Input....What Makes you Tick?

I've been deluging you with some of my thoughts for a few weeks now....it's time to see who is paying attention and who is willing to contribute. See the little area at the end of this blog called "comments"....here is your chance to speak up.

My questions for are : 1) What do you think is the biggest motivating factor for most people in the work place today? and 2) What is YOUR number one motivating factor...the one that motivates you the most? (they could be different). You are welcome to choose the anonymous reply button too....just looking for some thoughts.

I'll allow a few days for the comments to be added and then I'll blog about motivation, my thoughts and even a few "outsider" thoughts on the subject. Even thoughts as extreme as, "the workplace shouldn't have to care what motivates you, that's your problem...."

TAFN

Challenge Yourself to Grow...

It’s no secret that our Director has encouraged employees to participate in Professional Organizations, especially those that are somehow related to Conservation. As IT employees what has that meant to you? Let’s take a little quiz… How many of you currently belong to a Fish, Forest, Wildlife Professional Organization? Unfair? …cause we don’t work in a resource job…? If you believe that…then I need to open the bus doors for you. OK, let’s change the question then for you: How many of you belong to a professional IT organization? Hmmm not many hands there either…. Why not?

What do those organizations have to do with you and your job you say? Well, I’d offer that those groups offer OPPORTUNITY… the opportunity for growth, to challenge, to stretch you and your thoughts. Not to mention they provide an avenue for you to learn and to help further exposure to Conservation and the work we do. The more folks you know, the more chances you have to learn and espouse the good of Conservation. I’ll bet there are a good number of you who belong to PTO groups, hobby related clubs, women’s/men’s type clubs, etc…obviously you saw the value there to “enlist.” So what’s different about work or your desire to participate in groups that are related to it?

I’ve heard it stated publicly, that “if I’m supposed to be in a Conservation type organization, then it should be on the Dept. time and dime…” Sends a pretty clear message to me about the quality of Professional making that statement. Which camp are you in? Do you see the value in participating in Resource and IT related organizations? Do you see that you can add something to those groups and perhaps even glean some information that may be of value in the workplace too? I’d challenge each of you to give this some serious thought and see if there isn’t some group out there that would add value to what you do here at work ….and at home.

TAFN

....Mission Statement...?

I read this on a web site (corporate technologies/Careers) that spoke to how they feel about hiring IT staffers: "People are our most important asset. We invest in this resource by encouraging and rewarding superior expertise, professional development, and thorough training. And we provide all employees equal opportunity for advancement and personal achievement.
We attract the best and the brightest IT, sales, support, and general business people to help our clients tap the power of technology to drive their business success. And we provide a collaborative climate that encourages professional growth. Engineers, for example, even though they may concentrate their work in one area, receive cross training in others. And their assignments are balanced between doing product research and testing, implementation, and initial assessments at clients.
We encourage our employees to become an instrumental part of a dynamic team of smart, innovative, highly motivated professionals working in a highly collaborative, consultative environment and helping clients meet their toughest IT challenges."

I thought WOW, what a place to work! Then I thought-- with a little effort our "sales" pitch here might read something like this.... People are our most important asset. We invest in this indispensable resource by encouraging and rewarding superior expertise, professional development, and thorough training. We provide all employees equal opportunity for advancement and personal achievement. We attract the best and the brightest IT people to help our Agency tap the power of technology to drive Conservation success. We provide a collaborative climate that encourages professional growth. We encourage our employees to become an instrumental part of a dynamic team of smart, innovative, highly motivated professionals working in a highly collaborative, consultative environment and helping Conservation Employees meet their toughest IT challenges.

Sounds nice...but I think we might be missing a couple of things to make this a reality... 1) Realism --about who and WHAT we really are TODAY and; 2) all the pieces to make such a statement an honest reflection.

A statement like the above is a two way street...the company AND the employees. One side cannot make the statement true without the other doing their part. While the "company" can provide opportunities, etc...the employees must be dedicated, professionals also. One is not true without the other.

Are we there yet? No, I don't think so, but we could be...and I WANT to be. I'm planning to do what I can to see it happen.....are you? ....see any ties to the "Good to Great"...?

TAFN

Too Old?

I read a blog recently titled Is 30 too old to start a company? I found it interesting to equate the entrepreneurial spirit (ability) primarily with age.

For much of my life I have fought against age being used as a determining or defining factor for many of the things I wanted to do. For instance, as a boy, I wanted to do some of the things my older sisters were doing—“No, you are too young.” As a Junior High student I wanted to play varsity basketball, “No, you have to be older; you have to be in high school.” As a freshman in High School, I wanted to drive, “No, you have to be 16 (older).” As an employee entering the work force, I was interested in upper level positions in the Organization and was told, “No, you don’t have enough experience.” Funny how in all those instances, there were assumptions being made that just because someone was “older” that there was more value to that…. Looking back, I still feel that I had similar if not more abilities to perform adequately at the next level…than some of the existing people who were doing what I wanted to do.

