May
29
Are Monitoring and Control Systems the Solution or the Problem?
Submitted by Jack Pate under Business | Leave a Comment
In his great, insightful novel, “Lord Jim,” Joseph Conrad talks about a ship’s chandler who had “ability.” I have heard that one cannot persuade people to improve performance or abilities by offering money, but one can reward ability when it is found by paying well and encouraging such persons to stay in the organization. Large organization often have a formal process as well as a very informal process for conjuring the same objective.
I recall a technician who learned that certain equipment was going to become available in a large operation that was being shut down, dismantled, and otherwise put out of service. This technician identified several very important pieces of equipment used in that operation that we could use in a project at hand.
Obtaining the required access, he and some fellow technicians obtain a truck, drove to the site of the operation being decommissioned, and picked up several pieces of equipment. His response to how he had acquired such items was “Don’t ask. You don’t want to know.” Knowing what was possible, what was authorized, how to obtain the proper authorizations, as well as the value of possession as nine tenths of the law, this technician proved himself invaluable. A manager insisting on dotting every “i,”crossing every “T,” and doing everything in sequence could never have obtained by any linear process the results regularly obtained by this pragmatic technician. That is something to ponder in managing people and organizations at all levels.
May
22
How to Build People as a Resource in Any Job
Submitted by Jack Pate under Business | Leave a Comment
Years ago I accepted a position with one of America’s largest corporations. My first day on the job at the laboratory where I worked I met Tom. I and several of my colleagues had doctoral degrees in engineering and the sciences. Tom was a technician with a high school diploma and considerable on-the-job training. Being raised by my father, I had never come to discount anyone’s value, integrity, or friendship, regardless of any particular status. Whether walking with peasants or princes, everyone appreciates being respected and heard.
I struck up a friendship with Tom and found him to be a good source of cultural information about the organization where I worked. He was also very helpful and resourceful. Later, when I had transferred to a different major division of the corporation, I had the opportunity to recommend Tom for a technician position there. Over the years, the friendship as well as the professional association were both very productive. His understanding of the bowels of the organization and how to obtain resources when resources were supposedly unavailable was absolutely critical to the success of many projects.
My friendship with Tom confirmed an underlying philosophy of life that all people are valuable, are to be respected, and should be permitted the opportunity to make themselves valuable to the organization. Many years later after my career had taken a very radical shift in direction and geography, I was still able to come back to a very warm welcome at Tom’s home.
May
14
How to Improve Your Memory for Names and Faces
Submitted by Jack Pate under Business | Leave a Comment
“What is a name? … A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” says Juliet in Shakespeare’s play. In business, a person’s name is perhaps more important to them than in social situations. Hearing one’s own name is affirmation to an individual that somebody recognizes that person. Being recognized as a contributor, participant, valuable resource, or any other person of note affirms to an individual that he or she is not a lost minion in an organization. Many people apologize that they are “very bad with names.” Being good with names is a matter of learning them, perhaps more than remembering them. One remembers what is important. Accordingly, to remember an individual’s name is to state subtly that names are important and that the particular individual’s name is important.
Remembering a name begins with concentration. Listen to a name while looking intently into that person’s face, and listen for some fact that will tie the name to some characteristic. This key is recognized by many experts on remembering. The tie may be humorous or even negative. However, one can find something about occupation, face, background, height, shape, or the like that will tie the face to the name.
Another factor in learning names is time. The investment is in taking the time to learn a name, turn the name over in one’s mind, consider the individual, and otherwise create a link. Thereafter, reviewing a stack of business cards or a brief list of names jotted down will refresh memory. Thereafter, any followup is a further addition to memory.
Faces may actually be easier to remember than names. Knowing that I have met a particularly face before, I don’t hesitate to step up, shake hands, extend a greeting of recognition and request to be reminded of the name. Many people are afraid to do so. However, remembering the face, and taking the initiative to step forward and introduce oneself again is completely permissible, and welcome. One need not let pride make a former acquaintance a stranger.
May
8
How to Measure and Manage Technical, Personnel, and Project Tasks
Submitted by Jack Pate under Business | Leave a Comment
Have modern management and education lost sight of what constitutes a true philosopher? Numerous unproven theories are propounded by consultants, while anecdotes of limited applicability are held out as universal truths. The truly great philosophers of history seemed to be primarily scientists. They often operated with almost mathematical precision in observing reality and drawing conclusions therefrom. Modern management would do well to follow their example.
Scientists like Sir Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, Sir Francis Bacon, and the like were primarily observers of nature, trying to establish observable truths that could be repeatedly and repeatably applied to many situations and circumstances. Whether managing a large organization or simply the tasks of one’s own desk, the scientific method still works. That method, most famously documented by Sir Francis Bacon is to make observations, draw a conclusion from the observations, and then set up experiments to prove whether that conclusion universally follows the observed circumstance.
One key to good scientific methodology is to avoid throwing out half the evidence. Managers, most particularly financial managers, might easily account for only a part of their data if they do not accommodate data that does not fit their preconceived format.
For example, statisticians want a measurable parameter, its value in various conditions, and may ignore much else or all else. If evidence suggests that an unmeasured factor matters, for example, employee attitudes, employees’ sense of well being, or some other subjective criterion, ignoring that fact would be bad science. Whether our present organization can collect the data to place a specific number on such items does not determine whether they are important.
Management is to weigh such factors against other more deterministic, numerical, mathematical factors more easily measured, like the number of parts per hour produced on an assembly line. Thus, management should not fall into the trap of measuring only what can be easily measured, and then attributing to those measured parameters the entire influence on the operation. The great skill of management is in also observing and weighing other factors not as susceptible to measurement. Ask always what influence is exerted by the unmeasured factors you still see at work. Ask whether it is crucial. Ask how it should influence your decision. Trust your feelings on the subject, just as much as you trust reliable numbers.
May
5
Make a Presentation With Permanent Impact and Influence
Submitted by Jack Pate under Business | Leave a Comment
Most people operate their lives and jobs on personal attitude and a handful of goals. To have an impact requires only one single point, but it must be memorable. Motivation is more successful by making remarks memorable, rather than comprehensive. Four steps make teaching moments memorable whether taking one minute or an hour.
First: “A ho-hum crasher” rivets attention on a brief but compelling story setting up the importance of the principle to be shared. A ho-hum crasher works best launching directly into the story from a compelling opening line; no introduction of the topic is allowed. You have typically thirty seconds to make a point. Do not waste them. Especially do not spend them on anything that detracts from you or your point.
Second: Teaching the principle should be brief, may refer to books, manuals, guidelines, or documents to be referenced and relied upon. The important point is to demonstrate that the principle is founded in company doctrine or policy, good sense, and supported by authority. Teaching may be extensive, but need not be long, just accurate and documented.
Third: Elaboration is again a more extensive story that exemplifies the principle successfully in action. This takes much longer than the ho-hum crasher but is just as interesting. It is focused on being memorable, insightful, and consolidating the principle in the mind of the listener by giving time for reflection.
Fourth: A call to action invites everyone to apply the principle. This may take the form of a commitment: “Will you do this?” In a small group, one may actually obtain individual commitments. In a larger group it is more typically an invitation to apply the principle, with a reassurance from the speaker that the principle in application produces the rewards promised.