As Internet connectivity becomes faster, new technologies are better and more integrated than before, social networking is becoming commonplace, both on the Web and inside the buildings; we can do so many things remotely now that we simply could not just some years ago.
Nowadays we can connect to the office seeing on our screen exactly and almost 100% with the same clarity everything we have on our computer. It is becoming simpler to connect, faster to work on, and cheaper to implement.
I remember some years ago the fuzz and all the outrage from some of us regarding the “IT does not matter” article. Most of us did not understand the paradox implicit in such document.
What company, big or small could ever survive without IT today?
What would you be doing instead of reading these lines on your screen?
Exactly.
Now please forward as appropriate, use as many methods as you can: post, tweet, blog, email, txt message, facebook, your choice -or all of them-.
See? There are so many now! And all are cheap, fast and easy. :)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Kids’ play
Watching kids at soccer practice, I just realize how sometimes we adults do not understand the rules of the game and therefore perform a very poor role in the organization. On top of that, those of us that do understand the rules sometimes lack the ability or intelligence (or both) to play better than we in reality could.
I'm not trying to convey the message that we all should be experts on technology or a specific device or tool, or business processes, but trying to make an analogy so that I remind myself we can always improve via training, practice and paying attention.
The game the kids are playing and specifically the exercise the coaches implemented for them to learn has not real implications for those that are here just to have fun. For the ones that will become soccer players, at least on a semi-professional level, this day will be somehow ingrained in their memory for life.
In a business environment, there is implications, complications and grave consequences when those rules are not known, followed, or implemented at least to minimum requirements.
Are your teammates playing by the rules and to the best of their abilities?
Then you should win 3 – 0.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!
I'm not trying to convey the message that we all should be experts on technology or a specific device or tool, or business processes, but trying to make an analogy so that I remind myself we can always improve via training, practice and paying attention.
The game the kids are playing and specifically the exercise the coaches implemented for them to learn has not real implications for those that are here just to have fun. For the ones that will become soccer players, at least on a semi-professional level, this day will be somehow ingrained in their memory for life.
In a business environment, there is implications, complications and grave consequences when those rules are not known, followed, or implemented at least to minimum requirements.
Are your teammates playing by the rules and to the best of their abilities?
Then you should win 3 – 0.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Cloud Computing gaining strength
A lot of smaller companies and new products have started sprouting in the last couple of years. Almost every day now we get news about this new on-line backup solution or the new offers on hosted email and document managers from new and old companies.
Even Microsoft wants to start offering such products on top of the existing consumer-targeted and free Live features; this time gathering brokers and ISPs to push their products on the business space.
Seems to me like this is the start of the real social Internet: we pay right now for some services while most of the really useful ones are still free. I am envisioning a free-internet for all in the near future: the plan is that we all share our existing equipment in a way so that computers and servers are intelligent enough to find, assemble and provide functions from different places and supply those to the ones that need it at that moment. The unused computing power, idle at 12:00 GMT would be helping those whose time zone is 0:00 GMT, and vice versa. A quid pro quo environment that makes use of all the interconnected computers in the globe.
Now, that’s the real Cloud Computing concept.
Even Microsoft wants to start offering such products on top of the existing consumer-targeted and free Live features; this time gathering brokers and ISPs to push their products on the business space.
Seems to me like this is the start of the real social Internet: we pay right now for some services while most of the really useful ones are still free. I am envisioning a free-internet for all in the near future: the plan is that we all share our existing equipment in a way so that computers and servers are intelligent enough to find, assemble and provide functions from different places and supply those to the ones that need it at that moment. The unused computing power, idle at 12:00 GMT would be helping those whose time zone is 0:00 GMT, and vice versa. A quid pro quo environment that makes use of all the interconnected computers in the globe.
Now, that’s the real Cloud Computing concept.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
One month after Xmas
WOW! So much to do, so little time... or so it goes.
After what seems like an eternity there is a feeling of void for being so separated from the writing world.
Not that there is no intention, simply that with so much work and all the latest developments globally, one but wonders what is important and what is not.
After sharing tears and thoughts watching the Haiti scenes on TV and Web, trying to please clients as best as we can, asking ourselves how come kids still insist on a different colour or style of shoes when everything else is way more urgent that such demand.
Trying to keep a “normal” life balancing everything that is going on in our micro and macro environment is sometimes an open question. Why do we do our job? What's the purpose of taking kids to school, go to work, return exhausted to continue with evening activities... always waiting for the weekend, that comes and becomes shorter every time...?
When will it end!?
Then, while trying to make sense of it all, we get distracted by work, family issues, health matters... social events, … never to come back to our train of thought to fully figure out our purpose in life.
Or at least a better, easier or faster way to get to the next mark.
