Of importance

Having some time to plan for the future: I mean, I’m trying to focus on those tasks the experts say are important for the continuity of the business. All I’m saying is today’s chores are mainly aimed at the long-term plans inherently of any enterprise, venture, partnership, or organization.

In other words, I’m not doing anything crisis-solving like activities right now. No learning, no replying to “urgent” messages, not even planning tomorrow’s day, and such. Simply thinking and deciding on the next moves based on past performance.

So, working on a ‘nice’ quadrant. Feels like there won’t be much money to be made this week, but today's labour will be similar to that of a hardworking farmer.

I’ve read that’s important. I guess it’s important. I wish it’s important and I hope it’s important.

Hope the macroeconomic world agrees with this, governments don’t disrupt policies and no drastic natural events alter, once again, all those future plans we’ve seen destroyed recently.

Finding Qualified Personnel

I’ve heard it countless times: people at the top of the decision making process, in HR and even on intermediate management positions. It is SO difficult to find qualified staff.

Whether the position to be filled is an entry-level or a top-notch, the woes about lack of knowledge, experience and most importantly; attitude is ever present in most organization. It does not matter what the hiring process is; there will always be loopholes in the system, and exaggeration from people to fill vacant places in order to get a ‘job’.

Which begs the question: how are you perceived from your supervisors, clients, stockholders, colleagues and people at different levels?
Are you capable, valuable, competent and have the attitude? In just one word, are you employable?

How did you manage to get to the place you are at right now? How long do you think you can be there, based on the answers to the previous questions?

Be of value: show your worth, and peace of mind will always be by your side.

The forgotten best Operating System from Microsoft

Well, Windows 7 is here to stay. Really useful, more intuitive, not as nice looking yet as OS X, neither as sleek as Ubuntu, but overall a very good Operating System (OS) indeed.
The best of course is that it is a true 64 bit OS, which makes it faster and more secure than its previous siblings.

However, despite Windows XP being the most popular OS ever, there was once (and still is in operation, on high-end workstations) the best OS MS ever released; it is still a mystery why MS stopped bettering it and opposed to continuing to push adoption and third party development for this particular OS. I'm referring to Windows XP 64 bit (wrongly labeled sometimes as x64).

It is flawless. It was the fastest OS there was when it was released, save for a few Linux distros that truth be told did not have a very good network support. On AutoCAD and similar packages you could really appreciate the advantages of XP 64 vs, 32 bit. In fact, not only architects and designers benefited from it, some of the animated movie pictures released a few years ago were crafted on machines based on this.

Too bad MS decided to stop releasing even Service Packs for it. It will retire support soon too; so those of us that have a computer running it, are a little bit sad yet grateful for the eXPerience. Windows XP 64 bit has been the absolute best OS released ever by MS before Windows 7 64 bit.

Time to upgrade it to Windows 7 now.

Off-track Sales Presentations

A month ago, a client of ours was bitterly telling me about a sale they lost due to lack of preparation and due diligence. Technology -or lack of proper use- apparently played a huge role on the mishap. I wanted to tell her how to avoid such heartbreaking scenarios, but I was there basically as a crying shoulder and did not dare to break her woes.

Last week, I heard of another similar embarrassing moment in a presentation. Although apparently the show went on with good dribbling from the presenter, the fact of the matter is that there could have been many ways of preventing such mishaps with a little bit of planning.

In July 2009 I delivered a Business Sales Tips related presentation and one of the main topics was, precisely, how to formulate, test and apply backup and contingency plans when technology fails us. I also explained and showed with a few examples how to prepare, test and apply techniques to avoid such happenings.

The slides of the presentation can be found here, however I think one has to be a member of such group to be able to see them. ...and they really mean not much without the accompanying talk and show.

I wish these salespersons and presenters could have attended then; it would have help shown a more positive outcome than whichever potential clients and attendees perceived from such derailed sessions.

In brief, the secret to be ready for a flawless delivery is:
• Practice, practice, practice
• Have the same material you are presenting in at least 2 different media types (i.e. Presentation slides file in your computer, in an external storage device, and printouts)
• If there are charts of diagrams that will be crafted while explaining, have them also pre-printed in poster form, or at least printouts for all attendees
• Did I mention practice?
• A brief introductory message and delivery of material before the talk will always help, acknowledge your audience has received it
• Imagine you are presenting in two totally different places: one counts on all gadgets needed such as projectors, flip-charts, white-boards, good lighting, and etcetera. The other has none of these. Simply prepare all needed for both scenarios
• Deliver at least the slides after the presentation is over, if you did not provide any information beforehand
• Finally, practice

So, there you have it. Again, this summary might not make much sense without a proper... er, presentation; but these might be building blocks for future events.

