School officially begins for me tomorrow, and I’m dutifully procrastinating the completion of some of the required reading. I’ve finished reading all of the prep materials, as well as some additional reading, except for the elusive first four chapters of the Jolly text.

Actually, I’ve managed to “complete” the first two chapters, and hope to finish chapters 3 and 4 before I pass out some time this evening. But I’m not expecting much. It took me well over a week to complete the first chapter, and I honestly couldn’t tell you what it is about. During that same week, I finished several whole books, incorporated a business, took care of my son, travelled, visited friends, made dinner several nights, twiddled my thumbs, and otherwise occupied myself. Yet it was torture finishing one single chapter…

The book is incredibly thick (literally and figuratively) and probably uses every single word in an unabridged thesaurus—only once, mind you, Jolly seems to be the type of writer to never use the same word twice. Single sentences are so muddled with jargon and heady words that I literally have to take them one word at a time, simply to complete the sentence in my head, and then again to figure out what has been said. I’m exaggerating a little, but overall, the book has been a big disappointment. I really hope to finish it (such an achievement is looking bleak at this point) as I would really like to give it full review. We shall see…

I am looking forward to tomorrow—to beginning the program, as well as meeting everyone else who will be completing it—and truly hope to bring as many nuggets as possible back from the experience to this blog. We shall see about that too…

I’m off to attempt to finish the Jolly reading. (If I don’t post here for several days, I’m still in the deep sleep the text might very well put me into.)

TAGS: MBA | Business

Here’s a very, very disturbing statistic: “93% of all American households have shopped at Wal*Mart at least once during the last 12 months.” (from Brand Autopsy). When I read that statistic, I was both somewhat amazed and quite disgusted. And then I realized something. I was part of the problem.

Last November, suffering from sleep deprivation and general disorientation from our arrival to Puerta Vallarta the evening before, my wife and I found ourselves walking a few miles from our hotel in search of breakfast. We eventually found VIPS, an excellent Denny’s-esque Mexican restaurant (tortas, huevos and coffee!), shuddering in the shadow of Puerta Vallarta’s Wal*Mart. Needing sundries, as well as some small change for a cab ride back to our hotel, we went the only place that was available to us at the time. And yes, I’m ashamed.

It was both gargantuan and grotesque, and also lacking in most of the stuff we normally buy. Plopped out on the major road that runs parallel to the coast, it stands out as a cold, pudgy foreigner in an otherwise warm and friendly place. I am happy to say that that was the first visit I have ever made to a Wal*Mart, as well as the last.

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What is it about Wal*Mart that makes it a location at which 93% of American families would open their wallets (is there anything else to do during a “visit”?)? If such a majority will spend money there at least once a year, then perhaps it is the minority that is really off their rockers. If 93% of US families want big-business, union-busting, wage-suppressing, sweat shop-supporting companies to dot the national (and international) landscape, who am I to say that there is something wrong with that? (Well, as noted, apparently I am unfortunately lumped into that statistic).

But maybe all of the 93% were wandering around some foreign country at 7 in the morning, hungry, tired, not used to all of the exhaust coming from passing traffic, and simply in need of a few apples, sun screen and some agua. Maybe.

TAGS: Wal*Mart | Unions | Walton | Corporation

Is there a limit to too much diversity in a company’s product and service offerings?

Rumors are circulating (B2DAY & SiliconBeat) that Google is gearing up to launch Google Finance. Why? For a good old fashion joust with Yahoo! Finance of course. It’s not enough that the Big G has gone head to head with the Big Y! on pretty much everything else so far…if one is to dominate the world, one must have a financial portal.

But honestly, is it really necessary for Google to continue to branch out? News, email, shopping, and a host of other features dot the offerings of this once minimalistic and simple-yet-powerful search engine. When do we talk about brand dilution? About overcommitment? About the fact that a slightly more 2005-era design treatment to the Big G’s properties might be more welcome than simply one more financial portal, which really only saves me the effort of dropping down that finance.yahoo.com bookmark…

TAGS: Google | Yahoo! | Finance | Websites

Check out this pretty interesting concept for a sustainable house (powered by spinach, of all things) that I found on business2blog.com. The house is not only sustainable from the energy it produces from its spinach factory, it’s edible too.

Here’s a blurb about how the process works from the C2C site (sponsored the contest in which the spinach house won first place):

Energy is neither created nor destroyed. It is collected and returned. This design utilizes timeless passive solar strategies by shielding unwanted summer sun and absorbing heat from low winter sun through its thermal mass. Active solar collection provides the main source of necessary electrical energy. The core extends vertically, clad with a super-conductive photosynthetic plasma cell skin that is able to generate 200% more electrical voltage per area than contemporary photovoltaics. Building on current research involving extracted spinach protein, this living skin is photosynthetic and phototropic it grows and follows the path of the sun, generating electricity in excess of single family needs. Excess power is distributed to neighboring homes and street lighting infrastructure.