Oh! well... I'd better get back to my email... there are 6 urgent messages I have to reply to among other 100 not-so-important that I still have to address.
Keep me posted if you find something close to an explanation of what really matters in this planet.
Phone ringing, gotta go.
After what seems like an eternity there is a feeling of void for being so separated from the writing world.
Not that there is no intention, simply that with so much work and all the latest developments globally, one but wonders what is important and what is not.
After sharing tears and thoughts watching the Haiti scenes on TV and Web, trying to please clients as best as we can, asking ourselves how come kids still insist on a different colour or style of shoes when everything else is way more urgent that such demand.
Trying to keep a “normal” life balancing everything that is going on in our micro and macro environment is sometimes an open question. Why do we do our job? What's the purpose of taking kids to school, go to work, return exhausted to continue with evening activities... always waiting for the weekend, that comes and becomes shorter every time...?
When will it end!?
Then, while trying to make sense of it all, we get distracted by work, family issues, health matters... social events, … never to come back to our train of thought to fully figure out our purpose in life.
Or at least a better, easier or faster way to get to the next mark.
Oh! well... I'd better get back to my email... there are 6 urgent messages I have to reply to among other 100 not-so-important that I still have to address.
Keep me posted if you find something close to an explanation of what really matters in this planet.
Phone ringing, gotta go.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
To say things a little bit differently:
H A P P Y N E W Y E A R !
Salut! Cheers! ¡Salud!
H A P P Y N E W Y E A R !
Salut! Cheers! ¡Salud!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Losing sight of business
Early morning today on another casual and brief face to face chat reminds me of the fact that we loose sight of the nature of our business.
We are getting so used to be fixated on a set of screens day to day, that we forget what's behind all those screens. It is people, we all make the business.
From our micro-company to the largest corporations, none of those entities would exist without us.
Please go back to basics. People is the target, whatever our position is in this place; focus on people.
We'll find it more rewarding when we add the P factor to the routine equation.
Good job, people.
We are getting so used to be fixated on a set of screens day to day, that we forget what's behind all those screens. It is people, we all make the business.
From our micro-company to the largest corporations, none of those entities would exist without us.
Please go back to basics. People is the target, whatever our position is in this place; focus on people.
We'll find it more rewarding when we add the P factor to the routine equation.
Good job, people.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Winter approaching
I happen to live in a place where summers are great, but winters are, well... Winters.
As December approaches, winds are stronger, power lines get cut, rain makes some telecommunications spotty at the best of times; and when snow is finally here, it takes more time than average to get to the places we want to get to.
All these combined create an interesting array of corrective measures most of the times. So, we find ourselves immersed in a waterfall of tasks that prevent us from checking the scenery, an enjoy it.
Today, for instance, wind blew most of the day, and at times it joined forces with heavy rain. That made driving a nightmare. Walking commuters obviously paid a higher price.
However, it is until late at night that I find the whole thing beautiful. The rain is present and so is the wind. The temperature outside is nearing the point of freezing, but all in all the night is beautiful. Can't see stars, can't hear the birds or bugs, but even so, the blurry shape of distant trees moving in waves makes the landscape unique. The wind has brought distant scents of nature that we definitely can't appreciate on warmer days. All in all I just notice how little times we "stop to smell the flowers".
This is one of such moments I realize I've wasted so many precious moments thinking that it would be a waste of time to make a pause on daily chores and admire the surroundings.
Pretty sure my mind will be fresh and in better shape tomorrow after this delightful break.
(Sniff...) Hah... It takes my breath away.
As December approaches, winds are stronger, power lines get cut, rain makes some telecommunications spotty at the best of times; and when snow is finally here, it takes more time than average to get to the places we want to get to.
All these combined create an interesting array of corrective measures most of the times. So, we find ourselves immersed in a waterfall of tasks that prevent us from checking the scenery, an enjoy it.
Today, for instance, wind blew most of the day, and at times it joined forces with heavy rain. That made driving a nightmare. Walking commuters obviously paid a higher price.
However, it is until late at night that I find the whole thing beautiful. The rain is present and so is the wind. The temperature outside is nearing the point of freezing, but all in all the night is beautiful. Can't see stars, can't hear the birds or bugs, but even so, the blurry shape of distant trees moving in waves makes the landscape unique. The wind has brought distant scents of nature that we definitely can't appreciate on warmer days. All in all I just notice how little times we "stop to smell the flowers".
This is one of such moments I realize I've wasted so many precious moments thinking that it would be a waste of time to make a pause on daily chores and admire the surroundings.
Pretty sure my mind will be fresh and in better shape tomorrow after this delightful break.
(Sniff...) Hah... It takes my breath away.
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