July 31, 2006

"TAKING THE MYSTERY OUT OF ESTIMATING"

Estimating is one of the most controversial subjects in Project Management, particularly in the IT community. There are some people who have turned the subject into a cryptic science involving esoteric techniques bearing a close resemblance to "voodoo."

In reality, there is nothing magical to estimating whatsoever. It is simply a prediction of the amount of time and costs needed to complete a project, either in part or in full. Such a prediction is based on the facts as we know them at a given moment in time and should not be based on any cryptic estimating guidelines. True, guidelines can provide assistance in formulating an estimate, but the bottom-line estimate must be made by the human being. Let me explain why.

TIME AND TYPES OF ESTIMATES

First, we should look at time differently than what is commonly referred to as "man hours." Instead, we should be interested in the amount of time needed to directly perform a given task, which is referred to as "Direct Time." Interferences from our work effort, such as meetings and personal breaks, should also be noted, and referred to as "Indirect Time." Both "Direct" and "Indirect" make up what we call "Available Time" representing the total number of hours available to work in a day ("Unavailable Time" represents planned absences such as vacations). Under this scenario, estimates should be prepared in "Direct Hours" only. Yet, when we calculate schedules, we will consider the "Indirect Time."

We refer to the relationship between "Direct" and "Indirect" as an "Effectiveness Rate," which is expressed as a percentage representing the average amount of time in a day spent on direct assignments. This concept of time is derived from the construction industry in the 1950's. At the time, it was observed construction workers were 25% "effective" (in an eight hour day, the worker is doing two hours of direct work). We have employed this same technique in IT organizations around the world and have found they typically average a 70% "effectiveness rate" (approximately five direct hours in an eight hour day).

Two things need to be made clear: first, "Effectiveness Rate" varies from person-to-person and group-to-group; second, "Effectiveness Rate" is NOT an efficiency rating (for example, someone could have a low effectiveness rate yet be your most productive worker). I could go into more detail regarding the characteristics of time, but let's not digress.

EFFECTIVENESS RATE = DIRECT ÷ (DIRECT + INDIRECT)

Under the "PRIDE" Methodologies for IRM, there are two types of estimates serving different purposes. The "Order-of-Magnitude" (OOM) estimate is for an entire project and to make "go", "no-go" or "modify" types of project decisions. In contrast, the "Detail" estimate is for a given phase in a project and is an expression of the worker's personal commitment to the work.

TYPES OF ESTIMATES

	ORDER-OF-MAGNITUDE	DETAIL
PURPOSE	BASIS FOR PROJECT DECISIONS	EXPRESSION OF PERSONAL COMMITMENT
PREPARED BY	PROJECT MANAGEMENT OR PROJECT TEAM	INDIVIDUAL(S) ASSIGNED TO PERFORM THE WORK
WHEN PREPARED	END OF PHASE	BEGINNING OF PHASE
SCOPE	THROUGH THE END OF THE PROJECT	THROUGH THE END OF THE PHASE
LEVEL OF DETAIL	FOR ALL PHASES WITHIN A PROJECT	FOR ALL ACTIVITIES WITHIN A PHASE
SKILL LEVEL CONSIDERED	AVERAGE	UNIQUE TO WORKER

ALL ESTIMATES ARE EXPRESSED IN DIRECT TIME

Although "OOM" and "Detail" estimates serve different purposes, they are similar in many ways. For example, both are expressed in "Direct Hours" and both are based on a certain level of detail.

THE MORE WE KNOW, THE BETTER OUR ESTIMATE WILL BE

In construction, estimates are based on building or assembling materials in a project. To do so, architectural drawings (blueprints) are needed specifying the types of materials needed in the project, along with their dimensions. From this, we can calculate the amount of time necessary to assemble the materials in a prescribed sequence. We refer to this as "Bill of Materials" estimating for we are considering all of the parts in the product. The manufacturing industry follows an identical approach; as they design their product, they break it into its "bill of materials" and then calculate the amount of time needed to assemble them.

This same approach can be applied in the world of Information Resource Management (IRM). For example, when designing either a major system or a single program, consideration should be given to the "bill of materials" in the product to be produced, e.g., sub-systems, procedures, programs, modules, inputs, outputs, files, records, and data elements. Of these components, we must ask:

* How many resources do we have to create from scratch (new)?

* How many resources can we reuse without modification (shared resources)?

* How many resources are shared resources requiring modification and to what degree?

As an example:

IRM RESOURCE	NEW	MODIFY	RE-USE
SYSTEM	1
SUB-SYSTEMS	14
ADMIN PROC	23
COMP PROC	13
PROGRAMS	28
MODULES	33	10	112
INPUTS	17		5
OUTPUTS	37	13
FILES	56	5	43
RECORDS	250	50	306
DATA ELEMENTS	60		257

Of course we will have to consider the dimensions and scope of each resource (e.g., complicated or simple) but this "Bill of Materials" approach takes the mystery out of estimating. Too often estimates are missed simply because we do not understand the complexity of the product we are building. Inevitably, something is forgotten and the targeted estimate is missed. If we are to build some sort of estimating guideline, it should be based on the amount of time it takes to define a data element, design a file, etc. In other words, the estimating guidelines address the average amount of "Direct" time needed to create/modify/re-use an information resource. Coupled with this should be consideration for the skill level of the human resource charged with implementing the work. For example, an expert will perform a job faster than a novice. In an "OOM" estimate, we might not know who the human resources will be (we want to simply make a project decision) and, as such we might use an average skill level in our calculations.

One might ask, "How do we prepare an OOM estimate at the beginning of a project if we do not yet know the dimensions of a system; don't we have a 'Chicken and Egg' problem here?" The answer is No, you cannot. For any project, there must be an exploratory phase to determine the scope of the project; a "Feasibility Study" whereby requirements are specified and a complete "rough design" produced describing all of the resources in the design. Following this, one of the last activities of the Feasibility Study should then be to produce an OOM estimate for the remainder of the project.

COMMITMENT - THE REAL PROBLEM

There is a natural human tendency to avoid making estimates because they represent commitments, and people tend to shy away from commitments when they are not sure of the facts. Nevertheless, little progress would be made if we never attempted to plan for the future.

Under the "PRIDE" approach, it is the worker and not the manager, who prepares the "Detail" estimate for a specific phase in a project. As mentioned above, the worker considers the level of detail for the assignment (the "bill of materials") and then prepares an estimate to accomplish the work. For comparative purposes, the worker may also want to review the "OOM" estimate when preparing the "Detail" estimate.

When completed, the "Detail" estimate is reviewed with the Project Manager prior to acceptance. At this time, the worker must be prepared to rationalize the estimate. The Project Manager then has the option to:

* Accept the estimate as submitted.

* Ask it be to revised.

* Reject the estimate - the Project Manager may then decide to use another worker or reevaluate the assignment altogether.

Bottom-line, the Project Manager is seeking commitment from the worker to the project which is a very scary concept to some people today (particularly consultants). It means we must be responsible in the preparation of the estimate and professional in performing the work within the estimate.

Whereas the worker produces the estimate, the Project Manager calculates the schedule based on the worker's "effectiveness rate" (but I'll leave Project Scheduling to another time).

