Victor Alatorre

Resume Writing and Interviewing

2012-03-05T13:09:00.001-08:00

Resume:

Keep your resume clean and readable: avoid crazy fonts or layouts; no color, no pretty logos unless you are a graphic designer.
Don’t get cute or exaggerate your accomplishments or skills.
No more than a page for entry level experience. HR gets picky about reading wordy resumes.
Do tailor your resume to the objectives/requirements of the position you are applying for. For every job application, you should have a resume tailored to their needs.
State your education level and GPA (only if it is above a 3.0). It should be your first item. As your career evolves, your education will move beneath your experience. Your GPA should be high enough to allow you to graduate, seek internships, etc. People with low GPA's are usually skipped for opportunities.
Avoid Microsoft templates when creating your resume.
Avoid cliches and half truths like: "I excel at everything I do. I’m superhuman, I’m smarter than everyone else, I walk on water, I never fail."
Stating proficiency as a percentage of your ability.
Do use active verbs to describe your accomplishments or responsibilities within each job. Example: Responsible for, created, organized, maintained, developed, collaborated, prepared, provided, designed, etc.
Use numbers and figures on size and scope…
Member of a team of (state size), responsible for annual sales (state sales), saved the company (state the amount and how).
Did you manage, supervise, train, tutor, and/or lead others?
Have you been a team leader?
Have you trained/mentor someone on his or her new job responsibilities?
Have you provided value? How? What were the efforts?
Be consistent on your use of bullets and writing style
Spelling and grammar issues are important
Be specific on your dates of employment. (Avoid using vague season terms: like spring, fall, winter, etc)

Other indirect recommendations

Get an internship or two before graduation. Getting experience before graduation is an important element of your success.
Use linked-in to develop a network of professional references, network before you need a job, maintain a list of accomplishments online.
Volunteer: Make the effort to help others consistently, not just for resume purposes. A one-time event effort does not count as a resume builder. Pick an organization to support and do so.
Join a professional organization, and be proactive within the group. Attend meetings, run for office, learn and provide value. When people ask you about your club participation? You should be able to say that you were not only a member, but also an active participant.
Social Media can benefit your job search, but it can also cut you. Employers do gather data from social media. Too many party pictures, drinking, having a good time, may provide “additional” information about you. Even if you only share your information with friends; employers have other mechanisms for their disposal.
Know what you want when people ask you what do you want to do when you graduate. Match your answer to your credentials.
Google yourself. Manage your online presence… Avoid assumptions. Your comments on online forums or opinions do have an impact on your web presence.

Can you demonstrate the following?
Questions employers ask themselves about you:

Do you match the qualification requirements?
Managers hire for growth not just for the position you are applying. They want to make sure you have what it takes for promotion beyond.
Are you trainable, Are you manageable, Are you self-motivated, self-organized, self-aware, self-managed, Are you committed, Are you ethical, Are you worth the effort?
Are you consistent on your employment record?
Have you had many jobs, terminations, lay offs? (Why?)
Is there a gap on your employment? (Why?)

References
Do not assume the people on your references are willing to help you long after you have departed. People move on, People forget your skill set; make sure those that you include on your references can speak about your skill set and talent. Give your references forewarning of what’s to come. Send them your updated resume. Students often assume their professors remember them... They do not.

Interview

Dress appropriately. Dressing up for a fraternity formal is not the same as dressing up for an interview. Avoid black suits, off color suits like yellow, green, brown. Stick to grey or dark blue. Learn to do a double Windsor knot. (No clip-on’s). No visible tattoos or jewelry.
Be polite, calm; identify your answers before the interview.
Smile, be polite, be gracious.
No chewing gum, smelling weird, or dirty teeth. (no cologne)
Avoid playing with your hands or hair. Do not play with your pan or notebook.
Nerves are going to get you to forget questions before you answer. Politely ask to restate the question.
Answer questions directly asked… follow the protocol of Q and A. Wait until questions are asked of you. Make sure you answer matches the original question. Sometimes people go off on tangents.
Long questions require careful attention… write down the question structure, so make sure you can answer the various elements correctly.
When people ask you questions; do have questions about the team, the organization, the position, challenges, etc. Use their response to emphasize your own skill set. If they are struggling with a certain technology or field, restate your expertise
Be comfortable with your own skin... Do not try to impress people with a fake persona.

Money Management Strategies

2012-03-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

College Debt Crisis

The goal of this document is to provide a starting point to one of the biggest challenges for college students: money management. Our ability to attend college is directly correlated to our ability to sustain the financial responsibilities that come with higher education.

Having the right attitudes and behaviors towards, credit, debt, and material acquisition may enable you to expand the possibilities during and after college.

