Entries from June 2006 ↓

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The Acidic Ice Queen is hoping to get her new car before the weekend which means today is the day she must take delivery.

If it happens today then it is goodbye to Xena her trusted transportation for the previous 4 years.

What I find interesting here is the ability for the dealership to deliver on time. As marketers know, meeting deadlines does wonders to your street cred and is perfect PR. Let’s wait and see. The Acidic Ice QUeen can keep us updated through the rest of today.

Stay tuned

LAst night I bad my director farewell and good luck. I thanked him as you do for teaching me a great deal about senior management and the games they play at their elevated level in the corporate ivory tower structure. Politics is rife. But then that is no suprise.

During his tenure as VP Finance for Europe Middle East and Africa, he and I had a couple of very bad moments but these major disagreements we had were only few. We both came into the discussions from positions of strength. Me being the practical, he being the high level theorist and stategist. We did not hold back and the decibal levels increased in proportion to the stubborness of whomever’s idea was being trashed!

We both appreciated each others views and these moments more often than not always ended in some form of accomodation either way. I think he outgunned me by one. Only. However, once the deal was struck and the peace treaty sealed until the next time, the heat and testosterone dissipated immediately and our normal working relationship continued as if nothing had occured.

But something occured each time we engaged in our clashes on plans, restructuring and KRAs. Over time he came to respect my skills and experience as I did his theories and plans. In the end I guess we ended up respecting each other for not being scared to voice opposition to each other about whatever was on the agenda that we held a different views about.

In my opinion, holding alternate opinions and views is a fundamental element to the progression of the business and is essential. However there is a huge caveat and it is - you need to know and feel secure that you can voice your opinions free of any retribution or official censure even if they are diametrically opposed to managements stratagem. We all should be able to do our job and speak our minds without fear of some form of retribution in the shape of CLM (Career Limiting Move) or any other covert actions to keep you from progressing.

Senior management need to learn as much as we middle managers do too. They cannot always be right about stuff but I know of some companies whose senior managers will not tolerate opposing views. Apparently they want robots or opinionless humanoids working for them. What do these types of managers fear that they cannot allow staff to say something that opposes their plan? Is it because the staff at the coalface know full well what can be tolerated and what plans will dovetail very well with what they do?

Well, all I know is that last night’s goodbye was not a goodbye. It was very much a see you later parting. Yes, I do believe we will be working together again and for me that is an opportunity I will welcome because wherever it is, it will be a big challenge that the two of us can engage and succeed in conquering.

Marbro has tagged me with a wonderful challenge - the letter X.

I think he has met the master of X. X is simple..

X is for:

1. X-rated - the words I used when I saw Marbro’s selection for me

2. X-ray - here’s looking’ at ya sweetheart mit mein x-ray eyes!

3. Xylophone - play tunes on Rebecca’s ribcage.

4. Xenophobia - there is no place for xenophobia in our world today. Ban it.

5. Xavier - my legal counsel.

6. Xenotransplantation - apr’ strip scrabble activity

7. Xhosa - a language I should learn properly.

8. Xi - if I learned Greek I’d use this the 14 letter of the Greek alphabet.

9. Xylose - just a spoonful of xlylose makes the medicine go down….

10. Xu - Vietnamese currency.

OK I should select some more people to tag but as it is friday and I have the builders insitu, I will give you guys a reprieve until Monday. But on Monday, the selection will be special - you can only use double-barreled nouns!

So Acidic ICe Queen Heather has challenged me to come up with 10 words beginning with the letter I

What a cinch! Here goes:

1. Infamous - what I am and will remain

2. Incredible - what Heather looks like

3. Indeed - I did spell the link badge my way!

4. Inclined - to enforce my right to spell a fictional name my way!

5. Infectious - what Heather is doing to Martin’s mind

6. Indecisive - should I or shouldn’t I give up blogging?

7. Inverted - my cat when he sleeps on his back

8. Invade - what you do so nicely to my peace of mind and spiritual wellbeing

9. Ink - what we use too little of these days

10.Inebriated - what I will not be later this evening.

