That is not a bad thing as long as it is temporary. In this case, it was. I appreciated my family before the project, but this time has only served to increase my love for my children and my wife. I am not saying that I would not have participated in the project had I known how hard it would be, nor am I saying that I would not do it again, but I am saying that I have learned to cherish my family more than ever.

2) Sleep is a most precious asset. Refer to the first paragraph. I am one who typically cannot just go to bed with a busy mind. I must wind down and relax prior to sleep. Unfortunately, that means I go to bed really late most nights. I need to work on my lifestyle a bit to accomplish this one. But running normally on around 5 hours of sleep a night almost did me in during that final week with so little sleep.

3) My health is one of the things that I must pay more attention to in 2006. As I get slightly older, this becomes more of a “front and center” issue for me personally. I must do a better job of controlling my diet, exercising, and doing things that promote health in my family. I have always had older friends. So now my friends are getting older, and are having the time of their lives as their children become more independent. I think to myself, “Man, I hope we can do things like that when we get older.” But to do that, I must take care of me. I have to be healthier in my lifestyle.

Taking these things into consideration, I now begin the next phase of my career. I must, however, take this opportunity at self-improvement to take on the next challenge, and achieve success.

Christmas and the Cross

2005-12-25T22:54:00.000-06:00

If you study the Christmas story, you will find that even in the events surrounding the birth of Christ, that there are many symbols of the future suffering of the savior.

What mother wants to hear that a "sword will pierce your soul"? Mary did.

The wise men seemed to have an inderstanding of the purpose of the Christ child. One of the gifts that they brought Him, myrrh, was, at that time, an enbalming powder. If someone brought embalming fluid as a gift for my son, it would probably concern me. But Joseph and Mary understood the reason that Jesus came.

The fact that King Herod was plotting to kill the young child, then had all children under the age of two killed, is a foreshadowing of the cross.

As we are in this season of giving, let us not forget that the season is about love and a savior. Let us also not forget that without the suffering of Jesus, there is no reason to celebrate His birth. Without Easter, there is no Christmas.

Praise God and Glory to His Name...Merry Christmas, Everyone.

Life/Work Balance

2005-12-18T00:02:00.000-06:00

One of the complexities in life is the fact that each of us play many roles. In each role, we have customers, of sorts. Where there are customes, there are expectations. Where there expectations, there is pressure. You get the picture.

Now, snap back to reality, not everything in life is perfect. some jobs are not necessarily 9-5. Some jobs require that from time to time, you have to renegotiate with the family. When this happens, the key is to always keep your promises. If you renegotiate with your son to play catch with him, do so. If you have to reschedule that date with your wife, do all you can to keep it.

Now what I have just said is a no brainer. But here is the problem...

The tendency is to let our stress and our other commitments keep us from seeing how important keeping our promises is to those who are most important to us. That is a mouth full, but if it is forgotten, the price can be high.

Be careful to make sure that you keep all of your customers happy...especially those that will be with you even when your job is gone.

Mobile Productivity

2005-12-07T23:15:00.000-06:00

One of the great benefits of being a part of a large company with alot of IT resources is the ability to work from anywhere. My company has afforded me a Dell Latitude D610 notebook. It has a wireless card in it that allows me to connect from anywhere in my home (yes, even on the deck). I can work from a hotel room should I travel.

However, there are some pitfalls to being so accessable. Well...that's it...you almost always accessable. If you are not connected on a network, you are accessable by cell phone (a.k.a. the "electronic leash). I have learned that through experience recently. Sometimes your phone rings at a bad time. Mine went off today as I was eating lunch with friends.

When I take a vacation, I do not even think I will take my cell phone.

A Great Biblically-Based Blog...

2005-12-05T22:57:00.000-06:00

I want to introduce you to a friend of mine who has a great blog on which he documents his daily Bible study.

Brian Britton is a friend who I met on TalkWeather, an online forum for weather enthusiasts. Brian is also a brother in Christ. He and I find common ground in the blood of Jesus in spite of the fact that he is Catholic and I am a Baptist.

Brian's blog is a good spiritual thermometer. He is gifted in communicating what God is communicating to him.

