jump to navigation

Are you thinking ahead? December 31, 2008

Posted by hardly Strategic Concerns, career, economics, jobs, work Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , add a comment

For most of us, probably all of us, 2008 will be remembered as a landmark year, for a variety of very good, clear reasons.

But what of 2009? 2010?

Although it doesn't sell newspapers, or probably blog posts, the reality of our near-term future is that we're about to see some amazingly great stuff happen. Massive innovation. Probably at levels the likes of which we haven't seen before.

Why?

Because necessity is the mother of invention.

And because, given economic history, this rather hackneyed missive is born out. Whenever economies go through a trough, what comes out the other end is some pretty good stuff.

You want proof, don't you?

Sure, let's talk about The Year Without a Summer, 1816, aka "The Poverty Year".

The basic story of this year is that several volcanic events occurred which caused widespread famine. The big one was the volcanic eruptions of Mt. Tambora from April 5 - 15, 1815, arguably the world's largest in at least 1,600 years. This was on top of two prior volcanic events in 1812 (Saint Vincent) and 1814 (Mayon). These three events combined to create a real problem - blockage of the sun's rays. You know, the stuff that's needed for plants to photosynthesize.

And, since most of the world was running on agrarian economies that are based on plant life, things went from bad to worse in a hurry. Corn traded at an all-time high. All-time high!

What's worse?

Horses were killed for their meat. Basically, this eliminated a key part of the transport system, such as it was, at the time. As in, everyone then had to walk everywhere instead of ride on horse or carriage.

It has been hypothesized by Hans-Erhard Lessing that the inventor of the earliest forerunner of the modern bicycle, Baron Karl von Drais, created this new-found contraption, the Draisienne, in 1817 because of this lack of basic transport. von Drais also created a binary numbering system, a paper-strip piano-music recorder, and a typewriter, so he was no slouch when it came to inventing stuff ("Bicycling Science", 3rd Edition, David Gordon Wilson).

Hey, that's pretty good. Bicycles are a really good thing! One of the most efficient modes of personal transport going.

Also, Mary Shelly penned "Frankenstein", and John William Polidori wrote "The Vampyre" in the summer of 1816 as part of a contest to write the scariest story during their vacation in Switzerland because it rained so much they were forced to stay indoors.

Like I said, the mother of invention.

So, drop those emotional weights you're carrying from 2008 and look ahead. Thinking caps are already on, midnight oil is being burned, and we're about to see some amazing stuff get created.

You do wanna be part of this, right? Go find your thinking cap, get your game on.

Want another reason to exercise and pay attention to blood sugar levels? December 31, 2008

Posted by hardly Diet Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , 1 comment so far

Yeah, I know you do.

Today’s NYTs has an article on a recent medical report linking declines in memory to blood sugar spikes.

You gotta be thinking a lot more closely about the methodology behind the Zone diet, which is focused on preventing blood sugar spikes.

The article also indicates a linkage between exercise, even ‘moderate’ exercise and control of blood sugar levels. Now, all of us on Sweat365 are here because we’re into fitness, but tell me, what about your mom & dad?

Yup, I sent the article to mom already…

Are your buddies ready for their 2009 job hunt? December 30, 2008

Posted by hardly Job Hunt Process, careers, jobs, work Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , add a comment

There are a lot of folks out there in tech-land getting ready to look for a new employer (no, I'm not saying it's you). They are tired of the b.s. from their bad boss, or their company, or they want to work somewhere more secure (no, it's not you).

So, they've added another paragraph to their old resume and are getting ready to submit to all the jobs they can find on 1/5/09 (it's a buddy of yours, I'm sure).

Too bad they're living in 1999 (no really, it's *not* you).

What they need is to get out there and tell their story, and get found by those looking for their talents. They need a resume that is more easily found by boolean searches and which is also a compelling read for both recruiters and hiring managers. They need a Linkedin profile that attracts what is being searched for (c'mon I said it wasn't you).

