Showing posts with label Support. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Support. Show all posts
March 6, 2024
July 7, 2018
Supporting Israel is Right
Israel is not only the biblical and historical homeland for the Jewish people, but it is the only Jewish country in the entire world.
Nations and terrorists have attacked, again and again, denying the United Nations declaration for the State of Israel and the modern-day geopolitical reality of its existence--and it is flourishing!
The State of Israel has successfully made peace with its neighbors Egypt and Jordan, and they seek the same with the Palestinians.
Let us hope and pray for coexistence speedily in our times.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 17, 2018
Today is Father's Day
Also, the message she wrote to me inside was so thoughtful and mature.
It is wonderful for me to see her grow up to be such a lovely young lady.
The cover of the card:
"Father:
Neither an anchor to hold us back,
nor a sail to take us there,
but a guiding light whose
love shows us the way."
As parents, we certainly don't have all the answers either for ourselves or certainly for our children.
And frankly, the kids don't want us to tell them what to do or how to do it.
The best we can really do is to be there for them--to spend time with them, to support them, to show them we really care, and to provide perspective, balance, and faith.
I used to love going to my parent's house even if just to lay on the couch and feel the comfort of being "home" and with them.
I didn't have to think about what I did or said--I could just be me, and they loved me for that.
Now, I want my home to be that for my kids.
Even though they are adults now, they know we are always here for them in any way that they want or need us.
Our home is always their home.
Our love is always surrounding them.
My father used to say, he would go through fire for his family, and I always knew he meant it.
I could count on him for anything.
I miss him always, and especially today, Father's Day.
But I can carry on his fatherhood to my children and try to be a good dad--there, and loving and giving--no bounds, no expectations, no judgment--just love, plain and simple. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
February 10, 2018
Among All The Apples
Sort of how I felt after synagogue today and at other times.
I've learned the importance as my father had so often tried to teach me of going to synagogue.
Yes, the prayer and service to Hashem.
But also the community.
We all need people.
None of us is an island.
At synagogue, aside from the opportunity to speak and be close with G-d, I appreciate the hearty calls of "Shabbat Shalom," the embracing handshakes, hugs and occasional kisses, the chance to see and kiss the holy Torah, and being among friends.
Like the apples, we're all sort of the same, yet unique, and we stand together.
As apples, we all have our glowing and shiny outsides, a sweet inner core, and also plenty of juicy meat.
People too put on their best clothes, shoes, and do themselves to look their best going to synagogue, and inside they are there to express their goodness with G-d and the community.
Also though, you hear plenty of the heartbreaking stories about what is happening to them as families and individuals.
Sure, there are the lovely smachot (happy occasions) in their and our lives to celebrate, but there is also plenty of adversity and challenges faced daily.
One member passed away this week, another is getting cancer treatments, and someone got hit by a car crossing the street and is in the hospital with literally 79 screws holding their ribs together!
Then there are those out looking for work, others suffering from bad marriages or getting divorced, someone with a sick child that needs lifelong care, and someone who even got robbed this week.
Yes, shiny on the outside and with the sweetness of souls and hearts, and yet everyone has their baskets of challenges to deal with.
For someone like me, I literally feel it inside for people--it's like I can almost imagine what it must be like to be in their shoes.
Obviously, I can't--no one really can--but I imagine myself and ask myself OMG what in the world would I do--and of course, I have no real idea.
Synagogue is I guess the most perfect place to experience all this--since we are before G-d, asking for his blessings and mercy, and with others, we bond to who are all in the same boat paddling and trying to survive and live a full and meaningful life. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
November 10, 2017
Mechanisms for Coping With Stress
1. Teamwork - Remember you're not alone and you can rely on your colleagues/teammates at work and your family/friends at home to work with you, help you, and also be a support. Together, when you distribute the weight, the load is lighter and more manageable for everyone doing the lifting!
2. Work-Life Balance - Listen, all work and no play is good for no one. When you create a healthy balance in your own life--professional, emotional, intellectual, social, physical, and spiritual--then you will be more balanced, holistic, and better able to manage the ups and downs in any one or more areas of your life. The whole of you is larger than the sum of the parts!