I highly recommend that you bookmark Brian's Blog and read it regularly.

Comment Approval

2005-12-05T22:46:00.000-06:00

One of the unfortunate things about having a public blog is that, on occassion, you will receive comments from snipers who leave links to websites that are not desirable or carry viruses.

Therefore, from this point forward, all comments will have to be approved before they are posted. This will mean that there will be a period of time between your comment post, and its appearence on the blog. This is in no way to filter the comments or the views expressed, but to protect this blog and you, the reader, from the traps of spam and viruses.

Thanks for your patience,

Jason

Communication and Expectations

2005-12-05T21:48:00.000-06:00

In managing a big project, it is very important to manage based on the goals of the project.

What is the desired outcome?

What will it look like?

What will it take to get there?

The first two questions are all too often clearly and easily answered. However, where most projects fail is in answering the third question. Oh, managers and project leaders hold meetings all the time and talk about how to get there. As a matter of fact, many projects go into cruise control, and progress grinds to a halt in large corporations because the poor employees who are responsible for getting the work done are shackled with the task of putting together briefings for management at five levels. And each set of managers want to see the data differently, so guess what??? Five different briefings. Five times the work on things that do not move your project forward.

OK. So what do you want? Five sets of charts, or a successful project?

It is obvious that management needs to know how the team plans to get there. But those who need to know more than anyone else are the people on the front line. They need to know...

What steps are necessary to accomplish the task?

Is there a plan to get there?

Who is responsible for each component of the project?

Those doing the work need to know you have your arms around the project and what it entails. They need to know you have a plan.

Do the people on the front lines know what you expect of them? If not...your expectations will not be met...Guaranteed.

Communicating a Plan

2005-09-05T23:04:00.000-05:00

One of the things that stresses me the most in a project situation is having too many cooks in the kitchen. When you are in a large company where there are endless levels of management, it seems almost impossible to avoid the problems involved with too many people giving uncoordinated direction.

When ten different people are telling you to do ten different things, it is impossible to succeed.

When project leadership lives in the "firehouse" mode, there is no plan to work to, chaos reigns and everyone involved stays frustrated.

Word to the wise...

When leading a project. Ask specific questions about what you are trying to accomplish? What are the steps to get there? How do we define a successful outcome? Use the answers to these questions to develop a solid plan to reach the goal set out in your project. Communicate this information to your team so you do not get asked that scarry question...

What are we doing?

Thomas Nelson Providing Bibles for Katrina Victims

2005-09-01T23:57:00.000-05:00

Mike Hyatt writes a blog that I frequent. Mike is the President and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. Today, he took a few minutes to write about the relief effort that Thomas Nelson and Samaritan's Purse are partnering to execute in the affected area of Hurricane Katrina.

Katrina: The Aftermath

2005-09-01T22:27:00.000-05:00

Over the last four days, when I was not buried in my work, I have immersed myself in the coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Why do I do such things? I guess for several reasons. First, I am a person who thrives on information. I like to be informed about the events of the day. Second, I am a person who has a strong sense of history. History has always been of interest to me. It may be months before we clearly realize the history we have witnessed.

Believe me when I say this...twenty, thirty, fifty years from now, we will still be talking about Hurricane Katrina. Katrina is now the landmark by which all hurricanes will be measured.

The human tragedy on the Gulf Coast is staggering. The thing that bothers me is what appears to be an inability to effectively respond on the part of our authorities, both local and national to this unspeakable tragedy. People have been sitting on overpasses and bridges for days. Some have not eaten since Sunday. In defense of the authorities, there is only so much they can do. The issues they face are incredible. The water makes it almost impossible to transport people by land. Airlifting people out of a city of 1.5 million is a hurculean task...even without the people in need opening fire on the people that are trying to save them.

But the impression I get as I watch media coverage is that the moment that Katrina rolled in, the authorities in New Orleans, most of whom had evacuated prior to the storm, lost control of the city. They have yet to regain control.

At this moment, the city is ruled by gangs of armed human debris. The sad part is that these thugs do not want the people saved. They know that as long as the police cannot chase them in cars, and have nowhere where they can jail those who break the law, they are in charge. New Orleans is now an example of anarchy. Armed gangs are now in charge in the Big Easy.

