Project Management: Death by deliverables

Tomado de: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/tech-manager/?p=4837
Autor: Patrick Gray
Spend about four minutes with an IT project team and you will likely hear several references to a “deliverable” of some sort. Conceived in the pre-technology “dark days” of projects that involved huge folders filled with reams of charts, tables and pencil scratching that were eventually “delivered” to someone, they have become the standard tool for tracking a project’s progress. A “deliverable” in its most noble form advances a business objective of the project, or represents a physical output from the project that furthers the company’s objectives and delivers monetary value to the organization. Where deliverables go wrong is when they become disconnected from the actual business objectives of the project, and morph into an end in themselves.

Deliverables aren’t cheap
Distilled to their essence, a deliverable should be regarded like any other output of your company. They have cost associated to their generation, and should have a corresponding, quantifiable benefit. They must also advance the project towards its ultimate objectives and the corresponding returns associated with completing the project. While any process has some “supporting” steps that do not directly generate value, astute organizations keep these supporting steps to an absolute minimum. Sadly, many organizations that are quite effective in delivering efficient and cost-effective ongoing operations fall flat in a project environment. Often a key contributor to this project malaise is “death by deliverables.”

Projects can become obsessively focused on deliverables rather than the end game. Hoards of otherwise intelligent people scramble around leaving a wake of PowerPoints and spreadsheets analyzing deliverable completion rates every which way, focusing all attention on supporting documentation, rather than the end game: a successful project that meets its objectives. Traditional project management techniques, unless executed flawlessly tend to shift the focus away from the business objectives of the project as well, chopping the effort into phases and tasks, and focusing on completing tasks in sequence rather than completing tasks that will deliver the maximum amount of organizational value. CIOs and line managers become focused on the percentages tied to each phase, forgetting the fact that each number is based solely on the task and time to complete, not organizational value.

In the worst case, you can end up with one of the most frustrating possible outcomes to a long IT project: an effort that meets its timeline and cost goals, but delivers and output that misses the business objectives. Usually these projects either require huge rework, or deliver a system or process that few embrace, and that eventually languishes until it is eventually “unplugged” due to disuse.

Avoiding the Grim Reaper
How does one avoid this death by deliverables? Distill your project into several critical success factors, each with a measurable value to the company. Much of this work should already have been done, and is sitting in that business justification document collecting dust on a forgotten shelf. These success factors might revolve around a few key processes, or an ability to complete a business transaction with a certain level or quality and speed.

If you were able to justify the project as a whole based on some business benefit, you should be able to distill that benefit into component parts. For example if you are implementing a CRM solution with $10M in benefit, and one of the key features is enhanced reporting to sales managers, some element of the $10M should be tied to this reporting. Link each deliverable to one of these critical success factors rather than focusing on the different types of deliverables in an aggregate state. “83% of all functional specifications complete” paints a far different picture than “14% of work required for $1.9M organizational value complete.” Key to this is determining how to benchmark what portion of this value has been realized, usually through demonstrations to key stakeholders or successfully testing functionality that ties to each business objective.

Focusing on the end game and the critical factors to get there also maintains momentum throughout the project team. Rather than pushing to get a deliverable done, which may add zero value to the organization save for checking a box in someone’s plan, the team focuses on objectives that provide true, measurable monetary value to the company.

Tracking the project based on value also helps prevent eleventh hour meetings, where the CIO gets the bad news that the project requires another extension and yet another injection of funding. It’s all too easy for a project to look like it’s on track when counting deliverables, since they lack the connection to the overall value of the project. You can’t hide the fact that key contributors to organizational value are not being delivered, but you can bury project status under bullet points proclaiming “99% of all documentation complete!” Imagine a builder measuring the status of project to build a house based on tasks rather than value. He could report impressive sounding statistics like “93% of all nails hammered” and “100% of planning phases completed” without having completed anything that even vaguely resembles a livable house.

Patrick Gray is the founder and president of Prevoyance Group, and author of Breakthrough IT: Supercharging Organizational Value through Technology. Prevoyance Group provides strategic IT consulting services to Fortune 500 and 1000 companies. Patrick can be reached at patrick.gray@prevoyancegroup.com
© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.

Car or computer? How transport is becoming more connected

Tomado de: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11832473?OCID=spttb

Autor: Kabir Chibber

 

Fiat is using software that tells drivers how to make better, and more fuel efficient, choices behind the wheel

 

While few would blink any more at the sight of a Mini Cooper alongside their own vehicle, some may have noticed a few of their models out and about at the moment that are strangely quiet.

And their silence masks some heavy-duty engineering under the bonnet. 

They are among the 612 Mini E cars being trialled in the US, UK and Germany since 2009.

