Wiki-Bloggist ! ! ! - (Andres Agostini) - USA

Andres Agostini's "WikiBloggist ", Arlington, Virginia, USA

2008-02-29T14:23:00.000-08:00

Comments: Cool Friend: C. Michael Hiam

We need, globally, to get into the “strongest” peaceful mind-set the soonest. Not getting to peace status via waging wars. Sometimes, experts and statesmen may require “chirurgical interventions,” especially under the monitoring of the U.N. diplomacy are called to be reinvented and taken to the highest possible state of refinement. More and more diplomacy and more and more refinement. Then, universal and aggressive enhance diplomacy instituted.

Posted by Andres Agostini at February 29, 2008 4:02 PM

Comments: Success Tips at ChangeThis

I appreciate current contributions. I’d like to think that the nearly impossible is in you way (while you’re emphatically self-driven for accomplishments) with determined aggressive towards the ends (objectives, goals) to be met. Churchill offers a great deal of examples of how an extraordinary leader works out.

Many lessons to be drawn out from him, without a doubt. Churchill reminds, as many others, that (scientific) knowledge is power. Napoleon, incidentally, says that a high-school (lyceum) graduate, must study science and English (lingua franca).

So, the “soft knowledge” (values) plus the “hard knowledge” (science, technology) must converge into the leader (true statesman). Being updated in values and science and technology in century 21 –to be en route to being 99% success compliant- requires, as well, of an open mind (extremely self-critical) that is well prepared (Pasteur).

Posted by Andres Agostini at February 29, 2008 4:19 PM

Comments: Wiki Contributions

My experience tells me that every client must be worked out to be your true ally. When you’re selling high-tech/novel technologies/products/services, one must do a lot of talking to induce the customer into a menu of probable solutions. The more the complications, the more the nice talk with unambiguous language.

If that phase succeeds, it’s necessary to make oral/document presentations to the targeted client. Giving him – while at it- a number of unimpeachable examples of the real life (industry by industry) will get the customer more to envision you as an ally than just a provider.

These continuous presentations are, of course, training/indoctrination to the customer, so that he understands better his problem and the breadth and scope of the likely solutions. If progress is made in this phase, one can start working out, very informally and distensibly, the clauses of the contract, particularly those that are daring. One by one.

When each one is finally approved by both. Assemble and get approved and implemented the corresponding contract. Then, keep a close (in-person) contact with your customer.

Posted by Andres Agostini at February 29, 2008 4:32 PM

Comments: It's Good to Talk!

I like to meet personally and working together with my peers. So, I can also work through the Web as I am on my own with added benefits of some privacy and other conveniences. A mix of both –as I think- is optimal.

How can one slow down the global economy trends? The more technological elapsed time get us, the more connected and wiki will we all be. Most of the interactions I see/experience on the virtual world with extreme consequences in the real world.

I think it’s nice and productive to exchange ideas over a cappuccino. The personal contact is nice. Though, it gets better where is less frequent. So, when it happens, the person met becomes a splendid occasion.

As things get more automated, so will get we. I, as none of you, invented the world. Automations will get to work more than machines. Sometimes, it of a huge help to get an emotional issue ventilated through calm, discerned e-mails.

Regardless of keeping on embracing connectedness (which I highly like), I would say one must make in-person meetings a must-do. Let's recall that we are en route to Vernor Vinge's "Singularity."

Posted by Andres Agostini at February 29, 2008 4:46 PM

Comments: A Focus on Talent

The prescription to make a true talent as per the present standards is diverse. Within the ten most important geniuses, there is Churchill again. He is the (political) statesman # 1, from da Vinci’s times to the current moment. In one book (Last Lion), it is attributed to Churchill saying that a New Yorker –back then–transferred him some methodology to capture geniality.

A great deal of schooling is crucial. A great deal of self-schooling is even more vital. Being experienced in different tenures and with different industries and with different clients helps beyond belief.

