May 1, 2006

"THE ART OF PERSUASION"

This is a subject near and dear to my heart. As a graduate of the College of Communications at Ohio University, I studied interpersonal communications which I found fascinating and has served me well in my business career. Currently, I see very little emphasis on sharpening the speaking skills of students. High Schools typically spend little time in this area, as do the colleges (aside from Communications schools such as OU's). Consequently, we are developing a generation of dysfunctional people in the work place who do not know how to work with other people.

Key to speech is the art of persuasion which is needed in order to lead people, sell ideas or products, conduct negotiations, and to simply argue a point. Instead of calm rhetorical discourse though, I've observed heated arguments in the board room, in the office, and life in general, with personal relationships becoming casualties of such debate. This was very obvious in the last presidential election, as well as in Congress today.

A substantial part of the problem is that people do not grasp the fundamentals of persuasion. To some it comes easily, to others it is difficult to assimilate. First, we have to understand that formulating a persuasive speech is hard work. For example, Winston Churchill was well known for his eloquence as a speaker. But few understood the amount of effort Churchill put into his speeches. He would work late into the night writing and rewriting his talks. It was common for him to carry slips of paper in his coat pocket to jot down notes of key phrases he wanted to use. Further, he would rehearse his speeches time and again until he got the tone and inflection he thought would have the most dramatic effect. To outsiders, Churchill appeared to be a great extemporaneous speaker with flippant quotes and catch phrases; In reality, everything was well rehearsed in advance.

THE THREE CANONS OF SPEECH

Preparations and rehearsals are important, but so is content. To formulate a persuasive speech, the speaker should be cognizant of the three basic modes of speech: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.

ETHOS

Ethos is simply an appeal based on the character of the speaker. An ethos-driven speech relies on the credibility and reputation of the speaker. Basically, an ethos-based speech says, "If you trust me, then you will support my point of view." This is why sponsors are important in persuasion. For example, the reputation of a current or former CEO carries more weight in a board room discussion than a clerk's. This is also why we bow to people with greater experience or have seniority. The only caveat here though, is that if the speaker's integrity is questioned, so is his argument. Further, do not become dependent on using ethos-driven arguments, if you are ever proven wrong, your reputation and credibility will be tarnished.

“A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.”
- Joseph Hall

LOGOS

Logos is an appeal based on logic or reason. Business proposals and corporate reviews are typically logos-driven, as is an academic thesis. Basically, a logos-based argument exhibits geometric characteristics, such as:

If A = B
And B=C
Then A=C

The danger here is developing a weak or convoluted argument which is perceived as either illogical or is difficult for the audience to grasp. For example:

Communists are people.
Americans are people.
Therefore, all Americans are Communists.

Logos is vital to the credibility of your argument which should be carefully constructed with basic building blocks of common sense.

Logical discourse is an effective way of communicating your thoughts, but it is important to know your audience when presenting such ideas.

"It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong."
- Voltaire

PATHOS

Pathos is an appeal based on emotion. Sales and promotional advertising makes active use of emotional appeal by teasing human desires, particularly greed. The intent is to motivate people to take action. As such, a pathos-driven argument is probably the strongest canon of speech. Even if a logos-based argument is logically sound, it will fall on deaf ears when compared to an ethos-based argument. Motivational speeches are typically ethos-based. Coaches, managers, and political leaders make extensive use of pathos-driven speeches. As an example, consider Franklin Roosevelt's "fireside chats" which assured the American public during the Great Depression and World War II.

The only problem here is that truth is not a requirement for an ethos-based argument. To illustrate, Adolph Hitler was able to motivate the German people to develop a military state, but his discourse was often laced with lies. Also, advertising often substitutes facade for substance and as such, the public should exercise "caveat emptor" (let the buyer beware). Aside from this, pathos is a great way to get your point across.

"Whenever you find humor, you find pathos close by his side”
- Edwin P. Whipple

ALL THREE

Rarely will anyone rely on a single canon of speech. Instead, a good argument makes use of all three to get a point across. Churchill, for example, often relied on his reputation as elder statesman to get his point across, as well as presenting arguments appealing to logic and emotion. A careful blend of the three canons of speech, spoken at the right time and place can work wonders.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Critical to all of this is a clear understanding of your audience in terms of their knowledge, intelligence, "hot buttons," moral values, interests, and their place in society. The more you know about your intended audience, the better you can prepare an effective argument. Never forget that you speak to communicate. As such, you must speak at the level of your audience, not above or below it. I seriously doubt you will impress a group of grape pickers using a vernacular picked up at MIT. If you want to persuade people, choose your words carefully.

"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."
- Benjamin Franklin

THE NEED FOR ORGANIZATION

Finally, organize your argument carefully. I am a big believer of the concept of, "Tell your audience what you are going to tell them; Tell them, then; Tell you what you've told them." A speech with no direction goes nowhere fast. This means you should have an Introduction, a Body, and a Summary to conclude your argument.

IN CONCLUSION

Obviously, our discussion here is equally applicable to both the written and spoken word. What is important is that the more we know about the art of persuasion, the better we can devise suitable oratory or text for expressing our argument. To recap the points expressed herein:

1. Know your audience
2. Develop a speech conducive to your audience, using the three canons of speech and with some form of structure.
3. Rehearse

Obviously, situations will arise where you will not be able to effectively prepare a formal speech but, instead, must formulate an argument on the spot. As long as you are cognizant of these elements, you'll be more effective in your discourse.

More importantly, keep your cool when making your pitch and stay in control. Debate should be tempered so that you do not engage the ire of your audience (unless that is your intent). Viciousness should be left at the door. Be organized, be prepared, and enjoy the ride.

“In a republican nation, whose citizens are to be led by reason and persuasion and not by force, the art of reasoning becomes of first importance”
- Thomas Jefferson

FRAPPER MAP

Friends, I don't know if you've seen it yet, but we've added a Frapper map to the "Management Visions" web site. Frapper is a free mapping service offered by the folks at Rising Concepts, LLC, and allows you to plot yourself on a worldwide map. This is a great way to keep track of our listeners and I encourage you to try it out through our web page or by clicking HERE.