Average Debt for College Graduates is $27,000
875 billion are owed by Students today.
The cost of higher ed has gone up 400% since 1982

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/16/136214779/college-student-debt-grows-is-it-worth-it
http://www.businessinsider.com/facts-about-student-loan-debt-2010-12
Have you experienced any of the following:

Shopping and spending money when feeling depressed or bored.
You break up with your significant other and decide that you need to update your wardrobe to divest the old you.
Buying things on Amazons or any other online stores (like woot) because they were perceived to be a great deal.
Spending on games, music, software or videos on consistent basis.
Taking on responsibility roles to meet family “perceived” financial demands.
Spending money on activities to pursuit a sense of belonging.
Assuming that all debt incurred will be overcome after graduation.
Assuming that material acquisitions are entitlements due to hard work.
Having multiple credit cards from retail shops like Target, Best Buy, the Limited, Gap, etc.
Using one credit card to pay for the other one.
Paying the minimum every month
Using Credit to pay for groceries, books, car expenses, gas, beer, etc?
Borrowing money to pay for bills.
Borrowing money from your parents to meet your minimum monthly bills.
Big Item Purchases During College

Here is a list of issues associated with college life:

Credit Use
Credit use among students is a big problem. Here are the stats:

Eighty-four percent of the student population overall have credit cards, an increase of approximately 11 percent since the fall of 2004. (Source: Sallie Mae, "How Undergraduate Students Use Credit Cards," April 2009)
Only 2 percent of undergraduates had no credit history. (Source: Sallie Mae, "How Undergraduate Students Use Credit Cards," April 2009)
Half of college undergraduates had four or more credit cards in 2008. That's up from 43 percent in 2004 and just 32 percent in 2000. (Source: Sallie Mae, "How Undergraduate Students Use Credit Cards," April 2009)
Since 2004, students who arrived on campus as freshmen with a credit card already in-hand have increased from 23 percent to 39 percent. (Source: Sallie Mae, "How Undergraduate Students Use Credit Cards," April 2009)
76 percent of undergraduates have credit cards, and the average undergrad has $2,200 in credit card. Additionally, they will amass almost $20,000 in student debt. (Source: Nellie Mae, "Undergraduate Students and Credit Cards in 2004: An Analysis of Usage Rates and Trends")

Note: The current debt average for a college student is $27,000.
41 percent of college students have a credit card. Of the students with cards, about 65 percent pay their bills in full every month, which is higher than the general adult population.

(Source: Student Monitor annual financial services study, 2008)
http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/credit-card-industry-facts-personal-debt-statistics-1276.php

A credit card should never be used to:
pay for trips like spring break or study abroad programs.
pay monthly groceries, or food when you maintain a balance.
buy music, software, electronics or things to make yourself feel better.
fix your car or other emergencies.
buy clothes to give the perception of affluence.
travel to visit friends or family in a non emergency situation
pay for other credit cards or other loans.
buy beer or any other entertainment consumables.
Good Use of Credit Card:
Credit cards are to be used to establish credit history and to procure services and assets with insurance capabilities. For example, the process of buying assets online with the protection of a return or warranty policy from your credit card.

Some credit cards offer cheaper gas or travel miles points. If you have the discipline to only use the credit that you can pay for on a monthly basis, this is also a good disciplined way of saving money.

Paying Tuition, Room and Aboard.

Current annual fees at UW Oshkosh range is in the $13,320.
http://www.uwosh.edu/student_financial/student-accounts/tuition-and-fees

Maximizing Student Loans

Student Loans can be a good tool to finance education, but they can be abused.
Getting the maximum loan and use the extra money to live or buy items like computers
Extending education beyond the normal 4 to 5 year span.
Changing your major your junior year because the classes are getting progressively harder.
Applying for unsubsidized loans instead of finding alternative sources of income.

Transportation Costs in School

Buy a car that you can afford. Perhaps one that you can pay in cash or with low payments. College students cannot and should not afford a car payment for a new car.
Cars don’t make you sexier.
A car is not an investment.
Never lease a car in school. Leases are designed to cover the dealer’s depreciated value. Hidden mileage fees can add up.
Never buy a car you cannot afford like a new car or a car that requires high insurance premiums. Example: sports car, luxury car, gas guzzler, etc.
Buy a reliable car that takes you from point A to point B. Unfortunately, some of us tend to be emotionally attached to our cars as we see them to be a reflection of our persona. Cars are used as status symbols.
Buying a car in schools may be a burden you are not ready to confront in school. Insurance premiums, oil changes, tires, gas, parking, registration fees, etc do add up.
Never buy a car after college to reward yourself for hard work. A car is usually the first large purchase after college. Focus instead on prolonging the life of your current vehicle until debt is paid off.
Understand the concept of depreciation. When you buy a new vehicle, it automatically depreciates in value 15 to 20 percent. So the first year of payments is the equivalent to paying the depreciated value of the car. This is a payment that does not enhance the value of your asset.

