Write On...

Movin' on up

2008-10-23T14:10:00.005-05:00

Day 1

We closed today, only 2 wrist cramps if you can believe that?!?!? We then scurried (as fast as a loaded down car can scurry) to our new home as fast as the Garmin would take us. This is because neither of us at this point had any idea where we lived...I know...smooth.

Upon arriving at the home we discovered that the locks we inverted, I suppose whoever put it in x many years ago used the good ol' lefty loosey/righty tighty paradigm. Seriously who turns a lock to the right to lock it, that's just wierd. Either way, we are going to add that to my list of sweet security features that this house brings with it. What other features
do we have you might ask...well, how about windows so caked in dirt that you can barely see through, or shades that don't go up, or rooms with absolutely zero lighting, or a door that slams itself so hard that you swear it is going to break if it happens just one more time. In the end, it is these tid-bits that give the home character, and while most of these were soon, or will be soon fixed, they are nonetheless, stories from our new home.

Day 1 Milestones

Cleaning of front porch windows, I believe 4 washings were necessary.
Tearing down of hideous/non-functional blinds covering the front porch windows (I would like to ask previous owners if they simply enjoy being in the dark).
My father-in-law (Barry) did some serious work in the half bathroom. No he didn't leave a huge void in the stool, he did however remove the stool and cabinet, move the stool drain and water lines, fix the gaudy drain for the sink (put it in the wall like it should have
been in the first place), and I'm sure a lot more went on in that room that I just didn't know about. Special thanks to Barry for all his hard work, we couldn't have done it without you.
We then move the cabinets up about three inches so that the new refrigerator would fit properly (noticed a soft spot in the flooring that we will need to address at some point, for now, we shall simply hope that the refrigerator doesn't fall through the floor).
Finally, we put a new faucet in the sink (did I mention that the sink is cast iron, I personally love it).

Day 2

Woke up a little sore and groggy today, I don't think I've done this much physical labor in years. I still hit the floor running...to the coffee maker. I find it funny that one of the "essential" items we brought is the coffee maker, but I can say that this little forethought proved to be an imaculate idea. Thanks toots!!

The first thing on the agenda was an essential trip to Lowe's to get some much needed supplies for the days work. Barry met me there with his truck to haul home the goods (I knew I should have invested in Lowe's stock). My brother Jason had arrived by the time I returned and was ready for for some work. Soon Danielle arrive with her hubby Steve and my parent's showed
up not long after. We had a full work crew today. Hehehe...

Day 2 Milestones

Removal of child's playset to the "dirt patch" for the previous owner to pick up.
Barry continued working on the bathroon as well as started the installation of the reverse osmosis water purification system.
Steve and I "Howie-proofed" the fencing, tightening up links, adding another pole and fencing. The Howzinator was free to explore...and explore he did...in his crate, upside down, passed out in a state of dream. Howie came out eventually and we think he likes his new freedom to be able to run around without a leash.
Cleaned the kitchen cabinets from top to bottom.
Cleaned the floorboards, some of the walls, basically all of the woodwork was "murphedized." (My term for clensing with Murphy's Oil Soap - which by the way, is a great product).
Started laying down some pavers near the shed and the garage, we are going to be putting in a shade garden.
Dad put up some waynes-coating in the bathroom (this needs painted yet).
Raked and mowed the lawn (I need to build Amanda a compost box yet).
Went to Schooners (pronounced Skooners) and had what is the largest pork tenderloin available to mankind.
Finally, made a trip to Jewel to get some grocery's for the new refrigerator (the frig installers for Home Depot suck, they do a half-a$$ed job that isn't worth anything) and a rug doctor. They were sold out of rug doctors...which blows my mind for some reason.

Day 3

For as tired as I was last night, I'm surprised that I still naturally awoke at 0630. Coffee was, of course, still a part of the morning routine, as well as attempting to figure out what clothes I should wear. Not a big deal normally, but I seem to be running short of work clothes. I guess lothing that is more than sufficient to sit in front of a computer, lacks a little durability when working on a home.