3. Perspective - You've got to maintain a healthy perspective and attitude in life. All is not doom and gloom. Not every setback is catastrophic. There is good and bad in everything. And we need to use the challenges in life as learning and growth opportunities. Also, remember that there are many others in even worse shoes than us and their fortitude and seeing it through can be an inspiration to us. At the end of the day, look at the bright side--we all have so much to be grateful for, and every moment of life is a blessing!
4. Sense of Humor - When all else fails, a sense of humor can sometimes be the savings grace of the moment. When you're looking out over the abyss and you are seeing things dark and maybe quite ugly...perhaps, you can find in yourself, in others, or from a moment in time, something ridiculous or absurdly funny to think back on and laugh to yourself a good, strong, and healthy laugh!
5. Faith - No matter what...G-d is always there for you. Always watching. Always guiding. Always caring and loving you. You can have faith that whatever He does for you is ultimately for your best. The G-d of your forefathers/mothers, the G-d who created you, the G-d who sustains you every moment of every day will not abandon you in your time of need. If you have faith, He will protect and save you and after your amazing life's journey eventually comes to an end, He will bring you home to reunite with Him!
On my Bar-Mitzvah, now many years ago, my father gave a speech and he said to me from the prayers, be strong and remember:
"The L-rd is with me, I will not fear!" (or in Hebrew "Adonai li v'lo ira")
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 27, 2016
Coupling, The Beauty Of
Not to me!
There were a number of reminders to me today about how special and fortunate it is for any of us to be with someone we love.
It's not just that two heads are better than one.
Pretty much, everything is better with a partner who looks back at us and smiles.
We magnify the joy and we share the sorrow, together.
What my dad used to call my mom, his "better half!"
What we are lacking in, often our soulmate can fill in the blank.
And planning and executing is as a team, rather than flying solo.
There is someone who keeps our lofty ideas in check and at the same time challenges us when it's time to think bigger.
We learn from the other person, at the same time that we teach them maybe a little thing or two from our repertoire.
Strategically, divide and conquer makes everything from routine tasks to complex projects easier to achieve, especially when we agree on the goal and the approach.
Even the "occasional" disagreements and fights helps us to learn to control our temperament and to work things out or when to take a break and think things through afresh.
Someone to reach out to.
Someone to hold unto.
Someone to caress.
Someone to buttress.
Someone who makes us a better person than the one we see in the mirror naked and mortal.
Like 2 by 2 in Noah's Ark or in the birds and the bees, we are committed to that special someone.
The Bat Kol calls out "so and so shall be married to so and so" like only the L-rd in heaven can decree from the rib of man to the flesh of a women. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 20, 2016
Young Love
So I took this photo of a painting in a home furnishings store.
Just something really striking about it to me.
The way the women is leaning into the man and his head/face leans into hers.
Their focus on the drawing or plans in front of them, where he seems to be sketching out their future together.
Also, their hands touching and almost clasped.
Young love is beautiful.
When people find each other, by some miracle of G-d.
And the chemistry magically makes 2 people like 1.
The look they give each other, when their hopes and dreams converge.
Best friends, companions, lovers with the potential to grow ever mightier over time.
Life not without obstacles that the couple must overcome, supporting each other.
Building a home, raising a family, making a future together come true.
When the minds meet, the hearts yearn for each other, and the souls join.
What a time of joy and blessing...a time to live for and to continue the generations forward and build that which cannot be completed by any man alone. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 15, 2016
Versioning Gone Wild
However, many vendors have gone out of control with versioning.
1) Incompatibility--It isn't backward compatible, so if you try to work with an older version file/data, you may be sh*t of out of luck getting it to work.
2) Alphabet-Numerical Soup--We have so many versions of the same/similar thing, we can make your head spin with buyer envy.
3) Functionally Indistinct--Version changes are so minute or insignificant that there is virtually no difference to the end-user, but you'll love it anyway.
4) Long And Meaningless--Some versions just seem to go on and on into the weeds...like version 2.10.3.97--ah, let's compare that to the new version of the week of 2.10.3.98, and don't forget the 2.10.4 will be a completely different platform, so you better remember to order the right one.
