All posts by steve@kerrzone.com

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

How much Research is Enough?

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For decisions, recommendations or suggestions it makes sense to investigate and gather supporting rationale for your conclusion/recommendation /suggestion.

This research can be wide and varied or narrow and focused.  It can take hours,days, months or years to complete.  The results may be fully objective, mainly subjective or as is most often the case, somewhere inbetween.

The Research Balance

High value decisions are arrived at by spending the least amount of effort to achieve the highest quality result.  This leads to the basic question, how much effort should I expend on research?

How much effort is better spent on positioning, marketing and manipulating to sell the recommended solution?

To that end how about making it look like a lot of time and effort was spent on research, that is having your solution accepted because it looks well researched, really though its just effective use of smoke and mirrors.

Things to watch out for

Don’t let the consultant, salesman, researcher, etc pull the wool over your eyes with their magical recommendations and suggestions to support the best decision.

Consider:

  • Does the solution advocate have a personal vested interest in the outcome.
  • Is there a plethoria of supporting data (I always worry this is asign of misdirection)?
  • Is the path to the conclusion twisted with multiple branches or just straight and to the point?
  • Can the supporting data be replicated (objectively)?
  • Was the research conducted for it’s own sake, that is took a long time so appears well thought out but is really just mainly focused on putting the researcher in a good light and justifying their existence.
Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Secret Information

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Open, clear and honest information sharing is critical if not the most important underpinning of high performing teams.  Have you ever been surprised when finding out information that was intentionally withheld?

Unfortunately using information to gain leverage (i.e., a power play) is all too common.  Often justified by classifying the information as political, private or confidential.

Many times this classification is just rationalization, to hide the real purpose.  That is using information for personal gain.  I often interract with people who salivate over the opportunity to aquire secret information.

Is sharing always good?

Is there any information you should not share with others?  My own view is no, everything can and should be shared.  This view is not widely held.

Laywers frequently advise clients to remain silent.  The argument is to do otherwise could work against you, particularly in the case of active law suites (as one example).

For me that misused phrase “The truth will set you free” is actually valid.  I say misused, in recognition of the dictators and despots that have used it throughout human history have not always had good intentions.

I have been labled naive, but my own real experience has been, the outcomes, particularly in team and organizational environments, are  consistently better when information is shared as it becomes known, whether good or bad.

It is not about the nature of the information but rather the message sent when secret information does not exist.

How many people feel good when someone says to them slyly, “Interesting thinking, too bad you don’t know what I know.  Unfortunately what I know is special information exclusive to the powerful people, so I cannot share it with the likes of you”.

Oh yeah, that is motivating.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Financial Planning

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There are many places to get advice on financial planning.  For example,  books, articles, journalists, financial planners, financial product sales people and the list goes on.

Of course many sources results in multiple perspectives.  Probably most of these positions have contextual validity.  That is mapped to the data representative of the situation being analyzed. Howeveryou look at it though, it’s complex.

What about starting simple?

Intuitively, starting with simple basic concepts and gradualy  morphing into more complex ideas over time seems a practicle approach.

At it’s simplest, a financial plan is simply a list of actions, with responsible owners and completion dates, actually that is what any plan is. In others words who is going to do what by when?

The only difference between a financial plan and any other is the nature of the activities, that is things related to your personal finances.

Of course to develop the activities, owners and time frames you do need to know what you are trying to achieve.  Under the keeping it simply principle just start with this simple generic goal “A plan that will enable living the life you want to live”

Start here!

Create an activity list.  That is the things that need to be done to achieve the life you want to live.  These activities will be as personal as the life you want and will have dependencies on each other.

For example; spend money freely without worry  as an activity might be dependent on activities like earn enough money to be able to spend freely or save enough money to be able to spend freely.  Or reduce personal taxes so you have more money to spend freely.

(Just a caveat,  the activities must be realistically achievable, the above is a purposeful exaggeration for illustrative purposes.)

As you work through the plan completing an activity might result in new activities (and owners with completion dates).

The key princples of personal financial management should always be followed as you work through your plan:

  • it’s your plan, you can delegate support and get advice but never delegate decisions
  • monitor the activities and if they are not providing the expected result or the time frames are not achieved address the issue – resolve it to your satisfaction, don’t ignore it

Have fun!

