Eagles Soar, others flock. Post the US election, it seems that many on the losing side are circling the wagons and pointing to the ‘other guy’ to blame for a series of political sins. Like fish in a school, the belief seems to be that the crowd provides an element of protection. But is this belief
In 2025, our new book, Navigating the Data Minefields: Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making will be released by CRC Press. This is an accompanying book to our 2023 book, Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability. Both books focus on the use of advanced information technologies to attain and sustain Operational Excellence. Today,
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
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
“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
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
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
In the just released NCHRP Research Report 1001/BTSCRP Research Report 2, a new framework provides government and non government parties and other stakeholders a tool for the assessment and risk management for emerging automated driving system (ADS) technologies. This Framework for Assessing Potential Safety Impacts of Automated Driving Systems reminds this reader with a sense
First it was Covid-19 and now a Recession? Is a Global Military Conflict on the Horizon as well? Social, economic and personal pressures continue to mount. There is already evidence of Reductions in Force, (RIF) aka layoffs are underway or planned. With consumers stretched to the max, higher interest rates, equity markets in retreat and
On October 8, 2021, we posted the blog, Welcome to the 70s–Again! The point that the awful economy of that decade could return. It seems that one year later, those comments have come true. Many are now freely comparing out contemporary time to that period before most adults were born. This Baby Boomer graduated from
“Yes, hope is a strange thing. Peace at last. But at what price?” — Khaled Hosseini Great Societies have been lost in the past–a number of times. There is no reason to believe our current crop is immune! Ariel Durant, the co-author of the 11 volume tome, The Story of Civilization is credited with, “A great
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw The 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke, popularized the term, “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.” The American Film Institute lists this statement as number 11 out of the top 100 movie quotes. The basis of this
One newscaster recently used the metaphor of the sun setting in the west as settled science so contrary views were not newsworthy. His argument–Fairness is Over Rated! What? One wonders whether this is true for those who believe the world is round or for those in the Flat Earth Society? Yet most political commentary and
Who would have thought that in the summer with temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit the wind would stop blowing. According to NOAA, “The main cause of wind is a little surprising. It’s actually temperature. More specifically, it’s differences in temperature between different areas.” With a major Atmospheric High Pressure parked over a large geographic area,
An oil and gas industry group, the U.S. Energy Workforce & Technology Council recently released a survey which stated, “companies with a higher percentage of women in executive positions have a 34 percent higher total return to shareholders than those that do not and companies with ethnic diversity on their executive team are 25 percent
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, one definition of initiative is. “A new plan or action to improve something or solve a problem.” In corporate parlance this often translates into yet another short-term and often politically correct effort to demonstrate forward motion/social citizenship. Often forgotten faster than the evening news cycle as new searches for performance
Henry Ford, the Founder of Ford Motor Company is famously attributed to this statement. “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” In other words, most of us think linearly. One wonders if this line of reasoning is the best way during the current situation. Perhaps, non-linear mindsets are
Years ago, as part of a never-ending series of company reorganizations, a team of our change management consultants headed to the ‘field’ to interview users. Upon their return, they presented an extensive list of technology investments deemed necessary to remain competitive. Their list focused on technology and not business concerns. Wondering, I asked who they