There you are! Tags done for the day.

I have seen a lot of personal blogs out there where the vibe I get is one where the blogger thinks they have failed.

Let me to tell all of you who think you fail or have failed - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FAILURE.

All you got was a different result to the one you expected.

Edison got well over 5,000 different results before he got the first bulb to work properly.

So stop listening to the voice in your head. Yes, that little voice that keeps trying to convince you that you are no good. Stop it talking. Shut it up and tell yourself that you are doing just fine. And you will.

Hooray I have been included in a game of blogger Taglist and have been given the letter R to compile a list od words that start with R.

R is for:

1. Randy - like a dog or rabbit on heat. Say no more!

2. Right - as in opposite of left and also opposite of wrong

3. Robert - correct and full name for guys called Bert.

4. Rib - as the one I want back from the women who nicked my spare one!

5. Righteous - as in me when I gain the moral high ground and begin pontificating.

6. Royal - as in jelly the queen bee is fed and my women steal to retain flawless complexions

7. Rindepest - a pesky pest that freaks out rinde.

8. Robotic - my boss.

9. Regal - me when I’m allowed to pontificate.

10. Rebecca - never to be forgotten moments during long games of strip scrabble.

So now I must select 6 of you to go Tag with a letter I select:

C = Cooksister’s Tag letter

T = The Real Marbro’s Tag letter

M = Misty in Sweden’s Tag letter

A = Acid Ice lady’s Tag letter

S = Serenity Dawn’s Tag letter

D = Domkop’s Tag letter

I need your help to collate a list of criteria that shareholders should use when selecting a new CEO.

What qualifies a person for CEOdom? Is is pure academic achievement? Is it simply the individual’s track recocord for bringing home the bacon for the shareholders or is it a mix of academia plus on the job experience in a related industry coupled to growth plus shareholder value?

What qualities as a human would you look for in your CEO? Should the person be an approachable walkabout manager or should the CEO be a mistrusting meglomaniac, process driven toxic character who remains cut off, aloof and stranded in the ivory tower?

One thing is cast in stone - the CEO must not be one of the boys. There must be some distance to allow for respect. So if you have any hard and fast opinions on what should go into making up the person who personifies your perfect CEO, please post your comment here.

Yesterday was a bad day. I was too focused on work to see the error I made with Acidic Ice’s linkbadge. For the life of me I had it in my head that Acidicice was not to be split into two on the linkbadge. So here is another version.

The lovely lady herself can please tell me if it is now correct or is the one from yesterday (on top of the A List in the sidebar which shows 20-6 in the 2nd slot) preferred?

Here is the new one:

You have to hand the Golden BS trophy to the companies who market themselves as premier built-in cupboard designers, manufacturers and installers.

So far the two self-proclaimed league leader companies in UK who we invited in to measure up, plan and quote have quoted me £15,000.00 to install 11ft of built -in cupboards.

Just in case you missed it, I said they quoted £15,000.00 for 11ft of cupboards.!! I did not specify goldleafing the damn things either!

Then both companies, Hxxxxnxs and Shxxxs, come back with the BIG DISCOUNT. Whoopee, I just peed my pants with anticipation! Both have the audacity to discount the original price by a similar percentage to come within £100 of each other. And of course during the spiel, each of the ‘consultants’ slags off the other company.

Methinks there is price fixing going on here and some gullible people have fallen hook, line and sinker for the full $15k or whatever outlandish and outrageous rip-off price they were quoted.

I do not know if veneer covered MDF warrents the prices quoted and if it does then I missed the global announcement that veneer covered MDF has recently been placed on the nearly extict list of world products. Forgive me for thinking that there was a glut of the stuff.

Who can beat this outrageous rip-off.

Cooksister mentioned in Guardian

Check it out guys! Our sis over at Cooksister got a mention in the Guardian’s online blog for Jeanne’s review of her and her friend’s visit to The Fat Duck.