That just adds to the discussion about the question of the day or, perhaps the year. Should New Orleans be rebuilt? Many will think, "Why are you asking that question? Of course we will rebuild". Now the American spirit in me says, "Yes. Rebuild it. Show the world that American industrialism will prevail." But then the logical side (the one I tend to listen to the most) says, "Why should we rebuild a city that is sinking, below sea level, and surrounded by water?"

Secondly, the looting, the gangs, the shooting and lawlessness is very telling of a society that has fallen to the point where when disaster strikes, there is a growing segment that does not choose to help their fellow man. They choose to try to exploit the disadvantaged, the hurting and the homeless. That logical part of me says that we should destroy all the levees and let the city fill with water. Let the buildings stay and stand above the water to remind us of the tragedy that took place there.

Not the Hurricane or even the flooding, but the tragedy of the lawless behavior that many humans resort to when they are released from restraint. Conscience would show internal restraint in the lack of external restraint. We are now finding that when the external restraint is released, the sinful nature in the hearts of some take over and breeds violence.

Will we learn the lessons of New Orleans? A city who should have pulled together and made the best of a disasterous situation has gone to war with itself. There are many hurting that just want to get out, and start the arduous task of starting over with life. But there are also many who want to turn New Orleans into a war zone, gaining rule through gorilla warfare.

As much as the tragedy in New York on September 11th, 2001 was turned from tragedy into a victory of the human and American spirit, New Orleans has become an example of a tragedy that has become as source of fear and speculation, and furthermore, a black eye to the American spirit.

Hurricane of the Century

2005-08-30T23:19:00.000-05:00

Today we are beginning to understand the magnitude of the unspeakable tragedy that is the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In my opinon, by weeks end, we will call this the worst natural disaster in US history.

The most unfortunate thing about this storm is that many underestimated just how powerful this storm was. Many felt that it could not possibly be worse than Camille in 1969. In terms of wind strength and minimum central pressure, Katrina was no Camille. However, Katrina packed a storm surge that shattered records and made Camille look like childs play. Now, the New Orleans situation makes it bad. But even without New Orleans, Katrina pushed water farther inland than any other storm in history. There are many areas that never saw water in 1969 that were submerged on Monday morning.

Today, New Orleans is a toxic humanitarian disaster. It appears that New Orleans will never be as it once was again. It also appears that the map of southern Louisiana will have to be redrawn (I'm serious).

May God bless and assist those in need in the gulf coast region.

On the other hand, we are seeing the worst in humanity today, as looters take things from stores and armed men shoot at police who are attempting, under the worst of conditons, to keep some form of order.

The warnings for people to leave for higher ground and safer pastures went largely unheeded. Today, many are paying a high price. Some have paid the highest price. Others, however, made attempts to get out, and could not. Like two men I just heard who tried to fly out, but because of flight delays and lack of space, could not fly back home to New York...now they are stranded in New Orleans.

One piece of good news...I have a cousin who has been a missionary in the slums of New Orleans for over 20 years. She was able to evacuate to Texas. So she is safe and comfortable. Unfortunately, she will not have much to go home to whenever she gets to go back. If she cannot go back in the next few days, she will probably come home to Alabama for a while until it is safe to return. So I may get to see her soon.

BTW, count your blessings.

This morning I heard the story of a man who lost his wife when their home split in half with them on the roof. He held onto her hand for as long as he could. She told him that he could not old any longer, "she said, 'take care of the kids and the grandkids. I love you.'" After that, the wind and rushing water swept her away to her death.

I heard this on the radio this morning and wept bitterly in my truck on the way to work. I am really not an emotional guy. As a matter of fact, my wife thinks I am quite hard hearted sometimes. But having a wonderful wife and two precious children, and already aching in my heart for the people down there, that was just more than I could handle this morning.

When I got home tonight, I made sure I gave Melody, Reagan and Dawson an extra hug, and told them I loved them. Let me suggest you do the same with your family.

The Petrolium Conundrum

2005-08-20T22:01:00.000-05:00

I typically do not rant in this blog.