5) Upgrade Pathless--You want to be on the current version, well your version is so legacy and ancient, there's no (easy) upgrade path--you have to install 26 patches, hot fixes, and 9 new versions and then you'll be on the right one!
6) Maintaining Multiple Versions--You'll need to maintain multiple versions of the same product, because your data on the older version can't be migrated to the new one. Can anyone say multiple maintenance fees?
7) Out Of Support--Your older version that you spent a lot of money on is no longer current and is now out of support--so scr*w you unless you pay us again for the next money maker version.
If you want to kill your brand and possibly your customers' sanity, keep on going mindless version crazy. ;-)
(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
October 25, 2015
Footsies at Comfort One
My wife tells me, "Go to Comfort One for new shoes."
I say, "But I don't want to go get nerdy shoes there."
Like in most arguments, my wife wins and in I march, reluctantly, to the store.
First, they take this scan of my feet (something that looks like the picture above) to show me where my foot is getting pressure (and pain).
Okay, well I already know this, but when you see all the red on the picture, I guess it helps to scare you to getting an expensive new pair of orthopedic-like shoes.
But first, they sell me on some arch supports that slides into the shoe...they seem to feel pretty good, and in fact, after walking around in them for a little while, I actually miss them when I finally take them off.
Give me back those darn arch supports, will ya?
Next, we see these amazing Mephisto shoes (with "soft-air technology")...made in Europe...the salesman says, their built like a tank.
My wife says, "Oh, my aunt told me to get those too!" We now have a bona fide endorsement.
I pick up the shoe on display and it look like it is pretty rugged with all the right support for walking around...maybe I got to get over that it looks to me like old people shoes (from Haband).
Hey, what do you want Andy--to feel good on your feet or to look like your 18 again.
Okay, I try them on...with the arch supports inserted...and what do you know, I am walking a heck of a lot better.
Well, what about the price...holy crap, I can get 3 pairs of cool shoes at REI for one of these nerdy pairs.
Oh darn it, I have no choice...I am walking better, especially with the hip surgeries from last year still looming behind me.
I get the shoes, I get the arches...I pay the money--too much money!
I feel nerdy or so nerdy, but maybe I'm going for the healing power, G-d willing, of a good pair of supportive shoes.
My wife was right again, and I hate to admit it, but please don't tell her I said so--it's bad for her ego and mine. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
October 10, 2015
David And Goliath - It's Biblical!
There are 22 Arab Countries versus 1 Jewish State of Israel.
The Arabs Countries far outnumber Israel with 64 times as many people, 760 times as much land, and 10 times as much GDP.
Overall the world's Muslim population is even so much larger with 50 majority-Muslim countries and 1.6 billion Muslims.
Some moderate Muslim or Arab countries are friendlier and have peace treaties with Israel, such as Egypt and Jordan, and others like Saudi Arabia are cooperating with Israel against a common Iranian threat.
However, it is no secret that many other Arab nations and especially Iran would like to see Israel wiped off the map with a total genocide of the Jewish people (just 70 years since the Holocaust).
This last week alone in Israel there were over 150 terrorist attacks (including shootings, stabbings, stonings, firebombs, and more)!
To the west, just last year in 2014, there were over 4,500 missiles fired by Hamas-controlled Gaza indiscriminately into Israel.
To the north, Hezbollah is estimated to have 100,000 rockets pointed at Israel.
To the northeast, ISIS is menacing Israel with possible chemical weapons and even nukes if they get their hands on them.
To the east, Iran is threatening Israel with ongoing development of nukes and ballistic missiles.
Many Christians and Jews clearly see the Biblical underpinnings for the threats to Israel and want to protect the Holy Land.
One Central American, Christian lady told me today that she and all the people in her church love Israel and want it to be protected.
She said many, many people are dissatisfied with the current state of pullback from the Middle East and what was always the iron-clad support for Israel.
Further, the United Nations has been swayed by the numbers against Israel for decades--just last year alone, there were 20 resolutions singling out Israel versus 1 resolution against Syria, even though the war in Syria in the last 4 years has killed more than 10 times the number of those killed in the entire Israel-Palestinian conflict.
