This picture (credited to Uptime Software) shows how you can classify outages so that you know which ones to tackle first. A very good way to take stock of things and show progress over time.
Management
True Leadership..
As I was channel browsing yesterday, I happened to run across an episode of NOW on my local PBS station. It featured a Harvard educated man that decided to run for the mayor of a rundown steel belt town (Braddock, PA). Besides being impressed and humbled by Mr.John Fetterman, I thought he displayed all the characteristics of a true leader (IMHO).
- Having a Vision
- Committing to the Vision
- Thinking out of the box to implement vision
- Thinking objectively
Highly recommend watching the video, if you have the time 🙂
Creative Genius : Graphical Form
Jeevan Kumar, one of my colleagues and friend, came up with this graphical form of what makes a creative genius.. And I thought, it is only fair to share this art and Jeeva’s talent with the world :)..
Lessons of the Trade : Easy method to detect lame salespeople (companies)..
Some background.. I get an email from a sales rep from one of the biggest telecom provider. The sales person attached a 4 MB document that shows the services offered by the company in one page.. Yes, a one pager document that is 4MB in size!!.. And this document tells me how this company can do everything other than wash my dishes for me..that they are biggest and baddest out there.
Do you think that this person even gave a minutes thought before filling up my mailbox with a 4MB attachment? Nope.. will he be getting my business? Nope.. It is not that the sales rep sent me such a large attachment, but because the company that can supposedly offer the best technical solutions out there cannot figure out a way to show their offerings in a single page without bloating it. Shows that the company is not innovative and thinking of customers.
Maybe I am being harsh here.. but then I have pretty high standards :).
Six Signs that you aren't cut out to be a CIO..
The first five reasons are in this video.
The sixth reason.. you are actually watching the video above to decide if you are cut out to be a CIO :).. Come on people!!
MisCommunication
Another picture from a chain mail :). My friend, Shashi, forwarded this via e-mail. Sarcastic look into communications in the corporate world. Not sure which publication this is from, so apologies in advance if this looks like palgarism. Click on the image to view a larger and legible image.
Overheard : Comment about progress
Comment by a colleague about progress
Somebody told me once that getting it right the first time is accident, second time is coincidence and the third time is consistence.
Open Source Education
If you have time on your hand and want to learn something useful, head on over to Academic Earth (http://academicearth.org/) and view lectures from some of the best professors in the world..
I liked this one by Alan Blinder about the cause of the current economic crisis
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Quote from his lecture.. NINJA (No Income, No Job [and] Asset] loans are bad 🙂
OverHeard : Comment about contribution
Comment by a colleague about how useful your contributions are at work..
Yesterdays recipe is today’s shit
In other words, there is no end to the race :)..
Stomach Stimulus Package
I stopped at Hippos, a hot dog place in Elk Grove for lunch today. I was using the drive through and saw this sign on the drive through window
The owner put together a combo for $15.99, which will get you a meal for 4 people. The sign reads “Feed a Family of 4 for under four bucks per person!!! Times are Tough. Hippo’s will help you get through it with our stomach stimulus package.”
After I pay for my lunch, the hostess hands me an envelope which looks like this
Simple but brilliant marketing. First connect with your customers in this tough time.. then give them an incentive to come back. I would go back to the place to check out if I won anything.. and guess what, even if I don’t win anything, I will most probably end up getting something to eat there. I am sure this joint is going to survive