October 13, 2008

"PRIDE"-ISEM PHASE 2 - SYSTEM DESIGN (SPECIAL)

This is Part XI in our series on the "PRIDE" Methodologies for IRM. In this edition we provide a description of the concepts and philosophies used in the "PRIDE"-Information Systems Engineering Methodology (ISEM).

The full text for this section can be obtained by clicking: HERE.

NEXT UP: Phase 3 of the "PRIDE"-Information Systems Engineering Methodology (ISEM), Sub-System Design.

If you would like to discuss this with me in more depth, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail.

Keep the faith!

OUR BRYCE'S LAW OF THE WEEK therefore is...

"Only when the Systems Engineer can walk in the moccasins of the user does the engineer have a right to design a system for the user."

"MORPHING INTO THE REAL WORLD"

Friends, be sure to check out our book entitled, "MORPHING INTO THE REAL WORLD - A Handbook for Entering the Work Force" which is a survival guide for young people as they transition into adult life.

Bonnie Wooding, the President of the Toronto Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) said, "Many of our members are just starting their careers and I will be recommending that they read this book, especially Chapter 3, Professional Development - a primer for business skills and filled with basic common sense advice that is simple, easy to follow and extraordinarily practical; and Chapter 5, Do’s and Don’ts of the Workplace, an excellent resource for those questions you are too embarrassed to ask for fear of looking foolish."

The Miami Hurricane recently reviewed it (10/22/2007) and said,

"the abundance of information the book provides is a good start for anyone about to take the first step into the real world. Though the concept of adulthood may seem intimidating, it's comforting to know that someone has at least written a guidebook for it."

Reviewer Bill Petrey praised it by saying, "Every young person entering the workplace for the first time should be given a copy of this book."

The book includes chapters to describe how a young person should organize themselves, how to adapt to the corporate culture, develop their career, and improve themselves professionally and socially. Basically, its 208 pages of good sound advice to jump start the young person into the work force. Corporate Human Resource departments will also find this book useful for setting new hires on the right track in their career. It not only reinforces the many formal rules as contained in corporate policy manuals, but also includes the subtle unwritten rules we must all observe while working with others. The book lists for $25 and can be ordered online through MBA or your local book store. Complementing the book is a one day seminar of the same name which can be purchased separately for $4,000.00 (U.S.) plus instructor travel expenses. For more information on both the book and the seminar, visit our corporate web site at: http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/morph.htm
ISBN: 978-0-9786182-5-4

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "FEEL GOOD" TYPES

I recently attended a management seminar in my neck of the woods. I don't want to mention any names here but the speaker represented a consortium of consultants who specialized in a variety of subjects, such as business process improvement, tax laws, planning, technical writing, etc. The person making the pitch specialized in "life coaching" which, as I gathered, offered the same type of advice a good parent, guidance counselor or mentor would.

I judged the speaker to be in his mid-to-late 30's and was very preppy in dress. He tried the usual speaker stunts to stimulate the audience, such as saying, "How many of you has had this happen to you? Can I see a show of hands?" He also passed out prizes if you answered a question correctly, which made people look like trained seals being rewarded for tooting the horn and clapping. In addition to his histrionics, he was an entertaining speaker and used a good multimedia presentation to support his points. After awhile though, it became apparent there was little substance in his presentation, but you were supposed to go away feeling good about yourself, the consultant's service, and a possible business relationship.

After the seminar I ran into a couple of the attendees outside in the parking lot and asked them what they took away from the pitch. They both replied, "Not much," but they sure felt good about themselves. (I even thought I heard them humming "Kumbaya" as they walked away).

I've always wondered how speakers who offered more baloney than a delicatessen survived, but I've got a feeling they do quite well for themselves. Frankly, I don't think people want to know the truth and would much rather be entertained. Truth is often sacrificed for panaceas which the public seems to thrive on. After all, why exercise and diet properly when a little pill will cause you to lose weight instead? It should come as no small wonder that a lot of snake-oil has been sold over the years. It seems the public will buy anything if we pitch it with slick talk and make people feel good about themselves. In other words, tell the audience what they want to hear, not what they need to know.

People tend to resent brutal frankness - it may be correct, it may be something that needs to be said despite the political ramifications involved, but people just plain and simply have a hard time dealing with reality and prefer living in a surrealistic comic book world instead.

Years ago we were contracted to study the problems of an information systems department for a large Midwest life insurance company. We studied the group carefully and impartially, gathered the facts, and presented our conclusions to the board of directors. We didn't sugarcoat anything and told the executives precisely what the problems were and how to rectify them. The executives went into a bit of a state of shock as they had previously believed everything was running smoothly in their systems department. It wasn't. They didn't exactly like what we had to tell them, but they listened and to their credit acted on the information. Despite this, we were never asked back due to the embarrassing snafus we uncovered.

The point is, you can only be conned if you allow yourself to be conned. "Feel Good" speakers may be entertaining, but beware of their facade and seek substance instead. Politicians are very hip to this and use "feel good" to maximum effect. But if the upcoming presidential elections are as important as everyone seems to think they are, we need more of a reality check than to just "feel good." But will the public listen? We'll find out in November. Probably not.

Such is my Pet Peeve of the Week.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

"BRYCE'S PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK"

Folks, a couple of years ago I started to include my "Pet Peeve of the Week" in these "Management Visions" podcasts. They have become so popular that I now syndicate them through the Internet and they are available for republication in other media. To this end, I have created a separate web page for my writings which you can find at phmainstreet.com Look for the section, "The Bryce is Right!" Hope you enjoy them.

Also, if you happen to be in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, be sure to stop by and check out our new Palm Harbor Business OASIS, a new business venue offering local business people a place to meet, work, network, and relax. Why pay a lot for leasing office space when you can become a member of the OASIS for as little as $100/month? For more information, visit our web site at: http://www.phboasis.com/

AND FINALLY...

I received the following e-mail regarding my Pet Peeve on "Complications":

An L.T. in Fall River, Massachusetts wrote...

"I agree that technology should improve our lives, not make it more complicated. I was ashamed that I never learned how to program the VCR. I got over that. Now I do not know how to even turn the television off correctly, find the programs I like to watch or even memorize which station is which. We have not one but three remotes for our main television set and I am oblivious as to which one controls which function. The good news is since I can never quite figure out what station I want I now just leave the television off. Reading a book is easier, no buttons to push."

An S.G. in Mt. Vernon, Illinois wrote...

"You got up to FIVE stations? Wow. Lucky! We got the three networks, but with one or another never coming in very well - usually it was whichever one you wanted to watch. On really good days we could pull in the PBS station in a really grainy way. And that was with an antenna on a tower with a rotor to control it. You must have been a town kid."

I received the following e-mails from my "Pet Peeve" entitled, "The Attributes of a Tough Task Master":

An M.B. in Clearwater, Florida wrote...

"Your article this week really filled my tank and gave me energy. I can really relate to your article today. I just took on a new training consulting assignment and realized that I am filling the task of the 'poor slob'. Got a call on a Thursday, to be at a client's site on Friday morning. It seems they need someone that can prepare and deliver 70 hrs of training two weeks from now. However, all the students are non citizens, from India and are hard to communicate with. So guess who got the job to deliver for these people. Hopefully I can, but will see. It's crunch time, and gotta run. Great Article as always. Just me the 'poor slob', trying to save face for usual 'postpone, delay, and put off until its almost too late' to save face with the client and its customers."

Again, thanks for your comments. For these and other comments, please visit my "Bryce is Right!" web site.

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.

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 © 2008 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