Listen closely and pay attention as our menu has changed. The frustration to the automated phone operator are legend. All of us have had our issues with this form of (non) customer service. Recently this pundit placed a call at a number provided by the vendor and went though all the (voice) menu items, only
According to no less than the Cleveland Clinic, ” Studies (regarding multitasking) show it makes us less efficient and more prone to errors.” Cleveland Clinic goes on to make the case: When tasks are easy and routine such as, “like listening to music while walking, or folding laundry while watching TV,” these are generally not
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all the rage but are these laudables premature? Is it in really Artificial Unintelligence (AU) or just latest manifestation of the 30+ year old Expert System and a passing fad? Recently, none the less than Google (parent Alphabet) suffered a $100 billion market setback when their AI strategy suffered a lack
Burr! Its winter in the northern hemisphere and many shiver from the cold. The ‘Many’ include batteries. We have know for generations that cold weather negatively affects electrical batteries. So, it should come as no surprise that Electric Vehicles (EVs) performance can suffer greatly when the temperatures are extremely cold. This phenomenon is not limited
Once Again Organizational Safety Cultures Have Failed. Why Does This Keep Happening? The controversial Normal Accident Theory suggests that in complex systems accidents are enviable. So it would seem with continued major disruptions in Critical Infrastructure Sectors. We have argued that this is not necessarily correct. Systemic Safety Culture Following the Deepwater Horizon incident in
Organizational Conflict may not be visible. Passive Aggressive executives may not exhibit the classic signs of stress. The stresses of everyday business are well understood by those in that mix. Each individual has an agenda based on his/her personal desires as well as organizational job description and target (goal) requirements. By definition, this puts all
The (credited to) Chinese saying, “May you live in interesting times” was once reframed by a colleague of mine. He suggested, “May we live in less interesting times.” His statement was made years ago in yet another major economic downturn. Today, we are living in the turmoil of economic inflation as well as civil unrest,
How many times have you seen someone do something incredibly stupid, even risking their life? What a turkey! Story goes that Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey as the American National Bird. Almost 250 years later, this bird often carries a different connotation. Often maligned, this tasty fowl has its day once a year. Even two are
Incredible!! The level of hate as shown on any media today is just that, incredible. Thieving, beating, sexual abusing and murdering seem taken as the “New Normal.” Young people are throwing away future careers as they appear in the omnipresent media shouting hate towards one group. Wearing masks simply make them look like common criminals.
According to one source, “The (Halloween) tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.” Is your organization dressing up to fight for an old dead culture? The Answer is NO, Even if it Kills Me!! Decades an organization I know well acquired
In our forthcoming book, “Navigating the Data Minefields: Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making” we coined the term, Valid, Reliable and Timely (VRT). “This term identifies all data dimensions including its temporal component.” Check Up When we go to the doctor we expect that the information conferred by this professional is Correct, Consistent with the current
President George H.W. Bush famously quipped, “Read my lips: No new taxes.” He went on to raise taxes and many believed this contributed to the reason he did not serve a second term. Another famous saying, in 1971 an automobile engine oil filter manufacturer heavily advertised their product using the threat, “You can pay me
Remote Working was once heralded as the ‘New Normal,’ many employers are now less enamored with this business model. Having worked remotely in one way or another since the early 1980s, this pundit had some reservations when the tidal wave of glee over the opportunity to stay home and work in your robe or even
“Per McKinsey research from June 2022, nearly 70 percent of the top economic performers, compared with just half of their peers, are using their own software to differentiate themselves from their competitors.” McKinsey went on to state that: Digital products are driving the need to embed software across the board Increasingly, more value is being
When asked when something is needed, how many of us have heard or even said, “I need it yesterday?” Our world is turning faster all the time. The now quaint old phrase, “Internet is like dog years. One human year is equal to seven Internet years” now seems like slow motion. Change is all around us
A recent TEXT from a possible vendor did not identified himself as a referral. I did not pay any attention to it and both of us missed an opportunity. In our social media age with its shorthand, i.e. HRU, much can be lost in the exchange. Like most of us I am bombarded with those
Today, those of us in the United States and indeed many other parts of the world celebrate the 247th year of Freedom. Generally, freedom is seen as a function of speech, religion, lifestyle choices and even entrepreneurship. In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt proposed Four Fundamental Freedoms: Freedom of Speech Freedom of Worship Freedom from Want
In one case, a new cell phone (2023 purchase) went dead. The replacement and the subsequent replacement did the same thing. Now on the 4th phone, a work around has been found. The promise of technology is legendary. However, the hype is often over the top and not a statement of realty. The movement towards, MVP
Over 200,000 members of the US Armed Forces are discharged and return to civilian life ever year. Some will have difficulties with this transition. In 1970 this military ‘brat’ graduated from North Georgia College (a military school) and served four years in the US Army. In 1974, this business ‘clueless’ individual entered the civilian workforce.
The first thing a statistician, data scientist, medical researcher, engineer, social scientist or anyone depending on data is to assess its quality. As of this writing, the recent release of the Durham Report suggests that the FBI was lax in their assessment of the alleged Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election cycle. This resulted
Seems we live in a world of FAKE. How do you know what is fake and what is not? A recent article described certain activities in Silicon Valley as the end of fake. The point being that in the recent VC heyday, some have feed the market crap and taken advantage of the Greed is
Hard to believe that 13 years ago the offshore oil and gas industry changed forever. On April 20, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, later sank. “Approximately 134 million gallons of oil had spilled into the Gulf, the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.” One recent LinkedIn comment suggested that nothing had changed
We are pleased to announce the publication of our new book, Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability. The first sentence in the Abstract of Chapter 2, Operational Technologies reads, “There is a lot of information about ‘Smart Manufacturing’ albeit precious little information about its implementation and ongoing sustainability. Without a set of
Recently this pundit was contacted with a purchase recommendation for something he had already acquired. Dah!! According to Britannica, artificial intelligence (AI) is defined as, “the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.” But just how mature is this technology? The term covers a wide range of capabilities and
This author recently received an automated text message regarding an upcoming process. Received the day before the scheduled process, the text described pre-process procedures (as if it was in the future) to be completed 72 hours beforehand. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are ubiquitous. These automated systems remind customers of valid business relationships as well
Why are Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives failing? In previous blogs, we have addressed the challenges of turning organizational initiatives into culture. Moreover, we discussed DEI and the shortcomings of those institutional efforts as well as broached the construct of Teams incorporating DEI. In this edition, we will expand on those subjects and develop
Why are we so worried about what the world will look like in 2050? In that year, this pundit will be 102 years old and most likely dead. While not denying that our stewardship of the planet is an obligation, perhaps our focus is misplaced. Climate Change, Climate Change, Climate Change has become the mantra
According to Cambridge Dictionary the title term is defined as, Not real, or existing only in order to deceive people.” We live in a world when lies are tossed around with impunity. Politician lie, school boards withhold from parents and the news is decried as fake by both sides of the political isle. How does
Often attributed to the movie character, Forest Gump the title phrase can be interpreted as an abrupt change in one’s life. The past few years have brought significant changes to many of us. Illness, job change, moving to a new location, kids out of school and so it goes. Disruption can be intimidating, yet it
The current president of the United States is 80 years old. He has indicated that that he will run for a second term. If reelected, at the end of that terminus he will be 86! Is that too old to run a country? The Speaker of the House is 80, and her peers include a number of