While many extremists falsely try to portray themselves as the underdog in this fight against Israel, the facts speak for themselves, and the Bible is clear--in the end, David does beat Goliath. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 24, 2015
Disability Stories and Resources
It is hosted by Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy.
And it is the official blog of Disability.gov where there is lots of information on "disability programs and services."
The blog site promotes the "full inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce and communities nationwide."
Disability Blog posts guest bloggers on various topics and I read some of the recent posts and they were very good, including:
- Disability rights activism
- Small business loans and mentoring support with SCORE for a veteran with disability
- Resources and support from the Amputtee Coalition for a child that was hurt in a lawn mowing accident
- A courageous description of how someone lives with syndactyly (fused fingers).
- Options for workplace accommodations at the Job Accommodation Network.
As someone myself who has had two total hip replacements, I encourage people to get their personal stories out there to increase disability awareness, rights, and resources and support to help them.
I used to dream about retiring one day and running along the boardwalk and ocean every morning in Florida, but I know that will not happen for me anymore (so thank G-d for swimming).
Disabilities can happen to anyone.
We all need to be sensitive to what it's like to be different and have unique challenges, and to try and help anyone who does. ;-)
(Source Photo: here with attribution to Abhijit Bhaduri)
January 8, 2015
His And Hers
Cards for the loss of my mom and dad...one year apart, but I put them side by side, where they belong.
I miss my parents, but this is a beautiful reminder to me that they are together in Heaven!
I am thankful for the wonderful caring people I am surrounded with who provided me their support and warm sentiments during this challenging year.
Hoping and praying for G-d's blessings and a better future.
December 24, 2014
A Prayer Of Thanks
It is a prayer of thanks to the Almighty.
We thank G-d for:
- Being with us and supporting us with his loving kindness.
- Challenges that teach us, help us appreciate all that we have, and are ultimately for our benefit.
- The wonderful life bestowed upon us and for always listening to to our prayers.
If we concentrate on all that we have and not on what we don't and recognize that everything G-d does is ultimately for the good, then we can gain strength, persist, and reach ever new heights!
Hope you find hope and strength in this too. ;-)
(Special thanks to Sarah Herbsman for sharing this beautiful prayer.)
November 10, 2014
Cure Cancer B4 It Kills Again
Looking at the 2014 statistics, there were almost 1.7 million new cases and almost 687 thousand deaths in the U.S. alone for cancer including of the brain/nervous system, female breast, colon/rectum, Leukemia, liver, lung/bronchus, non-hodgkin lymphoma, ovary, pancreas, and prostate.
Way too much suffering and death from cancer...we must fight this killer.
Whatever we can do to raise money, caring, and empathy...we should do.
Run, walk, give, support, remember...even just hold someone's hand.
Thank you American Cancer Society and everyone out there helping to find the cure.
"14 million cancer survivors are celebrating birthdays this year."
Won't it be miraculous when everyone is a survivor in a world without cancer anymore. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
February 15, 2014
Another Day In The Middle East
I recognize that I don't know what I don't know, but with all due respect, it would be great if we could all better understand where we are going there.
- On the 9/11, we were attacked by Al Qaeda hijackers, 15 of 19 of whom were Saudi Arabian, yet after 9/11, we didn't go after Saudi Arabia, but instead overthrew Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
- However, early in the 1980's Iran-Iraq War, we supported Iraq against Iran and permitted the sale of American arms to Hussein.
- By overthrowing Saddam, in effect we established a Shiite-lead Iraq, right next to a fundamentalist Shiite Iran with a history of conflict with America.
- In subsequent conflicts, it is not clear whether we are supporting the secularists or the fundamentalists:
a) In Syria, we have been supporting "moderate" Sunni's (although often seen aligned to Al Qaeda) against Bashar al-Assad, and what is considered the "secular Ba'ath party."
b) In Egypt, we withheld military and economic support after the overthrew of the Muslim Brotherhood, whose aims include establishing a state ruled by Sharia law, and an organization that is aligned with Hamas and Hezbollah, both listed as terrorist organizations.
- In Iran, in an attempt to move towards peaceful nuclear disarmament, we are relaxing sanctions on a country that former President George W. Bush, in his State of the Union, declared part of the Axis of Evil (2002), and with an agreement that is viewed as not better than having a 50-50 chance of success.