IN OUR "DOWN THE ROAD" SECTION

The World Conference on Quality and Improvement will be held May 1st-3rd at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee, WI. For information, contact the American Society for Quality at 800-248-1946 or 414/272-8575.

The 15th World Congress on Information Technology will be held May 1st - 5th in Austin, TX. For information, call 512/505-4077.

The 17th International Conference of the Information Resource Management Association will be held May 21st-24th at the Wyndham Hotel in Washington D.C. For information, call IRMA headquarters in PA at 717/533-8879

The National And State CIO Association will be holding their 2006 Midyear Conference at The Capital Hilton, in Washington, DC on May 31st-June 2nd. For information, contact NASCIO headquarters in Lexington, KY at: 859/514-9153

MIT's Center for Information Systems Research will hold its annual conference from June 12-16, 2006 on the MIT campus. For information, contact MIT at 617/253-2348

If you have got an upcoming IRM related event you want mentioned, please e-mail the date, time and location of the event to timb001@phmainstreet.com

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "CELL PHONES"

Last year I did a "Pet Peeve" on cell phones, how I was irritated by those who use them while they're driving around. Well let's go beyond this. Last week, I had to make my monthly pilgrimage to Home Depot (which should be another Pet Peeve of mine, but we'll hold off on that for now). When I returned to my car, a woman parked in the next car asked me, "Are you going out tonight?"

Startled, I said, "Excuse me?"

She waved at me as if to brush me off.

She said, "We'll, we're going to the concert tonight."

I said, "Great, which one?"

Again, she waved me off.

Only then did I begin to realize that she had one of those new cell phone implants in her ear and that she was talking to a girlfriend.

I'm seeing more and more such incidents these days. The other day I had to run up to my bank. While waiting in the drivethru, the woman in the next car was yammering away seemingly to herself. Yep, she had one of those cell phone implants in her ear.

I guess what bothers me here is that these people have little regard for the people around them. They normally speak loudly and we are forced to share in their conversation; like we really care. Frankly, I find such banter as annoying as a kid playing rap loudly as he's driving around in his car. I think we have to get Miss Manners involved with this; some simple etiquette would be nice so people don't bother others around them.

I find it interesting that people seem to have no problem talking to a mechanical device, yet don't know how to hold a conversation with their neighbor or fellow worker. And they call this progress.

Such is my Pet Peeve of the Week.

AND FINALLY...

I received an e-mail from a Bob Carlson in Los Angeles who wrote me regarding last week's Pet Peeve on Rising Gas Prices.
Bob writes:

"Out here in California it is getting bad in terms of skyrocketing gas prices. There is a general mood that it is bad, but I haven't seen it escalate yet to a level of intolerance. I think you're right in that people are simply jaded. There are now web sites out there where you can seek out who has the cheapest gas in your area. This is nice but it is not going to change anything. Like you, I am amazed the American public is taking it."

Thanks Bob for your note,
There's not really much I can add other than to agree with you. We've turned into a bunch of sheep, which is what foreign oil is counting on.

Again, Thanks for your e-mail. Keep those cards and letters coming.

Folks, don't forget to check out our BRYCE'S CRASH COURSE IN MANAGEMENT which is a free on-line multimedia presentation offering pragmatic advice on how to discharge the duties of a manager, whether it be for a commercial or non-profit enterprise. Frankly, for someone aspiring to be a manager or for a new manager, it will be the best 45 minutes you can invest in yourself. Check it out on the cover of our corporate web page at: http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba

For a complete listing of my essays, see the "PRIDE" Special Subject Bulletins section of our corporate web site.

MBA is an international management consulting firm specializing in Information Resource Management. We offer training, consulting, and writing services in the areas of Enterprise Engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Base Engineering, Project Management, Methodologies and Repositories. For information, call us at 727/786-4567.

Our corporate web page is at:

http://phmainstreet.com/mba/

Management Visions is a presentation of M. Bryce & Associates, a division of M&JB Investment Company of Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. The program is produced on a weekly basis and updated on Sundays. It is available in versions for RealPlayer, Microsoft Media Player, and MP3 suitable for Podcasting. See our web site for details. You'll find our broadcast listed in several Podcast and Internet Search engines, as well as Apples' iTunes.

If you have any questions or would like to be placed on our e-mailing list to receive notification of future broadcasts, please e-mail it to timb001@phmainstreet.com

For a copy of past broadcasts, please contact me directly.

We accept MP3 files with your voice for possible inclusion in the broadcast.

Management Visions accepts advertising. For rates, please contact yours truly directly.

Copyright © 2006 by M&JB Investment Company of Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. All rights reserved. "PRIDE" is the registered trademark of M&JB Investment Company.

This is Tim Bryce reporting.

Since 1971: "Software for the finest computer - the Mind."

END

April 24, 2006

"THE NEED FOR CRITICAL THINKING"

A few years ago I was managing a "crunch time" project involving a staff of eight programmers. The system design was well documented and very thorough (of course, we used "PRIDE"). Nonetheless, I found it important to start the day with a brief meeting where each person reviewed their progress and what kind of technical problems and interferences they were facing. From this, I developed a punchlist of action items to be resolved, and took the necessary steps to solve them. The meetings started at 8:00am and took no more than 30 minutes. It was brief, to the point and a good way to wake the staff up and put them to work for the day. It also allowed the staff to speak their minds, brainstorm, and share ideas. From this, they developed an esprit de corps and conquered a mammoth project on time. As the manager, I also saw it as a convenient vehicle to release stress and put the programmers in the proper frame of mind.

This story runs contrary to today's Theory X world of management where the opinions and ideas of subordinates are considered inconsequential. As for me, I saw it as a vital means to get everyone on the same wave length and solicit their support. What I learned from this experience was that if you are going to empower people, you must let them speak.

As an aside, even though this was a "state of the art" project involving new technology, we found there was no technical problem we could not overcome simply by putting the problem on the table and discussing it in a rational manner. Please keep in mind that I hardly consider myself a technical guru and, instead, allowed the staff to think aloud and explore alternatives. But such openness in today's corporate world is the exception as opposed to the rule. Many managers feel threatened by allowing their subordinates to think and, as such, suppress such discourse. Inevitably, this results in considerable frustration by employees who feel restrained by management.