Travel Abroad

Traveling is an important element of college education, however it can present challenges. While traveling abroad may be a requirement for some majors, make sure the motivators are the correct ones.

Some students use student loans to finance traveling abroad. Remember that you are always better off paying for the experience in cash. When you roll up a travel experience through student loans, you will pay almost twice as much for the experience.

Getting Engaged or Married

Regardless of motivation, some people see themselves formalizing relationships through marriage. Marriage celebrations can be an expensive proposition. If you decide to get married before completing your education, make sure the person is the right one and that the expectations are realistic. People go in debt for a one celebration with the hope to break even with gifts and presents.

Big Item Purchases After College

Buying a new car: Once again, cars don’t make you a stud. After college one of the biggest mistakes students make is to buy a new car to replace the old beater. It is perceived as a right of passage after getting your first job offer. It is a perceived expectation of success, however it is not the best strategy.
Buying a new wardrobe to meet the perceived expectations of your new or future employer. Your interviewer is not going to know the difference between a $200 dollars suit and a $2000 dollar suit. Maybe they do, but it wont matter earlier in your career.
Getting Engaged/Married: Saving for an engagement ring can take time. There is an expectation that engagement rings have to cost 2 months of salary. I’m not sure it is a wise move to spend money a lot of money on a ring that has absolutely no resale value. Getting married can be an expensive proposition. Take a conservative approach and find ways to cut expenses. Do not finance jewelry.
Buying a House: Back in the 90s and 2000s, anyone with a pulse and willing to commit a signature was able to buy a house. A house requires of financial discipline. With the new restrictions to loans, banks expect a credit score about 700 to review mortgage applications. Furthermore there is now an expectation of 20% down payment. Your debt ratio after college will determine your loan review viability.
Having Kids: Once you are married and ready for kids, keep in mind that kids are a big expense. On average a couple can spend as much as 12,000 per kid per year on basic needs. Daycare costs can be substantial for a minimum of 5 years per kid.
Saving for College: It is the hope of many young parents to help their kids finance the cost of education. It is uncertain the magnitude of the future costs of education. If you want to help future generations of your family, start saving the moment
No Assets: A college graduate has not collateral assets, so getting a bank to lend you money is difficult. I found that A Local Credit Union was willing to lend me money for a low rate. Not as low as car loan, but not as high as a credit card

More later

Links of Interest

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/16/136214779/college-student-debt-grows-is-it-worth-it
http://www.businessinsider.com/facts-about-student-loan-debt-2010-12

Mind games we play: Academic Challenges and Study Strategies

2012-02-12T08:26:00.000-08:00

Mind games we play: Academic Challenges and Study Strategies

By Victor Alatorre

The following is a compilation of ideas I generated through my experience as a student at UW Oshkosh over a 20-year period (only a portion of those years as a student). Most of this advice came from my father (a college professor) and/or personal experience. While we attend college, we tend to believe that certain indirect actions towards a goal may lead to success. Only true and tangible efforts can lead through a path of measurable success.

Have you experienced behavior like the following examples?

Going to the library to study, but spending the night socializing with the pretty girls in the second floor lounge.
Going to the Union to do some reading, only to spend the time drinking coffee and checking out facebook.
Going to a retention group like ALMA with the assumption that attending the meeting will help your grades by your mere presence.
Joining a club for your major and putting all your energy on club activities with the assumption the experience alone will improve your grades. You become the member of a certain club or fraternity, only to find out your energy is spent on managing meetings and group process. Do you get home exhausted?
You have to study tonight, but to get on “the zone” You have to clean your room, do your laundry, organize your sock drawer, work out, go for a run, socialize, etc.

Mob Mentality (Herd Behavior)

Externalizing an internal problem: If everyone else is struggling, then it’s OK to do poorly. Don’t be a one eyed king in the kingdom of the blind.

You receive the scores for the last test and you find out everyone else did poorly. You all agree that the teacher made the test too difficult, so somehow you will remedy the outcome of the test through extra credit or curving. Assuming that a curved-grade will somehow carry you through the next test. You fantasize that the average of two numbers is higher than the highest number of the two.

You talk to your friends and they all tell you that the teacher doesn’t know how to teach, the tests are ridiculous, the teacher didn’t cover the material, etc. You go home thinking there is nothing you need to do to remedy the situation; it is an externality beyond what you can do.

Your fraternity brothers are also struggling, so your brain tries to make you believe that the normal state in academia is a C average, because we all agreed that the professor is an idiot.