In short, they need my help (maybe it's your sister. or your brother).

Here's what they need (no, really, you're perfect. your boss loves you. you're not on the cut list. why would I lie to you?):

  1. Revised, updated, polished resume. For each of the 2 or 3 roles they're ideally looking for. Because they're multi-talented (again, I said, it's not you. we all know you can only do one thing well. cough, cough).
  2. Updated Linkedin Profile. One that really stands out, puts them into a good light, and is easily found by those searching on linkedin for new talent (see, you're not on Linkedin, so it can't be you).

So, if you have a buddy, a friend, a sister who needs some help getting set for that long run called a job search, send them my way. I have a service that addresses these needs, and will get them set for their search (yes, I can help you, too. but this was not about you. nope, not at all).

They need to be ready when all those companies start looking for people starting the week of January 5th (you're probably not interested in a new job anyway. until you get back to work after the holidays. call me then).

What was the main recruiting lesson of 2008? December 30, 2008

Posted by hardly Strategic Concerns, careers, economics, jobs, work Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , add a comment

We're all in this together.

2009's lesson is going to be that we can't get anything done without people.

I know, I'm going deep. ;-)

Seriously, Mark Anderson has a highly thought-provoking post today on his blog, A Bright Fire, The Big Mistakes They Still Don't See. As noted above, since we're all in this together, this macro economic perspective may be of some help as you look forward a few years into the future. Since the End-of-the-Year process tends to be a time of both reflection and futuring, this might be good grist for your mill. (BTW, here's another post by Mark on the Carry Trade, The Carry Trade Unveiled at Last).

Picking up where I left off December 30, 2008

Posted by hardly 100 of... for time, Kettlebell, Other, Pullups, Pushups, Row, Sit-ups Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , 1 comment so far

Between the holidays, my kids’ fear of the monsters in their closets (who put them there? Not me!), and the fun weather we had, I missed the better part of 2 weeks of workouts. High time I got my butt into gear!

Warmup:

Workout:

During my little break, I thought a lot about what I need to focus on the coming month or so, and that’s *form*. As a result, I’m going to be tending to go lighter on the weights, higher on the reps, and pay close attention to my form on each rep.

Workout:

Escapism at its finest December 28, 2008

Posted by hardly Other, movies Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , add a comment

Like most of you, I'm taking some time to do the holiday thing with the fam.

My brother-in-law and I share a love of movies, and fortunately, our tastes match up pretty well. Last night we viewed Tropic Thunder, and I don't think we've laughed so hard in a long, long time.

Tropic Thunder is a great popcorn movie. It's largely written for people who've seen all the war movies out there, 'cause they'll get all the inside jokes. And it's really, really funny.

Those are great reasons to see it.

And if that doesn't convince you, you should see it for two other reasons. Robert Downey Jr, and Tom Cruise. They are both up for a Golden Globe for their roles in this movie. Yup, their performances are really that good. And, better than that, they both deserve to win the award.

Besides, you don't really want to go out in the slush & rain today anyway!

A thought on panel interviews, and if you act now… December 26, 2008

Posted by hardly Recruiting Process, careers, jobs, recruiting, work Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , add a comment

HR Capitalist has a nice post about panel interviews.

Like most things in life, it's fairly clear that execution matters a lot. And, I like Kris's notion of splitting the middle by using both a panel interview, and 1:1s in the recruiting process. I'm a big fan of panel interviews, but I also know that there are things that one does not unearth about a candidate in a panel interview. Likewise, the candidate doesn't get a good handle on your company/org until they've seen the group working together. Gotta do both.

There are three bits in this article that really deserve additional attention from small company leaders, particularly if you don't have a pro like him on your staff.

First, TRAIN your people on how to do interviews. Especially if they are young up-and-coming Developers. They need the help on this. Plus, if you train everyone on the process and you're consistent in what you train them on, you're more likely to have consistency in the people you hire. 

Second, track everyone's decision for every candidate they interview. You know, assuming you want great people on your team.

