Thursday, August 21, 2008

Face it, Mac is Perfect

Take a look at:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/AheadoftheCurve/story?id=5617800&page=1

Funny how my fanatical Mac-Empowered friends never hesitate to tell me how inferior Microsoft products are (usually in an email composed within Entourage) however whenever Mac manages to screw things up bad I don't hear a word about it.

This whole iPhone thing distresses me. I could care less about the whole Mac vs. PC deal, I just think the thing looks cool and does fun stuff. With the advent of Exchange integration, it gave me a reason to finally justify the purchase. Mac couldn't seem to hop on to the 3G bandwagon without falling off the other side though so I will be waiting a bit on this purchase.

Hey Mac/iPhone people - quit annoying me. All technology no matter who makes it is flawed. So stop with the "Mac is Perfect" crap - technology in general doesn't work and I work in the business.

Friday, August 1, 2008

My Advice is to Get Yourself Moving

This is going to my engineers this weekend, although they don't have a copy of it yet.

Print this out and read it on the toilet this weekend-

The Power of Completion
I've got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.
-Larry Bird


A full day’s work in a day.
A full day of work does not have a time range. Time is a guideline for expectation. Manage yourselves – you know when you are capable of doing more in a day.

Before each of you leave for the day, I want you to ask yourself “Is there something else I can complete today?” It is very easy for us to hit a lull between jobs at 3-3:30pm and look to end the day. Using that last couple of hours effectively during the day, every day, is very important.

When on site, a job is not completed at 5 pm, a job is completed when the customer’s requirements are met and the business purpose is fulfilled. Vision looks out for their customers. If it is 4:30 pm and you see more work that could be accomplished while on site – offer to complete this work to the client – get your full day of work in.

Talk with the customers, it’s ok to small talk with them to give that personal feel to the experience. This is time well spent and not time that we have to include as a billable charge!

How to move yourself… without a U-Haul.
Let's form proactive synergy restructuring teams!

Don’t be afraid to take initiative. Managing yourself while being productive with your time is a much better use of everyone’s time. Take tickets, complete jobs, follow up with customers, manage accounts. Be diligent and take pride in your work.

…and speaking of pride!
The pride of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand."
-Vince Lombardi


You spend as much time at work as you do sleeping. Work and your company should be something you take pride in. We are not McDonalds cook-line workers, we are highly trained IT Professionals and for as many jokes and stereotypes as people have about us – understand that you have much power at your fingertips. You make other businesses money, you have the power to grind that same business to a halt. You can show people how to send and receive information in such ways they have never conceived. You have the power to make people happy by flipping a switch, or make people angry by flipping the switch the other way. You have the power to fix problems caused by the ignorance and innocence of a person who will never understand and joke about it behind their back… all so you can go back and do it again tomorrow.

What we do and how we do it is better than anyone out there, and you all prove it on a daily basis. I know because our clients tell me that. Care about yourselves, your family, and your job – and show all three passion to do well.

Have a good weekend!