Sensory Overload
You get to your room, your door is open, your laptop is on, your internet connection is on, and Facebook is cranking away with the events of the day, your twitter and messenger clients are blinking with requests to chat, your cell phone is vibrating every other minute and there is a really good show or game on your TV. Your girlfriend calls you and wants to know what is the plan for tonight… The test is tomorrow, and you have not read like you were supposed to last night and/or the night before. Your roommate is playing with the PS3 console the new game he got last night at target… He has not slept in 2 days. You chat with neighbors to try to figure out what to do tonight… You should have enough time to read a couple of chapters before dinner… Dinner time comes about and you have not read a thing, but you say to yourself, I’m going to grab some grub and come back for a couple of hours and then I’ll go see my girlfriend and/or meet my friends. You come back with food to your room, and your friends are playing games with your roommate, they ask you if you want to play or go out … What do you do?

Working and other time consuming activities

Money and Employment: Some of us have to work to pay for our education. Grants and loans are not enough. Some of us have jobs to buy things that we feel we need like computers, phones, cars, and/or clothing. Whatever the reason may be, you need to make a conscious effort on priorities. Some of us could use fewer things, less work, less debt, more sleep. You have full control of those factors. The proper mix of those factors will determine your long-term success. For every credit hour you need to put an average of 2 to 3 hours of effort (reading, reviewing, re-writing, etc) out of class work. If you are taking 12 credits, you need at least 24 to 36 hours of effort minimum. Some classes are easier than others, but the running average to be successful is at least that much. If you add sleeping, socializing, gaming, working, working out and so forth, there is simply not enough time in a week to accomplish everything that needs to be accomplished. Extracurricular activities need to be identified and prioritized.
Working out: What is good for the body is good for the mind; however working out prior to studying gives you a false sense of accomplishment. Physical fatigue leads to sleepiness. Running 3 to 5 miles will trigger endorphins and euphoria, keeping you from prioritizing the workload required to finish the chapter reviews. After a good work out, you get home, you are hungry and simply want to sit down and watch TV. You feel sleepy and you go to bed without reading the chapters. Schedule studying before workouts, not vice versa.

Self-fulfilling prophecy:

You need to take a class for your major that is extremely hard, but you keep telling yourself that due to the nature of the course, no matter what you do, it is hopeless, so you focus your energy on the other classes you enjoy a little more. You neglect the very class you need to continue your progression.

You have a learning disability clearly documented for some time. You are told you cannot achieve with major help or breaks from others. You start believing that no matter what approach you take, you will not succeed. This self-defeat leads to believe no action is the appropriate action; why try, you have been told you will not succeed. You have to provide tangible action to receive tangible results.

Other non-academic factors affecting your performance

Single: You spend a great deal of energy trying to meet tentative partners, so you put all your energy working out at a certain time or going to social events or parties with a certain group in an effort to meet that special someone. You go visit friends or friends of friends; you try to be at the right place at the right time. The energy equivalent varies, but your academic focus is not there.
Dating: You are with someone for a prolonged period of time for this or that reason, things do not work out. What do you do? You immerse yourself in depression, exercise, heavy drinking, seeking out reasons or contact, you find yourself spending a great deal of energy seeking out others, fighting, and/or communicating with others about your grievances. The energy used to cope with the loss keeps you from putting energy on the actual effort of studying, reading, writing, etc.
Responsibilities with kids: You get home and your significant other or family requires your attention… Your kid(s) is (are) sick and need attention, etc. Whatever the case may be you need to plan ahead and stick to a plan.
Family Issues: Your parents call to tell you that a serious personal event has taken place; your siblings are fighting, your girlfriends is pregnant, one of your parents may have cancer or your parents are getting divorced, your dad has been laid off, etc. What do you do? Family tends to be the most important thing for college men, so the priority shifts. If you find yourself in this situation, it is difficult to compartmentalize your life. However, you need to communicate with your professors and advisers that your current personal life may impact your academics, go to the counseling office and speak to a professional advisor about cutting back credit load, etc. You need to seek professional counseling if needed. Assuming that you can take care of things on your own may lead you to denial and overwhelming stress.

Strategies for Academic Success

Math, Physics, Chemistry, Accounting, Ops Management, Computer Science course work requires analytical exercises, so you cannot succeed if you try to memorize analytical process without actually connecting the mechanics of your hand and mind. Doing a problem in paper is not the same as reading the problem and assuming the process can be repeated in the test fast enough to be completed in the time allotted. Our minds are all different, some of us can do math easily, some of us struggle with memorization, using the right strategy is instrumental. You will not use the same strategy to study for a math test as you would a history test. Contacting the professor prior to the exam may allow for taking the test at a different time.
Divest yourself from non-value added activities. Extra curricular activities provide you with a sense of accomplishment, but they may not directly improve your chances of success. It is important to realize the impact extra-curricular activities may have on your success.
Giving time to process the information is also important. The brain cannot process information if is all reviewed for the first time an hour or so before the event (exam time). So, chopping the information in digestible chunks and then allowing your brain to digest during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is the only way you will retain information. Sleep is an important factor of mental decompression.
Not one learning strategy works for everything you have to accomplish academically. However the following ideas are not absolute but a good start:

a. The most basic of them all: GO TO CLASS! Talk to the professor as issues arise, do not wait until the last minute or the last test in the semester to acknowledge issues, etc. Sit in the front, take notes, minimize temporary use of social networks, use your gadgets to enhance your retention experience not your distractions.