It has a general theme that I reserve the right to stray from when something really gets my attention.

I commute to work every day. I live around a half-hour drive from my place of employment. So the price of gas is of high interest to me. It is sort of strange to speak with friends and relatives about how life is going, and the topic of gas prices seems to come up more often than not. As a matter of fact, this post is inspired by such a conversation. A friend and I were discussing the issue in some depth last night over dinner. At a point, he stopped and looked at me..."You know, you should post on this in your blog".

So here it goes...

As we see prices rise, and rumors of trucker strikes loom, something just does not make sense to me. As I filled up @ $2.49 a gallon on Thursday evening, I remembered an article I read in the online version of the Wall Street Journal from July 26th. The article was about the profits oil companies are making these days. It stated that BP was expected to make record profits in the second quarter. Combined, BP, Exxon Mobil, and Royal Dutch Shell were all to post net income increasing 40% from a year ago.

Makes you think...doesn't it?

Don't get me wrong. I am biggest capitalist there is. I still use the term "pig" to refer to communists. But let me get this straight...it is now costing me $60 a week just to get back and forth to work...while big oil is smoking their cigars bought with record profits?

As far as I am concerned, the oil companies can make ten times what they made last year. I don't care. That's not what bothers me. What bothers me is that they are doing so at the expense of the American consumer and the economy as a whole.

Few things can affect the economy in this nation like the price of fuel. Transportation is interwoven into the fabric of our society. If the price of fuel goes up then...

The price of shipping is higher
The price of business travel is higher
The price of taking vacations is higher
Eventually, those prices get passed along to the consumer. Then the price of consumer goods go up as well.

When the price of consumer goods goes up, demand for those consumer goods goes down. Then the whole economy suffers. But, unfortunately, demand will not go down for fuel. People must travel, goods must be shipped and I will take a vacation from time to time (my wife might argue with you on that point, though).

What can we do?

First, if you have a good opportunity to carpool, do so. It saves on fuel for both of you, and besides, you will get to know that friend better.

Second, support initiatives that will help us break our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. I am not one who jumps on any bandwagon that is known as a liberal bastion. But this is worth being a part of. Research has brought us the first round of hybrid cars. Maybe in time we can find ways to use other fuels or build engines that use petrolium more efficiently.

Third, join (or at least keep up with) sites like gasbuddy.com. Members watch as they drive around to see where the lowest gas prices are, and post them on the site for others to benefit from. Trust me, this can save you up to a dime a gallon on your next tank.

Fouth, keep your car properly maintained. The conditon of your air filter, the amount of air in your tires, and sputtering spark plugs can affect the gas milage you are getting in your car. Be sure your car is properly maintained so you can maximize that tank of gas.

It is time to become savvy at saving money at the pump. Following these simple steps can take a bit of the bite out of that next fillup.

Oh...And it might not hurt to raise a roucus about the oil companies making record profits at the expense of the American economy.

Unwritten Laws

2005-08-05T14:23:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite blogs is written by Bert Webb. He is an school administrator, which gets my attention due to the fact that my wife is a teacher.

Open Loops

Yesterday, he wrote a great piece on some of life's unwritten laws. See if any of these sound familiar enough to make you chuckle.

A Day of Preparation

2005-08-02T00:59:00.000-05:00

Today, I am involved in an all day breifing in which I will be presenting some charts to some very important people.

Am I intimidated? A little.

Am I unprepared? No.

You always have this little guy on your shoulder telling you that someone will come up with a question that will hit you blindside and blow you out of the water. But that is good. It is that uneasiness that forces me to make double and triple sure I am prepared.

Yesterday was the key. Yesterday was a day of preparation. My teammates and I spent all day putting together charts and proofing them...asking one another if there was anything we missed or failed to anticipate. We asked one another questions about each other's charts. We played "Devil's Advocate", anticipating any questions that may come to the minds of the review team as we present our slides.

This type of intense preparation makes for a confident presenation. Covering all of the bases is very important to the success of any breifing. There are few things that are as helpless as the pit of your stomach reminding you that you are not prepared for anything that can be thrown at you.

One day of honest preparation can avert many days of trying to explain and recover from a bad review.