Finally adopted Outlook

It is good to have some kind of relationship with the big manufacturers, in this case Microsoft. I tested the beta release of Office 2010 for a few months. It has -obviously- many improvements over the previous versions and I just knew I would upgrade as soon as I could.

Well, I downloaded the latest version (2010) within minutes of it being posted on the Web. I immediately started using Word, Excel and PowerPoint to continue to appreciate the many new features and nicer interface views and more intuitive menus and icons.

The MS-Office department has always been the best at designing, releasing and maintaining their products. It might have something to do with the fact that Office was not designed by MS from the ground up: most of the products were acquired from different companies and integrated in a suite. It might also have to do with the fact the latest versions of Office were architected by Ray Ozzie… independently of the reason, the Office dept. at Microsoft, simply, rocks.

However, I’ve been somehow skeptical regarding Outlook. All the problems of the past related to corrupted files, limitations on the size of data files; sluggishness and duplication of messages… et cetera, et cetera have somehow frightened me away from it.

So, I’ve used for a long time a combination of Eudora (15 years), Lotus Notes (11), Thunderbird (3) and Evolution (2); mainly and interchangeably depending on location, machine being used and intention.
However, Eudora was killed by Qualcomm 4 years ago, and although some enthusiasts decided to take over the task of creating a Thunderbird-based next version (8), it has been a long time waiting for the final release to substitute my old good Eudora v7.1.

Lotus Notes has been my preferred Calendaring, To-do, Tasks and Contacts manager. The email portion of it has left me wishing for a good release soon, to no avail. The interface takes ages to be changed to something more eye-candy-like, and although the functionality of the program is incredibly good, Lotus Notes is still targeting the corporations only. (I won’t mention Domino: a decade ago most of us IT pros knew what it was, now on hearing the word we all think of the game, or relate it to a pizza chain.)

Evolution and Thunderbird are both very good, but only as POP and IMAP based email programs.

All of these are still 32-bit based applications.

So, I took the plunge: decided to simply start using Outlook and that was it. Well… I obviously have been using it from time to time, mainly to help people that use the program on a daily basis. So I knew and know its intricacies and all; just that after the 2007 release I was sure the next version would simply be very good.

So, there you have it: I’ve said it. I’ve done it. It’s official. I adopted Microsoft’s Outlook 2010 64-bit version as of yesterday: April 22nd, 2010.

Next time you receive an email message from me you can check –if not from my Blackberry- it was crafted using Outlook.

Communicating our ideas independently of and despite the language

So, with so many devices and Web based technologies we start getting used to lots of ways of communicating, it is becoming more and more complex to convey ideas nowadays. From the clear and precise books and magazines’ authors and other existing text formats, to the unconventional and rushed, sometimes –most times- grammatically and orthographic incorrect email, chat and TXT messages; it is becoming not only somehow quick and efficient, but also frustrating and worse –in those regards- every time.

It comes to my mind for instance; one specific person whose use of chat features left so much to wish for, from horrific grammar and the simple lack of proper punctuation to the constant hitting of “next line” before finishing a sentence. Sometimes I thought they were assertive on their findings, affirmations and declarations, only to find out after some frustrated minutes that what they were doing was asking questions.

However, with some effort on our part we can be sure the message happens to be transmitted right most of the times, in fact way more than not. Therefore it has to be a positive outcome, and although the messages can vary in format, the soul of such are received.

However, w/some effort on our part we can B sure da mssg happens 2B transmitted right most of da x, in fact way > not. .: it has 2B a +++ outcome n although da mssgs can vary in format, da soul of such R got.

And… we are reading this in just one language! It becomes VERY interesting and lots of fun when two transceptors understand more than one tongue. You surely have had such experience already.

Purists will complain and criticize such use –deliberate or not- by so many “illiterate” folks.
Me? I have no problem with that when it comes to quick chats and such. However, books, articles and even Blogs deserve quality; not only in the content, but also in the way they are delivered.

