"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results"...WC Print

There is so much conversation about social media, but it is not only network marketing media who are interested in exploiting its potential. The criminal elements in our communities, it seems are very interested to see how they can put it to use.

Are you one those people hooked on twitter who tells the world every time you leave home or go to some event.

If you do, think again before you this do next time. You may well be telling thieves to take advantage of you.

In his oz-analytics post this week headlined mining social media, Steve Bennett updated us on a site he found that detail how robbers can now see who is not at home using simple twitter stream search.

For many of us who have our emails on websites and public profiles, we may also seek to simplify our lives in the explosion of social networking. For this can join it all up on Facebook or similar sites. But beware what you include as it does not take super intelligence for someone to use this to put it together and then watch and wait till we tell them the coast is clear.

Any robber with a phone and a twitter account, may get an our open invitation from to take what he likes because as we tell him we are not at home. A simple key word search on twitter give easily robbers the scoop on you . If you don’t believe me, do a search and see how many people say they are not at home. The web on the phone also provides maps and satellite photos of your street and your house to make the job plundering job even easier And it is even easier with an alerting tool to send an email when someone says they’re not home.

The only issue then is it may get a bit crowded at your house if more than one robber turns up with the same idea.

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If you are trying to figure out twitter as a social network this is interesting

A man is almost twice more likely to follow another man than a woman. contrary to typical online social networks. 

New Twitter Research also shows  10 % of Twitter Users Account for 90% of Tweets As Twitter is still in it’s infancy, it could be interesting to see who the early technology adopters?

Here is the May 2009 Harvard study by Bill Heil and Mikolaj Piskorski

Study’s highlights include:

Read more…

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As we focus on making it all happen it is easy to forget to enjoy the lighter side of life. Just to kept it in perspective. “The Ride of Your Life” by George Carlin is worth taking time out and reading every day.

George Carlin’s view on ageing is brilliant. He Begins with a question.

Do you realize the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids?

 

Read more…

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How can we take holidays in the middle of recession. Just do it, I say and why not if you can get away with it?  It is is a great thing but you sure come back to earth when you find it  all there waiting for you. But I am back now and here is a quick round up the last month and some stuff on whats’ to come.

My  Quote for this month

There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.    – Peter Drucker

Your Feedback

Last month over 7000 visitors come to read us and over 60% who stayed over.  As I am wrting this there are 251 people visiting now according to our blog meter. So it looks like we got something going which we  hope we  can keep up!!

Here is what we wrote about:

Read more…

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Once again another month passes and those of us left are still here. And it seems ages since recession ended, doesn’t it?.

We did a bunch of posts this month and our readership short thru the roof despite my suggestion to turn off. Clearly people have too much idle time. Or is reading replacing TV as a pastime.. I wonder?

My Quote for this month

I have seen the future and it doesn’t work“.- a great one liner by Canadian author and journalist Robert Fulford

Your Feedback

We know we are being widely read because some folks are complaining  we don’t spend enough time proof reading. We have noted that too and will take that seriously, especially now we know we are being taken seriously. 

Here is some of what we wrote about:

I know you have already read this but in case you missed then here is a list of our March posts

• Finding cockroaches in your business!!
• Incentive Compensation Designs
• Is a CEO job now just a doddle?
• Maturity Model Risk Assessment
• Making Decisions in Risky Situations
• Carbon Constrained World Reality
• Amazing Stitch in Time Innovation

Check out how to get email updates  >>  

Here is what we read about:

Sawbones Online fans get a second book

This month we saw one of our colleagues, yes another Wood, added a second book to the reading maize.  Trevor Wood an Australian illustrator, has again dug deep into the realms of the living dead with his comic books about a zombie odd couple.  In this he re-animates the dead with the comic “Sawbones”.

Wood, who teamed up with writer Jen Breach, who together have been publishing weekly comics for over two years with books also coming in multiple story format.

The two main characters, are rough and ready cowboy, Sheriff Sawyer and pompous English buffoon, Bones O’Brien, They get involved in comic adventures, with a focus firmly on slapstick. “The violence is implied,” Wood says. who adds  “We put them in everyday situations instead of dealing with the situation normally, they eat your brains,”

In keeping with www.PerformanceeController.com policy of no direct plugs, even to ourselves, (what a silly idea that is) we cannot suggest you visit their website and order a book. Actually that is not true.The truth is if you dont get an order in quickly, you will most likely have to go on back-order and wait.