Nonetheless, I throw on a pair of shorts and head outside. First thing on the bottomless list is to finish up the pavers from yesterday, afterall, I did have a crew of muscle coming into to move mulch. AND MOVE MULCH we did!!! First we filled in the shade garden, then some around what is soon to be a flower bed (as soon as I get the inkling for putting more pavers down), then some around a bush (which I have yet to discover what type it, is), then along the fence next to the garage, then along the bushes next to the garage, then when there was nowhere else left to put it we decided to make a pile in the soon to be vegetable garden (which we later tilled into
the earth).

A neighbor (Amy) stopped by with fresh tomatoes; it was a very nice guesture. The neighborhood in general is fairly friendly; I do believe that we will really enjoy living here.

Day 3 Milestones

The movement of the mulch (gulp).
Digging up of a dead shrub, the root ball on this thing was rediculous, I really wonder how it could have ever died.
Trimmed the hedges away from the home.
Planted the hostas in the shade garden.
Put the stool and the lavatory into the half bath, also spackled and caulked.
Steam cleaned all but the basement carpets. The basement will hopefully be done tomorrow morning.
Planting of a hibiscus near the edge of the house (which I recently learned will have to be removed as these plants do not live in the Illinois environment).
Lowe's, Lowe's, Lowe's, Lowe's........
Ordered pizza for the work crew!!! Thanks yet again to everyone who stopped by to help.
I can't remember anything else...it really seems to all be running together at this point.

Day 4

Today's work didn't seem near as difficult but made the home look so much more welcoming. Painting, Lowe's, painting, Lowe's, painting...you get the picture. I thank my brother Jason for making the many Lowe's trips today.

The painting was a little bit like organized chaos. From an outside perspective it must have looked like a whirlwind of activity, but we got an unbelievable amount of painting done in a little under 6 hours. I was impressed to say the least.

Day 4 Milestones

Spackled, sanded, and painted both the dining and living room.
Spot spackled and painted the kitchen.
Amanda worked on finishing up the waynes-coating in the bathroom.
Grandma and Grandpa stopped by to say hello, it will be nice to be able to see them more often.
We went to Danielle and Steve's for a cookout, it was delicious and that's all I have to say about that.?.?
Continued watering the newly seeded yard, I can't wait to see the little sprouts coming up in a few days.

Update!!

If you have been following, I apologize for the delay...but I was surrounded by cardboard and was having trouble locating the computer. Seriously, I think we have spent the last 5 days emptying boxes, have of the stuff I did not know we even have...nonetheless, we have completed the task.

So let's take a tour...

Front Porch

Living Room

Guest Bed Room

Blue Bed Room

Master Bed Room

Kitchen

Office

Basement #1

Basement #2

And of course there is a dining room, but despite the fact that it is our favorite room, I completely forgot to take a picture. I have to go now, so I will try to get that updated soon.

Hope all is well...

How should Northrop Grumman engage in Web 2.0 technology?

2007-10-17T12:16:00.000-05:00

As defined by wikipedia, “the phrase "Web 2.0" hints at an improved form of the World Wide Web. Technologies such as weblogs, social book marking, wikis, podcasts, RSS feeds (and other forms of many-to-many publishing), social software, web application programming interfaces (APIs), and online web services provide a significant enhancement over read-only websites. The phrase "Web 2.0" can also refer to the transition of websites from isolated information silos to interlinked computing platforms that act like software to the user. Web 2.0 also includes a social element where users generate and distribute content, often with freedom to share and re-use. The result is a rise in the economic value of the Web as users can do more online.”

So how can we apply this concept?

Weblogs – A great tool for employees looking to discuss current projects and potential collaboration efforts, generating levels of synergy across sites.
Social book marking – Say John from site A is working on a Struts web application. In doing so, John found many web sites that helped him create his custom project. Understanding that he may not be the only one creating a Struts application, John uses public bookmarks (posted to a common Mission Systems site) and creates custom keywords for each bookmark. Employees can then search the Mission Systems site for useful information that is readily available, updating as needed.
Poscasts/Video Publishing – Content publishing on a secure network can offer Mission Systems the opportunity to publish product demonstrations to the many sites across the company. Publishing products in conjunction with meticulous metadata can provide quick and accurate searching; generating potential cross site collaboration efforts.Other services, such as wikis, RSS feeds, social software, web application programming interfaces (APIs), and online web services, can also be used by Mission Systems personnel in an effort to boost synergy, improve collaboration efforts, and more effectively utilize the knowledge and ideas of all employees.