As the worker proceeds on an assignment, he/she posts time against the estimate and routinely updates the "Estimate to Do" (ETD) on their time sheet/screen representing the amount of time needed to complete a given assignment. If all goes well, the worker simply deducts the actual amount of time spent on an assignment against the estimate until it has been completed. However, if the assignment goes faster or slower than expected, the ETD should be updated accordingly which, in turn, signals to the Project Manager a change in the project schedule is needed.

Both the "Detail" estimate and "Estimate to Do" seek commitment from the worker and are an important part of the "PRIDE" Mini-Project Manager Concept where we try to manage "from the bottom-up, not just top-down"; for information, click HERE.

CONCLUSION

Estimating is actually not a complicated process. There are two considerations though: the degree of complexity in an assignment and the worker's commitment. The complexity issue is addressed by the "bill of materials" concept and the commitment issue is addressed by having the worker participate in the estimating process.

Estimating guidelines are helpful but they are not a panacea. The biggest danger with guidelines is when people abdicate commitment to the estimate via the guidelines. In other words, if the estimate goes sour, they blame the guidelines and not themselves, thus, the guidelines become a scapegoat for estimate failures. Regardless of how good your estimating guidelines are, they are just that: a "guideline." Guidelines don't make commitments, people do.

By the way, I despise the word "guesstimate" as this implies a simple guess without knowing all of the facts. Under the "PRIDE" approach to project estimating, this is simply not done.

For additional information on "PRIDE" Estimating, click HERE.

OUR BRYCE'S LAW OF THE WEEK therefore is...
"Most estimating errors are errors of omission, not commission. It is what we forget to estimate that gets us into trouble."

"BRYCE MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS" SERVICE INTRODUCED

We've just introduced a new free service for managers to perform a self-analysis of their style of management. Check it out at:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/bma.htm

NEW eBOOK: THE BRYCE IS RIGHT!

Folks, we've just released a new book on management entitled, "The Bryce is Right! Empowering Managers in today's Corporate Culture." This is a frank and candid description of the state of the art in management and includes essays on the problems in management today, along with some pragmatic advice on how to deal with them. Basically, this is a condensed course in management. As such, it is suited for managers, either those aspiring to become a manager or for those who need a refresher course. It will also be of interest to young people entering the work force, and is excellent for college curriculums.

Charles Cole of Lyndhurst, OH, said it is a "Very interesting book. Good work! It reminds me of some of the early works I read by W. Edwards Deming. Too bad the American corporate gurus of his day didn't pay him heed."

And Wolf Hager of Fort Myers, FL, says it is "A very impressive publication which requires careful reading and reminds me somewhat of Peter Drucker."

The price is just $20 plus tax. For more information on our book or to order on-line, see:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/bryce1.htm

We have also just produced a new one-day training program of the same name. For more information on both the eBook and course, please visit our web site at:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/bryce1.htm

While there, look for our new MS PowerPoint presentation describing both the book and the training program.

IN OUR "DOWN THE ROAD" SECTION

The British Academy of Management will be holding their 2006 Conference at The Waterfront Hall and Hilton Hotel, in Belfast, Northern Ireland on September 12th-14th. For information, contact Clare Saunders in their London office at +44 (0)20-7383-7770 or visit their web page at: http://bam.ac.uk/

The Society for Information Management will be holding their SIMposium 2006 on September 17-20 at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas. For information, contact SIM headquarters in Chicago at 312/527-6734

Verify 2006, the International Software Test Conference, will be held October 10th-11th in Washington, DC at the Crown Plaza Hotel Crystal City. For information, call 703/725-3051.

The International Institute of Business Analysis will be holding their Business Analyst World conference at the Boston Marriott in Burlington, MA on October 30th through November 2nd. This will be followed by a similar meeting in Chicago, IL at the Crowne Plaza O'Hare on November 13th - 16th. For information contact the IIBA at 888/443-6786 x 228 or visit their web site at: http://iiba.com/

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

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.

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "WANTS & NEEDS"

Advertising and marketing people have long understood the difference between "wants and needs." Interestingly, most people don't. Let me give you an example, most people "need" basic transportation to get them to and from work each day; something that is easy to maintain and has good gas efficiency. But what they "want" is something lavish or sporty; and something that is ultimately expensive to maintain and operate. We see plenty of examples of this in just about all walks of life. We particularly see this in the electronics industry where we want to get the latest technical gadget. We also see it in the housing industry, the health and fashion industries, as well as every consumer oriented product.

As I said, advertisers primarily deal in creating consumer "wants" by playing with our emotions. Doctors, repairmen, and other maintenance people primarily address consumer "needs." In other words, they are charged with delivering the brutal reality of the situation to you. They're not so much concerned with fluff as much as they are with telling you matter-of-factly there is something wrong, and here is what you "need" to do.

I see this same phenomenon in the IT world. For example, proponents of "Agile Methodologies" create "want" situations by promising to cure a variety of development woes. This is essentially no different than anyone else who has come along with the latest panacea du jour. In reality, people need nothing more than some simple discipline, organization, and accountability; you know, management. But I guess this isn't considered cool anymore.

I think what people in the IT industry "want" is some magical product that reads people's minds, draws up designs, and automatically programs them accordingly. You know what? That's never going to happen. Just as it is never going to happen in engineering, manufacturing, and architecture. We're always going to need people to analyze problems, specify and review requirements, create designs, and implement accordingly. Its been done this way for centuries and I don't see it changing any time soon. I'm sorry but the design process represents work, and the sooner we start managing this effort, the better we'll be.

In a way, it kind of reminds me of the diet craze. We all know that in order to lose weight, we "need" to watch what we eat and get some exercise. But instead, we invest millions in miracle diet drugs, diet books, and fancy exercise equipment, all promising miraculous results. What we "want" is the most painless path possible; but what we "need" is a good swift kick in the rear end.

Such is my Pet Peeve of the Week.

NEW "PRIDE" eBOOK & AUDIO BOOK

We're pleased to announce the release of a new book on our "PRIDE" Methodologies for IRM. Actually, we've created two versions of the same book, an eBook version (in PDF format), and an Audio Book (in MP3 format). Both compliment the Internet version available through our corporate web site. The eBook version is 363 pages in length and includes full tutorials on Enterprise Engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Base Engineering, and Project Management, complete with examples and a quick navigation to guide you through the book. The Audio Book is an abridged version which includes over nine hours of audio. The eBook version is priced at $49 plus tax, the Audio Book is priced at $54 plus tax, and a discounted packaged price for both is $93 plus tax. The book is excellent for both corporate developers as well as at the university level where it complements a college curriculum.

Summers Hagerman of Cincinnati says, "This book provides management with a complete set of powerful tools for managing the largest information systems projects."

Check it out at:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pridebk.htm

AND FINALLY...

I received an e-mail from a Hugh Connell in Montana who wrote me regarding last week's essay entitled, "A Tale of Two Projects."
Hugh writes:

"Wow, I thought you were describing my company. The squeaky wheel phenomenon seems to get around and isn't fair. Can anything be done about it? "

Thanks Hugh for your note,

Thanks Hugh for your note,

First, you're right, the squeaky wheel phenomenon is most definitely not fair. I've seen this first hand in many shops. People who were calmly and professionally going about their business, meeting project deadlines, and quietly and peacefully implementing systems, were losing out to a bunch of boisterous clods who couldn't make a deadline to save their life. Yet, their visibility garners them attention. I guess this is an example of a little bullshit goes a long way.