These plug-in electric models are leased to customers, and BMW - the owner of the Mini - is monitoring every aspect of the cars' use, in almost every scenario, as they are put through their paces. The amount of data that can now be collected about how drivers use their cars is unprecedented. And the impact of so much information is potentially huge.

Imagine having your car post MoT reminders to your social networks, or share your location with friends, or prove that you were not responsible for an accident. 

Behaviour changing
A British company, Riversimple, has designed a range of tiny hydrogen-powered cars, which it will roll out in Leicester in 2012.

They will collect every minute detail about how the cars are used. If the pilot goes well, they are already discussing ways of connecting the cars to social media, and sharing data about how the cars are used.
"Drivers could play games to see who is driving the most efficiently," says Rosie Reeves, Riversimple's sustainability officer.

Italian carmaker Fiat has been compiling data from the Blue&Me navigation systems installed on many of its cars over a six-month period. It may be the largest such data harvest done by a major carmaker. 

"We can extract a number of data - on how the pedals are used, petrol consumption, braking," says Candido Peterlini, vice-president for product development at Fiat. It developed eco:Drive from the data collected from 420,000 car journeys of 5,700 drivers in five countries.
Cars with this function allow the driver to download data about their journeys to a USB stick, which they can plug into their home computer.

It will tell them how to improve their driving - for example, by changing gears less.
Mr Peterlini says the plan is to make this response instant soon, via the on-board computer - so that a driver gets told how to improve their driving while they are cruising through town - and then integrate it into live traffic maps.

"The plan is to tell you the most eco way to drive, by changing your behaviour, taking in traffic conditions and the structure of the road" such as how steep it is, Mr Peterlini says.
It is not hard to see a future where the on-board computers get ever more sophisticated - such as personal profiles for a car, so the car's settings are individualised for each family member.

The computer would adjust the seats, music, the suspension between sports and comfort mode, depending on which family member was using the car.

All while telling each one how to be a better - and more fuel-efficient - driver.

Fiat's data found that the British, for example, use the least fuel when driving and the Spanish use the most in Europe, whilst Spaniards also have the least efficient traffic system. 

Electric models
Increased data collection also tells us a lot about different drivers and how they use the cars.
With the introduction of the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf to car lots, the electric car is poised to go mainstream very soon.

BMW's tests of the Mini E have found most people think they use their cars far more than they do.
According to the people behind the Mini E tests, the average daily car journey in the UK is 22.8 miles. Drivers of the Mini E used theirs for 26.7 miles, fractionally less than conventional petrol Mini Cooper drivers.

People also think they will have to charge the car every day, when in reality they charge them every two or three days.
"It's a misnomer that we're going to have to adapt our driving to electric vehicles," says Suzanne Gray, Mini E's UK project manager.

Soon, many of the Mini Es will be reallocated to new trials in France, China and Japan.
Carmakers are preparing for a world where not only are cars collecting data about you, but they are sharing it with each other.
"We are aware of this constantly increasing computing power in cars," Ms Gray says. "The degree of connectivity and the degree that we will be able to share information - it will jump to a whole new level."

Other uses
And this is not just for cars. All forms of transport are become increasingly interconnected.

 

Riversimple will roll out a series of hydrogen cars in Leicester in two years

 

For example, a group of students at MIT recently caught the attention of British inventor James Dyson with the Copenhagen Wheel.

It is a sleek red disc that attaches to the back wheel of a bike, which captures energy lost during braking and turns into an electric motor for steep climbs.
It also includes location-based software to log information about the bike ride, plan routes and even connect with other cyclists. 

An Italian firm, Octo Telematics, installs boxes on-board cars that allow insurers to price the costs of journeys, as well as perform diagnostics on the cars.
It now has a million total subscribers, and illustrates the potential for real-time insurance on car journeys to be integrated into the build of cars. 

Tube planner
Public transport is also being revolutionised. One of Boris Johnson's priorities when he was elected London mayor was to open up the city's data to developers.

The result, the London Datastore, contains information on all sorts of factors of city life - fires, crime rates, school truancy, recycling rates and so on.

 

Many smartphone apps, like this one, show live information for London's cycle hire scheme

 

As a result, there have been many new smartphone apps, especially around the popular "Boris bike" cycle hire scheme. Most show available bikes near to you on a map.

"There are apps which feed to the traffic camera data so you can see if the road is clear before you set out on your journey and check along the way, there are interactive maps showing carbon emissions in London," says Anthony Browne, the mayor's adviser for economic development.
Other apps show live boards for the London Underground, live road cams and other features that make public transport more convenient.

Like Riversimple, Mr Browne anticipates greater social use of the data as developers use it in ever more sophisticated ways.
"We anticipate a growth in the integration of data into gaming, particularly looking at transport," he says.
"In particular for use in commuting games, or games that encourage people to use public transport more, or indeed walk or cycle more."