The angle of the recent read is that as you grow older you become less idealistic….less able to think outside the box---to dream…to create. They cite specific examples of leading entrepreneurs and they younger age. (chart on this page). I say HOGWASH! Abilities can and should be proven...not assumed! While there are certainly valid points about age and circumstances that make GOOD sense to limit to a specific age (Social Security), the thought that good ideas and/or new ideas are limited primarily to the younger folks isn’t accurate. I tend to think the limiting factor is more a matter of drive and determination that an age thing. In addition, why is it even tied to how old you are?…that takes me back to my personal experiences. Shouldn’t I be judged on my ability and capabilities, regardless of my age or how much experience I have? To dismiss anyone just because they don’t meet your traditional ideology of someone representative of that position is foolish and quite likely a mistake.

Where are you on this subject?.... Because of your age are you less idealistic?....less able to come up with new solutions…be creative? Are you judgmental of new ideas, thoughts, or approaches because they come from much younger or older folks?

“Is 30 too old…”? I’d argue that it's circumstances in life that dictate less “older” folks are in the entrepreneurial world. Many past the age of mid 20’s are married, kids, etc. Some indeed have lost their fight, vigor. Other issues that occupy their time…it isn’t that they can’t or don’t think that way. They certainly can and do; it’s all a matter of priorities.

As we chart our future, I encourage all to break down the barriers of preconceived notions. Judge others or their projects on its’ own merit and less on tradition. Expand your thought processes and step outside what you view as “the role” you are supposed to be playing as a 47 year old male…or 22 year old female…and figure out where you can add the most value. Don’t accept the labels of you are too young or too old….challenge the thought, prove them wrong.

While I did not win all of the battles I fought when confronted with the “age thing” …I did win a few and I have to say…those were sweet victories. When given the opportunity to be able to prove yourself and to be able to do it…wow what a feeling! The people who took that chance on me and gave me the opportunity quickly earned my respect, trust and full support. …sure go ahead tell me I can’t because of my age…I dare you….

TAFN

Are You ...Out of Touch?

I ran across an interesting article in a recent edition of the CIO Insight ezine. The article discusses a number of points and centers around staying current on a number of fronts. Certainly in the work that we do...staying current is absolutely critical! Not keeping pace with the changing technology and trying to understand how it can add value to the work our Agency performs is a guaranteed meal ticket to a job....somewhere else.

The expectation that comes with our job, our line of work, is that we stay current....stay abreast and informed. We must also have the ability to digest the new information and try to see where that new idea/technology fits into our future.

The article lists seven signs that would indicate you (we) are...out of touch:

1) Research is considered to be a waste of time. "We have been very successful and our experience speaks for itself."
2) Lack of critical thinking. "That may work well within such and such an organization, but we are different."
3) An inability to take constructive criticism and lack of respect for varied opinions. "We are the originators of this method/product/theory. Who are they/you to question us?"
4) Maintaining a positive image at all costs. "What would people think of us if this didn't work as expected?"
5) Lack of effective practice. "We have been advised by the best minds in the business. We can skip the experimental phase."
6) Blind faith in experts and top executives. "How can we go wrong? These people have worked with the top companies around the world for years."
7) An aversion to introspection. "We don't need that fuzzy self-examination of feelings, thoughts and motives around here. We are practical people."

So, what say you?...Do you see any of these signs within our group? Do YOU exhibit any of them? I've heard it said, the best way to treat a problem is to admit you have a problem... Let's look hard at who and what we are...can we make some changes that will change/improve our work life, our work productivity? Even better...do you have suggested that can help move us forward? Thoughts that would help us add value to Conservation?

I challenge each of you to critically evaluate yourself...are you staying current with the technology...no I mean really staying current--not just know that Microsoft has a new OS out there. Are you forcing yourself to learn more, to find new ways....Likely we would all benefit from reading more, asking more questions, keeping our eyes and ears open for opportunities to move Conservation forward from a Technology perspective....Commit yourself towards improving your knowledge and understanding....you and MDC will benefit as a result.

to check out original: http://www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1540,2127750,00.asp

TAFN

"Good" Isn't Good Enough

For those of you who know a little about me, one of my all time favorite reads was the book by Jim Collins titled “Good to Great.” The book is recognized in almost every corner of the globe for its views on Leadership and it even displayed on pedestals in some companies "trophy"cases. The book has had that profound an effect on some! The content of the book certainly impacted me too. The book is essentially a description of research of some very successful companies and what commonalities they shared along the way from being a "good" company to becoming a "Great" company.

One particular aspect of the research that hit home with me and seemed to be the very building block was the “First Who, then What” concept. What does this mean?...a quote from the JimCollins.com web site describes it best…and I quote: “The main point of this concept is not just about assembling the right team—that’s nothing new. The main point is to first get the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) before you figure out where to drive it. The second key point is the degree of sheer rigor needed with regard to people decisions in order to take a company from good to great.” Hmmm sounds like the ability to make decisions, even if they are difficult ones...doing what's right for the future of the Organization... It's not about doing what's popular, but more so about doing what is ...right.