Pretty sweet stuff. Or bitter—I’ve never been a big fan of spinach, raw or cooked. But I might like it more if it were pumping clean juice into my appliances…

TAGS: Environment | Energy | Photosynthetic | Solar

I’m getting more and more used to this whole “Father” role and hope that Caleb is doing the same as “Son”. It has been somewhat of a rough ride this week as somehow Caleb has been getting pretty nasty bouts of gas, but primarily only late at night. Monday night (well, Tuesday morning), found me still up at 3am, and up for good at 5am. Two hours of sleep is better than none, I suppose…

I’ve started to wonder what 6 or 7 hours of solid sleep really feels like. I should have been less cavalier when all of those veteran parents said to get as much sleep as possible. Harumph! Always in hindsight.

I guess the above doesn’t have much to do with, “Take Your Son to Work Day.” Well, oddly, it does. I’m actually being quite productive, despite the fact that the clock is indicating it’s almost a quarter past one in the morning. And yes, Caleb is sleeping right here with me. In fact, we’ve been doing this almost every night. It seems to be a critical part of our relationship building (I hope he enjoys it as much as I do), as well as one of the periods of the evening that my wife actually sleeps soundly.

Every night, sometimes around 10pm, other nights as late as 1am, I pull my keyboard forward make a comfy bed for Caleb between my tapping fingers and the computer. He sleeps, wakes, cries, toots, looks around, sucks on his pacifier, toots some more, and sleeps. But most importantly, we’re together.

I suppose it sounds silly that spending this kind of time with my son is so important to me, but it is. I love the fact that I am able to be productive and get work done, yet also have him by my side all the while. What I neglect to realize sometimes is just how lucky I am to be able to have this time with him. Who cares if it’s 2:30am and I haven’t had more than a few restless winks. If the little man’s eyes are open and he wants to hang out then I say there is no better time to hang out. So when I have the opportunity to spend some time with him, listen to classical music (Yo-Yo Ma on iTunes is his favorite) and make entries on my blog at the same time, I certainly don’t pass it up!

At this point, I should let everyone know that I work from a home office and have quite a bit of time to socialize with Caleb during the day. However, the point is that I grab every opportunity, including those late-night sessions when I’m trying to work. If I wasn’t blessed to be able to work from home, I’d make every effort I could to squeeze more minutes out of every day, just to spend with Caleb. And when I’d eventually find that there were no more minutes left to squeeze, I’d see about telecommuting. Or taking a sabbatical. Or retiring. Or quitting. Or becoming a stay at home dad.

But now I’m just being silly. Or am I?

Why is it that it isn’t as common to have your 1-year old son at your office every day as it is to bring your dog? Of course, they take more management, are potentially more disruptive, come rife with liability issues, etc., etc., etc. But seriously folks, we can do better. There’s something a little off with how prominently our culture (read: American culture—sorry to any international readers, though here my American-centric view may actually be a compliment to others!) values status, wealth, material possessions and real estate gains. What about family? If faced with choosing between extremely close familial ties and relationships or making a great living as a Special Office Guy Extraordinaire, how many of us would choose the family? And what does that say about what we value? Is one way right or wrong?

I think I know the answer, but I also think that I may have a slightly skewed sense of reality. But I’ve never had a paycheck bring tears of joy to my eyes. Yet something as simple as Caleb’s smile or a yawn can empty my tear ducts in a flash…

TAGS: Father | Dad | Son | Work At Home |

It has been a long time since I have read a pseudo-technical book as pleasurable as On Writing Well, by William Zinsser. Is it possible that a book about writing (boooring!), about grammar (yeck!), about style, prose, adverbs and pronouns (!), can actually be called pleasurable?

Most definitely.

Zinsser is an incredible writer and does an excellent job at making writing fun and sexy. He combines a bit of humor, excellent citations and stories, and a cadence that keeps each page turning like a novel. I can’t say that the book has improved my writing much—I imagine that a bit of practice and diligence on my end are needed first—but I do think the book is essential for anyone who will ever have to write something that someone else will read. The most dramatic effect the book has had on me is the frequency with which I now notice poor writing. And I’m sad to say it’s everywhere, including in my outbox.

I’d recommend reading this book at least once, and if you can handle it, several times more over the course of your professional development. It will, minimally, open your eyes to how much further you have to go to be a great writer, and hopefully, give you the tools and determination to achieve such a goal.

TAGS: MBA | Books | Book Recommendations | Writing

John Moore at Brand Autopsy recently made an interesting post about the principle of “making others look good” in business. Moore uses a great excerpt from The Big Moo which compares the careers and personas of Chevy Chase and Bill Murray.

I think the topic is a very important one to discuss and internalize. Many consultants and business coaches sing the praises of “giving” in business, though few seem to stress the importance of selflessness.

Your intentions are critical to your true success, health, and happiness. If you give, and do so generously, be sure that you have a passion for your actions that runs deeper than merely baiting that pat on the back. Giving simply because you know it will make your business, career, or relationships succeed is an incredibly hollow gesture. Eventually your intentions will come to light and everything will come crumbling down. If you give selflessly, though, you have nothing to lose as you give without expecting anything in return.