BBC © MMX

La diferencia entre un amigo y un amigo antioqueño

Un amigo es alguien que nunca te pide comida…
Un amigo Antioqueño es la razón por la que organizás una comida.

Un amigo te pregunta ¿cómo estás?…
Un amigo Antioqueño te dice que te ves bien y te abraza

Un amigo llama a tus padres señor y señora…
Un amigo Antioqueño le dice a tus padres "mi viejo" y "mi vieja…"

Un amigo puede que nunca te haya visto llorar…
Un amigo Antioqueño ha llorado con vos, por cualquier cosa.

Un amigo te manda flores y una tarjeta cuando estás internado en el hospital.
Un amigo Antioqueño se queda a dormir en una silla, al lado tuyo.

Un amigo te pide algo prestado y te lo devuelve a los dos días…
Un amigo Antioqueño te pide algo prestado y a la semana se le olvida que no es suyo.

Un amigo te ofrece el sofá para que durmás.
Un amigo Antioqueño te brinda su cama, se acuesta en el suelo... y no te deja dormir en toooooda la noche conversando con vos.

Un amigo sabe unas cuantas cosas acerca de vos…
Un amigo Antioqueño podría escribir un libro con las cosas que le has contado de vos mismo.

Un amigo te lleva 'Resprín' cuando estás resfriado.
Un amigo Antioqueño te hace una aguasal de huevos y los remedios que le enseñó su abuela. Y puede que hasta te haga 'el avión' con la cuchara, para que te tomés la sopa.

Un amigo toca a tu puerta para que le abrás…
Un amigo Antioqueño abre la puerta, entra y después te dice: ¡Llegué!

Un amigo te pide que le hagás un café.
Un amigo Antioqueño pasa para la cocina y monta la cafetera y hasta le pide azúcar a una vecina si no tenés.

Un amigo puede serlo por un tiempo…
Un amigo Antioqueño es para toda la vida.

Un amigo ignoraría este correo...

Pero si eres Antioqueño o tienes un amigo Antioqueño se lo pasarás a todos tus amigos pues te sentirás orgulloso de los amigos Antioqueños...

Are you doing your whole job, really?

Tomado de: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/career/?p=2575

Autor: Toni Bowers

In today’s blog I’d like to talk about a somewhat squishy topic that was utmost in my mind recently during a personal event. That topic is empathy on the job, or, rather, lack thereof.

Here’s the story briefly: My father went to his family doctor on a Monday about a breathing problem. Since it had been three years since the last battery of tests he’d had, his doctor decided to admit him into the hospital overnight for more tests. So they run the tests that night, up until 12:30 the next morning. They tested parts of his body he didn’t even know he still had.

Then we waited. All the next day, and most of the next. Because it is the law of the land, only the admitting doctor can sign the discharge papers. Despite having been paged the second night and half of the third day, the doctor did not see fit to come by.

Now, my dad doesn’t complain. This man wouldn’t complain if you were repeatedly striking him in the head with a ball peen hammer. But he had convinced himself that he had some terminal illness and they were waiting to break the news to him. We were all held hostage as we waited minute to minute for the doctor, afraid if we left the room she’d come by.

So at one point, my frustration took over and I took some alternative channels to get the doctor’s attention. She finally came in late on the third day, not very happy, told my dad that he was in perfect health except for some allergies. Then she signed the papers and breezed out.

Now, I use that extreme example to illustrate what can happen when those in the business of serving others fail to put themselves in the shoes of their customers (or, in our case, patients). Maybe you don’t have a scared old man waiting on you, but your end-users have a dependence on you to do ALL of your job. Technical expertise is marvelous but if it stops there–if there is no consideration of the person receiving the benefit of that expertise–then what’s the point?

For the IT pro: Accountants can’t do reports if the tool you’ve created for them doesn’t operate the way they need it to, so your actions are holding up a part of their lives. If a tool you’ve created for an end-user takes three times longer than it should because you didn’t really take the user’s needs in mind when creating it, then that’s a problem. The slickest tool in the world is worthless unless it can be used for its intended need. By failing to deliver that, you’re not doing all of your job, which is delivering a product that the customer can use.

This need for consideration is true even if it’s a matter of completing your part of a project before the next person in line has to do his. A lot of people think, “So what if I miss my deadline by a day or two?” It’s a big deal because you can rest assured that someone further down the line, closer to the final deadline, will bear the brunt of those missed interim milestones. You are working with people (who are affected by what you do or don’t do) and not some vague concept of “them.”

© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.