What can be done about it? The only thing we can do is try to raise the consciousness of management so that they are not so easily fooled by such shenanigans.

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

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

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

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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

"BRYCE MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS" SERVICE INTRODUCED

PALM HARBOR, FL, USA (July 24, 2006) - M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) is pleased to announce a new service aimed at evaluating the people management skills of a manager. The "Bryce Management Analysis" is an Internet based form, whereby people answer a short series of questions which are analyzed and a report generated consisting of a fair and impartial analysis of a person's management skills, including:

• Their Leadership Skills.
• Their Style of Management.
• Their Corporate Culture and environmental considerations.
• Their ability to deliver quality work products.

"Basically, we have come up with a slick way for people to analyze their own personal management style, along with some pertinent suggestions for improvement," said Tim Bryce, Managing Director of MBA. "In beta-testing the service, we found we were pretty accurate in terms of the analysis we produced. Its not absolutely perfect yet but we will keep fine-tuning it."

Which is one reason why the service is being offered to the public for free, at least for now.

"The analysis is as good as the person's input," said Bryce, "It is like anything else, garbage in - garbage out. What is nice about this service, it will either reaffirm a person's opinion of their abilities, or it may raise a few eyebrows in terms of considerations they havn't thought about. Either way, its a win-win situation."

Although this is primarily intended for businesses, it is also applicable for government and nonprofit organizations (anyone who has to manage a group of people). The responses are recorded but remain confidential and are not redistributed to anyone else.

A language translation filter is provided so that the service can be used in other languages, including: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portugese, Russian, and Spanish. The resulting analysis though is produced in English.

For more information on the service, see:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/bma.htm

Notice distributed by: Tim Bryce
Managing Director
M. Bryce & Associates (MBA)
a division of M&JB Investment Company
P.O. Box 1637
Palm Harbor, FL 34682-1637
United States
Tel: 727/786-4567
E-Mail: timb001@phmainstreet.com
Yahoo! IM: littleleaguerng
WWW: http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/
Since 1971: "Software for the finest computer - the Mind"

July 24, 2006

"A TALE OF TWO PROJECTS"

The following is a true story; a vintage "Dilbertism." Because of this, the names have been changed to protect the innocent (as well as the guilty). Interestingly, I do not believe this story to be unique and similar stories can be found in countless IT shops around the world.

Our story begins just a couple of years ago in a large manufacturing company in the American Midwest. At the time, the company was interested in replacing two aging, yet important, systems; an Accounts Payable System ("AP") and an Accounts Receivable System ("AR"). The IT Director selected two of his most seasoned veterans to manage the projects, we'll call them "Steve" and "Bob." Both project managers were charged with their responsibilities on the same day: Steve to build the AP system, and Bob to build the AR system. Both were given approximately the same amount of human and machine resources to accomplish the work.

Steve was a very organized and disciplined manager. He found it essential to organize and train his staff upfront so everyone understood the development process, the deliverables to be produced, and their assigned responsibilities. Recognizing the large scope of his project, Steve felt it important to methodically attack his system and meticulously worked out a plan and schedule to implement it. In Phase 1 he spent what appeared to be an inordinate amount of time studying the business problem, specifying information requirements, and developing a rough design of the system solution. Steve's people actively participated in this early phase and thought the problem through carefully before proceeding with the project. Following the Phase 1, Steve's team finalized details of the overall AP system architecture, and divided his group into teams to tackle the various sub-systems in parallel. To complement this effort, his data base people oversaw the logical data base design to accommodate the needs of the whole system, not just any one portion of it.

Steve also recruited the support of the AP Department and had key personnel from this area participate in the development of the system. The input from these users was vital not only in Phase 1, but also in succeeding phases where the business processes were designed.

By concentrating on the overall system architecture and then by gradually refining the design over succeeding phases, the Software Engineers were given detailed specifications which were easy to follow and implement. Consequently, the programming phases went smoothly, including testing.

The core sub-systems satisfying the operational needs of AP were on schedule and being installed with great support from the user community.

While Steve's project was coming along smoothly, Bob was facing chaos with the AR system. Instead of studying the problem upfront, Bob's group began by building a core data base. Shortly thereafter he set his programmers to work building some basic input screens and some rather simple outputs. In no time, Bob had something to demonstrate to the user community (and his boss) to prove progress was indeed being made.

But Bob's group had not done their homework. The AR community was not consulted and requirements were not defined. As a result, programmers were left second-guessing what the users really needed which started a long round of "cut-and-fitting" the code. Further, the integrity of the data base came into question. False assumptions were made about calculated data elements which cascaded throughout the program code. In addition, data validation rules were not established. This forced the programmers to invent their own rules and formulas for calculations in each of their programs which led to data redundancy issues and even bigger headaches for the development staff. As users were given glimpses of the programs by Bob, data integrity issues became an issue and the users didn't trust the information being produced by the system (e.g., calculations were computed differently by the various programs). Bob's group touted the AR system as "state-of-the-art," but the users were not convinced it was reliable or intuitive to use.

All of this lead to a redesign of the data base and programs, not just once but several times. Consequently, the project schedule started to slip and costs exceeded budget. To overcome this problem, Bob and his staff worked overtime to play catch-up with the schedule (which he never realized). Regardless, the IT Director began to take notice of the long hours Bob and his team were putting into the project and complimented them on their dedication.

Bob finally delivered a portion of the project to the AR department, but in testing it the users found it fraught with errors. To overcome this problem, Bob's group was ever ready to jump in and modify the code as required. Even though the users found the programs buggy, they commended Bob for how quickly his group would be able to fix them.

NIGHT AND DAY

The difference between Steve and Bob's groups were like night and day. While Bob operated under a "helter-skelter" mode of operation, Steve's group operated quietly and began to deliver the system on time and within budget, much to the user department's satisfaction.

Steve understood the enormity of the system and its importance to the company, and, as such, took the time to organize and train his group accordingly. Bob also understood the importance of his application but took the tact of producing something management and the user community could "touch and feel" thereby demonstrating something was happening in his department, right or wrong. Further, his SWAT team approach to putting out fires made him a favorite with corporate management. As a result, Bob enjoyed a high profile in the company while Steve was a relative unknown.

Unfortunately, Bob's project ran amok, unbearably so. Recognizing he had to do something radical in order to get Bob's project back on track, the IT Director made an unusual move; he swapped Steve and Bob as project managers. Steve was charged with cleaning up Bob's mess, and Bob was charged with finishing Steve's project. Offhand it sounded like a shrewd move. Steve had proven to the IT Director he could get things done, regardless of the application size. And the IT Director figured Bob could simply close-out the AP project. The IT Director figured wrong. While Steve started the arduous task of bringing organization and discipline to the AR system, Bob quickly dismantled Steve's organization and brought chaos to the AP system. This did not sit well with a lot of people, particularly Steve's former project team who felt they had grasped defeat from the jaws of victory. Steve was also growing disenchanted as he had almost completed one system and was now charged with cleaning up his predecessor's mess. To add insult to injury, because of Bob's high profile status, he was given an increase in pay and job promotion, and Steve didn't receive likewise.

Steve got the AR system back on track and finally implemented it much to the satisfaction of all concerned. Bob lost control of the AP system almost immediately and it spun out of control until Steve was finally called back in to finish it. Not knowing what to do with high-profile Bob, the IT Director made the classic move of promoting Bob and transferring him to another area where he could do no harm.