PURPOSE

Aside from a means to release pressure, open critical thinking in the workplace provides several benefits:

1. Fertility of Mind - Due to the repetition of the workplace, workers often fall victim to complacency. By forcing them to perform mental gymnastics, they must stay sharp and on top of their game. Open discourse actually becomes challenging and results in friendly competitive debate.

2. Commitment - By creating a think tank environment, the employee realizes their voice is heard by management and, consequently, enhances their commitment to the company and the project. It also helps to thwart apathy and promotes participation. As an employee is allowed to speak more, they develop a sense of ownership of a project and a greater pride in workmanship. As such, it has a positive effect on staff morale.

3. Teamwork - Open communications promotes teamwork by forcing people to realize they are working towards common goals and raises awareness of their dependencies on each other.

4. Problem Identification - In terms of problems, nobody likes surprises. The sooner a problem can be identified, the sooner it can be addressed and solved. Establishing a punchlist of problems allows a manager to preemptively strike a problem before it festers and worsens. Get the problems on the table as soon as possible and chart a course of action to solve them.

5. Communications - An open dialog provides a manager with the means to dispel rumors and misconceptions and keep the staff on track. Open discourse also allows the manager to easily spot a disgruntled employee.

Permitting critical thinking in the work place is a wise investment in your staff and provides for their continuing education. However, if you do not care what they think, you won't be permitting such debate. But then again, the staff will be talking regardless if you grant them permission or not. Then why not channel this discourse and turn something negative into something positive?

IMPLEMENTATION

Establishing the proper forum for the exchange of ideas is important. Although there is a tendency today to implement such a forum through Internet Discussion Groups and Blogs, there is nothing better than face-to-face discussions. And because of the varied egos, interests, knowledge and levels of experience involved, it is necessary to establish certain operating rules regardless of the selected venue. Here are some suggestions:

* Keep the discussions positive and constructive. As Winston Churchill said, "Any idiot can see what's wrong with something, but can you see what's right?" Do not open Pandora's Box by allowing this to turn into a general bitch session. Further, a professional decorum should be observed. Do not allow personalities and politics to creep into the discussion. Members should respect all opinions, regardless who gives them. Because of this...

* The discussion must be moderated by someone who will fairly and honestly control the discourse. The one thing you want to avoid here though is full censorship which tends to alienate people. Be forceful in respecting the rules of discussion, but do not censor a person simply because you do not agree with him.

* Welcome all ideas, regardless if they are unorthodox or a bit avant-garde. Further, all ideas should be permitted without fear of ridicule or retribution. In other words, you do not want to inhibit participation. Even if someone is in the minority, allow them to take an opposing position but insist they adequately defend it (this inevitably results in some of the most stimulating debate of all).

* All persons must be identified, no anonymous feedback (this is particularly needed for blogs and discussion groups). You are looking for the participants to take a responsible role in the discussions.

* What is said here, stays here. This is a think tank for your group only. Their comments may be misunderstood by others. As such, privacy is critical.

Finally, if problems are identified and not addressed with no apparent reason, problems will inevitably ensue. If no action is taken based on the their input, the staff will quickly realize that this is nothing more than a colossal waste of time.

IN CONCLUSION

I learned early in my business career that you get things done through people; that a single person cannot do everything. As such, it is necessary to respect the human spirit and allow it to flourish. I also learned that we enjoy life through the help and society of others. I have not yet met that person on this earth who knows everything and, as such, it is vital to exchange ideas, form consensus opinion, and evolve. By allowing employees to discuss pertinent issues, we promote communications and teamwork, establish trust, and conquer the pressing problems of the day. But to make this all happen, critical thinking must be channeled in a structured and positive way.

OUR BRYCE'S LAW OF THE WEEK therefore is...
"I have never encountered a technical problem that couldn't be conquered with a little imagination, some concentrated effort, and a lot of good old-fashioned management."

FRAPPER MAP

Friends, I don't know if you've seen it yet, but we've added a Frapper map to the "Management Visions" web site. Frapper is a free mapping service offered by the folks at Rising Concepts, LLC, and allows you to plot yourself on a worldwide map. This is a great way to keep track of our listeners and I encourage you to try it out through our web page or by clicking HERE.

IN OUR "DOWN THE ROAD" SECTION

The Quality Assurance Institute will be holding its 26th Annual Quality Conference at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, FL on April 24th - 28th. For information, contact the Institute in Orlando at 407/363-1111.

The World Conference on Quality and Improvement will be held May 1st-3rd at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee, WI. For information, contact the American Society for Quality at 800-248-1946 or 414/272-8575.

The 15th World Congress on Information Technology will be held May 1st - 5th in Austin, TX. For information, call 512/505-4077.

The 17th International Conference of the Information Resource Management Association will be held May 21st-24th at the Wyndham Hotel in Washington D.C. For information, call IRMA headquarters in PA at 717/533-8879

The National And State CIO Association will be holding their 2006 Midyear Conference at The Capital Hilton, in Washington, DC on May 31st-June 2nd. For information, contact NASCIO headquarters in Lexington, KY at: 859/514-9153

If you have got an upcoming IRM related event you want mentioned, please e-mail the date, time and location of the event to timb001@phmainstreet.com

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "RISING GAS PRICES"

I remember an incident that happened to my wife years ago in the early 1970's, this was back when gasoline was selling for $.35 a gallon. At the time she was driving a Pontiac Tempest convertible, one of those great gas-guzzling V8's of that era. She needed to fill the car with gas and pulled into the Standard Oil station. Being somewhat in a hurry, she accidently said to the attendants at the station, "Can you give me $20 worth of gas?" (she meant 20 gallons). This resulted in gales of laughter from the attendants who said, "Lady, you can't put $20 worth of gas in that car, it would float away."

Well, here we are 35 years later and you know what? You still can't put $20 of gas in a car. Well you can, but it won't go very far. Now, its more like $40 or $50 to fill up your car.