Bees or Beetles

Tomado de: http://cmsms.schoenstatt.de/en/resources/periodicals/virtual-retreat.htm
Autor: Father Nicolas Schwizer

Indulgence (leniency/pardon) is a virtue of great importance, but very difficult for life in community. Leniency with the faults of brothers /sisters, translates into forgiving faults, expiating them, understanding them, ignoring them. Father Kentenich, the founder of the Schoenstatt Movement, explains: “the community is not only condensed grace, it is also condensed original sin. Thus Christian reality tells us that human groups are not only a “community of saints,” but also “a community of sinners.”

And when I find out about the fault of a brother or sister, the temptation to criticize him/her right away or in an unbecoming manner (behind his/her back) is very great. It is at this time that we have to guard our tongue. If you want to examine whether you have taken love seriously among you, you can verify it with this point. And we have the criteria when it has to do with criticizing a brother /sister who is absent:

 1. Behind his/her back, I only say that which I would also say in his/her presence.

2. Behind his/her back, I only say that which I would want said about me in a similar case.

 Now, how should I act, how should I conduct myself when I discover faults and weaknesses in my brothers / sisters? Father Kentenich proposes two attitudes and a practical method.

Which are those two attitudes?

1. We have to consider human miseries as something evident because we are all beings laden with the rubble of original sin. We should not and we cannot ever forget this. It is natural for me to have faults. It is also natural for my brothers / sisters to also have faults. And just as I have to daily endure my own defects and limitations, in like manner I must also endure the weaknesses of others.

2. Thus being the situation of men and women, we should, in the second place, approach the brother/ sister who errs with much benevolence. None of us is a judge, neither of the living nor the dead.

 Benevolence is “a certain cover up which seems to not see certain obvious deficiencies.” It is the opposite of “that sad shrewdness which some have to see hidden defects.” Benevolence also presupposes a certain ingenuity to discover the gold in each one. And, in each one of us there are many gold bars. We only need a sense for discovering the good in the brother/sister.

Then Father Kentenich makes a comparison: we should not be like the beetle. The beetle can pass over the richest and most delicious foods, but they are of no interest. The beetle only seeks what is rotten and decomposed. We should be like the bee. She goes everywhere, but only stops at the nectar.

The practical method when I discover a defect in a brother or sister

1. I should ask myself: do I perhaps not have the same defect? And many times I will have to answer that I do have it. Perhaps it manifests itself in a different way. Or perhaps I do not have the same fault, but I must acknowledge that I have other faults and perhaps even greater than that of my brother/sister.

 2. Secondly, instead of calling it to the attention of the brother/sister, I should try to conquer that defect in myself. I should strive in that area, at least for a while.

After complying with those two conditions, I can talk to my brother/sister and tell him/her my criticism. I will be able to be more objective and the way in which I call it to his/her attention will necessarily be more careful, softer and more dignified.

Questions for reflection

1. Do we have the mentality of a beetle or a bee?
2. Do I speak in the absence of others?
3. Is it easy for me to see the positive in others?

---

If you wish to subscribe, comment on the text or give your testimony, write to: pn.reflexiones@gmail.com
Translation: Carlos Cantú Schoenstatt Family Federation La Feria, Texas USA 101410.
http://cmsms.schoenstatt.de/en/resources/periodicals/virtual-retreat.htm

Ellison: Oracle Has $4 Billion Case Against SAP

Tomado de: http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=023002AKJWTF

Autor: Jordan Robertson

The courtroom fight between SAP and Oracle, two of the world's biggest business-software makers, is shifting into high gear. The companies are fighting over how much SAP should pay to atone for the shady tactics of now-shuttered support subsidiary TomorrowNow. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison's testimony injected some drama into the trial.

Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison turned up the pressure in an industrial espionage trial Monday by testifying that archenemy SAP Relevant Products/Services AG should have paid $4 billion for licenses to Oracle software.

SAP and Oracle, two of the world's biggest business-software makers, are fighting over how much SAP should pay to atone for the shady tactics of a now-shuttered software support subsidiary called TomorrowNow.

SAP has already admitted to bad behavior. It acknowledged that TomorrowNow stole customer Relevant Products/Services support documents from Oracle password-protected Web sites and used them to steal business from Oracle by offering similar services at a cheaper price.

Oracle has said that it is owed billions for the value of the intellectual property that was taken from it. Ellison's $4 billion estimate concerned the amount of money SAP would have paid for the appropriate licenses to Oracle's software, under certain conditions.

SAP claims TomorrowNow wasn't that effective at stealing customers, and it should only have to pay $40 million for Oracle accounts it did manage to lure away.

The trial, in its second week in federal court, offers a rare look at the corners big companies might be tempted to cut in the battle for new business.

It is also as much a public relations bonanza for Oracle as it is an attempt to recover damages, since Oracle gets to pillory two rivals at once: SAP and Hewlett-Packard Co.

The conflict with SAP has grown as Oracle has moved beyond its core business of selling database software and into SAP's stronghold of applications that help companies manage payroll, human resources and other tasks.