What Makes an Effective Meeting?

2005-08-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

I spent the last two weeks in off-site meetings that involved at least 20 people. Two different topics and locations. Each time I attend an off-site, I am reminded of some of the key components of a successful and effective meeting.

1) Start on time - This seems too simple. However, a meeting that does not start on time tends to lose focus quickly. Not starting on time is a sign of a lack of a plan for the progression of the meeting.

2) End on time - Again, this seems simple but some just do not get it. Most people who attend a meeting come prepared to participate for the period of time alloted in the meeting notice. Once the meeting starts running long, the attention of those involved start to fade. There is an indirect relationship between the amount of time a meeting goes over its allotted time, and the effectiveness of that time.

The former president and CEO of the company I work for felt that this was so important, that he once wrote a full page in his commentary column on the subject.

3) Set an agenda - This does several things to contribute to the success of a meeting. First, it shows everyone in the meeting that they are in a meeting that has a plan. One of the greatest problems that people face in meetings is that attending meetings takes away from otherwise productive time. If you show a plan up front, you are demonstrating that the meeting is for a reason. It is important to show that there is a method, and a goal. Secondly, it helps focus those attending the meeting on the issues at hand. Curbing the discussion by setting an agenda helps keep the meeting from running off into areas that are non-value-added in terms of accomplishing the goal at hand.

4) Communicate in terms that all in attendance can understand - WOW!!! This can sometimes be difficult. I attend meetings quite often in which there are participants who have varying levels of knowledge of the topic being discussed. The difficult part is to make sure that the meeting stays on a level that all involved can understand. If the meeting gets on a level that only 5 of some 20 people can understand, inevitably there will be 5 meetings taking place in one room. Then the meeting organzer has lost control of the meeting.

How can you tell when you are getting too "out there"? If people start getting up and walking around, or leave for a break, that is a good clue. Take a break and try to refocus.

5) Define next actions and assign a responsible party - This is where many meetings lose their effectiveness. There are two reasons for people to hold meetings. Either (1) the meeting organizer wants to communicate information, in which case no subsequent action is required, or (2) the meeting organizer has a goal to accomplish which requires action. Too often, however, in goal oriented meetings, no one is given clear next actions to accomplish. In any goal oriented meeting that I am leading, I take the last 10 to 15 minutes to outline and define any action items that have developed as a result of that meeting. This is not complete without assigning expected dates of completion to each item.

Leading an effective meeting is not that difficult, if you put enough preparation into it. You must anticipate any questions or scenarios, and follow a few simple principles for leading meetings that not only facilitate the extraction of the best information, but also properly identfy the best actions to move the project forward.

Discovering Worship....Again

2005-08-01T00:59:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I have relieved myself of some of the non-job-related "jobs" that I had allowed to take over my life. Some of those "jobs" were a part of my church life. I am still very active in church. I am starting to focus on the mission of the church, and not the administration. I hope that makes sense. The administrative issues that I dealt with were adding too much stress to my life. I needed to learn to have fun in church again.

Sunday services this week were certainly a step in the right direction. It is nice to go to church and not have anyone pressing for your time to inject an opinion. It is nice to walk in and people not want to corner you for your ear.

I was able to worship this morning with my family without having other things in the back of my mind. This is the freedom I desire. This is what I look for in God's house.

Maybe this is the first step to a new discovery of my walk with God.

Jetlag...Day 2

2005-08-01T00:48:00.000-05:00

I flew home from a week in Los Angeles this past Friday. Apparently, I stayed just long enough that it really messed up my body's clock. I do not want to get up in the morning and I do not want to go to bed at night. My body is convinced that it is 2 hours earlier than it actually is.

Not too big a problem except that I have to go to work in the morning. Site review is Tuesday and I am on the presenting team. Maybe I will get lucky and be able to go home from work at a decent hour tomorrow...but I'm not counting on it.

BTW, I was just thinking. I might want to go to bed. Because the tomorrow I have been talking about is actually today.

The Pursuit of a Better and Healthier...Me

2005-07-31T00:08:00.000-05:00

OK...bear with me. This off topic...only to an extent.