Sawbones Volume 2 and 1 are both available at comic stores and http://sawbonesonline.com/comic/

Is it Confidential, Maybe Not?

Lawyers know, or should know, that the photos, documents, videos and other similar files that they attach to emails, and send out into the cloud, contain metadata. This hidden data contains information about the attachments that may, or may not, be intended to remain confidential. Lawyers, especially, must be concerned about confidentiality of communications.

Read Full Post on this >>

To Tweet or not to Tweet 

Do you have a Twitter account yet?  If not you may get left behind as everyone else seems t have one.

But and for the life of me the value is still elusive as we are sending out and receiving loads of tweets to see what happens. But not so for many who just use it daily and for early adopter marketers who learning about this new channel for communication. They could be onto something here so I plan to follow this.

There is a lot more to come on Twitter I am sure as phenomena that is growing exponentially.  The present Google acquisition rumors reflect Twitter’s importance as a social media and micro blogging service.

 Check go this out ?>

Up and Comer Blog

New entrant to the business blog world is Singaporean Vince Chew. Vince is a young IT veteran and business change consultant who packs a punch when it comes to contributing to others. Knowing Vince as we do in person, we know his  new blog will be worth watching for sure. we have also added it to our blog roll.

Why not check check out his new Creative Management blog and take a look at his post Writing good reports for success

Guess The Nationality

I was doing some research on marketing and awareness programs and I came across this titillating advertising, designed to get attention, as it asks you to Guess The Nationality!

Is it….American?  Swiss? Spanish?  French?  Italian?  Brazilian?

As you can see on the picture right .. the answer is Polish

Beating the Tom Tom Update

Microsoft and TomTom announced they have reached a settlement in their respective patent suits.

As part of the deal, TomTom will pay Microsoft for coverage for the software maker’s mapping-related patents as well as the file management patents that Microsoft claimed were infringed by TomTom’s use of the Linux kernel. Microsoft will also get access to the TomTom patents that were cited in TomTom’s countersuit against Microsoft, although Microsoft won’t be making any payment to TomTom.

In a statement, the two companies said that the settlement provides TomTom patent coverage “in a manner that is fully compliant with TomTom’s obligations under the General Public Lucense Version 2.” As part of the agreement, TomTom will “remove from its products the functionality related to two file management systems patents,” over the next two years. The agreement protects TomTom’s customers under the patents during that time, the companies said.

Read the Full C Net Post>>

Encarta moves over for Wikipedia

In a recent Mashable.com post reported a Microsoft quote about Encarta closure

“Encarta has been a popular product around the world for many years. However, the category of traditional encyclopedias and reference material has changed. People today seek and consume information in considerably different ways than in years past.”

The post goes on to say Wikipedia boasts 2.7 million entries in English versus just 42,000 for Encarta.

Check it out >>

Russia Microsoft Dichotomy

This month, Ina Frieda a writer at CNet, has her attention focused on on Microsoft. In one article this month she talks about the Software giant coming under anti trust scrutiny in Russia. Talk about maturing, it was not long ago Russia was listed on Microsoft’s piracy board as one of the highest offending countries outside Indonesia. It is amazing how  the wheel turns.

 Anyway if you are interested in Microsoft check out Ina’s Recent posts from Beyond Binary

Pirates and who Benefits

It is a well know that John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz wrote the original Dartmouth BASISC programming software that got Microsoft started. As the story goes Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the founders of Microsoft, then modified it and sold as their first product at Micro-Soft (that was the company’s name when it started business).

According to Sam Varghese at ITWire in his post last month he adds that everyone agrees the famous whine in 1976  saw Gates invent the term “software piracy.” He also outlines more about Gates view on the ling term benefits that will flow to Microsoft  from China when they do start paying for software.

I for one have always been convinced that the 3 US dollars price you pay for any software in Jakarta is a Cartel level rate agreed by vendors to propagate its software into this developing nation. In Thailand a common folk law view is the Pantip Plaza, is actually owned by Microsoft Pantip is the home of the 15 minute pirate copy burners.