LESSONS LEARNED

Is there a happy ending to this true story? Not for Steve. Although he cleaned up the mess and ultimately managed both projects to a successful conclusion, he became disenchanted with how he had been treated by the company. Subsequently, he left and started his own consulting firm who was ultimately hired by his old company to develop new systems (at substantially higher rates). As for Bob, he enjoyed the perks and pay resulting from his new position for quite some time. Eventually, he got the hint and moved on to another company where he made a similar name for himself.

Although Bob was a fine example of the "Peter Principle" (rising above your level of competence) he recognized results were not necessary on the road to success but rather, image was everything. He learned early on that "the squeaky wheel gets the oil."

As I mentioned at the outset, this is not a random incident, but one that could probably be told by a multitude of corporations who have "promoted the guilty, and prosecuted the innocent."

Have you got a similar story? Please do not hesitate to send them to me.

OUR BRYCE'S LAW OF THE WEEK therefore is...
"Beware of your 'firefighters,' they are probably your chief arsonists."

"BRYCE MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS" SERVICE INTRODUCED

We've just analyzed a new free service for managers to perform a self-analysis of their style of management. Check it out at:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/bma.htm

NEW eBOOK: THE BRYCE IS RIGHT!

Folks, we've just released a new book on management entitled, "The Bryce is Right! Empowering Managers in today's Corporate Culture." This is a frank and candid description of the state of the art in management and includes essays on the problems in management today, along with some pragmatic advice on how to deal with them. Basically, this is a condensed course in management. As such, it is suited for managers, either those aspiring to become a manager or for those who need a refresher course. It will also be of interest to young people entering the work force, and is excellent for college curriculums.

Charles Cole of Lyndhurst, OH, said it is a "Very interesting book. Good work! It reminds me of some of the early works I read by W. Edwards Deming. Too bad the American corporate gurus of his day didn't pay him heed."

And Wolf Hager of Fort Myers, FL, says it is "A very impressive publication which requires careful reading and reminds me somewhat of Peter Drucker."

The price is just $20 plus tax. For more information on our book or to order on-line, see:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/bryce1.htm

We have also just produced a new one-day training program of the same name. For more information on both the eBook and course, please visit our web site at:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/bryce1.htm

While there, look for our new MS PowerPoint presentation describing both the book and the training program.

IN OUR "DOWN THE ROAD" SECTION

The British Academy of Management will be holding their 2006 Conference at The Waterfront Hall and Hilton Hotel, in Belfast, Northern Ireland on September 12th-14th. For information, contact Clare Saunders in their London office at +44 (0)20-7383-7770 or visit their web page at: http://bam.ac.uk/

The Society for Information Management will be holding their SIMposium 2006 on September 17-20 at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas. For information, contact SIM headquarters in Chicago at 312/527-6734

The International Institute of Business Analysis will be holding their Business Analyst World conference at the Boston Marriott in Burlington, MA on October 30th through November 2nd. This will be followed by a similar meeting in Chicago, IL at the Crowne Plaza O'Hare on November 13th - 16th. For information contact the IIBA at 888/443-6786 x 228 or visit their web site at: http://iiba.com/

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

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.

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "RETIREMENT"

I went back for my 30th High School reunion in Cincinnati a few years ago. I went back for the 20th also and it was interesting; most of the people were still trying to impress each other as to how successful they had become. I also found it amusing to see how those who were heavy into drugs during high school had all found Jesus. Nonetheless, it was a lot more casual at our 30th reunion. Nobody was trying to impress anyone anymore, except to show pictures of their kids graduating from college, getting married, or their first set of grand kids. In a way, it reminded me of the camaraderie we shared while in high school.

Something that caught me off guard though, was an old friend of mine who played fullback on our football team, confided in me that he was getting ready to retire. Being only 48 at the time, this caught me completely off guard and I looked at him incredulously. It was the first time I had heard the word mentioned among guys my age. I had not really given it much thought. I'm sure we'll all eventually retire at some point, but at 48? Yea, my friend was going to sell his house in Cincinnati and move to Phoenix where it was warmer with a very nice pension from Proctor and Gamble where he worked.

The idea of retirement is a strange one for me. My grandmother worked as a secretary in an architect's office into her 80's when the architect finally retired and closed the office. My parents never retired either, so I guess it is a bit odd for me to think about retirement. I've been lucky so far, I've enjoyed my work and can't imagine totally giving it up. I have an illustrator friend from high school who feels the same way I do. You've probably seen his work in a lot of national magazines and book covers; he also does the back cover of the Readers Digest. To him, his artwork is a natural extension of his life and he'll probably continue to do so until he drops over, not because he has to, but because he wants to.

Some people believe life begins at retirement. I don't. I see it as the beginning of the end. As Malcolm Forbes said, "Retirement kills more people than hard work ever did." I realize not everyone shares my view on this, but then again a lot of people have been working at jobs for years they never truly liked and were only there to collect a paycheck. I guess I see my professional life as a natural extension of my personal life. Frankly, the thought of retirement is repugnant to me. I like conducting business with different companies all over the world, and meeting new people. It stimulates and challenges me. Retirement? Forget it.

Such is my Pet Peeve of the Week.

NEW "PRIDE" eBOOK & AUDIO BOOK

We're pleased to announce the release of a new book on our "PRIDE" Methodologies for IRM. Actually, we've created two versions of the same book, an eBook version (in PDF format), and an Audio Book (in MP3 format). Both compliment the Internet version available through our corporate web site. The eBook version is 363 pages in length and includes full tutorials on Enterprise Engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Base Engineering, and Project Management, complete with examples and a quick navigation to guide you through the book. The Audio Book is an abridged version which includes over nine hours of audio. The eBook version is priced at $49 plus tax, the Audio Book is priced at $54 plus tax, and a discounted packaged price for both is $93 plus tax. The book is excellent for both corporate developers as well as at the university level where it complements a college curriculum.

Summers Hagerman of Cincinnati says, "This book provides management with a complete set of powerful tools for managing the largest information systems projects."

Check it out at:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pridebk.htm

AND FINALLY...

I received an e-mail from a Bernie DeMarco in Chicago who wrote me regarding last week's essay entitled, "Understanding Information."
Bernie writes:

"I was somewhat taken aback by your slang in last week's broadcast. But looking past it I see what you were driving at. And, Yes, I have met a lot of HSA's out there."

Thanks Bernie for your note,

Yes, I am reminded of a story of an IT Director of a large shoe company who was approached by the Sales Manager for some assistance. Dutifully he sent one of his senior analysts to help the manager. Basically, the manager asked the analyst to produce a report showing shoe sales for the last year by model, size, color, etc. The analyst thought about it for a minute and figured a quick and dirty way to dump out the data from the data base, sort it, and print out a report that ended up being approximately one foot thick.

The IT Director stopped by the Sales Manager's office on the following Monday to see if the analyst had taken care of him. He said, "Yes," and heaped praise on the analyst for his fine work. The manager pointed proudly at the printout the analyst had produced.

The IT Director asked the manager how he was planning to use the voluminous document. The manager explained that he took it home over the weekend, poured over the numbers and produced a line chart showing sales trends.

"Did you explain that to the analyst?" asked the IT Director.

"No" answered the sales manager.