I have been incredibly busy of late with the many responsibilities that I have allowed my life to get cluttered with. My life in some respects has become a dirty garage that needs to be cleaned out and reorganized. You been there?

OK here is the confession. I have fallen off the horse and need to get back on. I have fallen in the trap of trying to be everything to everyone and still have some quality of life.

Read my lips...it cannot be done.

I had come to the realization of this some time ago. But felt powerless to do anything about it. Some of the stresses outside of my job had begun to affect my ability to do my job and be a good husband and father. Time had come to start saying no to some things. Besides, isn't my highest priority to blog about stuff that interests me? ;^)

First I had to ride out a very stressful situation in one of my non-work related "jobs". That recently passed. I stepped down from my position a few weeks before my term was to run out. business travel had put me in a position where that was the best thing to do.

Second, I have been able to unload alot of my "stuff"on my job. I am now focusing on a special project that will require 100% of my on the job time through the end of the year.

Now, it is time to take care of me. I am not a selfish person. Those who know me know that. But saying "yes" to everone who asks me to do anything eventually makes you want to do something for yourself for a change. Problem is, that the time I have for myself and my family has become so little that my body has paid a price. I need to drop alot of weight and increase my general health.

So tonight, I stopped procrastinating. Tonight I took that first step. Tonight I took that first jog. I surprised myself. I was able to jog more than walk. Scarry thing considering how long it has been since I have exercised...at all. Now I have to think about tomorrow. I have to motivate myself to do it again tomorrow. I might mix in some weights tomorrow.

Truth Does Not Get Better With Age

2005-06-21T23:36:00.000-05:00

OK. So the title gets your attention. I thought it would.

A real life situation that I have been in recently has reminded me of an issue I struggle with constantly.

Truth does not get better with age.

We all have things in our lives that we just do not want to face. I am in the middle of one right now that just seems like it will never resolve. But this is teaching me that when bad news is on the horizon, running from it will not make it any better. Fortunately, in this case, the person is denial is not me. But the resolution to an important issue that is affecting a large number of people is being delayed due to the denial and avoidance of one person.

Sometimes a hard truth is not like fine wine...it more resembles rancid milk.

Is it the Gadget or the System?

2005-06-15T23:05:00.000-05:00

"What gadget will help me manage my work load the best?"

I face this question quite often from friends and co-workers. I am known in the office as "the Gadget Guy". Yes, I am an accountant who missed his calling. I am a geek at heart.

In my view, this is the wrong question. The gadget is not the trick. Whatever gadget keeps you motivated and helps you stay focused on your workflow processing will do. A well managed paper planner is much more effective than a poorly maintained handheld. Technology is not the answer to the workflow problem. The answer is in the system.

I have been a "GTDer" in training now for a couple of years. A GTDer is a person who practices the methods taught in David Allen's landmark book Getting Things Done - The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. One of the principles that David teaches is that context is very important in the art of managing the to-do list. For example, instead of having a priorotized list of tasks, it is better to categorize the tasks (or as David calls them, "next actions") by context. Have all phone calls to be made in a list called "@Call". That way, if you have a few spare minutes at the phone, you can pull up your @Call list, without having to look at all of your tasks, and make the phone call.

A frind of mine by the name of Jason Womack has a brother that consults with IBM. Nathan wrote an article last year on the topic.

BTW, buy David's book. If you are in knowledge work like I am, this book is an irreplacable asset. It is not the Bible, but it will still change your life.

Outpatient Surgery? or Fast Food?

2005-06-03T21:12:00.000-05:00

This morning, my son had his adenoids removed and tubes put in his ears. Unfortunately, he has me to thank for it. I had tubes in the ears three times.

When they told us to be at the new surgery center in my hometown at 7:45 am, my first thought was, "MAN, we will be there all day". I am used to checking in at 6am and not getting to go home until 2pm at the earliest.

This morning, however, was different. The people in charge of the new surgery center have figured out how to streamline their processes. They have achieved a state of efficiency that is enviable in the medical business. When we went in at 7:45, within five minutes he was in pre-op. Within about 30 minutes, Reagan and I were called in to join my wife and Dawson a few minutes prior to Dawson being taken to surgery. After his short procedure, they only kept Dawson for around 30 minutes. We loaded our youngling into the van to go home at around 10:15am.