Read more on How piracy benefits Microsoft>>

The Singapore Lion

Singapore’s latest technology blueprint, called Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015), was announced in 2006. It is designed to help the nation achieve various economic and social benefits through more sophisticated and innovative use of infocomm technologies.

Through iN2015, Singapore is aiming for a two-fold rise in value driven by its infocomm industry to S$26 billion (US$17 billion) and a three-fold increase in infocomm export revenue to S$60 billion (US$39 billion). It is also targeting for this industry to create 80,000 new jobs.

Read More on Singapore Lion>>

India consultant service coming of Age?

 Uma-Kataya, of The Dancing Feather Fashion fame,  is in India buying and coordinating her designer ranges in productions for the summer releases this year. Nothing new there but as a student of India and the constant change in the fashion business, she noticed the consultants trend is very interesting.

India as a country has had an English speaking base for over 400 years and the richness of this and other languages makes for interesting influences on their cultures.

As India maturing commercially continues with its increasing economic importance, so does the Indian consultants influence in the world’s largest managements.

“Conventional wisdom in the US holds that consulting firms like McKinsey have nothing to fear from Indian firms. The reason is that Indian firms are most unlikely to win high-end strategy and board level consulting business, at the expense of the likes of McKinsey and Bain, because the cultural barriers are way too high.”?

That is a quote from this Indian journal which challenges this conventional wisdom as it goes on to ask “will companies like Wipro and Infosys work to help US and other developed nation firms change their culture”?

Check it out www.indiajournal.com/pages/event.php?id=6300

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As we research or just read for interest we find  interesting stuff on varied subjects. I collect them here and add summaries for context. Also as I have the power with the keyboard, I hope you will forgive me if I sometimes I get carried away and add my two coins worth . You must tell me if it is not what you want or even perhaps just delete my link.

For this who want to read on,  before you do here is a quote I like:

“”Saying you make my day, makes my day.”  Anon

Aussie Bush Fires:

We acknowledge and pay respect to those who lost their lives in the Australian bush fires on Feb 7 2009. Our sincere condolences go to all who lost family and close friends. Many more are still in critical care and all now have to recover and rebuild their homes and their lives.

We encouraged anyone who feels so inclined to donate via the  Australian Red Cross.

Take a look at the monsters on my post here >> 

Climate Crunch Time:

It seems that everyone is well aware that climate change is a key issue for us all. But sadly, very few of us in the ordinary walks of life, find it easy to sort through the information we get. But like it or not to claim back the planet the carbon constrained world is a new reality .

This month the US President Obama asked Congress to legislate to meet the 80% emission reduction goal. He gave them no choice with an alternative that  the administration would resort to use provisions being the existing clean air act. In my post about this in Feb US Climate Czar Acts! a point I made may put a roadblock in the way of understanding. My statement that the US is not going to ratify Kyoto is not a factor. In fact it is much to late for that as current Kyoto Protocol on climate change and global warming expires in 2012 .

What is more important is President Obama has a crucial role to play is in the negotiations for a new protocol for Jan, 1, 2013 start. A climate conference, in Dec 2009 in Copenhagen, of all the parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ((UNFCCC), comprising around 170 countries, will meet for the last time on government level, before a climate agreement is to be renewed. International talks have been underway for some time, and the hope is that at least a rough framework on a new treaty will be negotiated in Copenhagen during the UN conference. Early agreement is needed there so countries can get the treaty through their domestic legislation in time for 2013 start.

This subject is vital for us all now to be more aware, so we were are doing research on the issues and seeking advice on considerations for ongoing adaption Anyone with a contribution on this is very welcome to add to this content.

Here is some more detail about the Copenhagen UNFCCC Conference >>

Carbon Labeling:

Have you ever wondered about those funny black feet with numbers on them feet appearing on products.  In Asia you don’t see them much yet but they are coming. In Europe, North America and elsewhere they are now quite commonplace.

No, it is not a brand for footwear either. The symbol tells consumers the carbon emissions taken to make the product, so you can buy wisely, being aware of the impact it has on our environment.

