Guns or Butter?

I've been wondering about this concept as, domestically, we have such a difficult situation with unemployment, failing infrastructure, housing foreclosures, etc...

What if we called an end to the overseas wars, brought the soldiers back home, and created a new Civilian Conservation Corps -- with Military personnel! (Soldiers are not discharged - their duties are changed.) It could be the best stimulus available! We end the war and put them to work domestically -- rebuilding infrastructure, defending the borders, supplementing local law enforcement. We spend the military budget on home projects. Our great military-industrial complex gets new innovative projects: engineering the next era of transportation systems, clean energy and smart grids, communications, medical systems, etc. Take the gun out of the soldier's hand and give him a shovel (or computer, or put him in a classroom) House the soldiers in foreclosures to prop up the housing market. Watch the economy improve. Serves the people who need it the most. To top it off -- if we need to re-deploy military forces, they are still in the service, ready for recall.

Education - public school extended hours

I've been wrestling with the pros and cons of the idea of funding public schools so that proper staff/student can be achieved, and extend school day to 8-5, so parents can work, with the comfort that their children are supervised and safe, and not have to pay for private care.

Some of the obvious benefits:
- increased workforce productivity - both working parents and school staff
- added educational opportunities
- schools as "community centers"

I welcome your thoughts on this.

Time Utilization

Better utilization of time for managers REQUIRES the following:

Individual tasks like emailing, memos, reports, etc, must be handled after-hours. There are so many opportunities to have valuable discussions with all the experts in your organization, or with other external contacts, during the regular work hours, that we can't spend it in isolation. Managers simply cannot afford to forego the opportunity for interpersonal communications. Only the briefest amount of the work day should be utilized for making personal notes, or a quick dictation to staff.

This idea takes the concept of delegation of work to staff to another level. Of course good managers assign work to the lowest-cost resource capable of the task. But they must also have a strategic plan for the use of time during work hours that maximizes contact time with other peer-level and higher management. It's simply better utilization of time.

Education reform

I've been thinking about school reform and keeping an eye on stories coming out of some of America's big cities, Washington DC in particular. I'm going to start taking a look at Detroit's tragic situation shortly, and I'll be looking to the readers to help with additional opinion and ideas.

Education’s Ground Zero (New York Times, March 21, 2009)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/opinion/22kristof.html

Regarding Washington DC's school voucher program: "'What works' for some kids, but not for others." (Wall Streeet Journal, May 5, 2009)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124148314511885437.html

D.C. Council Wants Vouchers (Wall Street Journal, July 14, 2009)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124743971109829635.html

Dick Durbin and D.C. School Vouchers (Wall Street Journal, Sept. 30, 2009)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471504574443360508781356.html

Who's Got Michelle Rhee's Back?
The D.C. schools chancellor is getting results, but not much support from the Obama Administration. (Wall Street Journal, Dec. 14, 2009)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704517504574590063944927916.html

Family - celebrating children's birthdays

A really good friend passed this on to me years ago when my wife and I were about to have our first child... (Thank you David C.)

Make a video of all your childrens' first 18 birthdays (parties, family and friends joining the celebration, singing "Happy Birthday"), pack all 18 up on a single tape, disc, or whatever the current format may be, and give to the children at some appropriate time (maybe after college, or as a surprise for an upcoming birthday). You can be sure this will be a gift they will cherish, and they will be thankful.

Education Ideas - keeping ahead of the pack

I believe it is necessary to only read a few extra books (esp liberal studies) in your field, and you will be significantly ahead of almost everyone else when it comes to good ideas in management, administration, community, science, politics, finance, etc - all the thing necessary to run a government or business. It's amazing how little most people know, and how little effort they put into their own educations. -- and bright people who make the effort shouldn't underestimate the value they offer.

DB

Original idea: Tue Jan 13 07:38:07 2009

Career Development

I received these tips from a "mentor" when I started my first job out of college. I was a beginning engineer, and another engineer in my office gave me the list in one of our first meetings. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to hire several new staff, and I've always used these in our performance management discussions. They have served my well, too.

SOME IDEAS ON CAREER DEVELOPMENT

1) Know the right time to approach your manager. Approach your manager at a time in which he can comfortably take the time to listen and work with you. Also, approach him at a time he will tend to be more amiable.
2) Be able to verbally communicate. Testimony is considered the most tedious and demanding type of communication. If you can verbally handle yourself whether through a report, or just in "off the cuff" conversation, you will give off the perception that you know what you are doing and that you are competent.
3) If you need to approach your manager with a problem, also be ready with a solution. Having a solution or a string of alternate solutions to bring in when you approach your manager with a problem shows him that you have put a little thought into the problem before you came to him. He may not always agree with your solution, but at least you put your best foot forward. By approaching him with just the problem, you are asking him to do your work and not just give you guidance.
4) Tell your manager about mistakes. There is nothing worse than having your boss get a surprise call about one of your projects which has an error and coming to you and you saying that you knew about it. Don't try to cover up a mistake, or let one slide through the cracks, because someone will inevitably find it. Rather let your manager know and deal with it in his own way.
5) Be noticed, make contacts with people you don't normally work with, and don't hide in your office or in the crowd. There is an advantage to being known in the company. When you need to deal with others in the organization, if they know you and have spoken to you before, they will be more willing to help. In the same way, if you are being looked at for a job, all other qualifications being equal, if you are known to the person making the decision, you will be chosen.

Blog Mission

Our Mission:
- Educate
- Will not criticize, but will argue the contrary
- Promote ideas that can benefit people – this may be economically, environmentally, socially/happiness, healthwise.

DB

Education is valuable

I believe it is necessary to only read a few extra books (esp liberal studies) in your field, and you will be significantly ahead of almost everyone else when it comes to good ideas in mgmt, admin, community, science, politics, finance, etc - all the things necessary to run a govt or business. It's amazing how little most people know, and how little effort they put into their own educations -- and bright people who make the effort shouldn't underestimate the value they offer.
DB