Thursday, September 4, 2008

Man is it complicated

The IT (Information Technology) industry is complex. I have been doing some training lately and just explaining the types of phones can be complex

1. IP
2. Hosted IP
3. Digital
4. Analog

and then you do the hybrid thing along with different third party devices that can add functionality into almost any system.

I start to more fully understand the value that sales adds to this process. You could spend months studying this and still not fully understand it all. I have over 10 years of experience and it continues to amaze me how things I thought I fully understood, I only partially understand.
h

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Is the phone call a lost art?

So I was disconnected from email for 5 days. I have to tell you it was a bit like an addiction. The first day, I was looking for wireless connectivity. Darn it, all secure. I was a bit figitity and on edge. Second day, I looked again, then gave up all hope. By day three, I was over it and kinda enjoying the lack of connectivity. Not that this in any way is equal to a real addiction.

Anyway, I did have my cell phone with me. I took a couple of calls on Thursday. Most of them not important. Still, several people sent me emails and, then followed up Friday wanting to know where their answer was. I did do the return email thing that stated that I was out of the office till Tuesday. Yet, this did not phase anyone of these persistent emailer's. If they would have picked up the phone and gave me a call, I would have answered and had the information (Or the right person with the information) right away.

More than not, we trust that email gets to the right person. With today's SPAM filters, multiple servers talking to each other and all the other things that can get in the way. Nothing replaces a simple phone call. Plus, it is good old fashioned customer service.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Positive attitude may make you blind?

My attitude is, if someones going to criticize me, tell me to my face.Simon Cowell

I have spent a lot of time on the benefit of positive attitude. Like everything, a little too much of a good thing may cause blind spots.

I am sure that you at one time or another have watched American Idle and it has been obvious that the persons singing is horrible. I mean not even close, even I could sing better! Trust me, it is BAD. But the person will not take criticism. They believe they are a good singer and are not going to take the word of the judges. After all, their mom told them they can sing!

Taking criticism and being open to criticism is important for development. Sure it can be painful. Hard on your ego. But development can come at the expense of ego. I am sure that Freud would have something intelligent to add here. That Psych class in HS has faded many years ago. Ego, ID and ...

Monday, September 1, 2008

Continuing the Positive Theme

Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right." Now clearly I cannot be an ultimate fighter just because I think I can. There is training and lots of things that have to be done before this will happen. (Sure, I could step into the ring and start eating through a straw)

Fear is the worst part of a negative attitude. Fear of doing something because others may think badly of you. Fear of making mistakes. Fear of FEAR? Those who truly let fear lead their life bury their heads in the sand and hope the bad will not come their way!

So keep a positive attitude and do not let fear take hold.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

If you havn't learneded yet, I didnnt do reals wells in School

However, I finally have proof it doesn't matter.

A Harvard University survey among executive recruiters revealed that 90 percent of everything a person achieved after leaving the university, such as money, prestige, power, authority and overall success, was based on attitude and only 10 percent on aptitude or ability. They also found there was no correlation between school results and lifetime earnings. The only characteristic that determined a person’s results or how far he could go was a positive attitude.
http://www.advisortoday.com/resources/successitsmind.html


I do want to be clear, you still have to have the education to get places in life. Yet that is only a start, not the destination.