b. Use cards to write important facts: writing summaries of important elements may allow for a flexible way to self-test. This method is successful in subject work that requires some memorization (History, sociology, political science, etc). Have others quiz you with those ideas collected in your cards.

c. Rewrite class notes while adding elements of missing information from the book or Internet. Ask others in the class to share their notes with you if you cannot keep up with note taking. Develop relationships other individuals in your classes in order to develop awareness of common issues.

d. Connecting your mind to your hand allows for memorization. If you can write accurately or fast enough to keep up, then you need to use a digital recorder to review the information at home and on your own. Using your senses to process leads to retention. Reflecting on the material allows for active learning.

e. Using mind maps to map out the information you need to understand can be also very helpful. Connecting facts and figures in a mind map may be helpful to your learning process. It is especially helpful on connecting facts and figures within subgroups of ideas like in history, political science, international studies, geography, etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map

f. Proper posture for reading is also important, away from distractions such as people and technology. Your sitting position has to be comfortable, but not so comfortable you fall asleep. Never study in bed, lying down on your couch or on your pillow. It simply doesn’t work. You have to have a 90-degree angle from the position of your legs to the position of your upper body. Your feet should be on the floor allowing for proper blood circulation.

g. Seeking help like tutoring is very important, however it has to be done weeks before the test. It may be a useful strategy for coursework that requires attention to logical process and sequencing i.e.: Math, Physics, Programming, Accounting, Stats, etc. The mind needs time to react. The process of knowledge gathering has to be given internal effort. You cannot assume that the tutor will transfer all his/her knowledge by osmosis. Retention requires personal contribution like working the problems before or after a visit to the tutor.

h. Writing skills are not birth gifts, they require constant exercise and practice. Papers are the product of several iterations and compilations of ideas. The more you write, the better you will be. Students that have learning disabilities should seek out electronic mechanisms (software like Kurzweil 3000, etc) for writing, reading, idea collection, idea generation, and process. The more your practice, the better you get. Even if you think your writing is so terrible; no one should see it, you need to allow others to provide feedback for rewrites and improvements. Seek out the resources available at the writing center and the Center for Academic Support and Diversity

i. Our brains handle information through short and long-term memory process. Short-term memory allows for information processing for short-term decisions; once a decision is made with the information, the factoid becomes a lessen priority. A long-term memory process requires active reading/listening and processing time. Processing and fact decompressing can only take place when you sleep. If you do not sleep or limit your sleep through extra curricular activities, the knowledge gathered through the day becomes a short-term entry on your mind. Active reading requires the full attention of the mind; the full attention of the mind is achieved through the removal of sensory distractions.

j. Like physical exercise routines, study habit forming requires a three-week commitment minimum. So, if you maintain a routine of studying at a certain time of the day, every day, the habit will allow you to develop a routine of commitment. A commitment to making time to study and review chapters.

k. Read ahead: the effort of reading ahead can be a daunting task, however it is the most successful way of keeping you aware of your unawareness. Knowing the areas of weakness prior to class review can help you in the long run.

Conclusion:
This document is organic in nature. The information provided here is based on personal experiences. If you identify other factors affecting your academics and/or have ideas for the improvement of academic performance, let me know. Every mind and/or situation is different.

Words of wisdom to new IT pros

2012-02-11T19:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of things that I've learned through my employment at UW Oshkosh:

A computer is not a Religion

Many young and old IT professionals become invisible warriors on this holly war between computers OSes, phone brands and software. People argue: "My iphone is better than your bastard cousin Droid" or "My Mac is better than your Windows 7", or "the entreprise MS SQL is better than Oracle or MySQL". They all provide value and enhance the experience of those that use them. Waste no time dealing with inconsequential religious wars.

As a young professional, you should always try to learn and use new and old tools to enhance your ability to solve problems. The goal is to provide a balance set of tools that can provide value to you and your employer. If your only tool is a hammer, everything will look like a good opportunity to pound nails.

Never stop learning.

Diversify your expertise. The shelf life of a computer skill is 3 years. People and other general business skills are forever.
Learn a skills that has nothing to do with technology. A well rounded individual is capable to engage multifunctional challenges.

Become Self Aware (weaknesses and strengths) then move to Self Management.
Self awareness is an important part of your evolution as an adult... Knowing your weaknesses and strengths. Self Management is doing something with the information provided by your self- awareness... If you have known weaknesses, what actions can you take to make yourself a better person.