The issue with HP Relevant Products/Services stems from Oracle's decision to start selling computer servers, an HP mainstay. Also, Ellison has taken HP to task for hiring Leo Apotheker, SAP's former CEO, as HP's new CEO. Apotheker is replacing Ellison's friend and tennis buddy Mark Hurd, who was ousted as HP's CEO over expense-report lapses. Ellison has since hired Hurd to serve as an Oracle co-president.

Apotheker may not wind up testifying live about his role in the TomorrowNow espionage.

Oracle has tried to force him to appear in court but says HP has refused the subpoena. Apotheker has proven so elusive that Oracle has hired investigators to try to track him down and serve him with the subpoena if he appears within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of the federal courthouse in Oakland, which includes HP's headquarters in Palo Alto.

If Apotheker stays out of range, Oracle can't force him to testify.

HP accuses Oracle of harassing its new executive and says Oracle had ample time to question Apotheker during an earlier sworn deposition. If Apotheker doesn't appear, Oracle could play the videotaped testimony.

Ellison's testimony injected some celebrity drama into the trial. Although he is known for trash-talking against rivals, his courtroom appearance was devoid of theatrics, and he didn't give any public comments afterward.

Ellison testified that he was deeply worried that his company would bleed customers because of what seemed like SAP's masterstroke of an acquisition of TomorrowNow in 2005. Ellison called the TomorrowNow deal a "brilliant idea" that posed a "grave risk" to Oracle because of its ability to let SAP steal business, even without the theft of Oracle's documents.

The extent of those fears, and how they squared with the amount of business SAP actually poached, consumed most of his hourlong testimony.

Lawyers from Oracle and SAP questioned Ellison on his initial fears that Oracle could lose as much as 30 percent of the customer contracts it got as part of its $10.3 billion acquisition of PeopleSoft in 2005.

That deal sparked SAP's interest in TomorrowNow, since TomorrowNow supported PeopleSoft software.

SAP insists that it owes far less than Oracle is demanding because TomorrowNow stole far fewer customers than Oracle thought it would. SAP's lawyers have repeatedly cited SAP's claim that TomorrowNow stole only 358 Oracle customers, out of the thousands that came to Oracle through the acquisition.

© 2010 Associated Press under contract with YellowBrix. All rights reserved

© Copyright 2000-2010 NewsFactor Network. All rights reserved.

Colombian domain challenges .com

Tomado de: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11720728

A domain name owned by the Colombian government is proving popular in the increasingly crowded space of web addresses.

The .co web address was assigned to Colombia by net regulator Icann but is now being run by a private firm.

Since being launched in July, the .co domain name has attracted nearly 600,000 registrations and is being seen as a challenger to .com.

It comes ahead of a big shake-up in the way web addresses are assigned.

It has taken the Colombian government 10 years to get its domain name up and running on a commercial basis.

Originally the .co address was administered by the University of the Andes in Bogota.

The university recognised the potential of the name but the commercial roll-out never got off the ground.

"It has been a long process of creating the laws and procurement process," said Juan Diego Calle, chief executive of the .co registry.

A quarter of the revenue the registry makes from .co will go to the Colombian government.

Mr Calle is hoping the name can compete with the dominance of .com.

"We are going for a global audience and in three to five years we hope to have three to five million registrations.

"The average person can try up to 20 times to register a domain and companies are starting to come up with long and silly urls," he said.

So far, 38% of firms registering for a .co domain are in the US, with 20% in Europe, the majority of these from the UK.

For countries lucky enough to have a domain name with a meaning beyond their own borders - such as the tiny South Pacific island of Tuvalu (.tv), domain names can be a rich income source.

The .tv web address has proved a hit with the broadcast industry, while Montenegro's me has appeal to the social networking generation.

The .co landgrab could be one of the last before Icann overhauls the way net addresses are assigned.

Next year the body is due to open up the system so that companies and individuals can register any name they want.

Mr Calle does not think it will impact the success of .co.

"You need technology resources to manage a domain name. Running a domain registry costs millions," he said.

The deregulation of web addresses will show that net names can go beyond the established names, he thinks.

"It will help educate consumers that you can type .co into a browser and get a valid website," he said.

BBC © MMX

Hijos triunfadores

Autor: Luís Baba Nakao (Marzo de 2007)

Debemos preparar a nuestros hijos para el mundo del futuro, no el mundo de nuestros padres ni el nuestro. En este mundo actual lo determinante para triunfar será el carácter, no solo el conocimiento, como muchos pudiéramos creer. Tener temple, salir de fracasos adecuadamente, hacer de los fracasos un desafío y no una tragedia..., eso será lo que buscarán quienes seleccionan personal. Para los trabajadores independientes será un auto requisito.