In February we attended a seminar in Bangkok about a “Carbon Footprint and Labeling” project  The project, now in its formative stage, is jointly lead by the EU Commission users and Thailand-EC Cooperation Facility Program.

The seminar discussed how the project would proceed and some of the issues it would deal with. The scope includes understanding  measurement standards, setting guidelines for labels,  making recommendations for use and certification control. Check out the report on this by Dr Kitipan Kitbamroong, himself an environmental specialist.

Why Carbon Footprint Labeling? >>

Beating on a TOM TOM

It seems like Microsoft have a new Toy and they don’t like anyone else playing with it for free. Moreover they say Linux have stolen it from them so no we can sit back and watch Linux wagons form a circle and the battle begin.

If like my wife and millions of people in the last 2 years who got a Tom Tom in a their gift boxes, and now use it daily to get you from A to B,  this may interest you.

Read >> Is Microsoft finally taking Linux to court?

The most qualified job hunter

I like this man’s advice in his case study post

“Kevin’s heard me say a thousand times, “The most qualified job hunter is rarely the one who gets the offer?”  Yup that’s right.  It’s not a typo.  I’m not crazy.  The best positions go to the people who do the best job at positioning themselves as the best solution to an employer’s problem — once in they’re in the interview.  And that’s the rub. “

That is an extract from this well worth while post which goes well on as a case study for job seekers.

In the body one very “just get it “point he makes:

“Employers only hire when they have problems to solve. And they will only hire you if they can specifically see you as the solution to their problems.”

Sounds like Sales doesn’t it? So I  have added this to my recommend reading list for salespeople:  Maybe a bit more about job hunters pipeline management would be useful but I guess that is why and recruiters have job inventories.

Job Hunting Case Study: Kevin Watson – The Resume Makeover with before and after examples. see

Link here to check it out >>

I’m just John.. With a Guerilla CV

I found this while reading some comments on a Linkedin blog.  If you are serious about getting a job, you cannot miss the shear subtly of this approach.

John S Rajeski sets a new the bar on and blows me away with his approach.

Link here is John S. Rajeski >>

Who’s Logged In

If you think it is just us young guys on the net have another look.

Baby boomers young and old are in there and even many older generations have taken to email by preference and to get information on such thing as health. Her is what looks like some good research work on this, It shows 74% of internet users age 64 and older send and receives email.

Interesting too that Teenagers, who use internet more for fun on the other hand are using email less. And ages 33-44 use it for shopping.

The article I got this information from expands commentary on all demographics and has a very useful graphical slide presentation to back it up.

The table below explains the definition terms used for the various generations.

Check it out>> 

 Home-Based Businesses Tips

This is useful stuff on home business I found in San Francisco Chronicle

These are the heading is covers

 http://allbusiness.sfgate.com/3473091-1.html

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Happy Chinese New Year

With the new year underway on January 1 this month we also heralded in the Year of the OX  and Chinese New Year, which began on 26th of January. In China, where it is also called “Spring Festival”,  it celebrates the beginning of the spring planting season. The changing date each year is dependant on the Chinese calendar invented in 2637 B.C.by Emperor Huangdi. For at least a week ahead of the celebrations that last another two weeks, people clean up their houses to sweep away bad luck of the previous year.  It is usually a good time to ask for any money owed.

Check out what we read in Jan 2009

A Guiding Hand Over My Shoulder

Someone this week send me a link to an end user authoring software tool. This seems to have caught attention of many as a very useful training and support tool that shadows live workflow driven and other applications.

The tool produces support media to give over shoulder help that users often need. What seems good is the tool is  designed to be interactive and follow user’s steps to get the job done all while users are working in their application.

On the video the first 2 minutes gives an overview about the the company then it differentiates the software’s process concepts and its approach to embedded learning.

The heart of the message starts at the 4:21 minutes mark and runs for about 7 minutes Iy is worth listening through. But you also get the point well after a minute or so. This live demo uses a Microsoft CRM user in a case example to shows how the media helps users to get their job done.  The remaining 10 minutes (22 in total) present detail authoring set-up steps. After a minute or so some may find this segannt  less interesting and bookmark it for later.

It bears closer look as one of those “well done software tools” that developers, trainers, help desk support functions and users themselves should have.I can imagine this embedded learning functionality will soon start appearing as an embedded feature in many workflow driven applications.

