Find a way to express yourself...
Not just through work, design of structures, buildings, etc, etc...
Paint, sculpt, write an article, start a blog…
It’s easier once you get started...
You’ll find you get better at it...
Documenting your thoughts seems to generate room for more!!!
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Trust
more from H MacLeod...
Technology and Trust
I find this to be true more and more...
Ultimately, this industry is about performance...
Technology and Trust
I find this to be true more and more...
Ultimately, this industry is about performance...
Been driving up to North Jersey a lot...
for my current project...
I listen to other radio stations as my normal station fades out above Princeton...
So I listen to college radio from that area...interesting
some stations have that quirky college radio feel...the odd presentation, the different programming...
others are surprisingly not that creative, college radio, yes, but just a lot of all the same stuff...I guess that just makes me sound like a middle-aged whiner...
"music was great when I was a kid!!! kids!!!"
and so what does this have to do with anything?
A good way to keep current is to keep some college kids around the office...
this can help keep you close to the cutting edge, or somewhat close, at least...
You can get stale real quick if you don't make a concerted effort to stay current
College radio and recent college grads will not solve all your problems, but it can be one way to stay "hooked up"...
"if it's too loud, you're too old..." this may be truer than I think...
I listen to other radio stations as my normal station fades out above Princeton...
So I listen to college radio from that area...interesting
some stations have that quirky college radio feel...the odd presentation, the different programming...
others are surprisingly not that creative, college radio, yes, but just a lot of all the same stuff...I guess that just makes me sound like a middle-aged whiner...
"music was great when I was a kid!!! kids!!!"
and so what does this have to do with anything?
A good way to keep current is to keep some college kids around the office...
this can help keep you close to the cutting edge, or somewhat close, at least...
You can get stale real quick if you don't make a concerted effort to stay current
College radio and recent college grads will not solve all your problems, but it can be one way to stay "hooked up"...
"if it's too loud, you're too old..." this may be truer than I think...
You know you've been traveling too much when...
Your bed at home feels different, not the hotel bed...
You have a favorite radio station in a different city...
The shuttle driver asks how your kids are doing...
You have a favorite radio station in a different city...
The shuttle driver asks how your kids are doing...
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
The Satellite Franchise Virtual Office Model
Why do we drive so far to work?
been thinking about this issue for a while...
now that gas is $3 a gallon, it may make more sense...even if it doesn't make any more sense there may be more pressure to adopt something like this...
Think of McDonalds, Walgreens, or Home Depot...
A location wherever you go, all similar, close to home, convienient...
Offices should go to the employees rather than making them come to you...gives you the best possible shot at the biggest possible talent pool...the ability to draw on every possible employee...
linked with technology to form a virtual group...Obviously, the challenge is to truly work together as a group...hey that's a challenge anyway...
the engineering company as a series of small "franchise" locations, acting together virtually to make up the required horsepower...
just athought...
been thinking about this issue for a while...
now that gas is $3 a gallon, it may make more sense...even if it doesn't make any more sense there may be more pressure to adopt something like this...
Think of McDonalds, Walgreens, or Home Depot...
A location wherever you go, all similar, close to home, convienient...
Offices should go to the employees rather than making them come to you...gives you the best possible shot at the biggest possible talent pool...the ability to draw on every possible employee...
linked with technology to form a virtual group...Obviously, the challenge is to truly work together as a group...hey that's a challenge anyway...
the engineering company as a series of small "franchise" locations, acting together virtually to make up the required horsepower...
just athought...
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
the porous membrane: why corporate blogging works.
from the gaping void blog
I like this explanation...hopefully this blog and the website offer the same opportunities...
I like this explanation...hopefully this blog and the website offer the same opportunities...
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Things you might here me say...
"Actions speak louder than words..." could be considered Rule No. 1
"Make a qualitative difference..." don't just have an opinion
"Overtaken By Events..." also known as "OBE"
"There is a need for precision..." 'nuff said
"Never ignore fundamentals..."
"There is no substitute for preparation..." I'm not kidding...
"Life is not a perfect process..."
"Draw like you know what you're doing..."
"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed later..." I thought this was attributed to Patton but I have never been able to confirm it.
"Looking spontaneous is a matter of careful preparation..." M. Twain by way of R. Heinlein.
"Make an effort, not an excuse..." taken from a poster in the gym at our local elementary school...it would be a pleasant chnage if people focussed the energy they expend coming up with excuses and reasons for not doing their work on actually doing work...
"Make a qualitative difference..." don't just have an opinion
"Overtaken By Events..." also known as "OBE"
"There is a need for precision..." 'nuff said
"Never ignore fundamentals..."
"There is no substitute for preparation..." I'm not kidding...
"Life is not a perfect process..."
"Draw like you know what you're doing..."