It seems so simple, so basic, so…..common sense like, and yet it is quite obviously so utterly difficult that few ever achieve it fully. What makes this so difficult either to grasp or to implement? I tend to believe it all boils down to the commitment and belief of the individual. Are they willing to put the end result (goal) ahead of themselves…for the “good of the cause?” Are you willing to make unpopular decisions, even if they are the right ones to make? Most say they would…few actually demonstrate it. But, those that do demonstrate it (live it); can and do achieve something extraordinary. The essence of Good to Great…. If achieving greatness were easy…wouldn’t everyone be there by now?

The good-to-great leaders understood three simple truths. First, if you begin with “who,” rather than “what,” you can more easily adapt to a changing world. If people join the bus primarily because of where it is going, what happens if you get ten miles down the road and you need to change direction? You’ve got a problem. But if people are on the bus because of who else is on the bus, then it’s much easier to change direction: “Hey, I got on this bus because of who else is on it; if we need to change direction to be more successful, fine with me.” Second, if you have the right people on the bus, the problem of how to motivate and manage people largely goes away. The right people don’t need to be tightly managed or fired up; they will be self-motivated by the inner drive to produce the best results and to be part of creating something great. Third, if you have the wrong people, it doesn’t matter whether you discover the right direction; you still won’t have a great company. Great vision without great people is irrelevant. (JimCollins.com)

Where are we on this trek? I would ask each of you to help with that answer…. Are we Great? What are you doing to help us reach upwards towards that end? Are you considering the Agency goals ahead of your personal ones? In your daily work, are you focused on the goal that will move Conservation forward? Do you belong on the Conservation bus…are you making every possible effort to move Conservation forward…are you thinking outside the box….are you challenging yourself to be an important part of this work….?

I believe in order for Conservation to continue to be successful, we all must do our part to help. No resting, waiting for others, hoping someone will tell us to do the right thing…we need thinkers, we need action people, we need to be proactive…..We need to move Conservation forward by providing technology value that is affordable, relevant, and adds value. We need to be helping add that value to Conservation. THOSE are the people who belong on this bus….

[If you’re interested this short mp3 provides an example of The Right People.]
TAFN

Vacation Mind Set

As we draw towards the end of the month of May, many a thought is given to the summer vacation plans. I doubt you will talk to many people who couldn’t provide you quite a bit of detail about where they are taking their vacation this year and how they will spend their time and money. Vacations mean a great deal too many folks and are highly thought of…..they are often looked forward to with great anticipation and excitement. Yet, this vacation season, many are concerned about the price of gas and how that will impact their travel plans. Many are forced to readjust their plans…..

Two thoughts come to my mind: 1) wouldn’t it be neat if we could get that excited about our work? and, 2) MDC as an Organization is no different in terms of being affected by everyday economics, including higher fuel prices.

While I do believe there are folks working for us that are excited about their work and actively engaged, it’s not very often that I see it to the same level as a personal vacation. Yet, we spend more of our lifetime in the work place than most other places, so why not make every effort to make it a pleasurable place to be? If we would give as much thought and preparation to our work detail as we do to planning our vacation, I think you would find many improvements in the work place. While vacationing, we maximize every minute of our time to ensure we get the things done we had planned. We also budget our money to ensure we can accomplish all of the things we want to do while vacationing. We are tenacious about ensuring vacation success.
Give some thought as to what makes vacation time fun and think about ways to bring that level of excitement to the work place….. Can you imagine how much different work would be? I would offer that in some case it would be a marked improvement. Not only would those around you sense your excitement but eventually they too would begin to “catch the fever” and perhaps you could change their work perspective too. Productivity would increase, efficiencies would be realized and our excitement would be obvious.

I believe that vacation is similar to your first day on the job. Remember that first day of work?....the “excited nervousness” you felt…recall how you wanted to make a positive impression….you arrived early and stayed late….you were focused, committed, driven. Not unlike many are for their vacations……

The other relationship to this year’s vacation is financial. It seems everything is going up in price, not just gas prices. Those same rising costs to you and your family are also hitting our Agency hard. The goods and services we purchase to perform Conservation work is more expensive also. The fact is that income/revenue has tightened; we must be better planners….quite similar to getting the most out of our dollar while on vacation. Look for opportunities to get costing advantages, stretch our dollar so we can do more with less. Why should Agency money be any different than your money? Be smart with it, find the best prices, evaluate whether the item is a must have or a desired one….use the same thought process that you do with your personal bank account…and in most cases, the decision will be a good one.

As we go our separate ways for our vacations this year, please be safe, enjoy the time you have with the ones you care most about.... and if you have the opportunity give some thought as to what makes your vacation fun and see if there isn’t a way to bring that energy and good decision making back to the work place upon your return.

Telework

You may have heard this term being thrown around the office lately. Some of you may have been exposed to the term Telecommute in the past…how is this different and why are we talking about it. Telework, to me, is the ability to perform your work functions from numerous locations that could be considered your office for the day. Whereas telecommute has typically meant to work from home by using a computer terminal that is linked to your workplace. Teleworker is slightly different from a telecommuter in that the worker does not necessarily have to work from home…they could work from another office (MDC or partner office, virtually anywhere), basically anywhere there is Internet connectivity and floor space for the person to occupy.