If you find this a lot to take in, you are not alone. ;-)
All opinions my own.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
November 15, 2013
Don't Send Parenting To The Cloud
Where did the years go?
As a parent, what's my role in helping her prepare?
With all the new technology out there, you'd think I was just a parental annoyance...yeah, in some ways I am.
According to the Wall Street Journal, "parents are too tired, too busy--or too mystified to help" with homework.
And now "digital tutors" are taking their place for about $24 to $45 per hour (and even prorated per minute).
For example, on Tutor.com you can get on-demand tutoring to text chat and do calculations on a shared screen with your kid.
Tutor.com has about 1,200 tutors, 95% from Bangalore, India staffed by "moonlighting or retired teachers, college professors, or [other] professionals."
Other online resources include Khan Academy with educational videos, Chegg.com with answers to homework problems from 2,500+ textbooks, and StudyBlue.com for sharing "study guides, notes, and flashcards."
While these online tutoring resources can be a huge help for students, I think that parents can still play an important role.
Recently, my daughter and I have carved out some time every night to sit down at the dining room table with books, scrap papers, and our own flash cards to study, together.
What I am finding is that this is a really special time for us to bond and sort of be in this SAT rite of passage together, where I can provide emotional support and some structure for the studying.
We also have signed her up for a more formal review class as well as some online resources, but I am glad to be a parent to my children and not rely only on canned cloud solutions.
While I don't know most of the answers and she does--I take that as a good thing. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
February 12, 2012
Reprogramming Your Inner Software
The importance of positive life energy (or Ch'i) is something that both the Asian culture teaches and which the self-healing industry has picked up on.
I remember when my cousin had a brain tumor, and people used to tell him to envision himself healthy and cancer free; he fought for a decade of survival before the tumor eventually took his life.
His mother too died from cancer at a young age, hers was leukemia and she didn't have a fighting chance.
While surrounding yourself with positive people and energy helps us to stay focused, positive, and strong, it, in and of itself, is not a cure-all.
Many extreme athletes and hyper-achieving professionals are often told or tell themselves to envision actually performing unbelievable feats--they do this until they can literally see it happening in their "mind's eye"--this then supposedly helps them to ultimately perform accordingly.
On Sunday mornings, Joel Osteen's popular message is the same idea--you are not what others say you are or criticize you to be, rather "you are what G-d says you are."
Today, Osteen compared us to computers, where often our external hardware is functioning okay, but our internal software is messed up and needs reprogramming. Osteen said you need to hit the delete key--delete those who say that you cannot or will not succeed, and instead fill yourself with faith that you can become what the almighty has designated you to be. One story, Osteen told, was about the father who always told his kid that he was a good-for-nothing, and even on his deathbed, he said, "your brother is a nothing, and you are and always will be a nothing too."
These words hurt and can haunt people all their lives; the words echo in people's heads and souls and prevent them from fulfilling their life missions, unless they "hit the delete key" and refocus themselves on the positive message that they are a child of the G-d most high who has breathed life into them, not for nothing, but to achieve their destiny.
I remember hearing a crummy boss at work yell at a subordinate in front of the rest of the office and tell them "you are not half what you think you are." Similarly, at school, children are notorious for tearing at other kids for being too fat, too thin, too short, too tall, too dumb, and too smart.
At work, at school, and at home, people can be vicious in bringing others down and the impact of these negative messages on people's lives is crushing.
So surround yourself with positive people and positive energy--people who tell you that you can do it and are genuinely rooting for you to succeed, not in a fanciful way, but in a sincere and loving way; these are your biggest allies in life.
Groucho Marx joked that "behind every successful man is a woman, and behind her is his wife." Seriously though, behind every successful person are all those who love, believe, and support them to be able to achieve what they do or as the poet John Donne wrote, "no man is an Island entire unto itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main."
In the movie Saints and Soldiers, a group of American and a British soldiers in World War II are on a trek to reach allied forces with vital information to save them from German attack--in one scene the British airman get the others to tell him their personal life secrets, and then when they turn around and ask him what his story is, he says "I'm not going to tell you that, I barely know you."