"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed later..." I thought this was attributed to Patton but I have never been able to confirm it.
"Looking spontaneous is a matter of careful preparation..." M. Twain by way of R. Heinlein.
"Make an effort, not an excuse..." taken from a poster in the gym at our local elementary school...it would be a pleasant chnage if people focussed the energy they expend coming up with excuses and reasons for not doing their work on actually doing work...
Draining New Orleans Easier Said Than Done
good article from ENR.com
In particular, check out the link to the slideshow of the damage to the levees and pumping stations...
good luck to everyone down there...
In particular, check out the link to the slideshow of the damage to the levees and pumping stations...
good luck to everyone down there...
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Wrapping up the summer...
at the beach today...
back to school...back to work...
it's nice to have an extra day off...I'll still be working, but at least I'll be at home...been much too busy lately
back to school...back to work...
it's nice to have an extra day off...I'll still be working, but at least I'll be at home...been much too busy lately
Friday, August 19, 2005
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Monday, August 15, 2005
What People Hang on Their Walls...
I like to look at what people have hanging on their walls...
People have to feel pretty strongly about something before they hang it on the wall...at home, but especially at work...
something that makes a statement beyond "here's a picture of my wife/ kids" is rare...
Here's a story about 2 such statements...
"In the Land of the Blind, the One-eyed Man is King"- Bob Yerby
Bob had a plaque on his wall with this quote on it...I asked him if it was overall a postive or negative sentiment...He indicated that he felt it was very positive in that you maybe weren't that far from success...
I find myself thinking about the "Land of the Blind" part more often than not...
"The ABC's of Project Management"- Paul Buckham
A- know where you are
B- know where you want to go
C- know how you're going to get there
Paul had this on his wall printed on a piece of paper...how many people have you worked with or how many projects have you worked on that could have benefited from this fundamental description of the PM function...
Bob and Paul are both great guys and good engineers/ project managers...They were once referred to on Fluor's Financial message board as "oil patch renegades"...if that is true, then we could use a few more renegades in the industry...
People have to feel pretty strongly about something before they hang it on the wall...at home, but especially at work...
something that makes a statement beyond "here's a picture of my wife/ kids" is rare...
Here's a story about 2 such statements...
"In the Land of the Blind, the One-eyed Man is King"- Bob Yerby
Bob had a plaque on his wall with this quote on it...I asked him if it was overall a postive or negative sentiment...He indicated that he felt it was very positive in that you maybe weren't that far from success...
I find myself thinking about the "Land of the Blind" part more often than not...
"The ABC's of Project Management"- Paul Buckham
A- know where you are
B- know where you want to go
C- know how you're going to get there
Paul had this on his wall printed on a piece of paper...how many people have you worked with or how many projects have you worked on that could have benefited from this fundamental description of the PM function...
Bob and Paul are both great guys and good engineers/ project managers...They were once referred to on Fluor's Financial message board as "oil patch renegades"...if that is true, then we could use a few more renegades in the industry...
Telling War Stories...
You know how you hate hearing "war stories"...
"we did work for them 17 years ago, it was a great job, we did this...We did that...blah, blah, blah..."
wasting time in meetings, boring, off topic, etc, etc...
Well, maybe blogs make a great place for "war stories"...
if they're interesting, topical, well written, make a point etc, etc...
so maybe I'll crank out a series of the good ones...
"we did work for them 17 years ago, it was a great job, we did this...We did that...blah, blah, blah..."
wasting time in meetings, boring, off topic, etc, etc...
Well, maybe blogs make a great place for "war stories"...
if they're interesting, topical, well written, make a point etc, etc...
so maybe I'll crank out a series of the good ones...
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Saturday, July 23, 2005
So it's been 20 years...
December 1984...a date with a relative degree of infamy...for me anyway...
The University of Maryland...(check out the cool "Deep Impact" program)
or more specifically the School of Architecture...
grabbed my degree and off I went...
and here I am...20 down, 19 to go...I want to retire early...I don't want to, it's just that it feels better thinking I'm more than halfway thru
So how is everybody doing?...I guess I should have gone to the re-union...
I seem to remember all of the day-to-day stuff, like staying employed, getting in the way, but I probably should have made the time
I still have such vivid memories from my time there...the people, the efforts, the struggles...the experience was the beginning of defining myself as a person (that sound's a bit much, doesn't it?)...if you where there maybe you know what I mean...
Hey, some of you are still there...Raplh, Karl, Frank, Cindy...
Others appear to be out of academia, practicing in the industry...Steve, the Arnolds...locally (New Jersy local...) the Westfields...
I hope this finds you all well, happy, and healthy...
Well, I gotta go crank out another 20...
more to come...