I never expected gas prices to stay at $.35, but I never dreamed they would get to the levels they are today. Back in the mid-1970's we had our first jolt when gas prices skyrocketed from $.35 a gallon to $.55. I'm sure a lot of you will remember the long lines at the pump that snarled traffic, and how Nixon reduced the Interstate speed limit from 70mph to 55mph in order to save gas.

Well gas prices are now almost six times what they were in the 1970's. The speed limit is back up to 70mph, Detroit keeps building gas guzzlers, and all of our cash is going overseas to foreign oil producers and automotive manufacturers. Gee, what's wrong with this picture? Hmm.

Part of the problem is that we, as consumers, have experienced so many gas hikes that we have become jaded and feel helpless to do anything about it. I also like those people that say, "Well, its not so bad in the United States, overseas they are already paying $5.00 a gallon or more." These are also the same people that think two wrongs make a right. I call it the "Keeping DOWN with the Jones'" phenomenon. Just because one group is screwed up doesn't mean we have to follow suit.

I'm just wondering when the American public is going to finally get fed up with the gas hikes and do something about it. I guess its time to register a bitch with our Congressmen.

Such is my Pet Peeve of the Week.

AND FINALLY...

I received an e-mail from a Martin Dimond in Cincinnati who wrote me regarding last week's essay on "Increasing Brain Power."
Martin writes:

"I was startled by your comments regarding the avoidance of technology in the workplace. Did I hear you right?"

Thanks Martin for your note,
Yep, you heard me right. The study by Kings College confirmed a lot of my suspisions about the use of technology in the office. People like to plug in, tune in and turn off the outside world. This is resulting in a generation of socially dysfunctional workers. Don't get me wrong, technology has its place but the intuitive manager should promote more social intercourse during break time as opposed to more technology. Human socialization does more for sharpening our thinking skills as opposed to technology, and that was the point of the study.

Again, Thanks for your e-mail. Keep those cards and letters coming.

Folks, don't forget to check out our BRYCE'S CRASH COURSE IN MANAGEMENT which is a free on-line multimedia presentation offering pragmatic advice on how to discharge the duties of a manager, whether it be for a commercial or non-profit enterprise. Frankly, for someone aspiring to be a manager or for a new manager, it will be the best 45 minutes you can invest in yourself. Check it out on the cover of our corporate web page at: http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba

For a complete listing of my essays, see the "PRIDE" Special Subject Bulletins section of our corporate web site.

MBA is an international management consulting firm specializing in Information Resource Management. We offer training, consulting, and writing services in the areas of Enterprise Engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Base Engineering, Project Management, Methodologies and Repositories. For information, call us at 727/786-4567.

Our corporate web page is at:

http://phmainstreet.com/mba/

Management Visions is a presentation of M. Bryce & Associates, a division of M&JB Investment Company of Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. The program is produced on a weekly basis and updated on Sundays. It is available in versions for RealPlayer, Microsoft Media Player, and MP3 suitable for Podcasting. See our web site for details. You'll find our broadcast listed in several Podcast and Internet Search engines, as well as Apples' iTunes.

If you have any questions or would like to be placed on our e-mailing list to receive notification of future broadcasts, please e-mail it to timb001@phmainstreet.com

For a copy of past broadcasts, please contact me directly.

We accept MP3 files with your voice for possible inclusion in the broadcast.

Management Visions accepts advertising. For rates, please contact yours truly directly.

Copyright © 2006 by M&JB Investment Company of Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. All rights reserved. "PRIDE" is the registered trademark of M&JB Investment Company.

This is Tim Bryce reporting.

Since 1971: "Software for the finest computer - the Mind."

END

April 17, 2006

"INCREASING BRAIN POWER"

In the world of writing there is something called "Writer's Block" where the author procrastinates on his work and is easily distracted. Hopefully, he overcomes the problem and tackles his assignment. To do so, he needs to eliminate distractions and engage his brain to the subject at hand. The same is true in any endeavor, be it a carpenter, an engineer, or a programmer. The more we can engage the brain, the more we can produce. The challenge therefore becomes how to maximize the use of our brain. By brain power I am not referring to a measurement of IQ, but rather to simply engage what God has given us.

LEVELS

It has been my observation as a management consultant that there is essentially three levels by which our brains operate:

LEVEL 1 - PRIMAL

This represents our basic instincts and reflex actions as we blunder through life (I call this the "auto-pilot" mode). For example, we devise a morning regimen where we awaken and prepare for work. At this level, we are not at our most alert. Instead, we want to simply catch up on the news, brush our teeth, dress, and travel to work. Similarly, at the end of the day, we decelerate our activity as we prepare for sleep. In other words, we develop predictable routines to go through day after day without much thought. The brain is engaged, but far from our maximum output. In fact, we take in more than we put out. This is where we want to be entertained or informed.

LEVEL 2 - MODERATE

This level represents an equal level of input and output. The brain is either accelerating (at the beginning of the work day) or decelerating (at the end of the work day). At this level we have no trouble taking instructions and produce an average amount of work, quite often mundane or routine assignments simply to pass the time of day. We are also easily distracted. In the normal business day, Level 2 typically occurs between 9:00am - 10:00am (as the work day begins), 12:00pm - 1:00pm (following lunch), and 4:00pm to 5:00pm (as we prepare to conclude the work day).

LEVEL 3 - ACCELERATED

This level represents high achievement where we are able to concentrate and put forth our best work effort. Here, the brain is fully engaged and our output surpasses our input as we concentrate on the job at hand. In the normal business day, Level 3 typically occurs between 10:00am - 12:00pm, and 1:00pm - 4:00pm.

AVERAGE WORK DAY

Let us now consider how we use time during the average work day and consider how much is used at the various levels. First, we will divide the day into three equal increments of eight hours: Sleep, Work, and Personal Time.

REST - 8 HOURS

During this time, the brain is not truly engaged other than to maintain bodily functions.