The new surgery center has firgured out how to spend less time doing paperwork, and more time treating patients.

2 1/2 hours from checkin to departure from the outpatient surgery complex? WOW. Maybe that will take some of the pain out of the outpatient surgery experience.

By the way, Dawson did great. He was in the garage playing with his sister this afternoon.

Good job DGH!!!

The "Spider Chart"

2005-06-03T11:42:00.000-05:00

When I was in California recently, I tried out some new software from MindJet called Mind Manager.

Typically, when we take notes, we use the linear format of notetaking. This means we write thoughts down as they come to us. Some write alot of text. Others write just enough to remind them of the items they need to remember from that meeting. But linear note taking makes seeing the way that all of the thoughts relate to one another more challenging than it has to be.

A mind map is a simple chart that allows us to visually see thoughts as they relate to one another. There are several good examples on the MindJet site linked above.

I used a mind map to lay out the meaningful things we needed to capture from a telecon while in California. I was able to capture the parts of the agenda that we needed to remember and set up as next actions. Mind Manager also allows you to track actions to completion. It was quite interesting to see the reaction of people who saw me using the Mind Manager software. I had several people refer to how impressed they were by the "Spider Chart". As a matter of fact, at the end of our trip, the team we worked with in California reviewed the series of meetings and spoke highly of our organization. They commented specifically about my "Spider Chart".

It was not me and my smarts that earned those positive comments. It was a little implementation of David Allen's Getting Things Done and the use of Mind Manager to clearly organize my thoughts.

If you are in knowledge work, I highly recommend Mind Manager. It will revolutionize the way you work and document important information.

A Second on the Hilton Clock Radio...

2005-05-27T00:05:00.000-05:00

Recently, I read a blog post from an online friend by the name of Buzz Bruggeman. Buzz was singing the praises of the clock radios at some of the finer Hilton hotels.

Last night, I stayed in the famous Hilton Los Angeles Airport. I think it may be one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in. Actually, I wished I could have spent more time in there (I pretty much checked in at bedtime). The room was simply wonderful.

My room had one of the clock radios that Buzz had spoken of in his post from May 12th. My music tastes range from pop, to hair metal, to jazz or even c-jazz (smooth jazz) depending on my mood. So when I got tired of the TV (channel selection in hotels these days are not very good. Guess I have gotten used to satellite TV), I hit the jazz button on the clock radio, and 88.1 KKJZ came in loud and clear. I do not own an IPOD, or I would have tried that on for size as well.

It was simply the best clock radio I have ever seen in a hotel. It is certainly worthy of my own bedroom.

I think I will also follow Buzz's lead, and inquire about how I can get one of those radios.

Chaos @ LAX!!!

2005-05-26T23:15:00.000-05:00

I returned tonight from my trip to Los Angeles. The trip was a big success in terms of the project we were working on. A great start to what will be a tough and arduous task.

I had a strange adventure this morning at LAX. I ended up getting my check bag X-Rayed, for which I waited in a long line. Then I had to stand in a long line which ran to the sidewalk outside the airport to get into security. After about 15 minutes in that line. I am asked along with another 30 or so people to stand along the curb and get out of the security line. At this point, I am absolutely convinced that I will not make my 8:15 flight. It was 7am. It seemed like a million people were waiting to go through security, and I just got pulled from that line.

As C3PO of Star Wars fame would say..."We're doomed".

I felt the final blow was struck when I then was asked to get on a bus with these people. We sat for around 10 minutes before anyone gave us any information on what they were going to do with us. An American Airlines staffer came onboard to inform us that we were going to be shipped to one of the international terminals to undergo the security screening. Then we would be bussed to our gate. He said it would take 15 minutes max.

As it turned out, I ended up beating the rest of my team to the gate, and had time to eat breakfast prior to boarding.

The rest of my day, and flight were actually relaxing.

BTW, I highly recommend three restaurants I found on my trip (All are located in Woodland Hills, CA).