IT Management has been considering the possibilities of supporting a teleworker workforce for months now. Trying to understand the issues associated with supporting such a worker is a time consuming process. There are many, many issues that must be thought through…..from office phones, network connectivity, application accessibility, accountability, not to mention the numerous business processes that could be impacted and/or change. It is not a simple decision of whether or not to do it….it is far more complex than that. The question of whether or not we should consider it seems simple…when looking at the price of fuel, commute distances, and environmental issues associated with the combustible engine…the answer is a resounding yes…but there is more to it.

Is it the right solution for MDC at the right time….that’s a tougher question. Technology can certainly be utilized to have save business expenses….just think about the possibilities if this Agency embraces (and can afford) the telework scenario. Imagine that 30 to 40% of its workforce now does not need an office provided to them. The building space itself, the office furniture, the utilities….all things associated with providing an office space goes away….think about the cost savings that could be realized! Now that technology isn’t necessarily without a cost though. Our infrastructure would have to be able to accommodate such a business model and certainly our Organization would have to be willing to change a number of internal processes too. So while there are many things to consider for such a program, I for one am willing to do the “leg work” to see if this opportunity can become a viable solution for the Agency to consider.


What do you think...?


TAFN

The Evolution...

A long, long time ago in a faraway place, I was attending College with course work in Evolution. Evolution has always been a fascinating subject to me and certainly one in which can be hotly debated. Aside from my Religious convictions, I believe evolution is a viable process. While we could debate as to scope and magnitude of any evolution process, I’d like to focus on the evolution of the MDC IT worker in particular here.

Dictionary.com defines evolution as: “any process of formation or growth; development” Hmmm, see any relationship to the field we are in? There are few fields of work that are changing any faster than Technology itself. I’ve wondered at times, is technology a result of change or is change a result of technology…..while both views may be accurate; I tend to lean towards the latter. I don’t believe anyone can dispel that change is inevitable, and many people are demonstratively resistant to change. Now can you imagine that if that change is accelerated, through rapid technological advances….how that process or result will be accepted…? That I believe is in part what we are facing with as Conservation Information Technology workers.

That change is part of the attraction for many of us, but we must also recognize that it also serves as a reason for reluctance or resistance of some. Humans tend to be drawn into situations where they are most comfortable, we’ve all heard it stated many times….”in my (the) comfort zone.” So as workers of change or even harbingers, we will encounter resistance and we must anticipate it (expect it). As a result we must put processes in place to help mitigate those obstacles. We should PLAN for it.

How do we do that...Education is a key ingredient in my mind. We (humans) tend to shy away or be un-accepting of the unknown, (not everyone, but many). So we need to help make the unknown or unfamiliar more familiar. The technology (change) should be presented in an understandable (geared towards your audience) way. It’s part of our job to make sense of the Technology and how it can and will be used by our customers. In addition we need to be evaluating and pursuing technology that FITS into our Organization. Few people embrace change strictly for the sake of change. Good research, sound technology, exhaustive planning, and adequate education are all key components towards successful implementation of any technology. That is part of our job….and frankly we need to do a better job of it.

Evolution should also be an integral part of whom and what we are as IT workers. Due to the very nature of our business, we too should be embracing that change and positioning ourselves also. That means staying abreast of the latest technology…what adds value to Conservation---not the latest gadget, BUT what truly adds value. That means we need to understand our customers work/thinking, our line of business….we need to grow ourselves as technology itself grows. Are you staying current? When was the last time YOU (not suggested by your Supervisor) sought out technical training? When was the last time you observed a technology while away from work…and thought…hmmm we could use or adapt this to work for Conservation…?

We want and need dedicated IT workers that understand IT and Conservation...does part of your evolutionary process include adding that value back to the work place?

Little Boy Blue and The Man on the Moon...

I believe I'm on record for stating I like music and it tends to resonate through me in different way. Heard an old favorite of mine by Harry Chapin recently and reflected on some of the words. As a father I can certainly understand and relate to the juggling that has to be done between all the priorities that can get in the way of quality time with my kids. But, the words, "..He'd grown up just like me, My boy was just like me," made me stop to think. For whatever reason my mind drifted towards envisioning someone being exactly like me, yea I know, scary thought.

I wondered, is that a good thing...? Most definitely in the work place, I'm convinced that I'm not interested in "clones." While there are great advantages to having some similarities in certain areas, (hard working, dedication, commitment), there is still greater value in having surrounded yourself with those of different skill sets. My belief is that a good leader/manager will "hire towards their weakness"....that is, hire folks who have the skills in areas you do not. For instance, if you are strong in logic then hire someone who is strong in creativity; if you are rash or quick to react then hire someone who is more methodical.

