Project Management without the Leadership Seminar

The Back Story

5th Grade:

The Superintendent of Schools came in as a guest
teacher to teach a science class.

He began the process of who would be working on which
science projects--This with no knowledge of the students' abilities, preferences, or social interactions.

I raised my hand for. "Who wants to do the report on
volcanoes?" I was selected.

Then, he announced that I should really work with someone
on this project. [Wrong. Unnecessary] He then proceeded
to seek an interested person, then chose one of my classmates to be my teammate.  I would have chosen someone else.

3 major management blunders before he finished.


I've discussed this in part in another articles in 

LinkedIn posts.

1. When you assign someone to head up a project, assign the person who is most capable to head up the project.

2. If you don't know who that person is, find out.

3. Let that person choose his or her team That person knows which co-workers are best able to handle the different aspects of the project.

4. Do not, and I cannot emphasize this enough, do not add
to or subtract from the team.

5. Do not allow others outside the team to manipulate their
want onto the team regardless of strategy. Especially when
that person's boss comes to you to offer the services of that
person [that the boss wants to get rid of for a while & shunts them off onto you & the project leader.]

6. Do not allow other bosses to borrow people from the project. And if you are a more high big boss [sic] don't approve the request from the little boss.

This should help toward tidying up the problems
in the operation.

Best wishes,

Slim

Box 33
Pen Argyl, PA 18072

Copyright © 2022 All rights reserved

Haves & Have Nots & the Failures of Government

I. The Literal

There are three ways for government to increase revenue.
1. Increase taxes--not popular
2. Increase the number of taxpayers*
3. Increase the amount of money each taxpayer earns.
* Number 2 has the advantage of reducing government
spending when people receiving benefits begin earning
a living.

II. The Metaphor

The Haves are increasing arithmetically
The Have nots are increasing geometrically
The Challenge is not the difference between
the number of dollars between the haves and
the have nots. The challenge is the difference
between the number of people between the
haves and the have nots. This is not a sustainable
model.

1. The haves can defend & protect what they have
2. The haves can share what they have
3. The haves can help the have nots get their own.

Regards,

Slim.

Box 33
Pen Argyl, PA 18072
Etats Unis

Copyright © 2022 Robert Asken
All rights reserved

Will Technology Make Us Dumber?

Smarter and dumber are overly broad.

There is an old adage (outside the carwash)

Rain will not clean a dirty car.

Rain will not dirty a clean car.

The same applies to Television

heretofore called, the Boob Tube.

Turning the TV on will not make you dumber

Turning the TV off will not make you smarter

Technology, for the user, simply involves less brain

application. The Brain may atrophy.

However, we as a society, have chosen to redefine

intelligence on other matters related to same

Musical intelligence

Athletic intelligence

Artistic intelligence.

As the definition of the word genius, once applied

to meeting a certain criteria in a specific area, has

been expanded beyond recognition, intelligence has

gone through the same metamorphosis.

Evolution--or devolution depending on your philosophical

bent or what you have to sell.

Technology is a tool. Just like a shovel.

Using a shovel may make me stronger if I am digging

ditches, but operating a backhoe to achieve the same

result will only get the job done more efficiently.

It won't make me stronger, only atrophy my muscles

Best wishes,

Sincerest regards,

Slim.

Robert Asken

Box 33

Pen Argyl, PA

18072

Copyright © 2021 Robert Asken

All rights reserved

Data? Think about this

Data! Think about this.

It's Saturday.

You and your wife are having her two sisters over for lunch.
You try to decide whether to eat inside or outside on the picnic table.

Your wife says, let's wait til they get here as ask them how they feel.

Jane arrives. You ask her about eating outside or inside.

She replies, "It's such a beautiful day I had to go back to put on shorts and a short sleeve blouse. Let's eat outside."

A few minutes later Sue arrives. You tell her about the plans to eat outside.

She replies, "It's too cold to eat outside. I had to go back to put on slacks and a sweater."

You check the thermometer, The Data reads 72 Degrees (f)

To Jane, it's warm.
To Sue, it's too cold.
The Data says 72.

Data has its limits. That is where thinking begins.

Regards,

Slim.

"There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labour of thinking." Sir Joshua Reynolds.

Copyright © 2020 Robert Asken

All rights reserved.

Robert Asken

Box 33 

Pen Argyl PA

18072