The tool is called “SHO Guide “. Check it out  http://www.transcensus.com/pages/tour/guide/

Google Searches Impact Environment

Google Searches Impact Environment

It seems Google is to blame for all our climate wows. On Monday, January 12, 2009 a Fox News report Google operates huge data centers around the world that consume a great deal of power according to Alex Wissner-Gross, a Harvard University physicist.

Read News Article >>

Don’t upset your computer

Did you know your computer can hear you. Like most of us it functions better in a calm environment and underperforms if you upset it.

In an interesting video post Timo Elliot show us what happens when you yell at your computer

View Video Post and check out Timo’s BI questions Blog >>

What happened to the money?

This is a useful post and ongoing debate spawned by Jack M. Guttentag The Mortgage Professor post. In it he describes how the overcooked home mortgage market failures from 2006 triggered financial system collapsed in late 2008 and how the bail out money was relevant to trying to stem the tide of the full blown recession we now face.

Read article >>

BI Predictions for 2009

In Timo’s Elliott January post The definitive list of business intelligence predictions, makes interesting read.

In this he asserts “Cloud Computing” will cause a shift in the Business Intelligence balance of power from IT to business users, as Software as a Service  picks up in the mid-market and BI moves into the cloud  The IT industry’s expansion to “the cloud” will accelerate and by 2010, 20% of organizations will have an industry-specific analytic application delivered via Software as a Service  as a standard component of their BI portfolio with Cloud computing will impact decision management.

Read Full Post >>

Gauging the Gauge

Shaun Rogers in a “B-eye netwok blog added a twitter poll to gage expectations on Business Intelligence technology. It interesting he separates “Cloud” and “Software as as Service” in his poll.  You can add you vote:

Interesting too is the tool he used, a freely available widget that I can imagine will proliferate to web sites like ours and company intranets seeking to survey and get feedback on issues. Check it out, it includes the embedding code example which I used to post to the html in this blog. and believe me is is easy once you grab the idea and I am no Techo.

Check out Shaun’s blog>>

Solving Energy Problems

Do you get the feeling you have seen it all before.  Steam and Electric energy or transport. Nuclear solutions for industry and solar for domestic are all options.  All are proven as choices but none has ever succeeded to solve the issues.

Michael North, professor of organic chemistry at Newcastle University, says people don’t seem to realize that a large percent of everything that comes out of an oil well also drives the chemical industry He adds “Not only are we facing a fuel crisis, but the entire chemical industry is likely to cease to exist.”

But now for the first time it seems we may have a breakthrough as the very heart of the issue in C02.

I was interesting I found this find this when I researched uses stored C02. I read the US government had made a $300 Million Loan in January for a carbon storage project to limit C02 release into atmosphere.

Believe it or not hydrocarbon regeneration as viable option is not new. What is is finding a n efficient process to recycle and make renewable captured coal fired energy emissions to turn C02 in them into fuel.

Read How Startup Turns CO2 Into Fuel >>

“Vista” for those who love to hate it.

An article in the New York times, Published by DAVID POGUE on January 21, 2009 say what may others mutter daily. Me included, But it seems there is hope ..

Pogue says

“For an operating system that took five years to create, Windows Vista’s reputation went down in flames amazingly quickly. Not since Microsoft Bob has anything from the software giant drawn so much contempt and derision. Not every company lives to see the day when its customers beg, plead and sign petitions to bring back the previous version of its flagship product.

In his New Your Times piece headed “Hate Vista? You May Like the Fix”Pogue foes on to talk about Window 7 which is now in beta will overcome much of the pain.

David also has a video this too. It is an easy way to get the message and quite entertaining too.

It is down the page a bit from this great cartoon

Check it out>>

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Happy New Year for 2009.

This is my first post for 2009 year after a good break. My resolution this year is to do my bit for energy conservation by increasing my own. By just losing some kilograms and getting fit hopefully that will reduce some of my ware and tear on the planets resources and cut the need for at least one larger seat on planes.