The blog says:

Traditionalists like to blame the Fat Duck, the three Michelin-starred Berkshire restaurant famed for such delights as smoked bacon and egg ice cream.

But people who’ve actually eaten there seem much less grumpy than the restaurant’s detractors, if Cooksister’s account of a visit earlier this month is anything to go by:

When last can you honestly say that a dish made you laugh out loud from surprise and enjoyment?

Nice one Jeanne. Congratulations for becoming famous, a celeb and a world reknowned fan of The Fat Duck. They must repay you with free meals for a year!

England Can Save Water for Africa

England has a freshwater shortage. We also have a hosepipe ban but you can still fill your swimming pool. However it is now a crime to water the lawn with your hosepipe!

Water shortage in UK occurs when winter and spring rainfall falls short of average levels and does not replenish the natural underground water reservoirs. This in turn places enormous stress on rapidly diminishing available supplies and is greatly the blame of the privatised water companies for not properly fixing leaks. As a prime example I refer to Thames Water who prefer the short term band aid on a cracked pipe as the cheaper option in favour of shareholder value instead of doing the job right first time and rebuilding old sections that will rupture again in a short time after band aids have been applied.

England’s privatised water companies leak 250 litres of water PER DAY PER PERSON IN EVERY HOUSEHOLD in England.

Just imagine the gallons, the litres that are wasted because of CEOs and CFOs wanting better margins for their fatcat bonuses at year-end. You can imagine what we could do with the leakage if we could capture it, barrel it and send it to Africa. But no, the UK fatcat wants his bonus. Its about time these guys unplugged their heads from their arses, woke up, smelled the death in Africa and stopped making a mockery of all the thousands of Africans who die each day because they lack water and food.

Africa needs a consolidated and robust program to raise public awareness to stimulate numerous voluntary action plans about conserving water and thereby making water accessible and readily available to all inhabitants of the continent.

We all need water to live and remain healthy. Sadly, millions of people across the globe face water shortages and a daily struggle to get fresh water that is safe to drink. The impact of water shortage issues on the health of people and the well-being of local communities and the world’s societies will escalate in the future. It is absolutely vital that we are all taught how to manage this resource before the last drop evaporates

And private water companies must take the lion’s share of funding all conservation actions in Africa and UK. They can afford to do it ten times over.

MORE:

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to spare
By Sue Cha The Times June 20, 2006

Water companies lose millions of litres in leaks but still apply for drought orders. How can they get away with it?

THAMES Water has in recent days applied for a drought order to allow it to further restrict use of water (there is already a hosepipe ban) by its five million customers in London and parts of Kent and Surrey. Meanwhile, figures published by Ofwat last July showed that the company was losing 913 million litres of water a day through unrepaired leakages. That is enough to fill 365 Olympic swimming pools.

The drought order for London is the first since the scorcher of 1976. If granted, it would take effect in early August, and follows a drought order granted to Sutton and East Surrey Water on May 15. The possibility of an application for a drought order affecting the Thames Valley area, even though rainfall has been higher there, cannot be ruled out; nor, it seems, can the possibility of a further application by Thames Water for an emergency drought order.

Read the full article here

Shel Israel Tells Me

Shel Isarael writes a thought provoking essay on his blog. Go read it here:

The culture changes when employees discover they have an enlightened management who trusts its employees to do and say the right thing on their blogs. The evidence is overwhelming, that employee rarely betray that kind of faith. There’s also the MySpace factor. Kids are growing up using blogs and they aren’t going to be much interested in working somewhere that tries to suppress or control the personal brand that comes out of it.

I want to know if any global CEO beyond Microsoft, Oracle SAP, JD Edwards and related industry types would want loads of their youngbloods to responsibly blogging the day away. Of course there will be some but not in the multitudes Shel may aspire to have allow blogging at work. I think the bubble has burst with Scoble departing Microsoft. I’d like to be proved wrong but I cannot see staffer blogging reclaiming the superstar status it had under Robert.

In my opinion, business is business for one reason alone - profit. To get that profit, CEO’s invite shareholders to invest in their business models and then employ staff to help them achieve the aim of returning a dividend to the investors.

