We better start texting our kids...

I used to preach that 10-20 years from now, society was going to undergo a tremendous change related to the maturation of today's young people and their propensity to use new / digital communication forums + their logical ascension into management roles in our businesses, schools, government = a completely different work structure that would allow more individuals to work remotely, log in to work communication sessions, etc. In the near future today's young people will be calling the shots on management decisions = to "...do we allow our workers to telecommute?..." They will be more comfortable with remote communication methods. The average worker will not tolerate the commuting lifestyle that we tolerate - and their new boss will allow them much more flexibility than we see today.

Think about the 'OH' ramifications - could we start competing again with China and India in support industries based on new efficiencies? Think about displaced senior workers - sunsetters will have to adopt new communication skills to stay plugged in. If we could train these valuable legacy employees enmasse, we could have the perfect storm of highly knowledgeable workers, operating at peak 'OH' efficiency and in abundant supply. Companies will be eager to realize efficiencies and supplement senior, more experienced staff with capable younger staff - who will bring these ideas along with them. I have no doubts that the communication industry giants / widget manufacturers will speed this process along. And with the current economic conditions, this whole dynamic will likely happen sooner than I thought.

Think about the ramifications and the opportunities?! Certainly the U.S. can lead this revolution globally...

We can do better than air vents...

Spend a lot of time on planes - often 'frying' on a runway or 'freezing' at altitude - had an idea the other day about how we might fix this...

Why not utilize the window shades to regulate the temperature of the cabin??

My idea revolves around the concept of incorporating a solar powered, heating/cooling element in the window shade itself combined with a circulation fan/vent. The shade could be "smart"; incorporating onboard temperature and altitude logic - might activitate itself only when pulled down.

An airplane cabin is a small, controlled space, so not every shade would need to be replaced (?) Older planes could easily be retro-fitted. The dollars saved in fuel costs while planes sit on a runway would likely pay for the one-time widget and installation costs.

"Swimming Pool Principle"

Pursuing new initiatives within a large organization and the effectiveness with which you achieve those new initiatives is similar to swimming in a pool...

1. You can swim the lap lanes with everyone else, but these will potentially be crowded - you might have to wait to even get in the pool; and your speed and overall results will be determined by your swimming ability compared to everyone else. If you are a new swimmer you probably won't place, let alone come in first.

2. You can swim under the surface - this will allow you to pursue the initiative without attracting attention, but your speed will likely be hindered, and you will eventually have to come up for air - people might wonder what you have been doing / where you came from.

3. You could ignore the "no running" signs and never enter the water - you will beat everyone to the other end of the pool if you don't slip up, but you might get yelled at, or even kicked out of the pool altogether. People might wonder why "you're not wet like everyone else."

Can this function as a management tool to groom and encourage staff effectiveness?

Developed this concept / approach for a recent grad school guest lecture that focused on IT professionals gaining a better understanding of P/L drivers, making better decsions, grooming future leaders, etc. Would like to further develop and leverage the concept...

“Norm to the Optimum” Reaction and Related Decision and Action Model

A key aspect of any organization’s growth is the development of future managers and leaders. One of the key traits of an effective executive is the ability of the individual to ensure that the elements of the organization that they are responsible for operate in an efficient, focused manner.

The typical employee does not comprehend the real impact his/her reaction and subsequent decisions or actions can have in any given situation. As an employee matures and increases in effectiveness and decision-making, they tend to operate in a more ‘controlled’ or ‘programmed’ manner. As the employee assumes management and ultimately executive-type responsibilities, they begin to develop a true understanding of the impact of their actions.

An effective employee is in complete control of his/her reactions, and can influence others by “pushing” and/or “pulling” the optimum operational mode target up or down the reaction scale at different stages of the decision event / scenario cycle, in order to achieve the desired outcome.

My contention is that this model can function as a management tool to encourage more effective reactions and decision making. Organizations can utilize this model to reduce over/under unnecessary reaction variance and encourage organizational culture norms that trend to optimum operational values.

Basic scenario:

* An event occurs that causes a reaction and requires a decision;
* The line employee reacts;
* Dependent upon the over/under reaction from the line staff, management attempts to push/pull the decision to the optimum norm;
* Executive input might be required if the initial reaction varied too greatly.

If the initial stages of this sequence were more inline with the optimum norm unnecessary input from management could be eliminated and overall organizational performance improves.

Thoughts??