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

When time runs out

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Everyone dies and you could say this is when your available time has run out.  There is no more time for you to do or experience anything on earth.

Always enough time

Time is a facinating resource to manage .  As long as you are alive there is always more time available.  Planning your death, or when time stops for you is not an average occurance.

At some point, usually unplanned, though not always unexpected (in the case of a long illness or just natural aging) death arrives and your earthly time is over.

No one knows for sure if time continues after death in some other form.  Interestingly, for most, the end of time is not anticipated in the immediate present.

How often have you thought, “there will be time to do that later”.  That may or may not be a true thought.  The risk of your time ending abruptly is probably low, but it could happen.

Managing Time

Given our availble time on earth is limited should we allow this to influence how we spend time today?  Should we worry about running out of time before we complete our bucket list?

Living in the Moment

I have always been a big believer in seeking maximum pleasure for myself as long as it does not impinge on the pleasure of others.

So for me, worrying about how to spend my future time or fearing that I won’t get to everything  is not critical to my pleasure, or lack thereof,  so is not an issue for me.

 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

I am Insulted

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Years ago,  I decided to share with others in a meeting or just a conversation,  when I felt insulted.  Not in an emotional way but simply as a calm information share.

Sometimes, how you decide to feel about a particular behaviour or feedback seems really clear to you, others might not see it that way.  You choose how to feel, the things going on around you drive these feelings.

Open but respectfull communication is an key underpinning of collaborative behaviour.   What you might deem as disrespectful or insulting might actually be viewed by others as prima donna behaviour on your part.

Get the facts, Share the facts

While your perspective of events can certainly differ from others a reconciliation of perspectives ( i.e., the way the facts are interpreted by each stakeholder) will never occur without a sharing of those perspectives.

While my way or the highway can be self satisfying it’s probably not a good way to win friends and influence people ( to coin a phrase well promoted by the Dale Carnegie Institute) .

What Happens?

As noted I have been using this technique for many years and found it to consistently lead to positive outcomes.  Potential tense interactions are diffused and misunderstandings (tons of those) are at a minimum understood, if not resolved.

Like most things balance is needed when sharing how you feel and if not done with consideration to the atmosphere and context of any given situation it can backfire.

However, executed carefully, the results can be very positve, both in the moment and in the long term (many relationships cover more than fleeting moments.)

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Learning

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Learning can take on a variety of forms from formal classroom, to experiential to one on one mentoring.   What is the best way to determine if learning has occurred?

Traditionally

A traditional and oft used technique is testing.  Whether written or practical the core objective is for the learner to prove their knowledge.

Unfortunately the context is artificial and this impacts the outcomes. For example if you are driving a vehicle alone, your responses and attentiveness might drastically differ from when the testor is sitting beside you.

Feeling nervous will definitely affect results.  Cynically speaking the test results might only prove the learner is good at taking tests.  Put them in a situation where the knowledge needed to be practised and the results could be catastrophic.

Is there a better way?

Demonstration of knowledge through execution ( like the driving test) resonates with me but is not always practical and the assessment of the results includes some subjectivity. (For example I would not recommend testing a surgeons skills on open heart surgery).

Japanese sushi chefs undergo a long apprenticeship which provides them with a great deal of practicle experience.  The final test is preparation of Fugu fish sushi.

Fugu is a highly toxic fish that when eaten, if prepared badly, results in almost immediate death.  The sushi apprentice eats the fish they prepared and if they live, they pass.  Now thats a test.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Believe

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Ninteenth century German author and statesman Johann Goethe said “Man is made by his belief.  As he believes, so he is “.   That is, the things you have trust, faith and confidence in define who you are.

This implies people without beliefs are undefined.  Further if you know what someone believes you can predict how they will behave.  You can anticipate their responses.

To a large degree my own interactions with others prove this to be true.  The caveat is assuming you can accurately assess others beliefs.

Purposeful misdirection is a very real technique people can employ to gain advantage.  For example, one  might protray a strong belief in justice while in practice behaving soley in favour of their own personal gain, regardless of fairness.