I do not think investors of non-internet related industries will see their way to accomodating blogging. Be it responsible or not. The CEOs I know don’t even know what a blog is. But they do know what a pound of flesh and a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work is. And they do demand it too.

Accomodating a staffers’ personal habits (yes blogging is habit forming) is asking too much. We cannot bend over any more than what we as employers are already doing. We need to get rid of Political Correctness first then address other stumbling blocks to efficiencies before letting the staff loose on blogging when they should be getting the 1H2006 results out.

Go No Go - I am Branded

We all create our own brand. At some stage of our career we may need to change jobs and how we nuture our brand to ride through life and career or decide to change it to suit our life’s challenges and our goals, is an important factor to take into account when you decide to quit your job for something new. So says Seth.

Seth has written a very, very interesting article here about how long you should remain in your present job. Seth says “you owe it career and your skills” to switch to a new job BEFORE you become too comfortable.

“….needs to leave for a very simple reason. He’s been branded. Everyone at the company has an expectation of who Doug is and what he can do. Working your way up from the mailroom sounds sexy, but in fact, it’s entirely unlikely. Doug has hit a plateau. He’s not going to be challenged, pushed or promoted to president. Doug, regardless of what he could actually accomplish, has stopped evolving — at least in the eyes of the people who matter.”

I agree that we should progress and build our skills and profiles but not necessarily at the expense of things that the individual concerned might regard as important to them alone. Things like longevity at a company are still regarded by certain sectors as important. I bet that not everyone on the planet wants to move jobs every 5 -8 years. Some people prefer stability and continuity in their lives so that they can raise families and take out mortgages and buy a second car, while others who may be 36 – 72 monthers thrive on the stress and challenge job-hunting and gene pool topping-up provides.

Seth also uses evolution to illustrate why we should quit and take on new challenges:” Let’s look at it from the perspective of evolution:

Species that evolve the fastest are the ones that don’t mate for life. By switching mates, swapping genes with someone new, you continually reshuffle the gene pool, making it more likely you’ll create something new and neat and novel and useful.”

OK,that is a view and if you like it, go for it. As I said above, if you are a 36 – 72 monther at jobs then constant change may be for you. But be warned. There is a limit and that limit is reached when your CV becomes a multi pager which you expect a prospective new employer to wade through.

It is seldom these days as I walk through my department that I spot staff browsing recruitment sites on the internet. If I do, I walk over and ask the person to join me for a coffee and a chat about what they are doing and why.

Years ago when I first worked in UK, I did a shocked doubletake when I first witnessed this activity and what I took to be a crass and brazen attitude by staff. “How dare they be so open about it,” I thought, “This is a personal thing that should only be done during their own time and not on business time and definitely not with company equipment. Hell I am paying them to do a job and this is how they pay me back?”

The immediate impact of the first instance wore off when I got back to my desk still fuming with rage and only just managing to keep the lid on my temper. I sat down and thought through what I’d seen and concluded that it was actually my fault as a boss that staff should want to quit and resort to searching for new jobs during office hours. As I thought things through I also questioned my alertness to their behaviour patterns. Had there been changes in their attitude, mood swing to apathetic etc etc. andf had I noticed these signs? Obviously not ,

So I made a plan to do something positive to stem the outflow of knowledge and skills while providing a workplace that challenged them everyday, stimulated and motivated them and made them want to remain working at our company. As I recognised that I had missed all the warning signs, the more resolved I became to put a stop to staff attrition through my neglect of their needs as a worker and as a person in their own right.

It is working, so do not take the decision to quit just to appease someone’s statistic fetish. Speak to your boss first.

Save Water - THE RULES

Courtesy of America Energy.