The advantages to such a style I think should be obvious to most. One person can not be all things to all people....but together and if many diverse skill sets, personalities, etc. are represented, the combined effort (product) will most likely be more successful because it has the best of everyone represented. Not to say, one person cannot have great ideas that are of value, quite the contrary. I'm saying there is value to having a workforce that is not cookie cutter in design. We can learn from each other and I tend to believe that the more we know, the better chance we have to arrive at the best solution.

...now back to Harry....I continued my thinking about the work force in Technology Services.... I asked myself are we clones? ...do we all think alike? Quite similar to the outcome in Harry's song, (growing up just like me) and having a non-diverse work force or not taking advantage of the diversity..... is NOT a good thing

My conclusion is that no we are not clones....we do have DIVERSITY represented in our group. We have different skill sets represented, different styles, different goals/likes/dislikes/tastes/motivation/interests...etc. That is a good thing! As different as we may be...we are all similar in one distinct way---our desire to work for MDC. That fact has brought us all together in this place.

We should capitalize on taking advantages of our differences, but focus on utilizing what makes us the same....our desire to see MDC succeed. We should understand and recognize what makes each of us different and devise ways to utilize those differences to improve our output...our product...our service. For example, as a Developer, say you're writing code to help with a waterfowl hunter check in/out and bag check system and you've never hunted ducks. We have staff members who have....visit with them, understand how duck hunters think, understand the obstacles, the opportunities that present themselves....and as a result perhaps the application will be even better because you have a new level of understanding. The diversity of whom we have on staff can and will help in those cases.

We are a diverse group of individuals who share many common interests and the most common denominator of which is that we all work and love Conservation. Let's use that common bond to fully utilize our diverse skills, our unique personalities, our different abilities. I guarantee that if we do that, our products will improve.....noticeably.

So the challenge to each of us is--- what can we bring to the table to add value to this group. Each of us should understand our own strengths and develop the ability to see where those skill sets fit into the Team. Be an active part of the Team and use your different skills/experiences to improve the work we do. Give thought to how your past experiences can help? (Education and knowledge is a wonderful thing!) Learning new things from each other just makes all of us more informed and perhaps as a result, a better decision is reached.

...and although Harry's song didn't necessarily end on a happy note, I'm confident that if we all work together and take advantage of the work place diversity and learn from each other that this story line......will end much more successfully....

coming:....Telework, New technologies, Fiscal responsibilities, The Edison factor,

TAFN

...The Vision

Well, I hope everybody had the opportunity to enjoy the nice calm weather we had this past weekend. I noticed many folks had the time to mow their lawns that had flourished with the spring rains. Speaking of rain, I was happy to hear the crest forecast for the MO River had dropped, while still high and troublesome to many....it was as bad as first predicted.

Also this weekend we celebrated Mother's Day. Now that is something every human on Earth has in common...a Mother. Have you ever spent any time wondering about the things you have in common with others? Do you wonder what we have in common with other members of the human race?... or perhaps a smaller sub-section of it... as members of MDC. I've given that thought numerous times. From the 10,000 foot view, I believe most of us working here believe we work for one of the best Conservation Agencies in existence, many believe very strongly in the mandate, many believe the Fish, Forest and Wildlife resources are better because we (MDC) exists...We believe we, together, are making a difference...

What creates that common bond? Well, in our Mothers Day example...it is genetic, by birth we have that common bond. But what about in our work? What brings all of us together to worry about the critters, trees, or the fish? What do you say?

I'd offer that it is because we all share a very similar "vision." We share a keen interest in some aspect of what we all believe MDC stands for. This doesn't necessarily mean we all share the same thoughts or ideas or even that we all completely believe in every aspect of the ideology. We are human, we are not genetically identical to everyone else around us....we have differences. We can and do view things differently...and that can be very good. This leads to creativity within the Organization and helps it grow and move forward. What is important for the creativity to be of value...is that we all share the Vision.

While we are not all visionaries....we do have visionaries within this Organization. We need those individuals...they help us to make sense of a more broad vision. These individuals help identify specific, strategic initiatives that help the entire organization focus their vision, thoughts, and efforts. They are LEADERS....!

So what does this mean...? Well, perhaps if we are paying attention to what is happening around us...we would see that the "Visionaries" have helped streamline part of our "Vision," case in point--"The Next Generation." Broad but clear, strategic ideas have been placed in front of us to help focus our vision, our commitment, and our individualized expertise, towards improving Conservation. Now its our job to utilize our individualism, our own expertise, our own drive/desire to begin implementing that more broad Vision.

That my friend is one of the highest compliments I can think of in the work place...."Here's an idea/concept or task....now go implement it" That type of directive is one of trust in our competency....what I hear is: "We want to go here, now use the skills we know you have, to get us there....we trust you."

Give that some thought. We've heard from Leadership, (The Next Generation), we have skills/resources available, we all share a common vision and support for the work we do....Now it's up to us to make it happen. All should give this directive serious consideration. We all have an important role to play in implementing this plan. I would encourage all of you to study the plan, understand its intent, "see" what the visionaries have laid before us, make it your own. Add your touch of creativity and make it meaningful to the people we serve...and in the mean time, I'll bet you even enjoy that part of your work.....isn't that why you are here?