In 2009 I also plan to discontinue reading newspapers for information. In 2008 I found it hard to get balanced view of what is happening.  Global warming debate and the exploding financial crisis topped the list for December and it looks like the fact based but unhelpful financial news will be ongoing in 2009. But cynical views aside I have great respect for journalist who try to sort out and report facts. The problem is they as they see smoke it usually means fire so I guess the papers must stay. But this year I do want to find some positive albeit small way to contribute to resolving these big issues.

Check out what we read in December 2008

Blog of the 2008 Year Awards.

Technically the awards are being decided January but we have been reading the contributors pieces in 2008. In the category of Best Science Blog if you want a good read on climate change and related nature issues have a look at “Watts Up With That” site run by Anthony Watt a blogger and meteorologist. This fascinating conversation site that claims to be a commentary on puzzling things in life, nature, science, weather, climate change, technology, and recent news.

This site is a true discussion site that many can emulate with. In it Anthony Watt is modest and balanced with his communication style and now sometimes sees over 6 million hits a week and comments on each of his and his hosted daily blogs sometimes by the hundreds.

Check out all categories >>

Poznan Conference.

Of great interest we followed The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznań Poland on 1-12 December 2008 This was aimed to cement the Kyoto Protocol’s and having definitive a carbon neutral objective with emission reduction agreement in Copenhagen in 2009 including reducing global emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and disaster management.

Read full Article including list of Adopted Decisions >>

It was interesting that I again watched the 2005 Al Gore movie, ‘An Inconvenient Truth’  high listed on a plane movies in December 2008. (2 min Trailer) Regardless of subject conviction to the debate technically it superb learning exercise to see how to presnt to win a case for change. In this movie Al Gore uses his superb selling and debating skills backed up by excellent credible research to present the compelling case to clean up the planet. At the Poznan formum  he  continued this vigal and presented  the conference with more support for the case to enforcing tough new goals and with ideas for creating more momentum now and to achieve the critcal agreement on the tough emmsion and action objectives being discussed for Copehagen conference in late 20o9.

See video >>

On the flip side

Interesting that All gore presents over 50 years of trending, but this year scientific evidence is mounting that extremes of cold temperatures in the Northern hemisphere in 2009 winter ignpost opposite views. This evidence puts forward information to show  ice cover was actually increasing in some parts and is not in decline. Does this mean the Kyoto initiatives are working and we are seeing reveral of the trends.  Or is is the simply that the warmng hypothesisis is flswed?

If nothing else this highly cricial debate is highly emotional by nature.

Polar sea ice changes -net-coolingeffecton climate >>

Is it Global Cooling Now?

Of great interest also is a post named Four scientists: Global Warming Out, Global Cooling InThe author, Alan Lammey, Texas Energy Analyst, of Houston, cites noted William Gray an authoritative climate change speaker and Colorado State University’s, founder of the school’s famed hurricane research team. Gray spoke about multi-decade periods of warming and cooling and how global climate flux has been the norm for as long as there have been records.

Gray has taken quite a bit of political heat for insistence that global warming is not a man-made condition. Man-made carbon dioxide (CO2) is negligible, he said, compared to the amount of CO2 Mother Nature makes and disposes of each day or century.

My view is watch the share market and business reactions as this debate grows:

Read full Post >>

Yellow pages goes global.

The .COM .BIZ EDU, are all identifiers of types of domains, The advent of the .TEL could see a change in the way we see all these with an overarching web identity that could herald the joining of all addresses both physical and virtual in a giant yellow pages across the globe.

In his December 3 piece blogger Aaron Brazell comments on the advent of this new identity carrier.  Read his Post >>

My view is to watch this space as we see more and more integrated connectivity in business.

Aaron is the founder and lead editor of Technosailor.com. He is a business and social media consultant and loves to see people reach their potential through the use of social media.

He says there overlap between useful social media and personal and corporate outreach and brand. I am not sure what all that means but he writes thought leading articles so I suggest you check him out at

Check out http://technosailor.com >>

Downturn Capacity Preservation.

In the downturns of 1983 in Australia with my colleagues in business we had some adamant advice that we should protect our capacity to do business. As others chose a path rationalize close and reduce maintaining idle capacity burden to preserve cash, our stand for an efficiency survival strategy proved highly successful as turnaround came a year or so later and we had ability for rapid business growth from that wisdom.

