December 29, 2008

"PRIDE"-DBEM - PHASE 1 - DATA BASE STUDY & EVALUATION (SPECIAL)

This is Part XXII in our series on the "PRIDE" Methodologies for IRM. In this edition we describe the activities of Phase 1, "Data Base Study & Evaluation" in the "PRIDE"-Data Base Engineering Methodology (DBEM).

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

NEXT UP: Phase 2, "Application Logical DB Design" of the "PRIDE"-Data Base Engineering Methodology (DBEM).

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...

"Data is stored; Information is produced."

"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 "WHAT'S WRONG WITH A LITTLE DISCIPLINE?"

Caroline Haynes is my new hero. A lot of you may be saying "Who the heck is Caroline Haynes?", particularly those of you outside of the United Kingdom, but Ms. Haynes is a school principal who recently caught the attention of the press when she started to implement strict discipline in the classroom. I've never had the pleasure of actually meeting Ms. Haynes, but I have been doing a lot of reading about her recently. She is with the Tendring Technology College in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, UK, a secondary school which, when translated to the American equivalent, is a private school for children ages 11-19.

What makes her story interesting is that she adopted a zero-tolerance policy on student discipline at her school under the premise that bad behavior effects the culture of learning. She is quoted as saying, "It stands to reason that a lax policy on discipline will result in increased bad behaviour."

Whereas government policy encourages more tolerance in terms of youth discipline, Ms. Haynes has adopted an opposing policy that has resulted in 478 suspensions in one year at a school with 1,880 pupils (25%). Currently, she is averaging two suspensions every day for bad behavior. Swearing at teachers, classroom disruptions, drugs, fighting, and bad attitudes are simply not tolerated. Her tactics may sound somewhat radical in a permissive society, but you cannot deny her results. Since cracking down on discipline, student passing rates jumped from 48% to 74%, a substantial increase. Ms. Haynes said, "Our policy immediately bore fruit. Exam results have soared. I'm very proud."

For full test results at Tendring, click HERE.

Now, instead of adversarial relationships and tension in the classroom, students are free to concentrate on their studies and are improving noticeably. Now for the kicker; I'm told students like the discipline and prefer it over chaos. This is consistent with what I have been saying that people tend to thrive in a structured environment that is well organized and leadership is strong, whether it is in school or in business. It eliminates distractions thereby allowing people to focus and be more productive. Further, it brings consistency to work products and promotes craftsmanship. People not only need a little discipline, they actually prefer operating in such a manner which improves communications and gives them a sense of direction.

You have heard me say we need some real heroes these days, people to be emulated. Well, Ms. Haynes is one that gets my vote. In an age where discipline is spurned, she offers tangible proof of the benefits that can be derived from a little law and order in our daily lives.

For more information on Ms. Haynes, see the following TELEGRAPH story or THE INDEPENDENT story.

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 "Crud":

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

"Reading this and nodding my head at all the piles of crud I have surrounding me. Years ago I picked up a tip and have tried sticking to it. For everything you decide you must keep two other items must go. If not for this rule I would not be able to find my front door. Even so the crud still piles up."

A D.T. of Raleigh, Norh Carolina wrote...

"I am a hobbyist and tinkerer. I love gadgets, cars, and such. My garage is full of odds and ends - old electronics and what-not that may work (or may not) and have very limited (if any) actual future value - not monetary, but usefulleness or potential for usefullness. A loft in my garage is full of odd lengths of lumber - 2x4s, trim wood, moulding, etc. I have bins full of peices of metal - angle iron, square and round tubing, flat stock, etc. Drawers full of nuts, bolts, washers, and more containers (oh how I love containers!) - margerine tubs, coffee cans, jars... Some of this, I think, stems from growing up not having much - I feel very hesitant to part with anything, with the looming concern that 'if' we ever need it again, we'll be forced to purchase a whole new one (if we can even find such an artifact)! I know that many people raised around the depression or WWII generation (rationing, devastation after the war, etc.) have similar hoarding habits, when allowed to do so. I was born in 1970, so I don't have those inclinations necessarily, but it may have been influence from my grandparents, who raised me for much of my childhood. I need to clean out my garage (as well as my house) of all this 'crud' but that nagging voice in my head keeps telling me: 'what if you might need it?' and admonishes me: 'you never know...'"

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.

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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