While it's sort of humorous, in life a lot of people are unfortunately that way--they take from you, but then do not give back. For example, at work, the worst bosses may "use you and spit you out" and when you say oh, I'm been loyal to you for X years, the response is cold and muted, like I the British soldier that after taking in their personal stories, responds that he barely knows them.
In families too, this happens when for example, parents sacrifice to give their children "everything", but later in life, the children don't even have the inclination to call or visit or "give them the time of day."
This is like one of favorite songs by Harry Chapin called "Cats In The Cradle," in this case though the father was always too busy for the son and then later in life the son had no time for his dad--"and as I got off the phone it occurred to me, he'd grown up just like me."
We can rise above the selfishness, the coldness, and the negative attitudes, and we can be giving to others in our lives--the words we speak and the actions we show have lasting impact.
Rather than being the target of someone's "delete" button in their life, wouldn't it be nice to be cherished for their "save" button--and help them to achieve in life what they came here for to begin with.
May 22, 2010
Staying Open to Open Source
I don’t know about you, but I have always been a pretty big believer that you get what you pay for.
That is until everything Internet came along and upended the payment model with so many freebies including news and information, email and productivity tools, social networking, videos, games, and so much more.
So when it comes to something like open source (“free”) software, is this something to really take seriously for enterprise use?
According to a cover story in ComputerWorld, 10 May 2010, called “Hidden Snags In Open Source” 61% say “open source has become more acceptable in enterprises over the past few years.” And 80% cited cost-savings as the driving factor or “No. 1 benefit of open-source software.”
However, many companies do not want to take the risk of relying on community support and so “opt to purchase a license for the software rather than using the free-of-charge community version…to get access to the vendor’s support team or to extra features and extensions to the core software, such as management tools.”
To some degree then, the license costs negates open source from being a complete freebie to the enterprise (even if it is cheaper than buying commercial software).
The other major benefit called out from open source is its flexibility—you’ve got the source code and can modify as you like—you can “take a standard install and rip out the guts and do all kinds of weird stuff and make it fit the environment.”
The article notes a word of caution on using open source from Gartner analyst Mark Driver: “The key to minimizing the potential downside and minimizing the upside is governance. Without that you’re shooting in the dark.”
I think that really hits the target on this issue, because to take open source code and make that work in a organization, you have got to have mature processes (such as governance and system development life cycle, SDLC) in place for working with that code, modifying it, and ensuring that it meets the enterprise requirements, integrates well, tests out, complies with security, privacy and other policies, and can be adequately supported over its useful life.
If you can’t do all that, then the open source software savings ultimately won’t pan out and you really will have gotten what you paid for.
In short, open source is fine, but make sure you’ve got good governance and strong SDLC processes; otherwise you may find that the cowboys have taken over the Wild West.
February 5, 2010
When Commitment is Just a Crowd-Pleaser
In the organization, you can’t really do anything without management commitment and a certain degree of consensus. In fact, management commitment is usually at the top of the list when it comes to a project’s critical success factors.
But when is commitment real and when is it just lip service?
Sometimes, when the boss tells you to do something, he means it and gives you the authority and resources to make it happen. Other times, “go do” is superficial and denotes more of a “this isn’t really important”, but we need to make a good show of it for political, compliance, or other reasons. In the latter case, there is usually no real authority implied or resources committed to getting the job done. But at least we gave it our best (not!).
As an employee, you have to be smart enough to know the difference in what you’re being asked to do (and not do), so you don’t end up stepping in the muck—trying to do something that no one really wants anyway or the opposite, not delivering on a project that others are depending on.
Knowing the difference between what’s real and what isn’t can mean the difference between a successful and rewarding career (i.e. “you get it”) or one that is disappointing and frustrating (because you’re sort of clueless).
It was interesting for me to read in the Wall Street Journal, 5 February 2010, about how looks can be deceiving when it comes to support for someone or some cause: apparently, in certain European countries, such as Ukraine, it is common place for rallies to be attended not by genuine supporters, but by people paid to show up. In other countries, you may not be paid to show up, but instead be punished for not doing so.