Study/researching cross-reference (across the perspective of omniscience) helps even more. Seeking mentors and tutors helps. Get trained/indoctrinated in various fields does so too. Hiring consultants for your personal, individual induction/orientation add much.

Got it have an open mind with a gusto for multidimensionality and cross-functionality, harnessing and remembering useful knowledge all over, regardless of the context. I have worked on these and published some “success metaphors” in the Web, both text and video. Want it? Google it!

Learning different (even opposed) methodologies renders the combined advantages of all of the latter into a own, unique multi-approach of yours.

Most of these ideas can be marshaled concurrently.

Posted by Andres Agostini at February 29, 2008 5:11 PM

WikiBloggist ! ! ! - Andres Agostini's Thorough Blog - Arlington, Virginia, USA

2008-02-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

On the Future of Quality !!!

"Excellence is important. To everyone excellence means something a bit different. Do we need a metric for excellence? But, Why do I believe that the qualitative side of it is more important than its numericalization. By the way, increasing tsunamis of vanguard sciences and corresponding technologies to be applied bring about the upping of the technical parlance.

These times as Peter Schwartz would firmly recommend require to “pay” the highest premium for leading knowledge.

“Chindia” (China and India) will not wait for the West. People like Ballmer (Microsoft) and Ray Kurzweil insist that current levels of complexity –that one can manage appropriately and timely- might get one a nice business success.

Yes, simple is beautiful, but horrendous when this COSMOS is overwhelmed with paradoxes, contradictions, and predicaments. And you must act to capture success and, overall, to make sustainable.

Quality is crucial. Benchmarks are important but refer to something else, though similar. But Quality standards, as per my view, would require a discipline to be named “Systems Quality Assurance.” None wishes defects/waste.

But having on my hat and vest of strategy and risk management, the ultimate best practices of quality –in many settings- will not suffice. Got it add, (a) Systems Security, (b) Systems Safety, (c) Systems Reliability, (d) Systems Strategic Planning/Management and a long “so forth.”

When this age of changed CHANGE is so complex like never ever –and getting increasingly more so- just being truly excellent require, without a fail, many more approaches and stamina."

Posted by Andres Agostini at February 22, 2008 9:18 PM

Posted by Andres Agostini on This I Believe! (AATIB) at 6:25 PM 0 comments

Commenting on the Future of Quality….

Excellence is important. To everyone excellence means something a bit different. Do we need a metric for excellence? But, Why do I believe that the qualitative side of it is more important than its numericalization. By the way, increasing tsunamis of vanguard sciences and corresponding technologies to be applied bring about the upping of the technical parlance.

These times as Peter Schwartz would firmly recommend require to “pay” the highest premium for leading knowledge.

Yes, simple is beautiful, but horrendous when this COSMOS is overwhelmed with paradoxes, contradictions, and predicaments. And you must act to capture success and, overall, to make it sustainable and fiscally sound.

When this age of changed CHANGE is so complex like never ever –and getting increasingly more so- just being truly excellent require, without a fail, many more approaches and stamina.

Posted by Andres Agostini at February 22, 2008 9:18 PM

Posted by Andres Agostini on This I Believe! (AATIB) at 6:36 PM 0 comments

Comments: Hard Work Matters

"Clearly, hard work is extremely important. There is a grave lack of practices of this work philosophy in the battlefield. Practicing, practicing and practicing is immeasurably relevant.

Experience accumulated throughout the years is also crucial, particularly when one is always seeking mind-expansion activities.

With it practical knowledge comes along. When consulting and training, yes, you’re offering ideas to PRESENT clients with CHOICES/OPTIONS to SOLUTIONS.

How to communicate with the client is extremely difficult. Nowadays, some technical solutions that the consultant or advisor must implement has a depth that will shock the client unless there is a careful and prudent preparation/orientation of the targeted audience.