Third, if you are the Leader of Pack, and you don't have the HR Pro in the background forcing the meek 'n mild to come forward and ask questions, you gotta take on this role. And yeah, you gotta evaluate your team members on their ability to interview, too.

Should you or should you not work out when you have a cold? December 25, 2008

Posted by hardly Other Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , 1 comment so far

The NY Times has a great article this am, Don’t Starve a Cold of Exercise.

I know that I’ve been confused about this topic for about as long as I can remember doing strenuous physical activities. Soooo glad to know this info is out there!

Driving in the Snow in Seattle December 23, 2008

Posted by hardly Driving, Seattle, Snow, Strategic Concerns Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , add a comment

My birthday is in the winter. Smack dab in the middle of winter. Because of this, I learned to drive in the snow. Literally. So, driving in the snow is not a big deal for me. In fact, I *really* enjoy it because it takes me back to all the fun I had figuring it out in the first place.

For all you in the Greater Seattle-metro area who are *trying* to drive in the snow, I offer the following advice:

  1. If you can't stand on your feet on the street, that is, you've become an example of how gravity works, don't go driving.
  2. If you don't own an ice scraper or a shovel, don't go driving.
  3. If you don't have decent tires on your car, don't go driving.
  4. If you either don't have chains, or don't know how to put them on, don't go driving.
  5. If you don't own a car, and so think the above rules don't apply to you and your bike, think again. 
  6. Chains go on those wheels on your car that spin when you apply too much throttle on an icy street.
  7. For those of you driving AWD or 4WD vehicles, and assuming you have only 1 set of chains, they go on the *front* wheels.
  8. Chains should be put on your vehicle because you need to drive around in deep snow. They are almost worthless on ice.
  9. If you've put chains on your car, and you get it onto the street, and then you discover that snowplows have removed the snow and you're driving on bare pavement, move to the side and take your chains off the car. Why? Because you will destroy a perfectly good set of chains by continuing forward, with the strong chance that before you do this, you'll throw a chain, and it will then bang against the side of your car, destroying the paint job.
  10. Slow, smooth, and steady are the key things to remember when driving in slick conditions. This means that you add throttle slowly, keep your speed up (e.g. maintain your momentum), and use smooth inputs to your turns.
  11. If you think you're going to get up the hill on your 7th try because that's your lucky number, I've got $1,000 that says you need a new Medium charting your future.
  12. If there's a Stop sign at the almost top of a hill, go through it at slow speed (so you can stop just in case). I know, you're supposed to stop, but if you do, you'll have to back all the way down the hill and try again. 
  13. Trying to start up a hill from a dead stop, and with no momentum, is almost impossible on a slick surface. Do it at your own risk, and knowing full well that you may have to back down the hill.
  14. Before you try something dicey, think through what happens if you fail. Are there people around to help you dig out? Can you drive the car backwards better than forwards? Can you afford the loss of a lot of time because you can't dig out? 
  15. All you guys w/extra long vehicles, like F-250s or F-350s w/Extra Cabs, you don't fit in a normal space, so don't put your vehicle in one (you knew this when you bought it, own up to it). Especially when it's snowy because your overhang causes all kinds of weird stuff to happen to the rest of the traffic. 
  16. All you guys w/tuners that have low-profile wide tires, yeah, they suck in the snow. Too bad you had to figure that out half the way up Queen Anne Hill. Or Lakemont Boulevard.

Finally, and this might be the most important of all, Be Nice! Be Friendly! Spread good cheer! Nobody likes a whiner, a complainer, a wimp. Do what you can to help everyone else.

Could be a good lesson to learn as we start 2009.

Guest Blogging: Networking, holiday style December 23, 2008

Posted by hardly Weblogs, careers, jobs, work Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , add a comment

Colleen Wainright, aka The Communcatrix, asked me to write a little guest post, and with some gentle prodding, and sharp editing on her part, it happened.

See the results here: Guest Post: Networking, holiday style!

Thanks, Colleen!