Un hijo forjará el carácter si percibe claramente la autoridad de los padres. Con presencia de autoridad, los niños y jóvenes podrán resolver los problemas asertivamente. Sin presencia de autoridad nuestros hijos serán débiles de carácter y obrarán por impulsos con los consecuentes problemas de adaptación. ¿Exceso de autoridad? "Siempre será mejor el exceso de autoridad." El límite lo pone la siguiente regla: "No se debe humillar". Lo que es el niño o el joven hoy será el adulto del mañana en cuanto hay que mirar al hijo como un adulto potencial.

¿Queremos que nuestros hijos no sufran? Entonces hay que prepararlos para sufrir. No podemos evitarles todo sufrimiento. Deben comprender la muerte, los problemas de la vida, las dificultades económicas en casa, los problemas en el trato con sus semejantes. No debemos resolverles todas las dificultades, no debemos darles gusto cuando no hay como, hay que ayudarlos a que ellos las resuelvan. Nadie logra metas exitosas y duraderas sin un poco de sufrimiento. Evitándoles el sufrimiento hacemos un daño irreparable. Darles todo los incapacita para luchar por lo que de verdad vale la pena. Hay que enseñarles a hacer esfuerzos adicionales. Que sepan que siempre se puede un poquito más. Nadie recoge su cosecha sin sembrar muchas semillitas y abonar mucha tierra.

Es muy importante enseñarles a carecer, es decir a "sentir la falta de". Hay jóvenes que no juegan su deporte favorito si no tienen tenis de "marca", hay jóvenes que se resisten aceptar una invitación si no van con vestido nuevo; hay gente joven que no se moviliza a otro lugar si no es en carro o si papá y mamá no los llevan; aunque tengamos para darles 200%, ellos deben saber el valor de las cosas. Si no lo hacen de pequeños, les será muy difícil de adultos y allí sí que van a sufrir y nosotros con ellos. ¿Cómo les enseñamos a carecer? Dándoles un poquito menos de lo que necesitan. Así aprenden a apreciar lo que tienen y a no ser ingratos. Una excelente escuela para aprender a carecer (sin morir en el intento) es la mesa del hogar, la comida. ¿Qué debemos hacer de comer? Lo que nosotros decidamos que es bueno para ellos! Es no solo por su bien alimenticio, sino que es excelente que aprendan a carecer. "Mami... no me gustan las lentejas". Si quieren hacerles un bien para la vida, denle lentejas, no lo cambien por la hamburguesa o la pizza que anhelan. Habrá berrinches, no se exalten (autoridad no es gritar o agredir), que no coma si no quiere, pero cuando le vuelva el hambre: SORPRESA!... Las lentejas de la nevera calentadas!

También hay que educarlos en el servicio. Una familia normal es un equipo de trabajo con pocas tareas: tender la cama, ordenar los cuartos, lavar los platos, arreglar la mesa, etc. Hay que educarlos para que realicen las labores de hogar, aunque lo hagan mal al principio. Las escuelas más importantes de liderazgo del mundo enseñan a los jóvenes a carecer y hacer, para que sepan y entienda el mundo y lo puedan liderar. Las mesadas deben ser una cantidad fija, mas bien, semanales y algo menos de lo que creen que necesitan. Así aprenden a administrar inteligentemente el dinero. El respeto por el adulto jamás debe transgredirse. A un padre no se le debe exigir lo que materialmente no puede ofrecer, no se le debe descalificar, menospreciar, burlar ni mucho menos gritar. Un padre jamás debe permitir la subvaloración por parte de su hijo.

Formemos hijos luchadores, no debiluchos sobreprotegidos.

Que se superen así mismos. Que tomen los problemas como desafíos para mejorar. Recuerden que nadie alcanza altura con un solo vuelo. También hay que ilusionarlos con ideales, metas futuras, sueños para que sean buenos de corazón. Importante también es estar convencidos de que triunfador no equivale a tener dinero o propiedades. Triunfadores son aquellos que son felices con lo que hacen, con lo que tienen y con su vida. Solamente así podrán hacer felices a otros.

Los hijos con carácter templado, con algunas carencias, educados en el servicio, plenos de amor, con respeto a la autoridad e ilusiones, serán hijos triunfadores.

Los padres tenemos la gran responsabilidad de criar hijos que transformen nuestro país, donde reinen la libertad, la abundancia, la justicia y la felicidad.

Bueno agregaría al final lo siguiente: "Solo de esta manera al final nuestros hijos ya grandes y formados repetirán nuestras mismas palabras, GRACIAS PAPÁ, GRACIAS MAMÁ, GRACIAS HERMANOS, GRACIAS TIOS Y TIAS. Ahora si comprendo el valor de sus enseñanzas que aunque a primera vista parecían duras y crueles estaban llenas de amor."

