Frank Uncovers Excellence in Leadership

© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

Just ask. We do the rest.

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

My mind keeps wandering… to you

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

Do you know this feeling of the little (wo)man telling you that “you can’t do it!” when you try something difficult or challenging?

Don’t you hate listening to that voice? Fighting it over and over, again and again - for many years…

Let me ask you this:
Why do you fight?

Don’t you both want the same? So stop fighting and start to work together with that little one in your mind!

Many years ago when I was trying to become a cycle racer I had that little voice too… Telling me to take it easy - pedal slower and have less pain… Here is what I did: I told the voice that once at home I could have a nice cold malt beer (cyclist burn a lot of calories!). So every time the voice starting to tell me to get slower I said: “But don’t you want the beer faster?” An unbeatable argument! I did always win: The voice stopped asking to slow down after a while and then later pushed me to get faster - to get the beer

Thank that little voice every time it comes up for helping you not to step blindly into every trap out there!

Still having difficulties? Here another trick I have learned over the time: Let other’s answer the questions your little voice has. If the argument isn’t coming directly from you - that little (wo)man is convinced way faster!

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

Many years ago I worked together with a manager whose philosophy was that a good worker is recognizable by the emptiness of her/his desk. So every day the manager walked through the offices to ensure that the desks were empty. Every time he did see a desk with something else then keyboard, mouse, monitor and phone on it he just wiped everything with one big swoosh off the desk. All the papers sorted neatly during the day landed on one big pile. Can you imagine how soon afterwards the demand for drawers increased rapidly? And how five minutes before people called it a day they got really hectic—throwing their papers into the drawers. Increased productivity?

My desk has its empty spots and its not so empty spots. Only a genius controls the chaos!

How empty is your desk?

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

There are two different kinds of software evaluations I do:

1. Can the software you choose solve your problems?
   This is mostly interesting for customers who want to by software to solve a problem.  Usually they already have a very good idea what they need but prefer to get a second, objective opinion from an outsider before spending their money.
   
   A builder company with almost 100 employees was looking to replace their existing software solution. Within two weeks I helped them to clearly specify their needs and had them realize that their existing software did everything they needed. Initial savings: $30,000.00
   
    
2. Does the software you let develop follow any quality standards?
   While it sounds like this is mostly for the software companies who either want to improve quality or just check if quality measure have been implemented appropriately this is also for those who had software develop for them.  Very often I have found that programmers tried to make themselves irreplaceable.
   
   One software I evaluated had almost 800 files spread over a handful of folders. 80% of the files had 10 lines or less. A real nightmare for everyone - including the original programmer.

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

In the late 70’s, early 80’s my dream was to become a professional bicycle racer. I had to overcome two road-blocks:
1. no talent
2. finding and following the the right trainer.

While there is nothing you can do about the missing talent - if you find the right trainer you can still make it. I spent many weeks to find all the books there were at that time, read them all and knew what you have to know about professional cycling.

But most importantly I found the right trainer: Louis (probably even misspelled his name). He trained many untalented guys; got some not only into the German championships but also had one become a champion. Quiet a few of the guys he trained became professionals—more and less successful. One of the more common injuries in cycling is a broken collarbone. When Louis broke his and he couldn’t train on the bicycle he ran the hospital stairs up and down for many hours every day; the two weeks they kept him in hospital… When I had my collarbone broken I barely made it ten minutes a day!

Anyway, I approached Louis and got him as trainer.

Sadly enough it took me only a few weeks to leave. Because Louis did what nobody ever had done to me before:
He kicked my butt! And it did hurt and I hated it!
Never forget the one two hour training we did; he got really mad with me when I left it after 300! minutes…

It took me many years to understand how valuable the lessons he did teach me are. And while he kicked butt of every cyclist on the team - he never got personal. He didn’t tell you f**ng idiot like so many others do. (And boy, could he curse!) Still, being barely 20 years young - I wasn’t ready for a trainer like him.

Needless to say - never had a great cycling career…

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

I already blogged about privacy on the net - but AOL starts a new round!

Here’s the offending passage from the new AIM Terms of Service under the “Content You Post” section (emphasis added):

Although you or the owner of the Content retain ownership of all right, title and interest in Content that you post to any AIM Product, AOL owns all right, title and interest in any compilation, collective work or other derivative work created by AOL using or incorporating this Content. In addition, by posting Content on an AIM Product, you grant AOL, its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, assigns, agents and licensees the irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide right to reproduce, display, perform, distribute, adapt and promote this Content in any medium.

You find more discussion about it right on geek.com

You better start encrypting everything you send over the web!

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

This past night around 3 my wife woke me up to tell me that she is leaking a lot of fluid. We both thought that her water had broken. My wife is almost 38 weeks and our daughter was born 2 hours after the water broke. So we rushed to the hospital. Entrance via ER:

“We are here because I think that my water broke and that I am in labor.”
“You want to go to L&D?” Do I have to mention that the lady smelled from booze?
My wife said “Yes”.
“Just walk up to the L&D.” With a broken water you walk…? You know, you never learn out…

But wait, it comes better!

Once we arrive at L&D the 5 minute interrogation about name, b-day, age, previous pregnancies. Duh! Didn’t we just told we come because we think the water is broken? So a green dressed female - an alien as you might have guessed - approaches my wife, me and the kids and says: “You have to come by yourself. There is only one visitor allowed.”

Dang!

Bang!

That was my wife’s and my jar dropping on the floor - synchronously. We think my wife is in labor and the alien does not want me there?

My wife said “No“. I really admire her for staying calm!
I said: “We do not deal with this shit.” Yes, I wasn’t calm anymore…

Turned around and left. Leaving an irritated alien behind. Would you even want to give birth to your child with an alien around?

We ended up driving 80 miles to the next hospital where my wife got treated the way you think you are get treated when going in labor. No questions asked about our kids being there.

Just a false alarm—but which hospital do we go to when it’s the real labor…?

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