WATER INDOORS
1. Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.
2. Verify that your home is leak-free, because many homes have hidden water leaks. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.
3. Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year which will add to the cost of water and sewer utilities, or strain your septic system.
4. Check for toilet tank leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear within 30 minutes. Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent parts. Most replacement parts are inexpensive, readily available and easily installed. (Flush as soon as test is done, since food coloring may stain tank.)
5. Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet.
6. Take shorter showers. Replace you showerhead with an ultra-low-flow version. Some units are available that allow you to cut off the flow without adjusting the water temperature knobs.
7. Use the minimum amount of water needed for a bath by closing the drain first and filling the tub only 1/3 full. Stopper tub before turning water. The initial burst of cold water can be warmed by adding hot water later.
8. Don’t let water run while shaving or washing your face. Brush your teeth first while waiting for water to get hot, then wash or shave after filling the basin.
9. Retrofit all wasteful household faucets by installing aerators with flow restrictors.
10. Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are fully loaded or properly set the water level for the size of load you are using.
11. When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water. Quickly rinse under a slow-moving stream from the faucet.
12. Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool glass of water.
13. Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.
14. Kitchen sink disposals require lots of water to operate properly. Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste instead of using a garbage disposal. Garbage disposals also can add 50% to the volume of solids in a septic tank which can lead to malfunctions and maintenance problems.
15. Consider installing an instant water heater on your kitchen sink so you don’t have to let the water run while it heats up. This will reduce heating costs for your household.
16. . Insulate your water pipes. You’ll get hot water faster plus avoid wasting water while it heats up.
17. Never install a water-to-air heat pump or air-conditioning system. Air-to-air models are just as efficient and do not waste water.
18. Install water softening systems only when necessary. Save water and salt by running the minimum amount of regenerations necessary to maintain water softness. Turn softeners off while on vacation.
19. Check your pump. If you have a well at your home, listen to see if the pump kicks on and off while the water is not in use. If it does, you have a leak.
20. When adjusting water temperatures, instead of turning water flow up, try turning it down. If the water is too hot or cold, turn the offender down rather than increasing water flow to balance the temperatures.
21. If the toilet flush handle frequently sticks in the flush position, letting water run constantly, replace or adjust it.
SAVING WATER OUTDOORS
1. Don’t over water your lawn. As a general rule, lawns only need watering every 5 to 7 days in the summer and every 10 to 14 days in the winter. A hearty rain eliminates the need for watering for as long as two weeks. Plant it smart, Xeriscape. Xeriscape landscaping is a great way to design, install and maintain both your plantings and irrigation system that will save you time, money and water. For your free copy of “Plant it Smart,” an easy-to-use guide to Xeriscape landscaping, contact your Water Management District.
2. Water lawns during the early morning hours when temperatures and wind speed are the lowest. This reduces losses from evaporation.
3. Don’t water your street, driveway or sidewalk. Position your sprinklers so that your water lands on the lawn and shrubs … not the paved areas.
4. Install sprinklers that are the most water-efficient for each use. Micro and drip irrigation and soaker hoses are examples of water-efficient methods of irrigation.
5. Regularly check sprinkler systems and timing devices to be sure they are operating properly. It is now the law that “anyone who purchases and installs an automatic lawn sprinkler system MUST install a rain sensor device or switch which will override the irrigation cycle of the sprinkler system when adequate rainfall has occurred.” To retrofit your existing system, contact an irrigation professional for more information.
6. Raise the lawn mower blade to at least three inches. A lawn cut higher encourages grass roots to grow deeper, shades the root system and holds soil moisture better than a closely-clipped lawn.
7. Avoid over fertilizing your lawn. The application of fertilizers increases the need for water. Apply fertilizers which contain slow-release, water-insoluble forms of nitrogen.
8. Mulch to retain moisture in the soil. Mulching also helps to control weeds that compete with pants for water.
9. Plant native and/or drought-tolerant grasses, ground covers, shrubs and trees. Once established, they do not need to be watered as frequently and they usually will survive a dry period without any watering. Group plans together based on similar water needs.
10. Do not hose down your driveway or sidewalk. Use a broom to clean leaves and other debris from these areas. Using a hose to clean a driveway can waste hundreds of gallons of water.
11. Outfit your hose with a shut-off nozzle which can be adjusted down to fine spray so that water flows only as needed. When finished, “Turn it Off” at the faucet instead of at the nozzle to avoid leaks.
12. Use hose washers between spigots and water hoses to eliminate leaks.
13. Do not leave sprinklers or hoses unattended. Your garden hoses can pour out 600 gallons or more in only a few hours, so don’t leave the sprinkler running all day. Use a kitchen timer to remind yourself to turn it off.
14. Check all hoses, connectors and spigots regularly.
15. Consider using a commercial car wash that recycles water. If you wash your own car, park on the grass to do so.
16. Avoid the installation of ornamental water features (such as fountains) unless the water is recycled. Locate where there are mineral losses due to evaporation and wind drift.
17. If you have a swimming pool, consider a new water-saving pool filter. A single back flushing with a traditional filter uses from l80 to 250 gallons or more of water.
GENERAL WATER SAVING TIPS
1. Create an awareness of the need for water conservation among your children. Avoid the purchase of recreational water toys which require a constant stream of water.
2. Be aware of and follow all water conservation and water shortage rules and restrictions which may be in effect in your area.
3. Encourage your employer to promote water conservation at the workplace. Suggest that water conservation be put in the employee orientation manual and training program.
4. Patronize businesses which practice and promote water conservation.
5. Report all significant water losses (broken pipes, open hydrants, errant sprinklers, abandoned free-flowing wells, etc.) to the property owner, local authorities or your Water Management District.
6. Encourage your school system and local government to help develop and promote a water conservation ethic among children and adults.
7. Support projects that will lead to an increased use of reclaimed waste water for irrigation and other uses.
8. Support efforts and programs to create a concern for water conservation among tourists and visitors to our state. Make sure your visitors understand the need for, and benefits of, water conservation.
9. Encourage your friends and neighbors to be part of a water conscious community. Promote water conservation in community newsletters, on bulletin boards and by example.
10. Conserve water because it is the right thing to do. Don’t waste water just because someone else is footing the bill such as when you are staying at a hotel.
11. Try to do one thing each day that will result in a savings of water. Don’t worry if the savings is minimal. Every drop counts. And every person can make a difference. So tell your friends, neighbors and co-workers to “Turn it Off” and “Keep it Off”.