As with all technological innovations, Web 2.0 can only be effective when properly and diligently utilized. The people of Mission Systems must be involved, from top to bottom. This will help generate and sustain trust among employees from all levels of the organization, allowing everyone to feel comfortable expressing their ideas, comments, and/or concerns.

We attempt to form synergies in an effort improve and maintain customer satisfaction, which is and must remain our most important focus. Web 2.0 is a tool kit that can help bring resources together and increase the overall productivity of the individual; making customer satisfaction not only the result of individual efforts, but a product of the system.

Communicate already...

2007-06-26T12:08:00.000-05:00

Recently a colleague of mine (Sue) was frustrated with communication at her office. Sue works hard to ensure that her manager (Jack) is well informed by effectively sharing information with him. However, the communication does not flow in both directions. Jack will meet with Sue's customers without telling her, which is fine; however, he does not inform her that he has done so. This places Sue in a tough situation as she asks her customer redundant questions. Jack’s solution, instead of coming to Sue and filling her in with the information he just found out, is for Sue to "check in" with him before communicating with her customers so she can be sure he has not already had a similar conversation.

The irony of the situation is that, according to Sue, her boss preaches on the importance of communication. Yet he himself is inept at communicating in an effective manner with his employees. He hoards information under the belief that it gives him power, and control. While in fact it does provide him with a degree of (job) security, he must understand that this desire, or trait, stems from the frequent layoffs of his organization.

He also must understand that more effective communication leads to higher customer satisfaction, resulting in greater retention and improved job security. So he must ask himself, do I hoard to ensure my safety when a layoff comes, or do I openly communicate to help prevent a layoff in the first place? He must choose between two vastly different approaches; individualistic or holistic?

Communication should be a two way channel, open and comfortable so that both parties feel safe to express their opinions. Fear of sharing important and relevant information will ultimately impact the bottom line of the organization. So open up and communicate, your job security may be riding on it.

Code Monkey...

2007-05-21T07:39:00.000-05:00

For all my fellow software developers out there, here is a song by Jonathan Coulton that cracks me up every time. Titled Code Monkey (click on the URL to listen to the song). Enjoy the lyrics!!

Are you pursuing the right thing?

2007-05-17T17:46:00.000-05:00

As a recent graduate I found myself setting many new goals - to find a new job with greater leadership potential, to start my family, to lower my golf handicap, et cetera. The problem I had was deciding which were the right goals. To separate the good from the bad (bad being unfocused or misaligned) I needed to define not who I am (like on a resume), but who I wanted to be (like a a personal vision).

I came up with several life long goals, genuine aspirations, which I sincerely hope to accomplish.

I must first and foremost be honest with myself, for it is through self reflection and understanding that I will be able to more effectively help others.

I strive to achieve personal and professional success by understanding others and through activities that benefit the common good.

I will take pride in my ability to align the different aspects of my life.

I will remain open to the ideas of others, welcoming contradictory opinions and thoughtful discussions.

I have been blessed with family, friends, health, and knowledge. I must share my blessings with others; financially if necessary, but more importantly I will give encouragement and friendship and love.

I will never ignore my financial responsibilities, and will refrain from becoming a prisoner of consumerism. I must also ensure that such responsibilities live on into future generations so they too reside in financial security.

My family must always be the primary focus of my life.

I must always stand for my beliefs.

I found this to be an incredibly helpful and eye-opening task that I would recommend to anyone. There was a degree of self-discovery which allowed me to address my goals without the distractions of money, power, and politics.

I have essentially defined my ideal situation, providing a lens to filter out misaligned opportunities and goals, and assuring I stay focused as I head into the unknown.

In Memory...

2007-05-10T17:40:00.000-05:00

Recently my Mom was asked to write an article for my older brother's ten year reunion book. She subsequently asked me if I had any ideas, so I came up with the following - intentionally writing it from the perspective of my brother himself.