Como me dijo alguien: a los hijos hay que criarlos con un poquito de hambre y un poquito de frio.

Microsoft and Adobe Huddle Hints at Partnership

Tomado de: http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=023001SOY3N7

Autor: Jennifer LeClaire

A clandestine meeting between Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen spurred rumors of an acquisition. The speculation drove up Adobe's stock, only to decline as skepticism set in. Analysts see little reason for Microsoft to buy Adobe, but a partnership could unite Microsoft and Adobe against Google.

It's not causing quite the stir in the markets as when Microsoft bid on Yahoo, but speculation that the software giant might snap up Adobe Systems is turning heads. Even though equities analysts suggest little possibility of an acquisition, investors drove Adobe's stock up in after-market trading Thursday.

After hitting a 52-week low, Adobe shares soared 12 percent Thursday after rumors of a clandestine meeting Relevant Products/Services between the two tech companies hit Wall Street. The stock declined five percent Friday morning as skepticism set in. News reports told the story of behind-closed-door meetings between Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen.

Ballmer fueled the speculation when he declined to comment on the rumors at a conference Relevant Products/Services in Madrid, Spain, according to the Associated Press. "If you are going to do something, you say nothing," Ballmer said. "So I'll be entirely consistent with standard CEO operating procedure." Adobe also declined to comment.

The Microsoft-Flash Connection

Microsoft and Adobe have a common enemy in Apple. As reported in The Wall Street Journal earlier this year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs personally decided not to include Flash support in the iPad, insulting Adobe and opening the door for the software maker to find partners to rival Apple in tablet computers. Microsoft is launching its Windows Phone 7 Series operating system to compete with Apple's iOS.

Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, said both Microsoft and Adobe would need to be feeling desperate to agree to a merger, because Microsoft would have to shell out significant cash and Adobe would likely lose its identity. When Microsoft made its bid for Yahoo, the search Relevant Products/Services company was in a desperate position -- and it still refused the offer.

"Flash, this incredibly popular and powerful aspect of Adobe, is actually an ancestor to Microsoft Chrome, which was a product that got killed for political reasons," Enderle said. "The connection between the two companies would give Microsoft control over a technology that they were actually partially responsible for creating. Granted, there is a lot more to Flash now than Chrome."

Apple or Google

Although there's bad blood between Apple and Adobe, Microsoft picking up the company to battle against a common enemy is a stretch. That's because Microsoft is more concerned with Google than Apple, and Adobe doesn't help Microsoft battle Apple. But Enderle said a merger might make sense for the companies from a different view.

"Adobe may feel it needs Microsoft's scale to weather what is clearly a major storm in its space, where increasingly people are creating content on cameras and on the web rather than using Adobe's tools," Enderle said. "That could be a serious problem. Adobe needs web tools and capabilities. That's Microsoft's strength. Adobe just doesn't seem to get the cloud."

Microsoft could add compelling tools on its web platforms to drive dominance. But the key target would be Google. Although many comparisons are made between Microsoft and Apple, at the end of the day Apple is a hardware company and Microsoft is a software company.

"Apple does not rise to the level of concern that Google does," Enderle said. "If Google is successful, Microsoft is obsolete. If Apple is successful, Microsoft can be successful as well. A strategic alliance between Microsoft and Adobe is much more likely."

© Copyright 2000-2010 NewsFactor Network. All rights reserved.

10 common career myths

Tomado de: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=1859

Author: Alan Norton 

Career prospects have changed dramatically from previous generations. Alan Norton offers this wake-up call for IT pros who may still cling to certain expectations — like salary increases, job advancements, benefits, and a nice retirement package.

After nine years working for the same company, I suddenly found myself one day disillusioned with the traditional concept of career. I had earned a salary grade increase only to have it taken away due to a corporate business unit buyout. I don’t like to admit it, but I was bitter and angry. I couldn’t stomach the notion that my career had gone nowhere in almost 10 years of dedicated hard work.

I sit down now 14 years later to try to analyze why I had become so cynical about the entire concept of career. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Perhaps I bought into the idea of a career with one company. Perhaps I was blind to the changes going on in the corporate world around me. Or perhaps cynicism is part of the aging process. I do know that the concept of career as it existed in my mind when I started my career no longer exists. Here are 10 reality checks to help you get your expectations in line with the changes that have happened and are happening today.

1: College will gain you entry

It used to be that a college degree was the ticket to a successful professional career and an above average salary. The reality is that not enough of those high-paying jobs exist for college graduates today and may not for quite some time. More people are graduating by percentage than ever, which means more competition for new IT openings. Wikipedia states that of the general U.S. population aged 25 and older, more than 52% have some college and 27.7% have a Bachelor’s degree. You will still need a degree to be considered for most professional IT positions — it’s just less certain now that the all-important diploma will be your ticket to the career of your dreams.