WORK - 8 HOURS

Based on studies we have performed on time management, we have found most people in corporate offices to be approximately 70% effective, meaning in an eight hour work day, they are spending about six hours on direct work assignments, and two hours on indirect activities (time that doesn't contribute directly to their assignments; e.g., breaks, meetings, taking instruction or direction, etc.)

PERSONAL TIME - 8 HOURS

This represents time where we perform pet projects and hobbies, pay the bills, run errands, attend a function (such as a meeting), relaxation, awake, prepare for sleep, etc. During this time we typically spend two hours of concentrated work, and six hours of indirect activities.

SHIFTING GEARS

This means in a typical work day, we only spend eight hours to really exercise the brain (Levels 2 and 3). But from a manager's perspective, we are primarily concerned with the six hours devoted to work. During this time, people will spend approximately three hours operating at Level 2 and three hours at Level 3. This ratio between Levels 2 and 3 will fluctuate based on how well the worker is able to engage the brain. Some people are able to engage their brains at Level 3 for several hours, some for only an hour, and some not at all.

At this time we have to recognize that thinking is hard work. Although Level 3 is where we want employees to perform at, we must recognize that nobody can keep it in high gear for an extended period of time. The brain grows weary and moderates itself, shifting from Level 3 down to Level 2 or Level 1.

We must also beware of the "cattle phenomenon" whereby we fall into the tedium of repetitive behavior and, as such, our brains do not progress past Level 2. Consequently, repetition often leads to laziness.

"He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice."
- Albert Einstein

Now, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS

It is the manager's objective to keep employees operating at Level 3 for as long as is practical, thereby producing the best and most voluminous work products. To do so, the manager must minimize distractions, relieve tension, and maximize focus on work (concentration). To this end, the manager should consider the following:

* Stimulants

No, I am not suggesting the use of narcotics in the work place, other than a good strong cup of coffee (the rocket fuel of industry). However, you want to create an environment that appeals to the human senses, specifically visual, audio, touch, even smell. For example, a well lit and brightly painted room stimulates human senses as opposed to a dark, dull, lackluster room. A painting or office furnishings can add a touch of class and stress the disposition of the office. A calm and quiet office, perhaps with some suitable background music, can help people focus as opposed to a loud and boisterous environment. Ergonomically designed office equipment can have a positive impact on employee behavior. But be careful not to introduce too much comfort as it might put people to sleep. To illustrate, I do not have a problem with hard chairs that force people to sit up and pay attention.

Encourage mental gymnastics during the day. Perhaps some friendly debate or the solving of a problem. It has long been known that puzzles, crosswords, chess and checkers, and the like help stimulate the human brain. Simple, basic social intercourse can work wonders in terms of stimulating the mind.

Consider room temperature; if too warm or too cold, it will become distracting. But keep the room more cool than warm as it forces you to stay awake. Also consider the amount of available oxygen which stimulates the brain.

Another area to review is nutrition. Make sure workers are eating the right foods in the right amount. Large meals tend to put people to sleep immediately afterwards.

Basic exercises can also enhance both physical and mental acuity. Many companies now offer in-house facilities for such programs.

Understand this, employee breaks are not all bad. It gives the worker an opportunity to get away from his work, clear his head, and return with a better focus. Of course, there will be those employees who will abuse this privilege and, because of this, the manager has to constantly monitor the use of breaks.

Ultimately, the corporate culture has a profound effect on the stimulation of workers. If the right environment is established, you can turn lethargic workers into "movers and shackers."

* Motivate

It is necessary for the manager to encourage workers to rise to a challenge and work harder. To this end, the manager must play the role of Industrial Psychologist to understand what makes people tick, thereby providing the means to motivate them to excel. This can be done with simple praise, rewards, and recognition. It can also be done through constructive criticism. I have seen instances where both a cheerleader approach and a tough taskmaster approach have worked to positive effect. Some people respond to praise, others respond better when their integrity is challenged. Here, the manager has to intuitively know when and where to press the right buttons of his workers.

The manager needs to be able to create a sense of urgency, regardless of the task at hand. This can be done either by carrot or by stick depending on the situation. The worker must understand their work is important and adds value to their life. If they feel their work is irrelevant, then their self-esteem will suffer and they will put forth little effort to achieve anything. One way of implementing this is to empower the workers and make them more personally responsible for their actions and allow them to participate in the decision making process. By creating a sense of ownership, the worker becomes more responsible (and active) in their work effort.

* Avoid Repetition

As indicated earlier, repetition can cause the brain to relax. Because of this, the manager must consider ways to break up the monotony and cause the workers to refocus. Work breaks can break up the tedium, perhaps with some brief physical exercise thrown in. Scheduled breaks are effective but they too can face the problem of repetition; e.g., workers work around anticipated breaks. In contrast, unscheduled breaks often have a better effect as it disrupts worker expectations. Think of it as a game of "Musical Chairs."

Sometimes a simple change of scenery can help break up repetition. Instead of meeting at the same place over and over again, try a different physical venue to perk up worker interest.

* Health

Regardless of how logical we believe we are, the brain is a physical organ greatly influenced by human health. If we are sick or in distress (perhaps due to the death of a loved one, a pending divorce, financial problems, etc.), it is difficult to focus on our work. The manager should monitor worker mental/physical health and take corrective action. For example, if someone is sick, get them to a doctor so they can begin to mend and become productive again. Further, the last thing you need is for someone to infect the rest of your workers with a contagious disease (e.g., colds, flu, etc.).

The manager should also look for sleep deprivation in workers and counsel them accordingly. A tired worker will not engage his brain properly. Further, look for signs of drug abuse and depression that might have an adverse effect on their work.

* Minimize Distractions

One of the manager's responsibilities is to monitor the surroundings of the worker in order to minimize distractions and create a suitable environment to concentrate on their work assignments. To assist in this regards, a Project Management system is useful to record both direct and indirect activities. By doing so, the manager can analyze the causes of worker distractions, plot trends, and take appropriate action to minimize interference. For example, if a manager detects excessive use of the telephone, he may devise a policy to arrest the abuse. He may even go so far as to hold all outgoing calls.

The point is, the manager should constantly monitor and analyze disruptions and distractions so that workers can concentrate on their work effort.