X-I-10! Isn’t it? B2W now. C U L8R

Useful waste of resources

As an IT professional, consultant and business partner, it still amazes me to find people reluctant to acquire the latest software technologies, and dump old applications that do not do anything but hold the brakes of their own organizations.

Chances are you are reading this on a hand-held device; if not, then there’s a 95% chances you are using a Windows based PC. Is it Windows 7? (Today is Tuesday, April 20, 2010)

Well… Windows XP, its predecessor, is already almost a decade old. Are you holding on the upgrade because at least one of your applications “does not run on anything other than XP”? Did not we all know about the impending upgrade coming? So, what are your software suppliers doing?
Have you tried replacing that old package with something new that will make your time better used?

I have faced people asking me what the best path would be to degrade Windows 7 to XP; o that they continue to use everything the way they are used to.

Just think about the enormous amount of resources you put in place to accomplish this, and then, once again in a short period of time put some more resources to get the system back to the future. It is just a waste of time, effort and human capital.

Why not invest all those resources in acquiring newer packages? Believe me, they will make everything easier, and you will be more productive in no time.

Investments vs. expenses

Last week a member of my club and I were discussing the advantages of newest TV/Monitor technologies and the many differences between brand names and mainly display capabilities between LCD, Plasma and LED developments. All in all a very healthy and enlightening discussion; you can nowadays go to any big chain store and find the three type of technologies side by side, compare them and come up with the best value (i.e. price/features), personal likes, and business fits.

At one point during the chat, she said something like “we just invested in a nice 50 inch plasma ...”. I did not pay much attention to the sentence. However, later that day I kept thinking about the 'invested' word used in such a conversation. It was somehow awkward to hear it, perhaps because she changed the word from bought to invested in at the last second; and mostly because such scenario was not in any way, er… truth.

So, how do we differentiate between expenses and investments? I've read countless books and articles and still am confused about what really represents and investment and what is simply money that needs to be spent in order to continue our business/life. I would say everything we put resources in so that we will complete a package or product to be delivered to another entity is in fact an investment. However, cars? Computers? TVs? Yes, we need them to do our work, some more than the others, but all of those items only depreciate through time; there is no way for me to say “I invested in this car…” because it will NEVER appreciate. It will never return more money than I paid for it. It becomes in fact, a tool, an asset, an active.

So, where do we draw the line? Very gray area indeed. However, what I’m doing now before spending any money –or time- on anything is think about whether such item is an expense or an investment.

Back to watching my expensive TV now.

Data, data everywhere…

…but, where’s the information?

As IT suppliers, partners, consultants, professionals and such, we are always focused on providing services that in reality have just one goal: to protect your data.

Come to think about it: setting up UPSs to protect the servers and containers of files, installing Internet Security Suites so that those accessing such data are able to do it without having to worry it could become corrupted (or disappear). Configuring VPNs so that no prying eyes can look at your files, setting up data backup strategies and solutions so that disaster recovery procedures are in place; encrypting wireless signals, avoiding Spam and similar maladies that would alter said data, finding the best on-site and cloud-based solutions so that everything can be ported to the Web -and available to authorized staff only- planning and implementing CRM strategies in a similar fashion… the list goes on.

Certainly, we also set up new computers and fix servers, systems and networks when they are broken; we have to. However, absolutely everything we do gravitates around one single entity, the most precious asset there is in your electronic digital systems: data.

Without that data, you cannot obtain information. Independently of source, quantity and quality of such data; you need to dig in it to do your business and make the best decisions possible for the challenges of today and to plan for the future.

With the current data deluge we all experience, it is of paramount importance to be able to differentiate between information and data; and then know which data is in reality important to us and which is not.

Your business is distinctive and therefore some information will always emerge uniquely too; the data sources might be diverse and heterogeneous, some easy to understand or carry with us, some not.

Global data is growing at exponential proportions and so is yours. The following article might shed some light with regards to trends and the type of challenges we as IT and business professionals face, and it also highlights the need for business decision makers to be cognizant of this trend; so that we all can meet those challenges as a team.

Hope you enjoy the read; at least take a look at the figures and graphs. That will help us all get better at extracting information and then making better decisions.
http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15557443

The Daffodil Principle

~Anonymous Author~

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.

"Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"

My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."

"Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden." We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.

On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world ...

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"

Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting.....

Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...

There is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you don't need money.
Love like you've never been hurt, and, Dance like no one's watching.

If you want to brighten someone's day, pass this on to someone special.

I just did!

Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!

Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.