"Are you aware that we could have produced that report for you and saved you your weekend?" asked the IT Director.

"No."

Here is a vintage example of how analysts typically ask the wrong questions. Instead of properly analyzing the business problem, we tend to produce too much data and not enough information, and waste a lot of people's time in the process.

As an aside, we provide a handy form for documenting Information Requirements in the "PRIDE" Methodologies for IRM. You can get a free copy of it from our web site; click HERE.

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

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

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.

There is no charge for adding a link to "Management Visions" on your web page, for details and HTML code, see the "Management Visions" web site.

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

July 17, 2006

"UNDERSTANDING INFORMATION"

I have been doing a lot of reading lately regarding the latest fads in the industry, particularly in the area of "Agile Methodologies," "Business Rules," "Information Architecture," and "Enterprise Architecture." There is a considerable amount of material to wade through. Of interest, I have noticed all stress the importance of requirements and warn of the consequences if they are not defined properly. This sounds nice, but I found them all to be very evasive in terms of describing the inherent properties of information and how to document them. I guess this shouldn't come as a surprise as the industry for years has been wallowing in how to define information requirements. Many think it is nothing more than a set of data or output specifications; others see it as nothing more than a programming spec. Rarely, does anyone want to take the time to truly understand information requirements and prefer, instead, to get down to the business of programming where they feel more comfortable. It should, therefore, not come as a surprise that requirements definition is left to the interpretation of the individual. Inevitably, this leads to inconsistencies and errors. For something that is supposed to be so critical for success, information requirements definition is too often taken for granted.

Let's see if we can clear this up by describing the characteristics of information and end with a definition. This may all seem very elementary, but the problem of requirements definition is very real. Perhaps a simple description of the properties of information may provide the insight needed to adequately perform this vital task.

CHARACTERISTICS

First, information is not synonymous with data. Data represents the facts and events of a business consisting of primary values (such as "Customer Number," "Unit Price," "Name," etc.) and generated values ("Percent Complete," "Net Profit," "Total Ordered," etc.). By itself, data is meaningless. It is only when it is put into a specific context, at a specific point of time, and delivered to a specific human-being, does data transform into information. From this perspective, let's consider the fundamental characteristics of information:

A. Information supports actions and/or business decisions.

This is a critical characteristic that is vital to define. If an action and/or business decision cannot be made from the data presented, it is not information, it is just raw data. In this world of application development there is a tendency to produce too much data and not enough information.

During my "PRIDE" classes I usually illustrate this point by describing a "bookmaker" or "bookie" (slang for someone who accepts wagers on sporting events). Among the bookie's actions/decisions include paying off bets, and collecting on bets. Using a blackboard, I would write down the following scores:

6
5

4
3

I would then ask the students to play the role of a bookie and asked them if what I wrote on the blackboard could support their actions and decisions. Of course they said, No, that they needed more data; to which I wrote down:

New York - 6
Chicago - 5

Cincinnati - 4
Los Angeles - 3

Still not satisfied, they wanted to know what sport I was describing; to which I added:

Sport: Baseball

New York - 6
Chicago - 5

Cincinnati - 4
Los Angeles - 3

Since a city can have more than one team, they also wanted the team names.

Sport: Baseball

New York Yankees - 6
Chicago White Sox - 5

Cincinnati Reds - 4
Los Angeles Dodgers - 3

They also needed to know who the bettor was, so I added:

Sport: Baseball

New York Yankees - 6
Chicago White Sox - 5

Cincinnati Reds - 4
Los Angeles Dodgers - 3

Bettor: John Doe - $30 - New York Yankees - Odds: 3:1
123 Main Street, Tel: 123/456-7890

They then said they had the information needed to fulfill their actions or decisions (e.g., they would pay $90 to John Doe for betting on the Yankees).

This example demonstrates two things; first, information is data that is arranged in a specific context, and; second, it is based on the actions and decisions to be supported. This means we must first have a clear understanding of the actions and/or decisions to be supported before we can determine the required data elements (primary or generated). This is an area commonly overlooked in application development. If we cannot act on it, than it is not information, it is just raw data.

B. Information is a perishable commodity.

Information has value at a specific point in time. This is because we must make certain actions/decisions on a timely basis; e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, or upon request. Using our example above, the bookie requires his information daily; having it delivered weekly, monthly, or annually will not satisfactorily support his actions/decisions. It thereby becomes important to define "when" actions/decisions have to be made.

There are three attributes to timing:

Frequency - specifies how often the actions/decisions have to be made; e.g.,
4D - four times daily
1W - once a week
2Y - semiannually
R - Upon Request (anytime the user wants it)

Offset - specifies when the cycle should begin; e.g.,
8H - on the 8th hour (8:00am)
7D - on the seventh day (end of the week)
Note: There is no scheduled offset when the Frequency is "Upon Request").

Response Time - specifies the maximum amount of time to deliver the information; e.g.,
5S - Five Seconds
1D - One Day
Note: This should not be confused as a measure of machine throughput.

These timing attributes will ultimately influence the design of the system and software. For example, if information is needed "Upon Request" with a five second response time, than in all likelihood it will be an "interactive" type of application. Conversely, a weekly process with a one hour response time will likely result in a "batch" process (maybe even a manual process).

C. Information is a consumable commodity.

Information is received, acted on, and life moves on. But there is little point in having information if it is not acted upon at the time it is received. It means actions/decisions will not be performed as required.

This brings up a point, information is consumed by human beings, not by machines. True, machines process data but only humans require information. I get into a lot of arguments over this concept. Let me see if I can clarify it. Let's imagine a totally automated company (what I like to call a "company in a closet") whereby customers interact with a computer through a network connection to place orders for a product or service that can be delivered electronically. The owner of the company is retired and spends most of his time playing golf and checks on his stocks and other investments. I contend the machine is just processing data and will continue to do so until there is some sort of mechanical malfunction. However, under this scenario there is still a need for information by such people as:

• Customers who want to check prices, product/service availability, terms and conditions, order status, and to report problems.

• Vendors who offer upgrades or additional support.

• Government regulators who need to know about sales volumes and taxes.

• And the owner himself who needs to know about how his "company in a closet" is performing, thereby making decisions regarding modifications to the business.

Processing data is one thing, making business decisions and taking actions is something entirely different. Until such time as machines become true freethinking entities, they will only need data, not information.

D. Information is not stored, it is produced.

Information is produced and consumed as required. On the other hand, data can be stored and retrieved as required. We have long touted the concept that:

INFORMATION = DATA + PROCESSING

This simply means there are two basic variables in the production of information; data (the facts to be processed) and the process itself (the logic). Assuming this is correct, if the data remains the same, but we change the processing, then the information will be changed. Conversely, if the processing remains the same, but we change the data, then the information will also be changed. This means it is important to manage the resources needed to produce information, which is the premise of Information Resource Management (IRM). If we can control the resources, we can manipulate them accordingly to suit the information needs of the business. Therefore, "Information Management" is a fallacious concept; we are not truly managing information as much as we are managing the resources needed to produce it.

E. Information changes.

The actions/decisions of the business are greatly influenced by such things as:

• Customers and Vendors
• Government/political changes
• Economics and competition
• Market expansion/contraction

As an example, suppose the government decides to impose a new regulation on a company's manufacturing process or institutes a trade embargo on a country the company does business in. Inevitably, this will cause a change in the actions/decisions of the business, thereby affecting information requirements.