The University of Maryland...(check out the cool "Deep Impact" program)
or more specifically the School of Architecture...
grabbed my degree and off I went...
and here I am...20 down, 19 to go...I want to retire early...I don't want to, it's just that it feels better thinking I'm more than halfway thru
So how is everybody doing?...I guess I should have gone to the re-union...
I seem to remember all of the day-to-day stuff, like staying employed, getting in the way, but I probably should have made the time
I still have such vivid memories from my time there...the people, the efforts, the struggles...the experience was the beginning of defining myself as a person (that sound's a bit much, doesn't it?)...if you where there maybe you know what I mean...
Hey, some of you are still there...Raplh, Karl, Frank, Cindy...
Others appear to be out of academia, practicing in the industry...Steve, the Arnolds...locally (New Jersy local...) the Westfields...
I hope this finds you all well, happy, and healthy...
Well, I gotta go crank out another 20...
more to come...
Thursday, July 14, 2005
How To Be Creative...
from H Macleod's blog
to quote Karl DuPuy, "some good, some bad, some ugly..."
but it is still an enjoyable read...
to quote Karl DuPuy, "some good, some bad, some ugly..."
but it is still an enjoyable read...
Saturday, July 09, 2005
If it was Important...
you would already be doing it...
If you're not already doing it, you don't feel that strongly about it...
If it was Important, it would already be done...
If it's not already done, you don't feel that strongly about it...
This seems to fly in the face of the Continuous Improvement theory.
Maybe you don't need a rationale...
Maybe if you think it's important just START doing it.
If you're not already doing it, you don't feel that strongly about it...
If it was Important, it would already be done...
If it's not already done, you don't feel that strongly about it...
This seems to fly in the face of the Continuous Improvement theory.
Maybe you don't need a rationale...
Maybe if you think it's important just START doing it.
Friday, July 01, 2005
Engineer Interview Triage?
A neat post about interviewing engineers (software types) and pertinent questions for talent-spotting...
link from Bnoopy Blog
What questions would you ask your Architect?
link from Bnoopy Blog
What questions would you ask your Architect?
Friday, June 24, 2005
The pace of change...
from a previous post over at philly pharm bio
What we do is different from manufacturing a product. We deliver a service, and we like to think that “Service” is higher up the “Value Added” chain than a “Product” and maybe it is.
I was in the check-out line at the local food store the other day... they sell digital cameras in line at the food store!!! This was a cool new technology just short time ago...now it's a commodity on display along with the skittles
It made me glad that I'm not designing electronics and fighting the back side of the technology curve...or trying to invent the next item on the "bleeding edge"...
There's been a lot of talk about the out-sourcing of the service industry...and yeah, there is a lot of pressure on the commodity services...
I still see the need for high-end service...the Client's need it...if you're good at it...you'll get paid
unless, of course, I see "How to Be an Architect" book/ software on sale at the Thriftway...
What we do is different from manufacturing a product. We deliver a service, and we like to think that “Service” is higher up the “Value Added” chain than a “Product” and maybe it is.
I was in the check-out line at the local food store the other day... they sell digital cameras in line at the food store!!! This was a cool new technology just short time ago...now it's a commodity on display along with the skittles
It made me glad that I'm not designing electronics and fighting the back side of the technology curve...or trying to invent the next item on the "bleeding edge"...
There's been a lot of talk about the out-sourcing of the service industry...and yeah, there is a lot of pressure on the commodity services...
I still see the need for high-end service...the Client's need it...if you're good at it...you'll get paid
unless, of course, I see "How to Be an Architect" book/ software on sale at the Thriftway...
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Like-minded-ness...not getting it done...
(is that even a word?...)
I had heard a story when I was in school that one of the partners from SOM made a statement along the lines of "if we all agree with each other, we don't need three partners..."
If you are surrounded people that agree with you, how are you going to get anything done? The discussions that accompany different viewpoints are where all (most...some...) of the good ideas come from...
I heard that someone from Washington, DC was presenting their ideas to a group of people... who already happen to agree... How does that change anything? or move anything forward?
These aren't the people who need to be convinced...
these aren't the people you could learn from...
Not too unexpectedly, this is a deadlocked situation with litle to no possibility of progress...
Lesson Learned: Don't surround yourself with people with agree you...especially if you want to get something done.
I had heard a story when I was in school that one of the partners from SOM made a statement along the lines of "if we all agree with each other, we don't need three partners..."
If you are surrounded people that agree with you, how are you going to get anything done? The discussions that accompany different viewpoints are where all (most...some...) of the good ideas come from...
I heard that someone from Washington, DC was presenting their ideas to a group of people... who already happen to agree... How does that change anything? or move anything forward?
These aren't the people who need to be convinced...
these aren't the people you could learn from...
Not too unexpectedly, this is a deadlocked situation with litle to no possibility of progress...
Lesson Learned: Don't surround yourself with people with agree you...especially if you want to get something done.
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