* Avoid Technology

A recent study was performed by Kings College in London for Hewlett Packard, the purpose of which was to study the effect of technology on worker performance. According to Dr. Glenn Wilson, the author of the study:

"Results showed clearly that technological distraction diminished IQ test performance (mean scores dropped from 143.38 achieved under quiet conditions to 132.75 under 'noisy' conditions)."

"The impact of distraction was greater for males (145.50 down to 127) than for females (141.25 down to 138.50). Putting that another way, males were superior in quiet conditions, females were superior in the distraction condition. This is consistent with the idea that women are better than men at 'multi-tasking'."

"Noisy conditions caused a striking increase in self-reported stress. Ratings on a 0-10 scale of 'stress experienced during the test' increased from 2.75 to 5.5 for males and 4.75 to 6.75 for females. Note that in addition to the main effect of conditions of testing, women reported higher stress levels than men overall."

Basically, Wilson's study is saying that excessive use of technology can have an adverse effect on a person's brain power. This is somewhat disturbing as technology now permeates our society. As an example, while traveling through the airports recently I observed the majority of my fellow travelers "tuned out" by technology. The lion's share of travelers today make active use of iPods, PDA's, cell phones, DVD & CD players, and laptop computers. It seems fewer and fewer travelers read a book or engage in conversation anymore. In other words, most travelers today are operating at a Level 2.

If Wilson is correct, and I believe he is, the manager should take notice of this adverse effect of technology and discourage the use of such devices, particularly at break time, and encourage more interpersonal contact instead. Technology has its place, but I tend to believe we rely too heavily on it. For example, using an automated calculator allows our brain to relax while the machine performs the math. Too often I have seen people reach for a calculator to perform a simple computation as opposed to working it out with paper and pencil. They simply do not want to engage their brains. Further, I have seen whole engineering departments come to a standstill when power outages brought their computers down. Do they really lack the skills to continue their work? Not really; their minds have simply been turned off by the technology.

IN CONCLUSION

The human brain distinguishes us from the rest of God's creatures. It is sad when we do not use it to its full potential. How the brain shifts between Levels 1-2-3 is something we control ourselves. We can elect to engage it and aspire to achieve, or not to engage it and become lazy and complacent. It can also be engaged due to circumstances and affected by others, such as our friends, family, fellow workers and manager.

How a manager manipulates his worker's brain power is analogous to a mechanic fine-tuning an automobile. He is simply trying to get the most out of it. Hopefully, we can give the mechanic something to work with; if not, we'll be scrapped.

"The more you use your brain, the more brain you will have to use."
- George Dorsey

OUR BRYCE'S LAW OF THE WEEK therefore is...
"If the mind really is the finest computer, then there are a lot of people out there who need to be rebooted."

FRAPPER MAP

Friends, I don't know if you've seen it yet, but we've added a Frapper map to the "Management Visions" web site. Frapper is a free mapping service offered by the folks at Rising Concepts, LLC, and allows you to plot yourself on a worldwide map. This is a great way to keep track of our listeners and I encourage you to try it out through our web page or by clicking HERE.

IN OUR "DOWN THE ROAD" SECTION

The Quality Assurance Institute will be holding its 26th Annual Quality Conference at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, FL on April 24th - 28th. For information, contact the Institute in Orlando at 407/363-1111.

The World Conference on Quality and Improvement will be held May 1st-3rd at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee, WI. For information, contact the American Society for Quality at 800-248-1946 or 414/272-8575.

The 15th World Congress on Information Technology will be held May 1st - 5th in Austin, TX. For information, call 512/505-4077.

The 17th International Conference of the Information Resource Management Association will be held May 21st-24th at the Wyndham Hotel in Washington D.C. For information, call IRMA headquarters in PA at 717/533-8879

The National And State CIO Association will be holding their 2006 Midyear Conference at The Capital Hilton, in Washington, DC on May 31st-June 2nd. For information, contact NASCIO headquarters in Lexington, KY at: 859/514-9153

If you have got an upcoming IRM related event you want mentioned, please e-mail the date, time and location of the event to timb001@phmainstreet.com

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "LET ME BE HONEST WITH YOU"

There is an old expression which I have been hearing a lot in our vernacular these days, and that is "Let me be honest with you." I personally know a lot of people that use this expression and frankly, its getting old. I guess what bothers me about it is when a person says it, I come away thinking he has been dishonest with me all other times.

As creatures of habit, we tend to be repetitive in our speech. I have also heard expressions like "At the end of the day" and "Frankly" (which I am also guilty of using). Excessive use of expressions and buzzwords tend to be very distracting in a conversation and doesn't serve the speaker well. "But frankly, at the end of the day, we have to be honest with each other." See what I mean?

Such is my Pet Peeve of the Week.

AND FINALLY...

I received an e-mail from a Judy Thurman in New Jersey who wrote me regarding last week's essay on "Part VI of the History on Systems Development."
Judy writes:

"You sound like you don't have a lot of confidence in Agile or Extreme Programming."

Thanks Judy for your note,
No I don't. I just see this as another industrial fad. Essentially Agile or Extreme Programming is just another Quick and Dirty approach to solving short-term problems. There have always been quick and dirty approaches to development, and there always will be. Years ago we talked about Joint Application Development (JAD) and Rapid Application Development (RAD). I fail to see how this is any different. Even the proponents admit there is only a modest success rate in implementing these latest reincarnations. They may be good for crunch time sort of programming projects. But as a regular diet, quick and dirty solutions have never been proven to be beneficial for a company.

Again, Thanks for your e-mail. Keep those cards and letters coming.

Folks, don't forget to check out our BRYCE'S CRASH COURSE IN MANAGEMENT which is a free on-line multimedia presentation offering pragmatic advice on how to discharge the duties of a manager, whether it be for a commercial or non-profit enterprise. Frankly, for someone aspiring to be a manager or for a new manager, it will be the best 45 minutes you can invest in yourself. Check it out on the cover of our corporate web page at: http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba

For a complete listing of my essays, see the "PRIDE" Special Subject Bulletins section of our corporate web site.

