February 24, 2008 • 11:13 pm
I just got back from a weekend in DC, and in honor of a good friends birthday on Saturday I went out straight from the bus on Friday night. Had a yummy Thai meal in Rockville, then decided to go play pool @ Orange Ball Billiards. Now, little was I to know that OBB was the hippest night spot in suburban MD. Cops, private security, pat downs, not allowed to bring sunglasses inside, a “velvet rope” (that was like an airport barrier), HUGE bouncers, scantily clad waitresses, and 80’s dance craze mashups. OMG, it was like I was 21 again, but this time in Rockville! I haven’t been carded or frisked at any NYC bars! Anyway, had a great night, playing pool as an excuse to stay up late and wish in Lyuda’s birthday … happy $$th birthday dude! I’ll never forget our birthday frisking!
Filed under: other people , drinks, frisking, pool, rockville, sunglasses
I have had several discussions with friends of mine of late that have given me considerable pause. Like many of the folks I know, I’m want to spout ill considered sound bites from the left regarding the current situation in Iraq and US’s part in it. A good friend of mine said “We’re not qualified to comment on what’s going on in Iraq, the US is not at war in Iraq, the Marine Corp, the Army, the USAF, they are at war”. It made me think, he’s right (as ever). You and I are likely not feeling the deep seated fear, patriotism, or need to volunteer to fight in another country to help resolve the humanitarian suffering. Our armed forces are doing something about it (for right or wrong).
Another friend of mine has just been deployed (you can follow along his blog at SgtGrumpy). I think he puts it best at the end of this post School yourself about the surge :
If you are against the war, or for the war, please get literate on the reality, take time to read (TV doesn’t count) before you open your mouth. As a fighting man, I believe I can ask that much of you, those who I would kill and die for to keep safe.
I have not done enough reading or thinking to qualify as someone who can comment … have you?
Filed under: USA, government, other people
December 15, 2006 • 12:55 am
Well ’tis the season and all that, unlike our sales guy David, I’ve only been to a couple of Holiday parties. Coming from New Zealand it is difficult to adjust to “Holiday” not “Christmas” as the season … silly PC country I live in now. First up was my client’s Holiday party which included more tha 150 people crammed into two conference rooms made for about 40 and many people hanging out in the halls. Food was good and the atmosphere was surprisingly good despite the optempo of the week (You will have read about my client all over the news last week).
Then the real fun began … my companies Holiday party: fire breathers, a lady with a python, bell dancers, sword swallowers, beautiful consultants in evening gowns and cocktail atire, oh and me! As usual Sharine decided to stay home and baby sit, while I went out and cut loose with the crew. I had a blast, chatting, practicing being a social butterfly, shaking my fonky groove thing, and taking a couple of Vanilla Stoli shots off the ICE luge (pictures at 11)!
Happy holidays everyone!
Filed under: happenings, other people
December 2, 2006 • 10:29 pm
Got a call from Jan today, oh it was nice to hear her voice. It sound’s like the plans for the wedding are in full swing, but they can’t decide n a honeymoon! Dougie Fresh just finished his officers training course over in Oz, and they are off to Melbourne for Christmas. Only about 7 weeks until we fly over to attend their wedding.
A great group of people will be at the wedding and it looks like I’ll be giving Jan away and saying something at the reception. Speech time! Wow … been a while since anyone asked me to write anything non work related!
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Filed under: New Zealand, happenings, other people
August 23, 2006 • 8:10 am
So last night I had dinner with my friend, mentor, boss, VP, confessor, and executive guide. He is transitioning (polite consulting term for being ushered out) to a new role back in Boston. The order of those qualifiers for him has changed regularly over our more than 2 year history of working together. I was walking from Farragut North Metro to the office this morning (a very nice 7 block walk through the not too humid DC morning) thinking about what I’ve learned a lot from Mike over these 2 years. Here are my highlights:
- To be an effective executive you must focus on the big picture and not sweat the small stuff - I struggle with this one to this day because I feel I do not have a strong command of the business, just the content of what I do (this is probably a fallacy, but it’s how I feel).
- You must give and receive feedback to truly grow – my coach and I had several really intense session of feedback while trying to work out how to work with each other, keeping each other honest is critical to an effective mentoring relationship
- You must take time to think about your peers – not just talk to them, not just netowrk with them, but look for the small iota of value you can offer them without expecting anything in return. Sometimes the things my coach brought to the table appeared small but had a major impact on who I am and how I work
- Here’s an example: after agonizing that I didn’t understand my client position, I couldn’t plan forward without understaing it better, my coach asked me “Why don’t you ask your client directly?”! I was so wrapped up in over analyzing the politics I forgot the number one rule of relationships and sales: ask questions, listen to your clients.
- Think like a CEO – I am busy planning for the next government fiscal year and the strategy for my account (many things are changing). My coach encouraged me to think like the CEO of a company, not a Director in a BU. That way you’lll feel empowered to make big decisions, then ask forgiveness not permission. If you fall into the permission trap you may never get anything done!