Get organized, disciplined, become reliable.
Employers are looking for reliable people that do the right thing at the right time. There are incorrect perceptions of the current generation entering the workforce.

Learn to deal with conflict:
Don’t avoid it, don't’ pursuit it, deal with it. Engage the issues from a logical point... Extract the emotion and the personal bias when dealing with conflict. Know when to speak and when to be quite (pick your battles).

Learn to deal with people you dislike:
There is always someone that will challenge your opinion and perception of value. That may not want to play by your rules and expectation. They are you best opportunity and challenge. Identify why you dislike the person... Identify your personal bias. Engage...

Develop People Skills:

Public speaking, presentations, etc. We tend to gravitate towards electronic communication. Dealing with a multi generational work force is an important element of your professional development... The way you speak to the opposite gender and those with more experience than you is truly important. The two previous generations fear the stereotypes of the current generation.

Find opportunities in the raw
Identify opportunities in the raw. Opportunities never come in nice folders or in gold plated lettering. Opportunities are little dirty things that people pick up from the floor. Be capable of creating your own future by identifying opportunities where no one else sees them.

Get some experience
Always find opportunities to help others to learn from your experience... Experience is a tough teacher that gives tests before the lessons are provided. Experience comes in the form of internships, summer jobs, on your own testing, etc.

Develop Routines of Success
A routine of success is one that helps you identify corrective measures through action planning. Action planning is the process of setting metrics and time lines for accomplishments. As you identify bad habits; new routines can create new pathways of behavior. It is difficult to change old bad habits, however the brain is more capable of creating new pathways for new habits. Those new habits set the tone for who you need to be.

More later...

Management Values and Strategies

2012-01-30T12:55:00.001-08:00

Here is a brief list of ideas that have helped me through my Leadership Journey. I hope they are useful to others...

Lead by example:
I’m the boss, you are now my lackeys. Obey.
The fallacy for new managers is to believe that becoming a “boss/supervisor” means telling people what to do regardless of their opinion or expertise. A good supervisor will develop strong working relationships by leading by example, by allowing feedback, by maintaining open communication, by mentoring, by helping coordinate when others do not have the expertise, time, or patience. Authority is NOT a weapon you use against others to defend your turf. Be prepared to mentor at least one or two people within the group. Your professional legacy depends on your ability to transfer knowledge and experience.

Becoming a supervisor doesn’t always mean telling people what to do and where to go. Show them how to do it, take the time to do the things you once did as less senior employee. Develop professional connection with coworkers and other employees within and outside the department. This is not about micromanaging employees; it is about providing hands-on training to new employees. As employees become more comfortable with the responsibilities, the supervisor should always back off.

Your circle influence expands hence giving you capital when conflict or challenges arise. You don’t want to be shot in back by your own troops. Remember that “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts, absolutely” The moral test should always be to try to use your vested authority “to do good” and to help others through their leadership Journey.

Confidence and arrogance:

Confidence allows you to try new things, to sell your ideas/products to others. Confidence sometimes can border in arrogance. Arrogance will set you back on your circle of influence. Others will let you hang yourself when making assumptions about your ability to solve a problem. Eyes are on you to succeed and/or to fail, hence it is important that you analyze and correct your perceived attitude towards others.

Self-Awareness and Self Management:
There is nothing wrong with me. These people are incompetent.

One of the biggest challenges of the human spirit is to not wanting to accept any sort of feedback for improvement. We are programmed by nature and nurture to behave in a certain way when issues arise. It is eminent that people understand that perfection doesn’t exist (even within ourselves). We can strive to excellence by accepting responsibility on our weakness, challenges and poor personality traits.

Communication:
I’ll do it my way, because I know best. Everyone here is incompetent.

Communication is an important element of being a manager. You have to constantly monitor information flow among coworkers and supervisors. Do you want to learn to manage your boss? Keep him/her informed of your progress, successes and failures. Do not blindside your coworkers and colleagues. Do not assume that people always understand what you are trying to achieve. Giving assignments with missing information to new employees will render them ineffective. Make an effort to communicate with other managers before directing employees to a task. You do not want to give mixed directives to one crew; they will hold resentment towards your management approach.

Get organized:
Sorry, I forgot, I’ll get back to you as soon as I find the note on my desk.

We all have different approaches to prioritizing, managing information and getting things done. If you do not have an electronic or manual approach to task tracking, calendars, contacts, etc.; please get one. The perception of competence is based on your ability to coordinate information, tasks and accomplishing them in the least amount of time. Keep your workspace organized. Your desk is tangible sample of your work. Some argue that cleanliness is not a reflection of your capability as a supervisor. Chances if you are a messy employee, you have a difficult time organizing and prioritizing.