MBA is an international management consulting firm specializing in Information Resource Management. We offer training, consulting, and writing services in the areas of Enterprise Engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Base Engineering, Project Management, Methodologies and Repositories. For information, call us at 727/786-4567.

Our corporate web page is at:

http://phmainstreet.com/mba/

Management Visions is a presentation of M. Bryce & Associates, a division of M&JB Investment Company of Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. The program is produced on a weekly basis and updated on Sundays. It is available in versions for RealPlayer, Microsoft Media Player, and MP3 suitable for Podcasting. See our web site for details. You'll find our broadcast listed in several Podcast and Internet Search engines, as well as Apples' iTunes.

If you have any questions or would like to be placed on our e-mailing list to receive notification of future broadcasts, please e-mail it to timb001@phmainstreet.com

For a copy of past broadcasts, please contact me directly.

We accept MP3 files with your voice for possible inclusion in the broadcast.

Management Visions accepts advertising. For rates, please contact yours truly directly.

Copyright © 2006 by M&JB Investment Company of Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. All rights reserved. "PRIDE" is the registered trademark of M&JB Investment Company.

This is Tim Bryce reporting.

Since 1971: "Software for the finest computer - the Mind."

END

April 10, 2006

"A SHORT HISTORY ON SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT - PART VI"

PLEASE NOTE: This is the sixth and final part in my series of essays on the history of Systems Development. This week's issue will discuss events during this decade, along with some closing observations.

2000's - GADGETS

We are now past the halfway point in this decade and there is nothing of substance to report in terms of computer hardware, other than our machines have gotten faster, smaller, with even more capacity. Perhaps the biggest innovation in this regard is the wide variety of "gadgets" that have been introduced, all of which interface with the PC, including: Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's), iPods, MP3 players, digital cameras, portable CD/DVD players (and burners), cell phones, PS2 and XBox game players. These devices are aimed at either communications or entertainment, giving us greater mobility, yet making us a bit dysfunctional socially. All of this means the computer has become an integral part of our lives, not just at work but at home as well.

Shortly after taking the reigns of IBM in 2003, CEO Sam Palmisano introduced "On-Demand Computing" as the company's thrust for the years ahead and, inevitably, it will mark his legacy. The concept as described by Palmisano was simple, treat computing like a public utility whereby a company can draw upon IBM for computing resources as required. "On-Demand Computing" made a nice catch-phrase and was quickly picked up by the press, but many people were at a loss as to what it was all about. Some of the early developments resulting from IBM's "e-Business On Demand" research included balancing the load on file servers, which makes sense. But IBM is carrying the analogy perhaps too far by stressing that "on demand" is the manner by which companies should run in the future. Basically, the theory suggests we abandon capacity planning and rely on outside vendors to save the day. Further, it implies computers supersede the business systems they are suppose to serve. Instead of understanding the systems which runs a business, just throw as much computer resources as you need to solve a problem. This is like putting the cart before the horse.

The "on-demand" movement has evolved into "Service Oriented Architectures" (SOA) where vendors are introducing "on-demand" applications that will take care of such tasks as payroll, marketing, etc. through the Internet. Again, it all sounds nice, but as far as I can see, this is essentially no different than service bureaus like ADP who for years provided such processing facilities. Now, companies are being asked to swap out their internal programs for third party products. I fail to see how this is different than buying any other packaged solution, other than an outsider will be taking care of your software.

The need to build software faster has reached a feverish pitch. So much so, full-bodied development methodologies have been abandoned in favor of what is called "Agile" or "Extreme Programming" which are basically quick and dirty methods for writing software using power programming tools. To their credit, those touting such approaches recognize this is limited to software (not total systems) and is not a substitute for a comprehensive methodology. Agile/Extreme Programming is gaining considerable attention in the press.

Next, we come to "Enterprise Architecture" which is derived from a paper written by IBM's John A. Zachman who observed that it was possible to apply architectural principles to the development of systems. This is closely related to consultants who extoll the virtues of capturing "business rules" which is essentially a refinement of the Entity Relationship (ER) Diagramming techniques popularized a decade earlier using CASE tools.

As in the 1990's, concepts such as "Enterprise Architecture" and "business rules" is indicative of the industry trying to reinvent systems theory.

CONCLUSIONS

Like computer hardware, the trend over the last fifty years in systems development is to think smaller. Developers operate in a mad frenzy to write programs within a 90 day time frame. Interestingly, they all know that their corporate systems are large, yet they are content to attack them one program at a time. Further, there seems to be little concern that their work be compatible with others and that systems integration is someone else's problem. Often you hear the excuse, "We don't have time to do things right." Translation: "We have plenty of time to do things wrong." Any shortcut to get through a project is rationalized and any new tool promising improved productivity is purchased. When companies attempt to tackle large systems (which is becoming rare) it is usually met with disaster. Consequently, companies are less confident in their abilities and shy away from large system development projects.

Corporate management is naive in terms of comprehending the value of information and have not learned how to use it for competitive advantage (unlike their foreign competitors). Further, they are oblivious to the problems in systems development. They believe their systems are being developed with a high degree of craftsmanship, that they are integrated, and that they are easy to maintain and update. Executives are shocked when they discover this is not the case.

The problems with systems today are no different than fifty years ago:

• End-user information requirements are not satisfied.
• Systems lack documentation, making maintenance and upgrades difficult.
• Systems lack integration.
• Data redundancy plaques corporate data bases.
• Projects are rarely delivered on time and within budget.
• Quality suffers.
• Development personnel are constantly fighting fires.
• The backlog of improvements never seems to diminish, but rather increases.

Although the computer provides mechanical leverage for implementing systems, it has also fostered a tool-oriented approach to systems development. Instead of standing back and looking at our systems from an engineering/manufacturing perspective, it is seemingly easier and less painful to purchase a tool to solve a problem. This is like taking a pill when surgery is really required. What is needed is less tools and more management. If we built bridges the same way we build systems in this country, this would be a nation run by ferryboats.