Getting to know the company culture is another sine qua non. The personal cosmology of each executive or staff involved on behalf of the client is even more important. Likewise, the professional service expert must do likewise with the CEO, and Chairman.

In fact, in your notes, a serious consultant must have an unofficial, psychological profile of the client representatives. One has to communicate unambiguously, but sometimes helps to adapt your lexicon to that of the designated client.

From interview one –paying strong attention and listening up to the customer– the advisor must give choices while at always being EDUCATIONAL, INFORMATIVE, and, somehow, FORMATIVE/INDUCTIVE. That’s the problem.

These times are not those. When the third party possesses the knowledge, skill, know-how, technology, he/she now must work much more in ascertaining you lock in your customer’s mind and heart with yours.

Before starting the CONSULTING EFFORT, I personally like to have a couple of informal meetings just to listen up and listen up.

Then, I forewarn them that I will be making a great number of questions. Afterwards, I take extensive notes and start crafting the strategy to build up rapport with this customer.

Taking all the information given informally in advance by the client, I make an oral presentation to assure I understood what the problem is. I also take this opportunity to capture further information and to relax everyone, while trying to win them over legitimately and transparently.

Then, if I see, for instance, that they do not know how to call/express lucidly/with accurateness their problem, I ask questions. But I also offer real-life examples of these probable problems with others clients.

The opportunity is absolutely vital to gauge the level of competency of the customer and knowledge or lack of knowledge about the issue. Passing all of that over, I start, informally, speaking of options to get the customer involved in peaking out the CHOICE (the solution) to watch for initial client’s reactions.

In my case and in many times, I must not only transfer the approaches/skills/technologies, but also institute and sustain it to the 150% satisfaction of my clients.

Those of us, involved with Systems Risk Management(*) (“Transformative Risk Management”) and Corporate Strategy are obliged to scan around for problems, defects, process waste, failure, etc. WITH FORESIGHT.

Once that is done and still “on guard,” I can highlight the opportunity (upside risk) to the client.

Notwithstanding, once you already know your threats, vulnerabilities, hazards, and risks (and you have a master risk plan, equally contemplated in your business plan), YOU MUST BE CREATIVE SO THAT “HARD WORK” MAKES A UNIQUE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR INDUSTRY.

While at practicing, do so a zillion low-cost experiments. Do a universe of Trial and Errors. Commit to serendipity and/or pseudo-serendipity. In the mean time, and as former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair says: “EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION.”

(*) It does not refer at all to insurance, co-insurance, reinsurance. It is more about the multidimensional, cross-functional management of business processes to be goals and objectives compliant."

Posted by Andres Agostini at February 23, 2008 4:56 PM

Posted by Andres Agostini on This I Believe! (AATIB) at 1:58 PM 0 comments

Future Shape of Quality

“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” (Jefferson). In a world –once called the “society of knowledge”- that is getting (society, economics, [geo] politics, technology, environment, so forth) more and more sophisticated in over-exponential rates.

Ray Kurzweil in “The Singularity is Near” assures that, mathematically speaking, the base and the exponent of the power are increasingly chaotically jumping, almost as if this forthcoming “Cambrian explosion,” bathed with the state of the art applied will change everything.

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, the German philosopher, reminds one, “It is our future that lays down the law of our work.” While Churchill tells us, “the empires of the future belong to the [prepared] mind.”

Last night I was reading the text book “Wikinomics.” Authors say that in the next 50 years applied science will be much more evolved than that of the past 400 years.

To me, and because of my other reaserch, they are quite conservative. Vernor Vinge, the professor of mathematics, recalls us about the “Singularity,” primarily technological and secondarily social (with humans that are BIO and non BIO and derivatives of the two latter, i.e. in vivo + in silico + in quantum + in non spiritus). Prof. Vinge was invited by NASA on that occasion. If one like to check it out, Google it.

Clearly, Quality Assurance progress has been made by Deming, Juran, Six Sigma, Kaisen (Toyota) and others. I would pay strong attention to their respective prescriptions with an OPEN MIND. Why? Because SYSTEMS are extremely dynamically these days, starting up with the Universe (or “Multiverse”).