I shall begin with a poem titled Princes and Kings by R. Lee Sharpe. And so it goes...

Isn’t it strange how princes and kings,
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
And common people like you and me
Are builders for eternity?

Each is given a list of rules;
a shapeless mass; a bag of tools.
And each must fashion, ere life is flown,
A stumbling block, or a Stepping-Stone.

I was a simple person, who would not have wanted otherwise, that enjoyed a vocation outside the office. My hobbies included golf, boating, and helping others with the odd projects that would arise. I also enjoyed farming, but more so the precious time spent with family that was necessitated by the farm. I was a son, a brother, and a friend.

I ponder now from beyond, not wondering what could have been, but proud of what was. Through subtle gestures I witness the impact I had on family and friends – candles at weddings, children whom bear my name, ornamental angels exchanged annually, and commemorative gardens – all assurances that in my brief stint here…I fashioned a stepping-stone. For this I am most proud.

Enough Already

2007-04-29T17:56:00.000-05:00

I learned a long overdue lesson over the past few months regarding data. I have been working with two companies to help them improve their business processes and position them for future growth. Company A is a management services organization while Company B primary competes in manufacturing. For both organizations I spent a month gathering data and attempting to catalog and organize the data into useful information that would allow me to derive succinct conclusions about their corresponding industries, competitors, and internal processes. Research resulted in enormous amounts of data but left a feeling of inadequacy. So I continued researching more and more only to arrive at the same conclusions that I initially arrived at in the first place. Ultimately I finished the projects and presented my findings and recommendations to both organizations. At the end of the I asked myself, what did I learn from this experience?

The answer was simple, enough data already! Get to the conclusions and focus on the more important items, such how to convert the vast amounts of data into useful information. I recently picked up a book by Robert Greenleaf titled "Servant Leadership" that summarized this perfectly stating that "if, on a practical decision in the world of affairs, you are waiting for all of the information for a good decision, it never comes." To me, the "it" in "it never comes" contains dual meaning; (1) the entirety of information and (2) a good decision - as the only decision being made is to gather more information.

However, there is always a catch; the manufacturing company that I previously mentioned had huge amounts of data just sitting in different databases all over their organization. At first, after being persuaded by the COO, I decided to write this data off as unimportant. It was three months into the project after reaching another conclusion that I realized how important this information could be. So we pulled it all together into one huge, normalized database. I was then able to derive statistical process control charts on individual product lines and machines which allowed them to create a highly accurate production schedule that is within the limits of their system. What I now ask myself is, would I have arrived to the same result had I looked at the information first? Probably not.

It's interesting how business analysis coincides with the scientific method. All too often are people gathering data, pulling perceived "worthwhile" bits of information together hoping that a conclusion will present itself. These same people will adamantly argue that they just don't have enough information to make any conclusions. To really make research worthwhile, a hypothesis or concise goal must first be defined and only then, should the pursuit of data be endured. This will allow the pursuer to gather relevant information and not get lost in the sea of data that is readily available today.

Reflection on Lean Thinking

2007-04-19T15:43:00.000-05:00

A reflection comparing some of the differences between the philosophies of lean and that of traditional management.

All quotation's are derived from Tom Johnson's "Profit Beyond Measure."