The impact of the computer was so great on the systems industry that it elevated the stature of programmers and forced systems people to near extinction. Fortunately, the industry has discovered that there is more to systems than just programming and, as a result, is in the process of rediscovering basic systems theory. Some of the ideas being put forth are truly imaginative, others are nothing more than extensions of programming theory, and others are just plain humbug. In other words, the systems world is still going through growing pains much like an adolescent who questions things and learns to experiment.

I have been very fortunate to see a lot of this history first hand. I have observed changes not just in terms of systems and computers, but also how the trade press has evolved and the profession in general. It has been an interesting ride.

Throughout all of this, there have been some very intelligent people who have impacted the industry, there have also been quite a few charlatans, but there has only been a handful of true geniuses, one of which was Robert W. Beamer who passed away just a couple of years ago. Bob was the father of ASCII code, without which we wouldn't have the computers of today, the Internet, the billions of dollars owned by Bill Gates, or this essay.

THUS ENDS OUR DISCUSSION ON THE HISTORY OF SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT.

OUR BRYCE'S LAW OF THE WEEK therefore is...
"We never have enough time to do things right."
Translation: "We have plenty of time to do things wrong."

FRAPPER MAP

Friends, I don't know if you've seen it yet, but we've added a Frapper map to the "Management Visions" web site. Frapper is a free mapping service offered by the folks at Rising Concepts, LLC, and allows you to plot yourself on a worldwide map. This is a great way to keep track of our listeners and I encourage you to try it out through our web page or by clicking HERE.

IN OUR "DOWN THE ROAD" SECTION

The Quality Assurance Institute will be holding its 26th Annual Quality Conference at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, FL on April 24th - 28th. For information, contact the Institute in Orlando at 407/363-1111.

The World Conference on Quality and Improvement will be held May 1st-3rd at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee, WI. For information, contact the American Society for Quality at 800-248-1946 or 414/272-8575.

The 15th World Congress on Information Technology will be held May 1st - 5th in Austin, TX. For information, call 512/505-4077.

The 17th International Conference of the Information Resource Management Association will be held May 21st-24th at the Wyndham Hotel in Washington D.C. For information, call IRMA headquarters in PA at 717/533-8879

The National And State CIO Association will be holding their 2006 Midyear Conference at The Capital Hilton, in Washington, DC on May 31st-June 2nd. For information, contact NASCIO headquarters in Lexington, KY at: 859/514-9153

If you have got an upcoming IRM related event you want mentioned, please e-mail the date, time and location of the event to timb001@phmainstreet.com

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "DOT TELEPHONE NUMBERS"

I'm sure you've heard me say on more than one occasion that if anything in life is constant, it is change. I believe change is a natural part of our lives but I recognize that change for the sake of change is ridiculous. To this end, something rather trivial has surfaced recently that bothers me, and that is how we express telephone numbers in the age of the Internet. It used to be that we would express telephone numbers with simple dashes, slashes, and parentheses; for example, MBA's corporate telephone number is commonly expressed as 727/786-4567 or (727)786-4567. But now in the Internet age, this is considered passe. Instead, telephone numbers are being expressed with periods or dots as commonly found in e-mail or web addresses; for example, the politically correct way of representing our phone number today is 727.786.4567. I think I missed the memo when this change was supposed to have occurred and why it was being implemented. We now see several web pages and telephone books being modified to relist telephone numbers in the dot format. I don't know what the dot format buys us but I see this as a trivial change that is going to cost us a lot of money to implement. Yes, it is rather cosmetic but someone still has to edit the computer files to replace the dashes, back slashes and parentheses with periods, and this costs money to do so. Like I say, I don't see the value of implementing such a change simply to accommodate the latest fashion trend.

Such is my Pet Peeve of the Week.

AND FINALLY...

I received an e-mail from a Kurt Davis in Cincinnati who wrote me regarding last week's essay on "Part V of the History on Systems Development."
Kurt writes:

"You mentioned how sloppy appearance results in sloppy workmanship. Boy, is this true. I see it all the time. What can be done about it?"

Thanks Kurt for your note,
I've always been a believer in the military regimen whereby you either work on something, file it, or throw it away. If we need more files, let's buy more files. In our office, we used to have programmers with cluttered desks. We would then go through the office at night and throw everything in the trash. This caught their attention. You do this a couple of times and suddenly you start seeing clean desks. Even better, it forces them to get organized and start thinking and working in an organized manner. Try it, it works wonders.

Again, Thanks for your e-mail. Keep those cards and letters coming.

Folks, don't forget to check out our BRYCE'S CRASH COURSE IN MANAGEMENT which is a free on-line multimedia presentation offering pragmatic advice on how to discharge the duties of a manager, whether it be for a commercial or non-profit enterprise. Frankly, for someone aspiring to be a manager or for a new manager, it will be the best 45 minutes you can invest in yourself. Check it out on the cover of our corporate web page at: http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba

For a complete listing of my essays, see the "PRIDE" Special Subject Bulletins section of our corporate web site.

MBA is an international management consulting firm specializing in Information Resource Management. We offer training, consulting, and writing services in the areas of Enterprise Engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Base Engineering, Project Management, Methodologies and Repositories. For information, call us at 727/786-4567.

Our corporate web page is at:

http://phmainstreet.com/mba/

Management Visions is a presentation of M. Bryce & Associates, a division of M&JB Investment Company of Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. The program is produced on a weekly basis and updated on Sundays. It is available in versions for RealPlayer, Microsoft Media Player, and MP3 suitable for Podcasting. See our web site for details. You'll find our broadcast listed in several Podcast and Internet Search engines, as well as Apples' iTunes.

If you have any questions or would like to be placed on our e-mailing list to receive notification of future broadcasts, please e-mail it to timb001@phmainstreet.com

For a copy of past broadcasts, please contact me directly.

We accept MP3 files with your voice for possible inclusion in the broadcast.

Management Visions accepts advertising. For rates, please contact yours truly directly.

Copyright © 2006 by M&JB Investment Company of Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. All rights reserved. "PRIDE" is the registered trademark of M&JB Investment Company.

This is Tim Bryce reporting.

Since 1971: "Software for the finest computer - the Mind."

END