Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

It sure is hard to understand fill-in-the-blank. Or is it hard to understand what someone wrote about it?

I recently experimented with Jekyll. Good grief! That’s complicated!

I also experimented with Git and GitHub. Good grief! Those things are complicated!

And then I read several textbooks on machine learning and convolutional neural networks. Wow, how complicated can you get?

Then I read a short post on convolutional neural networks. Hmm. Simple. Oh, that’s what they are doing.

Which brings me to the title of the post. Is the thing complicated or the description of the thing? Why do people write convoluted circular complicated and whatever descriptions of things? Such isn’t necessary.

Are these descriptions some sort of test? If you can understand how I describe this, you are smart enough to be worthy of my time. I don’t understand. Someone please teach me, and do it in a simple manner, please.

by Dwayne Phillips

We are responsible in that we are able to choose our response. This isn’t a new thought, but one that bears repeating.

Around the first century in the world or Rome and Greece lived a man named Epictetus. He is the first persons recorded to have written the thoughts in this blog post.

Persons who are responsible are able to choose their response to events. The events do not spur a flinch or uncontrollable physical reaction. One attribute of being responsible is that persons choose to be responsible or choose not.

Examples:

• When I’m hungry, I am grouchy.
• When I’m hungry, I choose to be grouchy.
• When I’m hungry, I choose to sit apart from others so I don’t appear grouchy.

Hmmm. That is an intriguing. See the difference when a person chooses their response?

The trouble is, this takes much of the fun out of life. I lose the chance to be grouchy or some other reaction that I feel is bad and will reflect badly on me. I can’t gripe, I can’t lie, I can’t cheat, I can’t…well, I can’t do things that I think are wrong, but can be justified when considered an uncontrollable physical reaction.

Then again, I can choose that being grouchy isn’t bad and it is, in fact, a justifiable reaction to an event. Hmmm. This adulthood thing isn’t so bad after all, huh?

As a manager, what happens when someone walks in with bad news? Well, first I can choose to call it “news,” not “bad news.” I can choose the adjective I use with “news.” Then I can choose how I respond to the news.

Yes, this adult hood and responsible stuff isn’t all bad.

by Dwayne Phillips

After being asked the same question for years, perhaps I have found the answer to, “What is it that you do?”

I have spoken to many job recruiters. I have spoken to many persons in job interviews. Some of these persons ask a variation of the question:

What is it that you do?

The title of this post is the answer. I’ll call it Learnering.

This is some combination of writing, talking, asking, listening, simulating, problem solving, etc. I create opportunities for others and myself to learn. As a result, people around me generally become smarter and better.

Notice, this is not teaching where I sit people and tell them, “Listen to me. I am going to teach you something.” This is creating opportunities to learn. The other person may learn, but may not learn. And, I may learn, but may not learn. Nevertheless, the opportunity is there.

I think this is what project managers and others in supervisory positions should be doing. Provide an environment where people learn and grow and change in positive directions.

by Dwayne Phillips

We “just” … Nothing is easy. We might as well describe the situation as it is.

Everything is easy if someone else is supposed to do it. When I have to do it, not so easy. Yet, we describe things as easy.

We’ll just do this and that and be done with it.

Substitute “just” with “struggle, and struggle, and struggle because it is really difficult to”

Examples:

Original: We’ll just tell him that we don’t want him.

Revised: Well struggle, and struggle, and struggle because it is really difficult to tell him that we don’t want him.

Original: We’ll just move across the country and set up shop somewhere else.

Revised: We’ll struggle, and struggle, and struggle because it is really difficult to move across the country and set up shop somewhere else.

Original: We’ll just hire a new builder.

Revised: We’ll struggle, and struggle, and struggle because it is really difficult to  hire a new builder.

Original: We’ll just start over.

Revised: We’ll struggle, and struggle, and struggle because it is really difficult to start over.

Original: I’ll just write a blog post explaining how the word “just” shouldn’t be used.

Revised: I’ll struggle, and struggle, and struggle because it is really difficult to write a blog post explaining how the word “just” shouldn’t be used.

I could go on. Nothing is easy. Let’s be candid about that.

by Dwayne Phillips

The year 2020 got you down? Declare it over.

Person A: I’m glad 2020 is over!

Person B: Huh, we have another 6 or 8 weeks of 2020 to go.

Person A: No, 2020 is over, gone. We’re in 2021 now.

Person B: Huh, we, uh, what?

Person A: 2020 is gone. It’s 2021. A new year. A new attitude. Let’s go!

Person B: Huh, but, it is still 2020.

Person A: Oh, maybe it’s still 2020 in the Gregorian calendar, but I’m tired of that.

Person B: Yeah, but

Person A: I’m in my own calendar. It’s Pre-Jan I of 2021. I love it.

Person B: Yeah, but.

Person A: Oh, I know the US uses the Gregorian for legal purposes, so I date legal documents by that thing, but it’s just a relic of the mind.

Person B:

Person A: I’ve changed my mind. New leaf, new page, new chapter, all those cliches. I’ve decided to move on to something better. I’m much happier. You should try it. Change your mind. Change your attitude. Be happier.

Person B: Yeah, maybe.

by Dwayne Phillips

After a few years, I think I understand the essence of Data Science. It isn’t that complicated.