Followers

Often followers fall into the group of those with undefined beliefs.  In these cases what appear to be their own beliefs are in fact those of another they are copying.

It is often hard to distinguish followers from true believers but this group is a favorite of unscrupulous leaders.  The follower can be manipulated into professing the leaders beliefs, thus supporting a cause that defines not themselves, but rather the leader.

Reason to Believe

If nothing else motivates you, the critical reason to believe (in something) and acknowledge that belief internally is because your beliefs will define you.   To ensure personal accountability and ownership of your life you must believe.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Fear

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I read a great definition of fear the other day.  It was described as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

On the surface fear is a valuable emotion.  It can help you to craft appropriate response to danger.  This could save you from suffering unpleasant consequences.

Unfortunately fear is also a tool that can be used by the unscrupulous to gain advantage.  There are multiple examples through the ages where power seekers have used fear to gain and sustain power.

For Example

Last century the German dictator Hitler leveraged attacks on Jewish people (and  other groups like the Communists or what he called inferior races, for example Slavic) to achieve and maintain absolute power over the German populous.

As far back at ancient Greece humankind has recognized the power of using enemies (real or imagined) to achieve personal gain.  Like a magician, this use of misdirection can hide the dictators true nature.

And now Donald Trump

Last Friday the President of the United States (Donald Trump) signed an executive order to stop vistors from seven largely Muslim countries.

He is leveraging fear of terroism to advance his own agenda.  Obviously the majority from the targeted countires are normal contentious, caring humans.  Like anywhere there are a few deviants    and this can in no way be ascribed to where you live or your religion.

Having a visible enemy to direct enmity toward for his own gain is President Trumps purpose.  It is sad the American populous appears unable to stop him.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Complaining

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A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction or annoyance about a state of affairs or an event.   In my experience complaining about things is a natural behavior, common to both myself and everyone I know.

For What Purpose?

Assuming there is some sort of motivation driving any particular behavior I wonder what motivates complaining.  That is, the behavior is focused on the negative, whats the value of that?

Logically the purpose probably falls into one of the following or in some cases multiple categories:

  • To effect a change.  For example things like; a repair, acknowledgement of fault; restitution and so  on
  • To make yourselve feel better by voicing your feelings, letting it go
  • Political manuevering to gain advantage (in theses cases the target of your complaint is something you want to discredit)
  • Group think, responding to peer pressure and joining the crowd, demonstrating you are with them not the others that are being complained about. (You belong to the IN crowd)
  • Pure vindictiveness, it’s an attack after all

Tread Carefully!

Complaining can develop feelings of self righteousness, morphing into indignation.  This might help you resolve some of your own  issues, but we are social animals and live with others.

Arrogant behaviours are not usually appreciated by others and could backfire on you.  Worse, constant complaining ( which is negative by definition)  can make you feel bad and unhappy.

For these reasons complaining  should be used sparingly and cautiously.  Understand exactly what you are trying to achieve and stop when you get it or if it appears you are not going to achieve your goal.

The negative results on you personally of uncontained complaining can be quite significant.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Chaplains and Religions

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Today at the University of Alberta, a new non-denominational meditation/prayer center held an open house.  Several of my collegues attended.

My collegues ended up having a discussion with a chaplain that was in attendence and mentioned this me.  They were not familiar with term/role of a chaplain.

Need for Nondenominational spiritual guidance

I explained chaplains were spiritual leaders in non-denominational roles.  Organizations or institutions like armies, prisons and secular educational institutes require these roles to serve their constituents,  who come from a variety of backgrounds.

A key attribute of all major religions is a common belief that there is a God.  The detailed practices and beliefs may vary but belief in one God does not.

So, for me, a chaplain is a fabulous construct.  A spiritual leader that does not incite violence or hatred in the name of disparate religious practices but rather guides a focus on the key underpinning of religion, i.e., the common faith in a single deity.

Join hands, respect others travel in peace

Examples of religious  persecution  are common throughout mankinds history, yet it makes little sense given the core fundemental of each religion is the same.

Why couldn’t all religious leaders be like chaplains, that is agnostic to the specific tenets of whatever the religious type (Islam,Muslim, Catholic, Jewish and so on)?