TAFN

I Can See Clearly Now....

I have always had an affinity for music. I love it. The beat, tempo, words, instruments used, etc. all interest me and I certainly have great respect for those who possess the gift of vocals. Amazing talent! Driving to work the last several days reminded me of an older song that contained the words, "I can see clearly now...the rain is gone..." The song came to mind for two reasons, obviously a relationship to the spring rains we've been having, but also due to driving through some pretty intense fog in pockets between Columbia and Jeff City. When breaking through the dense fog to an opening ....the words of the song came to mind.

What in the world does this have to do with work, you might ask. Well, as I do have a good 45 minutes usually to "think" as I drive to and fro....I got to wondering how many of us could use those lyrics to describe our job/work?

Can you see clearly....as it relates to job expectations?...where IT is heading?...how you fit it?....what value you add to Conservation? If you answer no to those basic questions, something is broke. Either you are in the wrong line of work, haven't asked the right questions, or you don't care. Two.....check that....all three of those responses are from people I don't need or WANT on this TEAM.

We all have a responsibility to be productivity in the work place. If you are less than productivity because you can't "see clearly" what is expected or what the desired outcome is...then the process is broken somewhere...and quite likely you have a great deal of ownership in that issue. The excuse of, "Well, nobody told me what to do." or "I didn't know that." are cop-outs. They are exactly that, an excuse not a reason.

I believe we all have the responsibility to be productive at work. To understand our jobs and what is fully expected of us. I also believe we have the responsibility to provide that realistic expectation back to our employer...if we don't understand something...we should ask. If we don't know where we (or our work) fit it to the overall plan... we should ask. If we are unsure of how to do something...we should ask.

Soon to be gone are the days of the day to day direct Supervisor contact with employees. We are moving towards more task based, project oriented work. You will not have that excuse of nobody told me or "he didn't tell me to do that"....you will given a task/project and the expectation will be to complete it and move on. Too much time is being spent on babysitting employees by Supervisors; assigning tasks, telling them how to do things, checking to make sure it's being done, etc. The day will come when people are hired to do a job, that they say they can do, and they will be expected to do it (and do it correctly) with little or no involvement from Supervisors.

Yea right, you say....I'd challenge you to look around and see what motivates the Gen X or Y crowd. How do they do things? How do they interact? They want authority (they don't respect authority just because your badge says "Super--anything" ) and autonomy to do things. They work independently and yet like contact with others/friends. They are bright, technology driven, and self motivated to learn/grow. All of those characteristics lead us toward a project/team based work environment. Not to mention the forecast downtrend in available employees to hire, due to retiring baby boomers.

So, can you see clearly? Are you preparing yourself to make the necessary adjustments to be successful in the changing work place. Are you paying attention? Not unlike another commonly quoted saying that I tend to associate with.... "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way." Times are a changing everywhere we look...that includes the work environment and what is expected from each and every one of us.

Can you see clearly?

TAFN

...Do You Hear What I Hear?

Some may recall the song that contained the lyrics..."Do you see what I see...." An interesting question to ponder...let me alter that a tad and ask, "Do (Did) you hear what I hear (heard)" yesterday at the Coffee with the Chief presentation? I would love to hear from all of the folks in Technology Services group what they heard yesterday.

It seems many folks interpret the written and spoken word differently. I've often wondered whether that is an innate condition, one that is exhibited due to sociological differences, gender based, or just purely out of the fact that we want to hear only what we want to hear....?? But if you pay attention, not everyone will tell you they heard the same thing. I believe that part of what you hear, is based upon how well you know the person doing the speaking.... Think about that for a minute, we'll revisit that momentarily.

Staff for the most part yesterday, from my observations, were attentive and engaged. That's a good thing when you are in the CIO's company. I am intrigued at people and their behavior in general and it was like a new movie release yesterday for me. A chance to watch people and see how they react to what the CIO was saying. ...And yes, there were reactions. I observed behavior indicative of: acute interest, excitement, engagement, dis-interest, disgust, and even opposition. ....and just to answer that question up front--NO, I am not a trained behavioral scientist, nor do I play one on TV.... Just my opinion and what people's facials, body language and tone spoke to me.

Now back to what you heard and how well you know the person theory....While some have known the CIO longer for more years than I...I feel like he and have have that "special" connection/bond that enables you to communicate on a higher level. Is that possible you might ask?...I'd suggest you consider the relationship with your spouse (provided you have one, and have been together for more than a few years). Don't you sometime anticipate what they will say or what they "mean" when they say something.....even if that isn't what exactly what they said? Or consider your relationship with a close family member, brother/sister, parent, etc.....aren't you sometimes able to glean something out of their words that others may not...
I would offer that all of us at one time or another have experienced that.

Sometimes we hear ONLY what we want to hear. Our predisposed attitudes won't allow us to hear, (even outright facts), what is being said. Our attitudes play an important role in our ability to listen objectively to pick out facts, exaggerations, and things in between. So where were you yesterday? Were you open minded or predisposed?