Respect others regardless of your perception of their value:
This guy is useless… I don’t have to deal with him.
Respect others regardless of personality and values. Speaking poorly about a coworker behind their back will always put you in a negative position to resolve team issues. Avoidance of conflict only adds pressure to the pot. You need to deal with the differences in a private and constructive way. Understanding that the end result is not to win, but to compromise. Always be in control of your emotions. Losing your temper in public is a demonstration of your weaknesses as a person and manager. Accept responsibility: First rule of management.

As you enter the workforce you may dealing with generational differences. In your future employment you will be dealing with gender, age and personality issues with little choice. Remember that those that are capable of handling and working with various personalities, ages and gender will be tapped for more responsibility. Excellence will be rewarded with more responsibility.

Share Responsibility
Do not bother me. What you are asking me is not my job (or can’t you see I’m busy).

When coworkers come to you for help, they are coming to you because they see you as knowledge asset. It is easy to brush off a coworker by restating your responsibilities. Make an effort to help a coworker when asked to do so.

Knowledge is one source of power; the other important one is information sharing.

In information technology, the “über-geek” is the one that knows more about the technology elements running in the organization. In reality his prestige is based on his/her ability to share his expertise with others allowing for his circle of influence to expand. Those that share information about how a system works, are not losing power, they are gaining influence.

Steve Jobs

2011-12-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

There has been a great deal of conversation at my IT leaders program regarding Steve Jobs' leadership and presentation abilities. In my opinion, he deserves credit regarding his ability to sell an idea/lifestyle. He was a good salesman... He exuded confidence backed by a substantial talent pool and technical resources.

I guess we have to give him credit for creating the technical "dog and pony" show presentations we now see copied by the likes of the founders of Facebook, Google and VMware and others.

Here is a brief summary of the ideas I can think of regarding this topic:

Have an awesome team of graphic designers create the most awesome images and presentations for you. Hire the best of the best...
Have permission to use copyrighted material for you presentation... Better yet, bring the artists that created the material come up with you. Associate your brand with personalities.
Have a team of engineers and marketing people design the most awesome devices to sell. (of course micromanage the process).
Have good news (point out your sales figures compared to competitors)
Have a predictable formula... As in... “the presentation is almost over, but we have one more thing..."
Maintain secrecy on everything you do, so when you present your product or service, people will pay attention.

I guess we owe him the existence of Apple, but I believe the secret to his success was his ability to recruit and retain talent.

Thoughts on leadership.

2011-12-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

I have been reading a lot about leadership... Most articles start with examples of people that have been incredibly successful at leadership... Like Presidents, CIOs, business owners, etc. If you do or say this, overtime, success will be accomplished. The truth is that there is no manual for the leadership journey... A lot of it has to do with luck and being in the right place at the right time.

In my experience, opportunities for responsibility came to me in a time of change and turmoil. When I was given the responsibility to lead others, I tried hard not to mess it up... I was a little self conscious and perhaps a little afraid that people would find out I was a "fake". Over time, I have been able to apply my experience and provide value to my employer by allowing others to rise up to challenges. I identified areas where my technical skill was limited and I encouraged others to teach me a few things. Over time, I realize that I was not going to be able to lead in every aspect, so picking the right instances where I could excel became important.

I would say the most important elements of a leader are the listening skills and the ability to encourage others to participate and share common goals. I see so many disconnected and uninformed people in positions of power, because over time, their presence overtakes the rooms they walk in. No one is willing to share the fact that the king is naked. :)

My leadership Journey

2011-12-10T13:31:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder if my life as a supervisor and manager comes to situations like these one.

I have embarked on a long journey of self improvement. Nevertheless, I wonder if these lists of things I need to do will help me accomplish anything. Is it a futile effort or part of a process that will launch me into bigger and better things.

This week, was instrumental on various goals... After engaging my goals, I got a feeling of emptiness I'm not sure I understand.

It was like the scene of the movie "contact", when Jody Foster finally makes contact with a being that looks like her Dad, only to find out he is simply an alien morphed in a "happy" memory in an effort to not to shock Ms Foster. I made contact with someone that had a great deal of impact on my career... Unfortunately the answers I received were a continuation of more of the same...

I look forward to seeing this as distant learning experience and not the most difficult puzzle I have ever played with.

Walmart (the reason of their success)

2005-11-29T14:49:00.000-08:00

To night, I watched a movie on the evils of Wal-Mart. One of my student employees purchased it to share the information with our team. I was very interested to see the problems presented in this video.

For the record: I shop at Wal-Mart because I have hard time paying more for tires, oil changes, food, toys, etc. I do not support or condemn their approach to business and competition.

The movie starts with the interview of several small business owners that were afraid that they could not compete with the economies of scale Wal-mart brought to town. Once Wal-mart came to town, the store had to close because they couldn't compete. They find a direct correlation between Wal-mart and store closures.