Let's also consider the affect new shipping methods might have on keeping the company competitive. Again, this will undoubtedly affect the company's information requirements.

In a static world, information requirements would not change. The reality is we live in a dynamic world. The more we know about our external influences, the better we can adjust and adapt our information requirements.

F. Information is conveyed through outputs.

Media such as screens, printed reports, and audio/video represents the human interface by which information is transmitted. Hence, the temptation by a lot of developers to think of outputs as the starting point for specifying information requirements. The business rationale for the information is much more important than physically how it will be delivered. If we do not understand the rationale for the information, we will inevitably make erroneous conclusions regarding the outputs. Also consider this, there is not necessarily a one-to-one relationship between information requirements and outputs. One information requirement may be implemented by multiple outputs, and one output may be used to satisfy multiple information requirements.

Knowing the relationship between information requirements and outputs, existing screens, reports, etc. provide a convenient road map for documenting requirements. Simply ask the user what the business purpose of the output is and what he/she will do with the information (better yet, ask him/her what would happen if you took the output away).

A DEFINITION

Okay, now that we understand the characteristics of information, let's try to devise a definition:

Information - the understanding or insight gained from the processing and/or analysis of data. Information is created as a result of the collection, processing and analysis of data in a prescribed manner. Information supports specific business related actions and decisions. The accuracy of information depends on the validity and completeness of the data and the processing logic used.

CONCLUSION

It is true that defining requirements is the Achilles heel of any development project, but a lot of people are vague or have different interpretations of what this means. In the "PRIDE" world, it means supplying the end-users with the necessary intelligence to support the actions/decisions of their end of the business. The more we know about the business, the better we can service it; see:

No. 77 - "Enterprise Decomposition" - May 29, 2006

Concentrating on output specifications is nice but it doesn't supersede the need for accurately defining information requirements. Frankly, users do not particularly care what physical form outputs come in; it is immaterial to them. All they are interested in is: Do they have the necessary information to support their actions/decisions; is it timely, and is it accurate?

Finally, it is fallacious to believe, "Users do not know what they want." They may not know how it physically should look or be delivered, but they most definitely know what they want. You're just not asking the right questions.

OUR BRYCE'S LAW OF THE WEEK therefore is...
"Companies run on information, not data."

NEW eBOOK: THE BRYCE IS RIGHT!

Folks, we've just released a new book on management entitled, "The Bryce is Right! Empowering Managers in today's Corporate Culture." This is a frank and candid description of the state of the art in management and includes essays on the problems in management today, along with some pragmatic advice on how to deal with them. Basically, this is a condensed course in management. As such, it is suited for managers, either those aspiring to become a manager or for those who need a refresher course. It will also be of interest to young people entering the work force, and is excellent for college curriculums.

Charles Cole of Lyndhurst, OH, said it is a "Very interesting book. Good work! It reminds me of some of the early works I read by W. Edwards Deming. Too bad the American corporate gurus of his day didn't pay him heed."

And Wolf Hager of Fort Myers, FL, says it is "A very impressive publication which requires careful reading and reminds me somewhat of Peter Drucker."

The price is just $20 plus tax. For more information on our book or to order on-line, see:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/bryce1.htm

We have also just produced a new one-day training program of the same name. For more information on both the eBook and course, please visit our web site at:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/bryce1.htm

While there, look for our new MS PowerPoint presentation describing both the book and the training program.

IN OUR "DOWN THE ROAD" SECTION

The British Academy of Management will be holding their 2006 Conference at The Waterfront Hall and Hilton Hotel, in Belfast, Northern Ireland on September 12th-14th. For information, contact Clare Saunders in their London office at +44 (0)20-7383-7770 or visit their web page at: http://bam.ac.uk/

The Society for Information Management will be holding their SIMposium 2006 on September 17-20 at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas. For information, contact SIM headquarters in Chicago at 312/527-6734

The International Institute of Business Analysis will be holding their Business Analyst World conference at the Boston Marriott in Burlington, MA on October 30th through November 2nd. This will be followed by a similar meeting in Chicago, IL at the Crowne Plaza O'Hare on November 13th - 16th. For information contact the IIBA at 888/443-6786 x 228 or visit their web site at: http://iiba.com/

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

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.

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "JUNK FAXES"

Last week I discussed the problem of junk mail. This week I would like to discuss Junk Faxes; you know, those irritating ads and offers that propagate on our fax machines. First, I believe fax machines have outlived their usefulness. Rarely do I ever use it, except for those obscure situations when someone needs to send us something. Most of the time I am communicating by e-mail or telephone. But even for a small company like mine I sure do get a lot of faxes. This is the main reason I no longer give out our fax number unless somebody positively, absolutely has to send us something. Nonetheless, our fax number inevitably gets on a mailing list and we suddenly get swamped with faxes; seems like a waste of paper to me.

I don't know if you actually look at these junk faxes, normally I don't, except to lookup a number at the bottom of the fax where you can call to be removed from the sender's mailing list. Most of the time its a toll free number, other times its a clever ruse to pay for a phone call. You have to be careful.

I recently investigated this on the Internet and came upon an interesting site called "JunkFaxes.org" which gives some valuable tips on fighting off junk faxes.

For example, they list the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 ("TCPA"); let me read it to you:

"The TCPA (47 USC § 227), and its implementing FCC regulations ( mainly 47 CFR § 64.1200) prohibits the transmission via facsimile of any material advertising the commercial availability or quality of any product, service or property to any person without that person's prior express permission or request.

Under the TCPA, recipients of unsolicited fax advertisements can file suit in state court to collect the greater of $500 or actual damages for each violation, and/or obtain an injunction (a single junk fax can, and often does, contain multiple violations). If a court determines that the violations were willful or knowing, the damages can be tripled at the discretion of the court."

The web site also provides instructions for filing a complaint.

Well this sounds all well and good, but who is really going to take the time to report some trivial faxes? Not many people that I know of; not unless they are being bombarded by faxes every few minutes. Most people just rip them up and throw them away, or call the fax removal numbers at the bottom of the sheet. All the junk faxes do for me is push me a little closer to pulling the plug on the machine altogether. If you really want to get hold of me, there are basically two things you can do: give me a phone call (I am one of the few remaining souls that don't believe in voice mail unless I am truly out of the office), or send me an e-mail with an attachment. Otherwise, forget it.

Such is my Pet Peeve of the Week.

NEW "PRIDE" eBOOK & AUDIO BOOK

We're pleased to announce the release of a new book on our "PRIDE" Methodologies for IRM. Actually, we've created two versions of the same book, an eBook version (in PDF format), and an Audio Book (in MP3 format). Both compliment the Internet version available through our corporate web site. The eBook version is 363 pages in length and includes full tutorials on Enterprise Engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Base Engineering, and Project Management, complete with examples and a quick navigation to guide you through the book. The Audio Book is an abridged version which includes over nine hours of audio. The eBook version is priced at $49 plus tax, the Audio Book is priced at $54 plus tax, and a discounted packaged price for both is $93 plus tax. The book is excellent for both corporate developers as well as at the university level where it complements a college curriculum.

Summers Hagerman of Cincinnati says, "This book provides management with a complete set of powerful tools for managing the largest information systems projects."

Check it out at:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pridebk.htm

AND FINALLY...