- Never forget your family - The things you learn, talk about, teach at work can just as easily apply to your family, don’t fall into the trap of “comfortableness” with either work or your famiy life. You never get a second shot at briging up your kids, or having a happy and harmonious life.
There are many other things my coach told me, I’ll obviously still keep in touch, but distance changes mentoring relationships … I wish him all the best and look forward to braving the road ahead.
Filed under: consulting, mentoring, other people, personal improvement
So here's the nasty secret … I'm lazy, really lazy! While I've been slowly adopting the best practices from David Allen's Getting Things Done, I am really not quite the convert yet. My friend Chris has been railing on me about Yak Shaving, and while I am the consumate Yak Shaver (constantly tweaking my system etc etc etc), I have been struggling with effective change. But I think I've found the secret, it's so stupid you'll all kick me when you hear it …
Only I can change myself! Ok, ok, ok, I know stupid revelation, some would say not much of a revelation at all, but I've been searching for the right system to "automagically" change me … it just won't happen. I think this is a crux point from the 20's into the mid 30's of life, realizing you are in total control, no-one else will do it for you, and trying to learn ways to make it happen. So today I'm starting down a different path: I'm planning my daily review (GTD style), and committing to a weekly review (real GTD style, including brain sweeps, inbox dumps, 50,000' -> 10,000' planning, and project planning).
So there, I've declared … I'll let you know how this progresses …
<homer voice>
stupid growing up ... be more funny
</homervoice>
Filed under: Getting Things Done, consulting, other people
March 20, 2006 • 10:08 am
When i was growing up, I recall the trips to the toy store in New Zealand very well. I remember the tiny hobby and craft store in Green Island, near my grandparents house. Walking the two isles very slowly (hand behind my back so as not to touch/break anything I’d have to then buy). Waves of imagination and whimsy on which toy I might buy next, how I might employ it, imagining the wonderful things I’d do. The choices were very limited: model airplanes, trains, puzzles, playing cards, Meccano, toy soldiers and a few sundry tidbits.
My question is this: today a toy store is a veritable play ground with hundreds of options, many of the not creative at all. I wonder what this does for our kids imagination? When i was growing up I very much had to “make do” with what we could afford. This fostered significant creativity. Now days, it’s more a question of “what I want” more than “how will I use my other toys”. What do you think? Have you seen a difference in how your kids are growing up compared to yourself? What might we do about it? I try to stay engaged with my kids, prompt them to create imaginary scenarios with what they have. Will that be enough? I think we need to be vigilant to ensure our kids keep imagining and creating things, not just consuming “edutainment” 
Filed under: New Zealand, happenings, other people
February 8, 2006 • 3:37 pm
Yesterday I spent most of the day with my friend Chris who is looking to create a new strategy for his company. The change that has come over him is quite remarkable. Last year he had looked like the employee of a small firm, yesterday he looked like the CEO of an up and coming company! He has been able to create a company strategy, hire a developer, become fluent in business practices, and has begun planning for something grand!
Unfortunately the weather has been very Dunedin. Cool, a little wet and not very American summery at all. The kids have been to the beach and have been outside for a few days but yesterday we could feel the cabin fever cutting in. Luckily Nana saved the day with a big bubble bath Nothing like bubbles to completely change your outlook on life!
Back at the office it looks like our client loved the workshop and it far exceeded his expectations. The work Sarah did was phenomenal … any idiot with a funny accent can facilitate if they talk loud enough, but Sarah was the one with the content and the problem solving skills we needed to structure and build the workshop itself.
Filed under: New Zealand, happenings, other people
January 18, 2006 • 4:48 pm
I stumbled across this post on a million monkeys typing that really outlines a couple of things I’ve observed both with myself and my kids. As we get older our attention span shortens, I am personally struggling with internalizing the things I read, while I am great at finding them … it’s “learning them” that I struggle with. I read fast and don’t process well. I am exploring using some quiet time and using a new note taking method (paper, pencil, maybe Cornell) away from the distraction of a glowing screen.
With my kids their focus is competely different, Kylie is the focus machine, Hunter is the goldfish. I don’t know if that will change over time, or if this is something they have already (at 4 and 2) learnt.
Filed under: Getting Things Done, other people
January 14, 2006 • 9:00 pm
So this blog is fast turnign in to a restaurant review. This weekend (after much deliberation and planning) we finally met Mel’s friends Nate and Fatima and their wee son Ben. We all met at Jaleo in Bethesda and had a whale of a time. Ben is a sweetheart, and Nate and Fatima are great people. Unfortunately both Sharine and Jeff couldn’t make it 
We chit chatted about all the usual DC things, location, commutes, the Redskins, and of course the cosmopolitan nature of DC. However, we soon discovered that the kids quickly took most of our attention. Nate and Fatima seem like great people, he works at SRA and Fatima is an attorney for HUD. I think I’ll try to hook up with Nate for lunch sometime (if I ever make it back to Arlington) and chat about life in DC. Anyways, the food at Jaleo was as wonderful as ever and we totally pigged out on the Fixe Prixe Restaurant Menu. The funny thing is that the relatively limited choices on the restaurant week menu made things a lot easier to choose!
Filed under: happenings, kids, other people