As I operate with risks and strategies –beyond the view of (a) strategic planner, and (b) practitioner of management best practices à la non ad hoc “project management,” I have to take advantage of many other methodologies.

The compilation of approaches is fun though must be extremely cohesive, congruent, and efficacious.

And if the economy grows more complex, many more methodologies I will grab. I have one of my own that I called “Transformative Risk Management,” highly based on the breakthrough by Military-Industrial (-Technological) Complex. Chiefly, with the people concerned with nascent NASA (Mercury, Saturn, Apollo) via Dr. Wernher von Braun, then engineer in chief. Fortunately, my mentor, a “doctor in science” for thirteen years was von Braun’s risk manager. He’s now my supervisor.

The Military-Industrial (-Technological) Complex had a great deal of challenges back in 1950. As a result, many breakthroughs were brought about. Today, not everyone seems to know and/or institute these findings. Some do as ExxonMobil. The text book “Powerful Times” attributes to U.S. defense budget a nearly 50% of the totality of the worldwide defense budgets. What do they do with this kind of money? They instill it –to a great extent- to R&D labs of prime quality. Afterwards, they shared “initiatives” with R&D labs from Universities, Global Corporations, and “Wiki” Communities. Imagine?

In addition, the grandfather of in-depth risk analyses is one that goes under many names beside Hazard Mode and Effect Analysis (HMEA). It has also been called Reliability Analysis for Preliminary Design (RAPD), Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), Failure Mode, Effect, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), and Fault Hazard Analysis (FHA). All of these – just to give an example – has to be included in your methodical toolkit alongside with Deming’, Juran’, Six Sigma, Kaisen’s.

These fellow manage with what they called “the omniscience perspective,” that is, the totality of knowledge. Believe me, they do mean it.

Yes, hard-working, but knowing what you’re doing and thinking always in the unthinkable, being a foresight-er, and assimilating documented “lesson learned” from previous flaws. In the mean time, Sir Francis Bacon wrote, “He that will not apply remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.”

(*) A "killer" to "common sense" activist. A blessing to rampantly unconventional- wisdom practitioner.

For the “crying” one, everything has changed. It has changed (i) CHANGE, (ii) Time, (iii) Politics/Geopolitics, (iv) Science and technology (applied), (v) Economy, (vi) Environment (amplest meaning), (vii) Zeitgeist (spirit of times), (viii) Weltstanchaung (conception of the world), (ix) Zeitgeist-Weltstanchaung’s Prolific Interaction, etc.

So there is no need to worry, since NOW, —and everyday forever (kind of...)—there will be a different world, clearly if one looks into the sub-atomic granularity of (zillion) details. Unless you are a historian, there is no need to speak of PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE, JUST TALK ABOUT THE ENDLESSLY PERENNIAL PROGRESSION. Let’s learn a difficult lesson easily NOW.

“Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Picture mentally… Draw experientially. Succeed through endless experimentation… It’s recommendable to recall that common sense is much more than an immense society of hard-earned practical ideas—of multitudes of life-learned rules and tendencies, balances and checks. Common sense is not just one (1), neither is, in any way, simple.” (Andres Agostini)

Dwight D. Eisenhower, speaking of leadership, said: “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”

“…to a level of process excellence that will produce (as per GE’s product standards) fewer than four defects per million operations…” — Jack Welch (1998).

In addition to WORKING HARD and taking your “hard working” as you beloved HOBBY and never as a burden, one may wish to institute, as well, the following:

1.- Servitize.

2.- Productize.

3.- Webify.

4.- Outsource (strategically “cross” sourcing).

5.- Relate your core business to “molutech” (molecular technology).

Search four primary goals (in case a reader is interested):

A.- To build trust.

B.- To empower employees.

C.- To eliminate unnecessary work.