Many people, including myself, honestly think they are pretty selfless and that they give freely and generously. I challenge you, though, to really examine your intentions. What if all of the “positives” that have resulted from your generosity were suddenly taken away? What if nobody noticed your generosity anymore. What if nobody said, “Thank you,” or even batted an eye at your actions? What if you NEVER received anything for your generosity? Would you still give? Would you still be so generous? If you can honestly answer a firm (and I mean FIRM) “Yes”, then you are truly the embodiment of selflessness. If not, and I think most of us fit in the “if not” category, then you have a bit of work to do…and I’ll be right there with you.

TAGS: Business | Generosity | Business | Selfless |

I’d be lying if I were to say that these first two weeks (13 days, to be exact) have been without stress and frustration. Caleb had begun to sleep for longer stretches during the night (one night he had several 3 1/2 hour stints) but quickly moved to much shorter durations filled with lots of grunting and periodic cries. All due to gas. Ahhhh gas. It’s amazing that the foods that my wife cherishes the most are at the top of the list of gas-producing substances that she must avoid in order to prevent discomfort for Caleb. Ironically, the foods are on the “healthy” list: Broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, etc. Somehow cheese, cookies (sans chocolate) and bread are better for the wee baby…

Which brings me to Joy. Last night was a mix of 15-60 minute stints of restless sleep for my wife and I as our son was really battling the air bubbles in his system. As an isolated incident, such a sleepless night might not usually raise our frustration levels. However, night 13 of sleepless nights has such a capacity. So where’s the joy? At some point last night, as I was massaging our son’s tummy and legs, accompanied by his extremely cute and humorous grunts, my wife commented to me that she hadn’t ever seen me so happy. Quite a comment at 3am, no? And then it hit me: I am extremely happy and joyful… My son is the greatest gift I have ever received and brings an unimaginable amount of joy and happiness into my life. More than enough, it seems, to elicit laughter and humor at 3am, night after night.

I giggle and laugh when he grunts, when we have to change his diaper for the third time in 5 minutes (we thought we had the process perfected—he’s a sneaky one, he is), when he stretches and sighs, when he’s sleeping, when he wakes up, when he sneezes, when he coughs… pretty much anytime I’m around him.

And why would I want anything else?

And now I have to relate this revelation to business… If I had a choice between spending my time doing something that brought me joy and happiness, or slaving away at some cush job that had security, great pay, but brought me little to no happiness, why wouldn’t I choose the former? What if it meant giving up a great salary and benefits package? Prestige? I’d still unfulfilling job.

I’m sure I’ll be blasted with 1000’s of comments about how you can’t always choose the path of greater happiness as it simply isn’t practical. I would have to strongly disagree. I’d say it’s pretty impractical to force yourself to stay in a situation that you don’t enjoy, that doesn’t make you feel good, and that doesn’t bring you any joy or happiness. I’m certainly not saying that everyone should quit their jobs and become forest rangers and artists. Nor am I saying that even if everyone pursued Joy with fierce determination that they’ll eventually find it. But I am saying that they should try…

Challenge yourself to pursue joy and happiness and you just might find it. Sure, the road may be difficult and filled with a lot of sleepless nights and stinky diapers, but I guarantee you’ll be much happier.

TAGS: Joy | Father | Son | Parenting | Career | Life

I’m quickly learning that patience is one of the most powerful skills a father can master. It comes in handy almost 100% of the time whether in dealing with paranoia regarding the noises coming from the baby monitor, forcing yourself to wait another five minutes for the second wind of “number 2″ to take its toll on the diaper, or staying in bed and enduring 15 seconds of grunts that lead to deep sleep instead of jumping up at the first sound. Yes, there are many moments when patience means the difference between success, or having to wash your hands again and get the third diaper in five minutes from the drawer…

In the business world, patience can be one of the most difficult skills to control and execute. The world moves so quickly and the consequences of every missed second and opportunity seem horrendous. Yet somehow, if we can manage to slow down a little, find that comfy chair where we can watch the action for a few cycles, the clearest and most effective path almost always opens itself up to us. This can happen with business opportunities, difficult employees, struggling cash flow, and just about any other challenge you may encounter. So be patient—the perfect moment for everything will find you, as long as you let it.

TAGS: Patience | Father | Business | Strategy

I’ve managed to find the time to knock off at least one of the books on my GSB s528 reading list and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in improving team dynamics.

Patrick Lencioni’s, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, is an excellent book on overcoming the problems that bring teamwork screeching to a halt. The book is written in an incredibly addicting style (a fable followed by a very short technical overview). I noticed, however, that once I had finished the fable, the principles of the book were so well explained, that the technical portion was almost unnecessary! The book can easily be read in a few short hours and is interesting enough to be a pleasure even on a second or third read!

Lencioni has also written a number of other books, all of which I am now quite interested in reading.

TAGS: Books | Book Recommendations | Team | Dysfunction | Lencioni