I received an e-mail from an AC Kemper in Athens, Ohio who wrote me regarding last week's essay entitled, "Homo Sapien Ass****".
AC writes:

"I was somewhat taken aback by your slang in last week's broadcast. But looking past it I see what you were driving at. And, Yes, I have met a lot of HSA's out there."

Thanks AC for your note,

As I mentioned in last week's broadcast, I apologize for the use of profanity but it was done to make a point; our perceptions, right or wrong, dictate our actions. I had given a lot of thought whether to use this piece as I knew it might make people uncomfortable but, in the end, I felt its conclusions were important to share with my audience.

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

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

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.

There is no charge for adding a link to "Management Visions" on your web page, for details and HTML code, see the "Management Visions" web site.

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

July 10, 2006

"HOMO SAPIEN ASS****"

This is going to be an unusual essay; it may sound a bit avant-garde at first, but it is designed to make a specific point. So please bear with me. And for those of you insulted by the slang used herein I offer my sincere apology right upfront.

I remember an incident years ago where my father was on his way home late at night after being out of town on a business trip. At the time, he owned a new Cadillac. The interstate was relatively empty that evening making motoring a pleasure, particularly at a late hour. The exit he took emptied on to a main suburban thoroughfare which naturally intersects with several smaller streets, one in particular is an unusual junction where a feeder lane merges with the main road. Cars in the feeder lane must yield to drivers in the main thoroughfare; not only would commonsense dictate such an apparent yield, but it is clearly marked as such with a road sign.

As my father passed through the junction, he noticed out of the corner of his eye an old Ford slamming on its brakes in the other fork, narrowly missing him. Evidently, my father had surprised the other driver who was failing to yield. What ensued was an excellent example of what is today called "Road Rage." In the other driver's eyes, some "Fat Cat in a Cadillac" had just cut him off. Outraged, he began to chase my father down the highway hurling every obscenity he could think of. To try to stop and reason with him was definitely out of the question. To make matters worse, he then tried to drive my father off the road. Only by some clever maneuvering on my father's part was he able to elude the other driver. He felt lucky to have escaped without any material injury to himself or the automobile.

Afterwards he reflected on the incident and why it occurred. From the other driver's perspective, he obviously felt my father had wronged him, even though commonsense and a clearly marked road sign proved otherwise. His perception of the situation had no basis in reality. In his mind, he was right and my father was wrong, and acted accordingly. It was this little episode that inspired the concept of "Homo Sapien Asshole" and the basis for this essay. As illustrated by the other driver, human beings become assholes when their perception of reality is inconsistent with others and act abnormally. We have all encountered Homo Sapien Assholes at various points of our lives; sometimes we get hurt, sometimes we survive. Or, even more frightening, perhaps we were the ones instigating the problem. So, look upon this work as a "Survival Guide" to understand the nature of the beast and how to deal with it.

So what exactly is a Homo Sapien Asshole? Is it something we intuitively know or does it have identifiable characteristics? Actually is not as abstract of a concept as you might think. Although the word is often used to curse another person, we shouldn't necessarily take offense to it, after all we are all HSAs at different points in our lives, some more so than others though. The trick is to get by with a minimum number of occurrences.

DEFINITION - a person who acts in a seemingly absurd manner towards others based on their erroneous perception of reality either for personal gain or to react to a situation.

Our perception of reality dictates our actions. For example, we dress according to how we believe the weather will be; if we believe it will be cold, we will wear a warm coat. But if our perception is wrong, that the weather is actually quite hot and humid, wearing a warm coat would be considered a foolish decision. A false perception of reality is one of the underpinnings of HSA and can be caused by such things as attention deficit disorder (easily distracted), or by our own sense of worth (ego).

Having worked in the computer field for a number of years I can tell you authoritatively if the input is wrong, everything else that follows will be wrong. Even if a computer's processing logic is correct, the resulting output will be wrong. The human being is no different. Even if we have competent mental faculties, if we do not perceive a situation correctly, we will act incorrectly.

So, what influences our perceptions? Our human senses (predominantly sight and sound) coupled with our attention to detail. In our "Road Rage" example mentioned earlier, the other driver failed to see the yield sign and only saw a Cadillac pass in front of him. Consequently, he leapt to the wrong conclusion and took the wrong remedy. Sometimes we deliberately block our perception of reality due to ignorance or preconceived assumptions. In other words, we "tune out" and listen to only what we want to listen to. In the first O.J. Simpson trial for example, the prosecution presented some compelling evidence as to his guilt. This went in one ear of the jury, and out the other. Instead, they saw him as an unfair victim of a prejudicial police force and consequently acquitted him.

One exception to this is in the area of foreign translation. If we try to converse in a language we are not proficient in, we may not properly understand what is being said. In this situation, the person is not a HSA, just simply misguided. For example, I once had a visiting Australian ask me in the office for a "rubber"; whereas he was actually asking for an eraser, I knew it as a prophylactic, hence confusion. The same phenomenon is true observing the local customs in a foreign country, e.g., dressing inappropriately or how we conduct ourselves. These are simply innocent mistakes.

If our perceptions are correct, yet we do not have the mental faculties to process them accordingly, as in a mentally challenged individual, that person is not an HSA, just incompetent. Therefore, the HSA is a mentally competent person who either accidentally or deliberately doesn't understand their surrounding reality. From this viewpoint, animals cannot be HSA's. In fact, the designation "Homo Sapien" is a clear indication only people can be assholes. Some may argue their pets are assholes. This cannot be true since they are not graced with the adequate brain power to reach logical conclusions and are easily deceived.

Alcoholism and drug abuse are no excuses for being an asshole. In fact, it heightens your ability to become one. Assholes do some of their best work when under the influence.

One must ask when are we old enough to become a HSA? Do infants qualify? No. An infant is totally dependent on others and excused for any accidents they may cause. Only when a person gains consciousness and begins to think for him/herself can he/she become a HSA. An infant has no preconceived notions and, therefore, cannot act upon them.

Is being an asshole hereditary? As much as we would like to think it is in the genes, it is not. Being a HSA is learned behavior we pick up from our contemporaries.

So what are the characteristics of a HSA? How do we know when someone is acting like one, even our self? First, a HSA is not restricted to any socioeconomic class. We can find them in all walks of life, in all cultures, all over the world. The following is a list of common characteristics of a HSA and are not in any particular order:

* When we try to talk authoritatively about something we know nothing about, e.g., "bullshit".

* We use abusive language to berate another, particularly when they don't deserve it.

* We make change simply for the sake of change. Even worse, not changing when times dictate you should do otherwise.

* We jump to conclusions without learning all of the facts. The press is notorious for shaping public opinion by carefully controlling the dissemination of information. People act according to what they know; if they do not know the facts, they may make erroneous decisions.

* When you cut someone off to suit your whims, either in traffic or a conversation. There is a general lack of courtesy today which is greatly affecting our interpersonal relations.

* When you have huge egos with little regard for others (aka the "I am God" complex). This includes pseudo-experts who think they know everything, and you know nothing. Dictators also fall into this category, be it a government, company, or nonprofit organization. These are people who zealously exert their will over their constituents because they have little regard for them. HSAs do not like to have their authority challenged.

* They viciously slander someone's integrity for personal gain. It has become common in politics and our legal system to vilify or demean a person when the other person takes an opposing viewpoint. The intent is not to just win an argument, but to humiliate and control your opponent.