Their thesis is that Wal-Mart is evil because it kills small business and it forces people into government-funded healthcare. The movie reminded me of those movies against bush that came out before the election of last year. After further research, I found out the producer was the same guy that funded the video against Murdock and fox news. Propaganda from the left and propaganda from the right are both equally at fault here. The problems of this country are multi dimensional. There is no exact correlation between poverty and Wal-mart. There is no cause and effect between low paying jobs, Wal-mart, healthcare, consumer preference, etc.

Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) is a public company that has responsibilities to its shareholders. The economy of the United States has been in transition for over 100 years; moving from manufacturing and resource extraction to services. Many of those manufacturing operations had to move over seas to be competitive in a world market. The ultimate goal of a corporation is to be profitable and to provide value to its shareholders through decisions made at the board of directors and management.

The theory is that Wal-Mart forces people into poverty. Wal-Mart is probably one of the largest employers of unskilled labor outside of the usual agricultural jobs that only illegal immigrants want. People that were used to manufacturing high paying jobs have to deal with the reality of a world market. For example: a computer programmer in India makes $10,000 a year if lucky. In the US, the living requirements of a low/middle income blue-collar family cannot be sustained with a 10 K year wage.

The problem is not only low paying jobs. The problem is the cost of healthcare. More than Wal-mart's effort, it is the cost of health care the main driver of stress for small businesses. Small businesses cannot hire full time employees because they can't afford the cost of insurance and healthcare costs for a family of 3.5 people. It is the job of the government to protect the general population by making healthcare services available to everyone that needs them. Nevertheless, we live in an open economy where there are not enough doctors and nurses for all the baby boomers and people in general. The alternative is socialist medicine similar to Europe's and Canada. Unfortunately, the quality of healthcare diminishes as it become more readily available through government subsidies.

The other factoid is that Wal-Mart may be killing the local manufacturing capacity. The truth is the local manufacturing operation died the moment other countries figure out how to mold plastics, weld metal, vulcanize rubber, etc.

Here is a short list of issues with small retail; starting with their inability to maintain proper inventory levels, quality control on service, price reduction through economies of scale. Wal-Mart is not good at retail... As a matter of fact, it doesn’t take ownership of anything it sells until the product is sold. It is the responsibility of the OEM to provide the product through a very sophisticated system of inventory management and point of sale system using RFID.

They showed the interview of a woman working in a sweatshop in china. According to the video, Wal-Mart officials went there to review the facilities only to find out the local employees had been trained to lie about how much they worked, living and working conditions, etc. The alternative for this people working at the so-called sweat shop in China and Honduras is prostitution, drug trafficking and perhaps dead.

What happens when the local economy is protected by zoning rules, local governments acting as gatekeepers in a open economy. The consumer loses because variety and competition goes to heck. A few years ago, Oshkosh had the opportunity to host the fox valley mall, but the local government turned it down because it would have killed the mall down town and kill the local retail operations in main street. Appleton is now the thriving economy of the fox valley. Most of the shopping in main street is gone because of its location away from the high way. So, the same happens to this little towns that cry bloody murder when Wal-Mart arrives. The truth is the local economies were already dead before Wal-Mart showed up because the locals are not prepared to compete with the highway business.

On the issue of Wal-Mart hiring illegal immigrants. The job of Wal-Mart is to provide value to its shareholders. Its job is not to monitor the immigration status of a guy with a funny accent willing to work for minimum wage at odd hours of the night.

Parking Crime: The job of Wal-Mart is to protect the assets of the shareholders. It is also responsible to provide a safe environment for the exchange of goods and services. The responsibility of the local government through its local police agency is to protect citizens. Who is more responsible? Is it Wal-Mart or the local police?

I refuse to strongly accept or reject the ideas presented here, but the recent push against Wal-Mart shows that a large portion of the unskilled and or blue-collar population in the US is not ready to accept their position in a world market.

So do I kiss the hand of Wal-Mart effort?

A few years ago, Wal-Mart came to Mexico. At first it brought American products and services, but then it had to change to deal with the currency fluctuation and the fall of the Mexican peso in 1994. They could no longer import products from the US.

Mexico is not known for its state of the art customer service. The other companies had been used to providing average if not mediocre pricing, products and services. But when Wal-Mart came, it forced all the other businesses to change practices. They had to improve and provide better product pricing and better customer service.

Today, after 10 years of Wal-Mart, the locals have learned to compete and provide products to Wal-Mart. They improved packaging, product manufacturing and quality. Without Wal-Mart, the local retail and manufacturing businesses in Mexico would have maintained the status quo. Carrefour (a french Wal-mart like retailer) is now in Mexico competing with Soriana, Gigante, and HEB. If it wasn't for Wal-Mart’s pressure, I truly believe the impact of Carrefour would have been worse for the local economy. The Mexican retailers had to evolve to survive. Is the local labor force ready to retrain to maintain a competitive level in the world market?

(thank you to the crew for reading)