D.- To create a new paradigm for your business enterprise, a [beyond] “boundaryless” organization.

E.- Surf dogmas; evade sectarian doctrines.

Posted by Andres Agostini at February 27, 2008 7:54 PM

Comments: Snide Advertising

Advertising and campaigning must enforce a strong strategic alliance with the client. The objective is to COMMUNICATE the firm’s products, services, values, ethos in a transparent and accountable way. Zero distortion tolerance as to the messages disseminated.

Ad agencies cannot make up for the shortcomings of the business enterprise. Those shortcomings consequential of a core business sup-optimally managed. Get the business optimum first. Then, communicate it clearly, being sensible to the community at large.

A funny piece is one thing. To make fun of others is another (terrible). To be creative in the message is highly desirable. If the incumbent’s corporation has unique attributes and does great business, just say it comprehensibly without manipulating or over-promising.

Some day soon the subject matter on VALUES is going to be more than indispensable to keep global society alive. The rampant violations of the aforementioned values should be death-to-life matter of study by ad agencies without a fail.

The global climate change, the flu pandemia (to be), the geology (earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis), large meteorites, nuke wars are all among the existential risks. To get matters worse, value violations by the ad agencies, mass media, and the rest of the economy would easily qualify as an existential risk.

Humankind requires transparency and accountability the soonest.

Posted by Andres Agostini at February 27, 2008 8:34 PM

Comments: Where's the WOW?

Talent is absolutely a sine qua non. Nowadays – while at the over-revolution of knowledge– is even more important, in fact without precedent.

When I went to college to sign up for diverse courses, my counselor forewarned me that my education (about to commence) would have a validity (not be outdated) for the first five years of completion. I got the message clearly and have never stop to attempt to better myself.

I mentioned the above because I know many people with doctoral degrees from Harvard, Oxford, MIT that, once completed their studies, don’t read anything more that ambiguous news headlines. They think that the economy is a snapshot (static) and, therefore, not making quantum progresses. Today sci-fi has been superseded by the world-class news media alone.

Likewise, many company and countries captains worship mediocrity. It’s unbelievable how universal this is, beginning with the most advanced nations. Friedman tells his siblings that they had better study not to give away their jobs to people from China and India and Russia.

In the mean time, knowledge repository is growing to ruthless proportions. The direct consequence is for economy to get more and more automated with more and more Artificial Intelligence. I wonder if the people from China and India and Russia will give away their jobs to Asimo and other robots (now in the womb).

Should we expect “WOW” from the forthcoming robots since the subjects of mediocrity-dom are accelerating the automation described?

In 1970 a fellow by the name of Alvin Toffler in a book titled “Shock of the Future” told us many things to get prepared for in advance. How many have pay attention? Those who are not interested in the granularity (atomic/sub-atomic scale) of details and have paid no heed cannot complaint. Get ready!

Posted by Andres Agostini at February 27, 2008 9:01 PM

Comments: Future Shape of Quality

Thank you all for your great contributions and insightfulness. Take a Quality Assurance Program, (e.g.), to be instituted in a company these days, century 2008. One will have to go through tremendous amounts of reading, writing, drawing, spread-sheeting, etc. Since the global village is the Society of Knowledge, these days, to abate exponential complexity, you must not only have to embrace it fully, you have to be thorough at all times to meet the challenge. One must also pay the price of an advanced global economy that is in increasingly perpetual innovation. Da Vinci, in a list of the 10 greatest minds, was # 1. Einstein was # 10. Subsequently, it’s highly recommendable, if one might wish, to pay attention to “Everything should be made as simple [from the scientific stance] as possible, but not simpler.” ¬Albert Einstein. Mr. Peters, on the other hand, has always stressed the significance to continuously disseminate new ideas. He is really making an unprecedented effort in that direction. Another premium to pay, it seems to be extremely “thorough” (Trump).

Posted by Andres Agostini at February 28, 2008 3:11 PM