Maggiano's (great atmosphere and great Italian food)
Ruth's Chris Steak House (a bit pricey, but worth saving a few sheckles to partake. BTW, this is a chain, find the nearest one to try out)
Monty's (great atmoshere and good food)

What is GTD?

2005-05-21T00:28:00.000-05:00

I found a neat post on the Getting Things Done Forum today.

Many people talk about GTD and all of the methods that make it work. But David & Company appear to have posted an official definition on their website.

What is GTD?

Enjoy

Revenge of the Sith

2005-05-20T23:28:00.000-05:00

Tonight the wife and I went to see Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

Since I was five years old at the release of the original Star Wars movie, it has always been a part of my culture. Relax...I was not one to show up wearing a Darth Vader costume, or carry a light sabre into the theater. Fortunately, I have a very close friend who is also interested in the Star Wars saga. So he and his fiance were a great pair to go with. We enjoied a meal at the local Applebee's after the movie. It was a great time to share with friends and relax.

The movie was long, but it not seem that way. George Lucas did an outstanding job, in my opinion, of tying together the loose ends in preparation for the 1977 debut movie.

If you want to know anything else, get on Fandango and buy duckets to see it yourself. Its worth the money.

It saddens me, in a way, to see this movie. The reason is that, for me, it closes a chapter in the culture that influences the life and times I live in. George Lucas has made it clear that he has no plans or intentions to make episodes 7, 8 & 9. Who could blame him. He will never have to work another day in his life. Lucas is a rare genius in his time. The influence he has had on our culture will not be completely measured for some time. But who else can stake a claim to influencing many people to stand in line at midnight to be the first to see a movie. Who else can say that they have had fans appear at his movie dressed as characters in the movie.

I think I will purchase all of the movies and someday, when I have little to do, watch them in order. The prequels first, then the original trilogy.

Fortunately, I did not see anyone dressed as Darth Vader at tonight's showing.

Neat Outlook Trick

2005-05-19T21:05:00.000-05:00

I have recently discovered a neat trick that assists me in managing my next actions in Microsoft Outlook. Credit goes to David Allen whose team developed a document (PDF) that instructs on how to set up Microsoft Outlook to maximize your ability to manage your workflow using Tasks, Calandar, and, of course, Mail.

The trick involves dragging email with the right button of your mouse. For example, if you right drag (is that a correct term?) an email item to the tasks icon in your Outlook bar, it will give you an opportunity to select the type of task you want to set up. I recommend choosing the first option allowing you to copy the email with the email text appearing in the notes window of the task. Delete all spaced atop the email. Then categorize the task appropriately (@Call, @Computer, @Errand, etc.).

This allows me to be able to look at my task list and see all active items in the task window. This mean "stuff" does not fall through the cracks.

Now, you can download the PDF file to see many other tips David subscribes to in using Microsoft Outlook.

Top Non-Dictionary Word??? Ginormous

2005-05-19T20:30:00.000-05:00

Miriam Webster Online recently posted a question to its readers asking for submissions of reader's favorite word that do not appear in its dictionary.

They received over 3,000 entries and the winner was Ginormous. Ginormous means that something is considered "larger than gigantic".

You can read the rest here.

Christlike Reconciliation

2005-05-18T14:25:00.000-05:00

Of late, I have been a part of a situation where some reconciliation was needed between some fellow Christians. Being a church leader, you sometimes find yourself in the middle of a situation where two or more people reach a point where they have spent so much time speaking with third parties about the issues that they have with the other person, that the damage is very difficult to repair.

This is unfortunate. A little effort at Biblical reconciliation can avert alot of pain and heartache.

Matthew 5 teaches us that if we approach the throne in worship, and realize that anyone has something against us, we are to leave our worship to reconcile.

Matthew 18 teaches us that we are to approach a brother or sister that we have issues with privately, and share it with no one else. That's hard to do, but the Lord blesses it.

My heart breaks in this situation because with a little effort to practice these things, the problems could have been avoided altogether.

If you have someone with whom you have a riff, please do not let it fester until it is not repairable. Biblical reconciliation is the key to having deep lasting relationships in the body of Christ.

I even had to do some soul searching myself to see if there was anyone that I need to approach.