The Journal reports that “rent-a-crowd entrepreneurs find people fast to cheer or jeer for $4 an hour…[and] if you place an order for a rally, you can have it the next day.”
So what looks like thousands of people turning out to support someone or something is really just a sham. This is similar to leaders who turn out to support a program or project, but really they are just paying lip service with no intention of actually helping the project make an inch of progress. Their superficial support is paid for by goodwill generated by their apparent support or what one of my friends used to call by “brownie points” (for brown-nosing their boss or peers)—but of course, they aren’t really behind the initiative.
The article summarizes it this way: “For now, people see the same old politicians and hear the same old ideas. If someone fresh brings a new idea, people will come out and listen for free.”
Good leaders need to actually say what they mean and mean what they say, so employees are able to focus on the work that’s really important and get the results the organization needs. This contrasts with ineffectively telling employees to “go do”, but no one is standing with or behind them—not even for 4 dollars an hour.
Of course, leaders must get on board with the direction that the overall organization is going. That is just part of being a team player and accepting that first of all, we are not always right as individuals, and second of all that we live in an imperfect world where sometimes our choices are not ideal.
However, when employees are required to rally for causes they truly don’t believe in or leadership feels compelled to pay lip service to initiatives they will not ultimately fund or commit to, the result is a dysfunctional organization. The outward reality does not match the actual feelings or thoughts of its people. (Sort of like having a diversity initiative headed by all white males over the age of 50.)
Let us commit to a spirit of honesty in all our dealings. If a conflict needs to be addressed, let’s address it directly rather than avoiding or glossing over it. One very basic and simple step toward this end is to recognize and reward the people who are brave enough to say when the emperor has no clothes and who are able to provide alternatives that make sense.
And finally—when we do commit to something—let’s see it through.
November 24, 2007
One Laptop Per Child and Enterprise Architecture
The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative announced at the World Economic Forum in 2005 set out to put $100 laptops in the hands of 100s of millions of disadvantaged schoolchildren within 4 years and help eliminate world poverty in the process.
The Wall Street Journal (24-25 November 2007) reports that this ambitious non-profit program has hit some snags.
The problems faced by this benevolent program provides lessons in EA for practitioners into what can go wrong if User-centric EA principles are not followed:
This is a shame, since so much good from this initiative can still be done.
The Wall Street Journal (24-25 November 2007) reports that this ambitious non-profit program has hit some snags.
The problems faced by this benevolent program provides lessons in EA for practitioners into what can go wrong if User-centric EA principles are not followed:
- Functionality versus price--as the OLPC computer added functionality, the $100 laptop became $188 plus shipping and many potential buyers balked at the pricetag. On the other hand, countires like Libya complained about the inferior functionality and quality and said, "I don't want my country to be a junkyard for these machines." From a User-centric EA perspective, we need to understand the requirements of our users and understand the trade-offs between functionality and price. Then we need to make conscious decisions on whether we fulfill needs for greater functionality and quality or whether we seek to hold the line on price for our customers. These are important architectural decisions that will affect the organization's ability to compete in the marketplace.
- Compete or partner--the OLPC machine went with open source software like Linux and AMD chips; these put the laptops head to head with companies like Microsoft and Intel, which come out fighting, with the gloves off. Intel is aggressively promoting its version of the laptop for developing nations called the Classmate for $230-$300, and Microsoft has announced $3 software packages that include Windows and a student version of Office. From a User-centric EA perspective, the decision of the organization whether to compete with the big players (like Microsoft and Intel) or partner is another major architectural decision. While we shouldn't make decisions based on fear of what the competition will do, we do need to be cognizant that if we go head-to-head with "the big boys", then they will respond, usually in a big way. Now OLPC is reportedly in discussions with Intel to design an Intel-based laptop.
- Training and support--In User-centric EA, do not underestimate the importance to the end-user of adequate training and support. The OLPC made the mistake of minimizing the importance of training and support and said that the "plan is for the machines to be simple enough that students can train themselves--and solve any glitches that arise." Not very realistic given the state of technology today, and many countries quickly "questioned who would fix them if they break."
This is a shame, since so much good from this initiative can still be done.
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