I believe redundancy a survival approach should really thought thruwellgiven it mostly adds difficulties instead of helping to achieve a goal  –

This is an excerpt for a January post by Gordon Wood.

Here is a useful article by Bay Jordan on this subject The author of “Lean Organisations Need Fat People” his posted can be found on Sue Massey’s blog businessmanagementabcs.com

This post debates well 5 solid questions on this subject:

1. Do you really know who you are laying off?
2. Have you really examined your commercial logic?
3. Have you thought through the long-term implications?
4. Have you really thought through the impact on morale?
5. Have you thought about the wider economic implications?

In this article Bay also puts forward a proposition that provides:

1. A means of valuing people as assets
2. A method of creating employee ownership at virtually no cost to either the company or the individual.
3. A new method of incentive remuneration that overcomes most of the inherent weaknesses of traditional performance related pay schemes.

Read Bay’s Full Article >>

Time Machines.

This is a time server vendor symmetricom.comhas some interring information about time. We received there flyer in our email this month and picked out these articles of interest.

Another Leap Second Is On The Way: Are You Ready? Since 1972 when the practice was first mandated by the International Earth Rotation and Reference System Service (IERS) 24 leap seconds have been added to the world’s official time.

Read Their Article>>

The Ingenious History of time keeping devices Keeping track of time across a 24-hour period as we do today has its roots going back more than 4,000 years. Since that time, mankind has employed many varied and clever devices to keep track of the time of day and the time of night.

The current system of time measurement dates all the way back to c. 2000 BC. That’s when the Egyptians divided the day into two 12-hour periods and used the shadows cast by large obelisks to track the movement of the Sun.

Today, atomic clocks are used to calibrate other clocks as well as to maintain the proper time on earth. When compared to the obelisks used to tell time in 2000 BC, we sure have come a long way.

• Read Their Article>>

More to come

During December we were reading a lot and learning how to leverage value and writing for our followers. We also updated our look and have plans for more to be better.

The is so much more we have read but time limits us. Doing the summaries is enriching but also costly in time as our effort is all gratus. But we still hope we can do better this year.

It is interesting last month as our pieces generally focused on business yet our reading log seems to be focused on life fundamentals rather than the way to manage them.

Our aim as always is for best practices management so work place and business performance improvements can makethe world a better place to live. Understanding life issues and markets and what drives them, we believe is key to achieving that.

Please feel free to comment on piece or overall as part of our objective for healthy debate.

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This month we have started a section  to share interesting articles we have read. Our idea is to update monthly with summary on each article so you can decide it it is relevant for you.  Feedback would be useful.

if you have subject of interested or a useful article for others please let us know by adding a comnent on this page and we will add it to the next list.  If you want to write and have something published please register.  

November 2008

WWW.PointCarbon.com  .We have added this site on our blog roll. With intensity of climate control and greenhouse initiatives increasing attention of most governments, the US included is high on this subject as a way to restart the recession ridden economies. Australia is making changes this month with a far reaching carbon credit scheme.

As a mainstream specialist newspaper, Point Carbon focuses on news energy and environmental markets. We are reading here about economic and business directions and practical management aspects of carbon trade, footprint & inventory management, audit and verification of carbon reduction projects.

Significant In December in Poznań Poland is a UN meeting of delegates from over 200 countries discussing the very hot topic of climate change. The two-week meeting is the halfway mark in the negotiations on an ambitious and effective international climate change deal to be clinched in Copenhagen in 2009

Today’s Measurement Dashboards Away from Rudder and Stick This article discusses the evolution of the use of the dashboard. A good example US Coast Guard, which for decades has been perfecting the skill of navigating the seas. Now, the Guard is learning and improving competencies to quickly observe relevant information from visual dashboard displays, such as alert messages, and rapidly drill down and mine the information to understand what is happening – what may be causing any exceptional outcomes. Dashboards are not just about monitoring dials – they are about moving the dials.

Who Are White Papers Aimed at Anyway? A good read that gets you in with a leading question and discusses this subject and some misleading terminology used by the software industry papers. This is a lead on something we are preparing as a “clean up your act paper” on the same subject which will be issued in December 2008.

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