What I heard, relative to Tech Svcs in brief:
1) Budget approved soon, dollars similar to this FY.
2) IDF a big deal, lots of money and will require lots of staff time
3) Office 2007 coming, split between two FY's.
4) Exchange/Outlook coming (still considering joining forces with ITSD to host)
5) PC Drop Ship: proud of the work done to date, looking forward to costing advantages and staff time savings
6) Working harder and smarter MUST be a way of life for us.
7) Not disappointed in progress for Dev Group---notice he did NOT say it was great either...we've got work to do.
8) VOIP--implemented a few spots, more to come, integration and value should be apparent
9) Performance reviews will reflect honest performance/evals, not sugar coated
10) Telework---something we're working on...adds value on numerous fronts

etc., that's a few of the highlights that stick out in my brain. Did you hear the same things?? What is your "take-away" from the presentation? Was it just information....or do you now have "ownership" in some things? A key here....you hear what the big guy thinks, he laid out some direction...now how do you fit in? How will (notice I didn't say "can") you help move Conservation forward?

Is that what you heard?

TAFN

Dedication.....

Sticking with a related subject to the recent theme in this blog... Yesterday while having some time to reflect, thanks to Mr Truman or someone else who was significant enough to have a State Holiday named in their honor...My phone rang, it was the CIO. Yes you are right, I'm thinking wow, cool, he's calling to see how my Holiday is going... OK, now back to reality. I actually thought, hmmm wonder what's broke.

He relays to me about the Emergency Task Force (ETF) assembly in Jeff and what he knows about the group. He asks me, "Do you know what's going on with Staff, to prepare for this?" Let me clue you in, just in case you don't know, I hate not being able to provide info when asked for it. In this case, I had nothing to say other than...."No".... As a result of my negative response, he's on his way over to the Head Shed to check on staff and the progress made.

So, reacting post haste and perhaps "in the rears" in this case, I contact my ever responsive Desktop Manager's (DM) cell phone. He answers!!!! (Wow, what a refreshing change from previous experiences I've had with other staff I've supervised over the years!!) Hey, not being cruel, I'm stating facts as they exist, there is no value for me to embellish the facts. ....and yes there IS a message there too. So my DM answers, we exchange quick pleasantries and I ask his understanding/involvement in the work for the ETF. He quickly relies his understanding and what he had done the previous day.

I ask if he's had any contact with the involved parties yet on this day....negative reply. He relayed he had plans to swing by the office to check progress (see the trend here----dedication). I passed along I received a call from the CIO and what that conversation was about and even shared with him some of my thoughts about how the CIO ticks.... I'll take the time here to spell that out for you in case there might be some value or enlightenment that can be gleaned for others. ----Our CIO likes to be INFORMED! When adequately briefed, he is like a elegant beautiful sail ship on the sea on a light breezy day. When not provided with enough info so he can answer questions AND feel confident that the situation (whatever it may be) is being adequately addressed---he is more like those vessels in the cable show "Deadliest Catch" during a horrible winter storm on the Bering Sea. The message here is: keep the man informed, let him know that we/you are all over the situation, provide details as to what has happened and what is going to happen as a result of our/your action.

Now, back to my DM conversation. I ask him to follow up with the CIO and relay his understanding and positioning---he acknowledges and affirms he will and he will head over to the office very soon (he uses his cell phone, his car and drives on his day off---....dedication). A short time later we have another phone conversation, he has touched base with the other IT staff and things are shaping up. He has made the effort to contact a Forestry Lead and confirmed the required set up (initiative) and let me know of the status and direction. He also relays he will come back to the office at 4 p.m. when the ETF group plans to assemble to ensure all is well with them (DEDICATION!). Armed with this info, I phone the CIO and tell him the status and plans to address the groups need---he has no other questions.

Moral of the story? We've talked about adding value to Conservation, also about whether or not Conservation is getting their money's worth from us.....I believe this short depiction represents a prime example of where the answer is YES! I'm proud I have an example of such on my team! Let's all work towards ensuring that we can all provide our Supervisors with many such positive examples....

TAFN

Moneys Worth?

Had a little time this weekend to think/reflect....one of the best times for me to do that is when I'm mowing the lawn. Nothing to worry about there but straight lines, so I have a solid hour to just think. One of the things I was thinking about was related to an earlier blog about value and what we bring to the table for MDC. So continuing my thinking along those lines, I got to thinking about what folks within our IT group are getting paid.....seems there's a lot of money tied up in IT salaries.

Many folks within this group are getting paid significantly more than other MDC employees with more years experience in this Agency and training specifically related to the work we are constitutionally mandated to do---that is Fish, Forest, and Wildlife Management. Some folks who are not considered Managers, supervise no one, have no fiscal responsibility are paid more than others who do. Why? I asked myself. Is the value really there for MDC, for these folks?