2: You will climb the career ladder

I once idealistically believed that sometime between my fifth and 10th year working for one company, I would receive my first promotion. My second promotion would come before my 20th year. It didn’t work out that way. I had to change jobs to get my promotion — and changing jobs can sometimes be a risky proposition.

The recession has taken its toll. Millennials now expect fewer promotions. Also, the career path for software engineers, database administrators, and other IT specialists is limited at most companies that do not specialize in IT services. If you are a technician or specialist and ambitious and want to climb the corporate ladder in such a company, you may have to transition to a managerial position with a broader career path. It’s not common to see a tech successfully make the transition to management but it can be done.

3: You will work for one company

Japan has traditionally been known for its employee/corporate loyalty. In a survey of young Japanese workers, 75% were willing to change jobs if something better came along. How times have changed. Even IBM, once well known for its policy of lifetime employment, has had to change its no-layoffs policy. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, fewer than 10% of all employees stay with a company for more than 20 years.

4: Your career will bring you happiness

Well, maybe. But current trends suggest that it is becoming harder than ever. Patrick Thibodeau notes that IT job satisfaction is at an all-time low. Those just beginning their career expecting to find happiness on the other side of their formal education may have unrealistic expectations.

The longer you work, the more certain it will be that you will find yourself unhappy on the job. Maybe it will be the boss who takes credit for your work, the fourth or fifth time you are overlooked for a promotion, the peer who stabs you in the back, or the manager you just can’t work with. Unhappiness happens.

5: You will have one area of expertise

It is more likely than ever that your last job before retirement will be significantly different from the one you had at the beginning of your career. A remark by TechRepublic contributor Michael Kassner has stuck with me. He said he’s had to reinvent himself many times during his career. He isn’t alone. I and many Boomers have had to reinvent themselves as well.

6: You will retire with the highest salary

If you do have to reinvent yourself, you may be earning a salary more fitting a novice than an experienced professional. You could wind up being among the flotsam and jetsam discarded into the ranks of the unemployed, so you might make less money once you find gainful employment. Salary is not always a steady progression from low to high throughout your career.

7: Benefits will remain part of your pay package

An ever-growing list of benefits provided by corporations are being trimmed or cut outright: medical and dental insurance, pension plans, and matching funds for 401k contributions are good examples. You can no longer expect your company to provide for your needs beyond a basic salary.

8: You will be able to retire when you expected

The retirement age with full Social Security benefits hasn’t changed much over the years. Retirement at a later age is a real possibility due to unfunded commitments to retirees. In France, a bill that increases the retirement age from 60 to 62 has led to millions taking to the streets in protest.

We are, after all, living longer on average than we did in 1960. Life expectancy in the United States has grown from 69.7 in 1960 to 77.5 years in 2003, so it is not entirely unreasonable that we should be expected to retire later. The current economic downturn hasn’t helped, either. Many Boomers are facing the reality that retirement will come later than originally planned.

9: Your pension plan funds will be there for you when you retire

Ask a former Enron employee and you will likely hear a sad story of a “solid” company suddenly gone –and with it, the employee pension plan. Corporate bankruptcy isn’t the only cause for concern about the viability of your pension plan. Tough economic times have left pension plans underfunded, bringing doubt as to whether Boomers will see their entire pension plan funds when they become eligible.

10: Social Security will be there for you as promised

I was told that Social Security was developed to protect the ignorant and financially inept masses from themselves. The common man just couldn’t be trusted to save for his retirement. Regardless of whether that statement is true, the irony is that the FICA taxes collected over the years have already been spent by those clever politicians you and I sent and keep sending to Washington. How much, if any, will be available when each of us retires is unknown, but the trends point to a crisis in the making. The outlays were not expected to exceed money collected until 2016, but that is now expected to occur in 2010. In 1950, 16 workers paid in for every recipient. That is estimated to dwindle to two per recipient by 2030.

Yes, you will probably get something from Social Security. But don’t count on it at age 62. And don’t expect to receive the same estimated payment that is printed on the Social Security statement you receive each year from the Social Security Administration.

It’s not just the U.S. government-funded retirement system that is in trouble, either. Except for Australia and Canada, many countries are facing problems funding their pension plans due to population aging and other challenges.

The bottom line

I have focused on a lot of negative changes. I would like to end with a few words of encouragement. Hang tough; the recession won’t last forever. The knowledgeable, agile, and hard working can survive, even thrive, in today’s ever-changing workplace and tough economic climate.

Perhaps this infamous Chinese proverb says it best: “May you live in interesting times.” My career was not what I expected, but it certainly wasn’t boring. Are your career expectations in line with the new economic reality? Like me, you may be disappointed if they aren’t.

© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.