I have been working in, around, above, below, to the side, and every which way but loose of Data Science for the past few years. Perhaps I have learned what Data Science is. There are many forms and formats and disagreements.

Here goes:

Person A: I work with computers. People give me things everyday. It takes me hours and hours to do things with what people give me.

Person B: Hmmm. Can I watch?

Person A: Sure, just don’t make much noise, I have to concentrate on these things.

Person B silently watches for a few days, goes away for a day, comes back.

Person A: Oh, did you go somewhere? I thought it was quiet.

Person B: Yes, I have some hardware and software, a.k.a., computing, that you might want to use. I think you can do those things you do in minutes instead of hours.

Person A: Hmmm. Well, what’s the harm, let’s try it.

A few minutes later.

Person A: I’m done. That only took minutes. I like that.

Person B: silence

Person A: You can go away now.

Person B just did Data Science. Person A is now using Data Science. Those people who give things to Person A are happier.

This isn’t very complex. Perhaps the things Person B did were very complex. They could have been artificially intelligent or a cool trick with Excel or ten lines of Python.

Doesn’t matter.

That was Data Science.

by Dwayne Phillips

Sometimes we are trying so hard that we fail to notice the simple and wonderful things right in front of us.

Person A: I don’t see. It can’t find it. That idea, that concept, that thing that I’m trying to write. Where is it?

Person B: Don’t try so hard.

Person A: What? Look, if I just focus, if I just concentrate, it’s here, I know it, I just need to…

Person B: Don’t try so hard.

Person A: Sigh. Don’t you get it? I am working here. This is my income. I have to…

Person B: Don’t try so hard.

Person A: Okay, you have my attention. Tell me. What is all this “Don’t try so hard.”

Person B: You said it yourself, it is right in front of you, whatever it is. Relax. Breathe. Calm. Now look with softer eyes with softer edges. It is right there. See it now?

Person A: Well, maybe. I mean there is something there, but it isn’t quite right.

Person B: What is missing?

Person A: A little more of this, a little less of that. Here that might work.

Person B: Write that. Write that right now. You have it. Use it. Do it.

Person A: Wait a minute. What happened? What was the trick? What did you do?

Person B: I didn’t do anything. You did. You stopped trying so hard.

Person A: So, I think I get it. Focusing too hard constricts the blood vessels and restricts the flow of oxygen, and prevents clear thinking Aha, that’s it.

Person B: Don’t try so hard. Breathe. Notice. Take it and go.

by Dwayne Phillips

We have a new profession in our world of virtually online distance custom learning.

Don’t “go to a college” as that wastes too much money and time. Create your own training program, work hard, spend little money, get the same learning.

The trouble is, if you don’t know a topic, how will you design your own education for the topic? You probably cannot do that.

Enter the Curriculum Designer. This is a person who knows the topic and knows something about learning the topic. The earnest learner pays the Curriculum Designer for a list and sequence of learning opportunities. The Curriculum Designer may also provide skill tests to assess if the learner is learning enough before proceeding.

We have a new profession. We don’t understand all we might know about this. Enter with care and caution, but for the brave of heart, enter and go with it.

by Dwayne Phillips

When delegating a task to another person, clear communication is key. It is unfortunate that clear communication is also rare. Here is a simple test.

Person A: Are you doing task such-and-such?

Person B: Not myself. I delegated task such-and-such to Person C.

Person A: Oh, good. Task such-and-such is intricate and complex. I don’t quite understand it all, so I will go discuss it with Person C.

Person B: Well, uh, like you said, it’s complicated and all, so just talk to me about it.

Person A: Well, since Person C is the one who will actually do such-and-such, I’ll talk to him about it. Okay?

Person B: silence

Person A: I’ll tell you what we can do here. I’ll give you a blank sheet of paper, and you write task such-and-such on it. Then I’ll go to Person C and give him a blank sheet of paper to write task such-and-such on it. Finally, I’ll compare the two written descriptions of such-and-such to ensure they agree. Okay?

Person B: silence

Person A: Perhaps you, Person C, and I should sit in the same room at the same time and discuss such-and-such.

Person B: Perhaps.

by Dwayne Phillips

If work is important enough to be performed, the product is important enough to be inspected.

Someone is supposed to do something. Okay. Do it. Next. Right? This is a note to project managers and those who may think we don’t need or maybe need project managers:

You get what you inspect, not what you expect.

That’s an old saying. Too bad it isn’t followed often.

There is much that can be abused here. Let’s try to establish some definitions so that maybe we don’t abuse one another.

Project Manager: a person who manages the work—not the workers.

The Work: those things that persons do.

When a person performs some work, there is a product (sometimes a service). Is the product there? Does the product meet expectations? Does the product serve its purpose? These are some of the questions the Project Manager should answer. The Project Manager finds these answers by INSPECTING the product.

Notice that INSPECT is more than, “Is the product there?”

“Adults don’t need this!” said the adult who always does their work and does it well.

Reality check: not all adults always do their work and do it well. There are many reasons why many of us have bad days and do bad work. It happens. That is why we need persons on the project who INSPECT. That is usually the Project Manager.

Are you a Project Manager? INSPECT. If you don’t know the product well enough to INSPECT, assign that to someone else. It must happen. If doing the work is important, ensuring that the work is performed as expect is important.