I would venture a guess that if you would query those individuals, they would relate that they are worth every penny---they do what they are paid to do---they work hard, etc, etc. But, do they?? Are they really moving Conservation forward? Just being reliable showing up to work and doing what you are told to do by someone whom supervises you doesn't meet that litmus test in my mind. Why should you paid more than most and still have to be told what to do, how to do it, and when it should be done? Where is the value in that?

I believe the value in employees is when they can think on their own, independent of having to be told specifically what has to be done and when. They have trained animals in a circus that is able to do that! The ability to learn from past mistakes and being able to prevent similar things from recurring is something everyone could/should be able to do. Putting on blinders and only seeing the task at hand IS NOT adding value, IMHO. I don't see people in their private lives exhibiting that behavior---they make a banking mistake that costs them some money and BAM, that never happens again. They make mistakes in their home life and learn valuable lessons from that mistake....those mistakes are not made again, typically. There are exceptions to every rule of course....

So what's in this for me? As a paid Manager for this group, I honestly believe it is mandated that I ensure we (the company) are getting what we've paid for. Are we paying for mediocrity? I think most in this Agency would answer no to that question. OK, so if we're not paying for mediocrity are we getting what we pay for? That is my question.

My answer, ....I think not. Now, that observance isn't limited to our group, but my supervisor authority is. So, I will re-evaluating who is doing what, what we are paying them, their contributions to IT/MDC, etc. Frankly just because you've worked here a long time, doesn't mean you should earn more money than me---You must be adding value and be helping move Conservation forward. This job requires a thought process, we don't need robots or trained Monkeys. I'm thinking if you make twice as much as me, then you should be twice as valuable...your work should reflect that...your thought process should be better, quicker, more refined...you should make fewer mistakes....you shouldn't have to be told the basics...you shouldn't have to be reminded time and time again of the same errors.

The ability to grow mentally is critical to where we help lead MDC from a technology perspective in the future. We need people who can (AND DO) THINK---think outside what they are being told...question if we are doing the right thing...in the right way. Learn from mistakes...push themselves to be better, technically, to improve skill sets period. Perhaps a question to ask is...."What have I done in the past year to improve who I am in Conservation?" ...have I pushed myself ?... What sets me apart from others? Why am I more important to Conservation that someone they can bring in off the streets tomorrow for less money?

Bottom Line = Am I worth what they are paying me?.... That question, my friends, requires your serious thought...because I guarantee you, if others are not asking that question about you right now....likely they will very soon! It just makes sense.

TAFN

Friday TS View

Today is Friday in our world of MDC IT work. On Friday's I often reflect back on the weeks work and ask myself...."Did you move Conservation forward this week?" Tough question sometimes as the answer is not always evident in the work I do nowadays. Years ago, it was easy for me to answer....Heck yea, I planted 100 acres of corn in Pool 1....the Mallards will be better for it in November.....or Yep, I got SE Regions computers up and running and now they can do their resource work faster so they can get more done---Conservation was better.

But, again I wonder how is my success or failure measured today? What difference do I make? More importantly what changes can I maker personally to ensure the answers to the questions are Yes I am successful and Yes Conservation is better..... Not always easy from where I set...my work is done through others and many times, my efforts are directed at helping make people "better." Attempts to broaden a (or THE) thought process, attempts to help troubleshoot a technical problem, trying to "grow" them.....many an abstract thought there I think. How do I, or anyone for that matter, measure my performance that an employee is better because of my efforts? Certainly I don't want or NEED clones of myself---in fact that's the last thing I want. But surely there is something about me that is good to emulate---or so I would hope....

I think I've decided the best way to measure my success and the tasks I have at hand now are to look around and answer the question---Is Conservation moving forward because of my efforts? If I can answer that question to the affirmative then in my mind, I'm on the right track.

How about you? How do you measure your impact....your success? Are you moving Conservation forward?....Everyday?

TAFN

Service Opportunities

Not everyday do I hear from our customers....but it is most days. Almost without fail, I learn something from each and everyone of these interactions.

Today I received a call from the field that had to do with the recent implementation of printer duplex. The caller lead me to believe that our configuration of the device was incorrect...in that the documents were printing on the short edge and not the long edge. More information about the duplex change was discussed, including has this been discussed with our first line of support....the IT Help desk? Of course an ever vigilant TS Supervisor would of course deal with the issue and get it resolved post haste....

SO, the first thing I do is make contact with our Help desk staff and ask them to confirm the existing configuration of the sites printers. Ever dutiful staff drop everything and begin on this quest.... During the ongoing investigation, I stop in the Desktop Managers office and profess some of my thoughts about technical support and service levels. I even express some of my concern about who does what in our little corner of MDC. (He's played this game before and listens intently to my ramblings...and says something to the effect of yes, perhaps you're right). After a short walk back to my office, an email appears from the Help desk with the facts.

The printers are configured as they are supposed to be!

My takeaways:
1) Think first, open mouth later
2) Give staff benefit of doubt until they prove unworthy of the arrangement, and
3) Perhaps we could do a better job of touching base with our customers after "significant" projects/work items are completed in field. To check pulse, to gauge success, and to report results.

I promise to work on my end, if you will promise to work on yours....

TAFN