When The HDD Goes Pffutt!

For the first time in this site’s short history, I have missed blogging on two consecutive days.

Well I was forced to because the HDD decided to take a weekend timeout (boot_volume problem) and no amount of disk recovery freeware could recover the FAT because the freeware applications do not operate from DOS. This is compounded by an inadequate DOS HELP. The list of commands it displays is incomplete.

I was not looking forward to calling Dell’s service centre either and because we’d reached the conclusion that we’d have to reformat the HDD what the hell, let’s give CHDISK and FDISK a go.

We started CHDISK and at midnigtish lastnight it finished its routine and guess what? The Dell was fully functional again.

So here we are again. What’s been happening?

Wind of Change is Gonna Come

I have a feeling that the forces of change are gathering.

There is something in the air and also in the way blogoshere marketing and branding people are reacting to recent events that leaves me thinking that a big change is coming our way.

I cannot articulate or expand on the undercurrents I have picked up, but something big is going to occur. If it were possible to see it occuring then the best way to visualise my inuition is to picture in your mind groups of people gathered in the corridor whispering their secrets in darkened areas out of earshot and furtively looking around like a sentry to see if they have been seen plotting the downfall of the king and his court of followers. This is what I am sensing.

Maybe it is the age of Open Source that will begin to take slices and huge chunks of market share away from the big guns?

Maybe my intuition is way off kilter. But is it?

UPDATE: I have scratched the itch and realise that what I am sensing is also allied to who grabs the podium as Top Blogger now that Scoble has effectively climbed down the totem pole.

I recall a post about Hugh Macleod taking pole position for some very valid reasons that I agree with.

Time will tell if blogosphere tips the cap to him and if Hugh wants to take the responsibility. Yes a responsibility it is. A large yoke to carry and I think he can do it.