Ceptara

On April 15, 2009, we provided a 60 minute [class] on what it means to be Personally Excellent and how to start achieving it. We had a good turn out and I promised the attendees that I would update my blog with a few pointers we talked about in class.

[Join] me on April 15, 2009 @ 1:30p for 60 minutes focused on using MS Outlook to help you better focus on your goals and projects, and to more efficiently accomplish work. This is an introductory session that covers the topics we teach in our Personal Excellence [Workshop].

Summary

• The Lean method of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) can be applied to personal productivity
• Non Value Added (NVA) activities can be summarized and remembered using the mnemonic TIMWOOD
• Remove NVA activities by reducing & processing your collection points, traveling in a straight line, using mobile technologies, being concise in what you deliver, remembering balance, and doing it right the first time.
• Recognize your accountability for how you spend your day and then you can learn how to do it better.

SUMMARY

• A problem statement is a clear description of the issue(s), it includes a vision, issue statement, and method used to solve the problem.
• The 5 'W's can be used to spark the discussion about the problem.
• A problem statement expresses the words that will be used to keep the effort focused and it should represent a solveable problem.

Summary

• DMAIC is great at structuring an improvement effort but misses on directing which area to improve
• Smart organizations deliberately plan what to improve & foster the spirit of continous improvement
• A prepared improvement initiative will achieve greater results faster.

Whenever you're starting something new or find yourself in a new situation, you get that feeling deep down in your gut, "What am I doing?". Honda published this video "Failure: The Secret to Success", that has a number of very inspiring ideas.

Join me on February 10, 2009 @ 1:15p for a light version of our Personal Excellence workshop - [Register]

2009 PNAA Aerospace Conference
Personal Excellence Workshop
Tuesday, February 10, 2009, 1:15p to 5:00p
Course Fee: $25
Lynnwood Convention Center
3711 196th St SW
Lynnwood, WA 98036
[Register]

In a nutshell -

If your Apple TV does not show up as a device in your iTunes application on a PC, make sure that the computer link menu screen with the 5 digit code is visible on the Apple TV while you're looking at the Device list on your iTunes application. This little tidbit is not referred to on any Apple documentation that I've found.

For those of you that have had the chance to see what’s new in SharePoint 2007, you will notice the addition of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). This is a wonderful addition and will add the ability for business users to drive metrics at a new level. But what about all of those SP2003 installs? Sans the upgrade, is there anything one can do to add scorecards?

The answer is yes, if you’re comfortable working in FrontPage and SharePoint…

Summary

A recently published [survey] by the Josephson Institute raises some pretty shocking indicators of our future leaders. The institute surveyed 29,670 randomly selected high school students in the United States. Almost all of those surveyed thought it was important to be an honest and trustworthy person (98%). However, when we look at demonstrated character, 64% said they cheated on a test, 30% said they stole something from a store, and 23% said they had stolen something from a parent or relative. Even 1 out of 4 respondents (26%) said they didn't complete the anonymous survey honestly. We are going to have a real crisis of character in our businesses that can lead to significant business failure if we don't focus on this issue, so what can we do?