The most significant control philosophy difference is the production driver itself. Often referred to as management by means (MBM), Toyota believes that production is controlled by the "intricate pattern of relationships connecting all the parts, not in any particular parts themselves." Comparing this to the neural network of the animal brain, Johnson correctly asserts that it is the interrelated connections within the brain that controls the animal, not the brain itself. Toyota, understanding natural flow, leaves production to be controlled by customer orders, and through diligent use of “kanban” relationships, Toyota’s version of a brain’s synapse, the entire facility knows what part to make and when to make it. This forms the pull mechanism that is integrated throughout the entire Toyota facility – making “every worker views himself or herself as both customer and supplier” to the next worker or process in the production line. Toyota factories essentially become vast layers of supermarkets, where employees pull parts and products through the system in the same manner that they would pull products off a shelf at the supermarket.
Contrarily, traditional management philosophy recognizes management by results, a vastly different approach to production control than MBM. Management by results (MBR) does not trust their employees to make simple, yet well designed production decisions, and instead dictates from ivory towers what parts to make and when to make them. Adding to the complexity is that these dictatorial decisions are often driven by the incentive to meet financial targets and not by customer demand. This rear view mirror, economies of scale approach drives large batch production runs that attempt to get the average cost per part down as low as possible while ignoring the overall cost per product. This view has turned a “blind eye to the means and condones acts [batch processing] that in themselves, apart from the goal [financial targets], would never be tolerated.” Inventory costs rise as decoupled, sub-optimized factories attempt to reach the minimum efficiency scale, hoping to achieve minimal production costs on their few parts. “Ironically, it is the presence of such costs that first triggers the belief that the answer to profitability is efficiency.” Decoupling is typically not present at Toyota facilities as it impairs the overall flow of production, flow that is aptly based on the customer pull instead of a drive to meet financial metrics.
A second core difference is comprised of two similar, yet very different paradigms; avoiding costs versus minimizing costs. At Toyota, they (meaning the entire organization and not just management) focus heavily on avoiding costs through meticulous attention to the “minute particulars that reflect the patterns that shape the whole.” More simply, Toyota avoids costs by designing “flexibility and problem solving into the flow of the direct work.” The near perfect design of the work, parts, and processes allows the system to run steadily with limited interruptions, despite variations in the products and parts that are pulled through the system. This inherent, natural design does not and can not happen over night. It did not happen with Toyota and it will not happen with American manufacturers. However, it can be achieved through diligent practice of the following:

Cultural Comfort – Employees absolutely must trust their employers. Management must assure that the design improvements, efficiency increases, autonomation, and others will never cost an employee his or her position. In fact, a reward system should be in place for employees who submit ideas that further improve the production process.
Continuous Learning –Toyota avoids costs by avoiding complexity in the design of the minute particulars within the system – simplifying the system. Continuous learning allows Toyota to understand the nature of flaws and remove such from the system. In contrast, traditional management attempts to minimize costs through meticulous attention and control of extremely complex processes.
Kaizen – The process of ongoing improvement. Again, a degree of cultural comfort must be embedded in the organization before significant kaizen efforts will be realized, employees must feel safe when expressing their ideas.
Andon Cords – A critical part of the kaizen process that allows each employee to signal the time, place, and condition of an abnormality, no matter how slight. These abnormalities can then be examined to find ways of preventing future waste, or in some cases, actually improving process and products.
Heijunka – This is the concept of producing endless varieties of parts at the cost of mass-producing only one variety. For example, when successfully implemented a factory can produce products "ABCDEFG" at the same cost it takes to produce product "A" seven times. This step requires meticulous attention to change over times and extensive use of the aforementioned processes.

American manufactures expend much of their time determining how to best allocate overhead and other indirect cost. These costs, which are a derivative of waste created by the system, are exactly what Toyota focuses heavily on eliminating, not just finding ways to better allocate them.
A third, but certainly not any less important difference is the way the two predominant philosophies treat their people. Traditional management believes that each employee is a replaceable, linear “asset”, asserting that additional units of input given to an employee will equal another additional unit of output. Therefore, according to traditional philosophies, cutting employees will have no impact on the system as additional inputs can simply be given to the remaining employees. This explains why cutting and replacing employees is so common when organizations need to cut costs. Toyota, however, understands that employees can contribute more to the system as they progress down a learning curve. Toyota realizes the qualitative aspects of human capital and understands that as you keep employees, give them freedom, and provide them a safe work environment that their output will increase exponentially.

Wrong Side of the Bed

2007-04-19T15:30:00.000-05:00

There is the oft-said speculation that waking up on the wrong side of the bed will lead your day amiss. So I asked myself, “is there any truth behind this statement?"

I soon realize that there is, but the answer lies not in the side of the bed you get out on, but within your first interaction of the day. For some of us, this is our wives, others it could be a roommate or a co-worker; regardless at some point we greet someone and allow some form of communication to take place. This contact is more the day defining moment than whatever side of the bed you get up from.

The question now is, what can one do to ensure their first interaction is, as we refer to in business, left in the black? How can we insure the first interaction is left on a positive note?

Just a thought... :)