* When a person has risen above the level of their competency and, instead of seeking guidance or help, pretends to know what they are doing.

* Lastly, HSAs tend to rationalize their actions. They are never at fault and blame others for their mistakes. Very few people today are willing to admit they made a mistake and assume responsibility. When was it ever a crime to admit "I screwed up?" Again, this is ego related.

WHEN IS IT NECESSARY TO BE A HSA?

Sometimes it becomes necessary to be an asshole. Two examples come to mind; First, when you are cornered in a situation, you can conveniently become an asshole to cloud an issue. A vintage example of this was President Clinton's infamous deposition in the Paula Jones case; "It depends on what you mean by 'Is'" - a classic. Becoming a HSA can be a clever tactic to distract people from the real issue at hand.

The second example, is to use assholeism as a means to motivate people to work harder. When you cannot get your subordinates to do their work properly, it sometimes becomes necessary to rant and rave (aka "browbeating").

You can only justify acting like this when you want to get your way. Regardless, you are still a HSA.

HOW TO DEAL WITH A HSA

Okay, you have a HSA in front of you. What do you do? Don't panic. Reasoning with a HSA is out of the question since they believe their point of view is the only one that is valid. You have only two alternatives: walk away from them (and let cooler minds prevail) or become a HSA yourself and do battle accordingly. Regrettably, it is this latter alternative which has led to many court cases and wars.

Automobiles and HSA naturally go hand-in-hand. You are either driving badly or the other person is. Everyone has a different viewpoint on the open road and everyone believes theirs is the most important; from the retired spinster who can barely see over the steering wheel, to the kid who weaves through traffic like a kamikaze on his motorcycle, to the soccer mom who pays more attention to her cell phone than the road, to the guy running at breakneck speed to keep an appointment, to the delivery man who waddles through traffic and double-parks, etc. The variety of driving personalities inevitably will cause a HSA incident to occur on a routine basis. You can bet on it. Pity the traffic cops who have to deal with it.

Love also seems to bring out the asshole in us, whether it be during courtship or competing for the attention of another. How many times have we done something stupid to impress another? Too many. Divorce results when our perspectives change and we suddenly wake up next to an asshole. There should be some sort of mandatory test to check compatibility prior to wedlock; e.g., review comparable values, goals, and maturity. It would sure save us a lot of aggravation (and money) later on.

If you have become a full time HSA, it is difficult to become a real person again. Arrogance has a lot to do with it; it propels the ego; lose the arrogance and you are on the road to becoming a recovered assaholic.

And for those of you wondering, Yes, I too have been an HSA and, no doubt, I will screw up again in the future for which I apologize in advance. Admitting you have a problem is the first step towards recovery.

NEW eBOOK: THE BRYCE IS RIGHT!

Folks, we've just released a new book on management entitled, "The Bryce is Right! Empowering Managers in today's Corporate Culture." This is a frank and candid description of the state of the art in management and includes essays on the problems in management today, along with some pragmatic advice on how to deal with them. Basically, this is a condensed course in management. As such, it is suited for managers, either those aspiring to become a manager or for those who need a refresher course. It will also be of interest to young people entering the work force, and is excellent for college curriculums.

Bill Dominguez of Ecocentric Strategies in San Francisco calls it, "A breath of fresh air in the polluted ether of Silicon Valley management."

John Lusa of Dayton says it is "Well written and has tons of good ideas on management."

And Pat O'Callaghan of Philadelphia says, "If you don't want to manage right. Do not read this book. The book contains philosophies that are universal and fundamental."

The price is just $20 plus tax. For more information on our book or to order on-line, see:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/bryce1.htm

We have also just produced a new one-day training program of the same name. For more information on both the eBook and course, please visit our web site at:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/bryce1.htm

IN OUR "DOWN THE ROAD" SECTION

The Society for Information Management will be holding their SIMposium 2006 on September 17-20 at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas. For information, contact SIM headquarters in Chicago at 312/527-6734

The International Institute of Business Analysis will be holding their Business Analyst World conference at the Boston Marriott in Burlington, MA on October 30th through November 2nd. This will be followed by a similar meeting in Chicago, IL at the Crowne Plaza O'Hare on November 13th - 16th. For information contact the IIBA at 888/443-6786 x 228 or visit their web site at: http://iiba.com/

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

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.

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "JUNK MAIL"

As many of you know, my father passed away in January of last year. Its now a year and a half later and I'm still surprised by how much junk mail is still being sent to him. We've of course canceled his subscriptions, changed his accounts, and notified the proper authorities. Nonetheless, it seems the more we try to get him off of mailing lists, the more junk mail he seems to get.

This caused me to look for some statistics regarding junk mail which I found from the Center for a New American Dream (CNAD), a Maryland-based nonprofit organization. According to the group:

* 5.6 million tons of catalogs and other direct mail advertisements end up in U.S. landfills annually.

* The average American household receives unsolicited junk mail equal to 1.5 trees every year - more than 100 million trees for all U.S. households combined.

* 44 percent of junk mail is thrown away unopened, but only half of all junk mail (22 percent) is recycled.

* Americans pay $370 million annually to dispose of junk mail that doesn’t get recycled.

* On average, Americans spend 8 months opening junk mail in the course of their lives.

Spam e-mail is one thing; you can at least hit the delete key to eliminate it. But this paper junk mail has gotten out of control. I wish there was a simple way to address this problem. Unfortunately there isn't. You'd think there was a clearing house on the web to eliminate junk mail. Perhaps the closest to this is the exuberance.com web site I found, although this requires you to mail in labels.

The one piece of junk mail I recently received for my father was a Master Card application offering 2.99% interest for LIFE. I found this rather amusing.

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 essay entitled, "The Bryce is Right! The Lost Chapter."
Bob writes:

"We tried implementing a Project Management system a few years ago and encountered great resistance from the programmers who didn't like to report their time. How do you handle such problems?"

Thanks Bob for your note,

I've seen this time and again with programmers who consider themselves to be free spirits. First, I would remind them that other professionals keep track of their time, such as lawyers and accountants. Second, I explain to them that they would be participating in the estimating process. In other words, they would be reporting against estimates they themselves made. This is all a part of making them involved in the planning process and holding them accountable for their time. Finally, I tell them that I'm not going to supervise them, they are going to supervise themselves. Its a bit of a departure from what they are use to, but if pitched right, you can achieve the results you are looking for.

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

NEW "PRIDE" eBOOK & AUDIO BOOK

We're pleased to announce the release of a new book on our "PRIDE" Methodologies for IRM. Actually, we've created two versions of the same book, an eBook version (in PDF format), and an Audio Book (in MP3 format). Both compliment the Internet version available through our corporate web site. The eBook version is 363 pages in length and includes full tutorials on Enterprise Engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Base Engineering, and Project Management, complete with examples and a quick navigation to guide you through the book. The Audio Book is an abridged version which includes over nine hours of audio. The eBook version is priced at $49 plus tax, the Audio Book is priced at $54 plus tax, and a discounted packaged price for both is $93 plus tax. The book is excellent for both corporate developers as well as at the university level where it complements a college curriculum.

Summers Hagerman of Cincinnati says, "This book provides management with a complete set of powerful tools for managing the largest information systems projects."

Check it out at:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pridebk.htm

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

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.

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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