Task manager or people manager? Is there room for both in the organization?

Always the one looking for interesting article, I came across the article on the subject of management. The author brings up several good points that owners should think about.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Many organizations fail to differentiate these subtle points. A shepherd cannot be given the responsibility of running a sheep farm. Running a sheep farm is a different ball game altogether when compared to taking the sheep for just grazing and brining them back to the shed.

Read "Who is the ideal manager..."

Value and the Member

In the competitive landscape today, it's important to know what value your member organization is delivering. As my mentor says, if you don't know what value you are delivering, how can you relay this to the member.

I read a great post on the topic at the Membership Marketing Blog. Check out the discussion.

The Growing Concern over Membership Value: "“Are we delivering the value members want?” It is a common question that I hear from clients these days. Value seems to be the top issue on ..."

 

Who Says You Have to Deliver Boring Presentations?

It’s 9:00 am Tuesday morning. In a half hour you have a big meeting with the executive team to discuss your project. But you’re not really looking forward to delivering the presentation before the group.

You reflect on how terrible you performed at the last review meeting--boring your audience to death. You can still see the images of everyone constantly checking their watches. Let's not bring up the sighs and whispers.

You take one last opportunity to review your notes and handouts from the How to Deliver Winning Presentations workshop. You see the letters WIIFM scribbled on your notepad, recalling the heavy emphasis the trainer placed on these letters. You gain some confidence.

WIIFM (What's In It For Me) simply means tuning into the audience's needs and wants.

The clock hits 9: 45am, and you’re feeling invincible and charged up because the coaching you received at that presentation skills seminar gave you the tools you needed to keep your audience engaged and informed.

Next, you gather your presentation package and bolt out the door, down the hall  to the meeting room with the big leather chairs. You step inside, greeting the meeting participants with a big handshake and a smile.

You acknowledge a small personal victory--remembering past times when you’d take a quick seat and blend in with the furniture. This time is different though. You are tuned into WIIFM.

Charged up and ready to go, you even make small talk with the new VP Engineering. You are focused on your audience instead of trying to remember your lines.

Fifteen minutes into the meeting you are called up for your presentation. During your opening introduction, the participants move to the edges of their seat.

They also laugh at your intended humourous line. You’re rolling. They are engaged. Why? Because your confidence is magnetic and you are tuned into WIIFM.

You think to yourself, “If only every presentation could be like this…Why, I just might get promoted."

86% of business professionals believe they are effective presenters…Only 17% of their audiences agreed (Leader's Voice). What is your audience saying about you? 

Sizzle during your next presentation. Don't settle. Get a coach! Take action!

Mark Kay on Motivation

Think you got a good grasp of motivation principles? Mel Silberman, in his book - The Consultant's Toolkit: High-Impact Questionnaires, Activities, and How-to Guides for Diagnosing and Solving Client Problems - offers tips on what leaders can do to motivate others. Here are three principles from his list I want to highlight with my thoughts added:

1. Positive thoughts motivate.
When the group you lead attains its goals, advertise your success. Thank individuals for the success of the group.

When you advertise success, you are also creating momentum. And we all know the BIG 'MO' is very important when it comes to leading a team.

2. Enjoyment motivates.
Find out what people like to do and when possible, have them do the tasks they enjoy. Demonstrate your pleasure when people and the team succeed. Build in enjoyable social activities for everyone, such as having coffee or lunch together.

If you are not big on social activities, tap into the power of the team for support. You just may have a social king or queen willing to lead the charge.

3. Feeling important motivates.
Ask people for their opinions. Listen intently to what they say. Consider their thoughts carefully Give credit when you use somebody's idea.

I'm reminded of Mary Kay Ash's quote: Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying, 'Make me feel important.' She says we should never forget this message when working with people.

How to Get Your Boss to Trust You

Imagine if you had a formula for earning your boss' trust? Doing research on the topic of trust and management, it's no surprise that this is a hot topic. Trust is essential for team success.

If you are wondering how to earn your boss's trust, Michael Strange, a regional director at Neudesic LLC in Los Angeles, wrote an article just for you. He outlines steps to help you earn trust.

My favorite tip is:

Reward openness regarding problems. I have been shocked over and over by programmers who say, "I was afraid to tell you about this problem." It's essential to create project teams that work together to identify and work on outstanding issues, not hide them. Last-minute complications will be reduced, and predictability will improve measurably.

Why is this my favorite? Because in my experience, openness regarding problems really pays off. My favority saying is, "we can pay now, or pay later. "

Check out Strange's (ComputerWorld) article, How to Earn Your Bosses' Trust, posted on Journyx's project management blog.

Interview with Frank S. Adamo, Part 3

This is the final part of the interview with Communications Coach, Frank S. Adamo. The discussion shifts to leadership, and the value of networking. If you have missed parts 1 & 2, be sure to check those out.

RM: Let me ask you a question on leadership. The most debated question regarding leadership is..."Are leaders born or made?" What are your thoughts on the discussion?

FA: My belief a few are born leaders; however, the vast majority are made. I've seen many members of Toastmasters become effective leaders. My belief is that most Toastmasters join to improve their communications skills; however, they soon learn to be better leaders.

Not only because Toastmasters has a Leadership program, but members gain confidence and focus. There are many traits for leaders; however, I believe we can't be a leader if we don't have self confidence. Once we have confidence, we tend to focus on our lost dreams, our passion, and our ambitions. That's when others are attracted to us and we become true leaders.

RM: I’ve had the opportunity to work with new leaders in my field. Sometimes they question the importance of networking. Why is networking important, and how can people become effective at it?

FA: In my opinion, networking is ESSENTIAL to keep stability in our businesses. It's takes 7 to 12 times more effort to find a new customer than to maintain an existing customer. Logically, it makes sense to maintain customers, but how do we maintain customers? By building relationships.

Why does Wal Mart hire greeter? To welcome their customers and make them feel at home. Simply, to build relationships with their customers. Direct mail campaigns, e-mail campaigns, advertising, and any other traditional ways to market may bring business and may be essential, but these methods do not build relationships.

By joining a local chamber, a networking group, a service organization, etc. you will meet the movers and shakers of your community. How else will they get to know you and what you can do for them – other than meeting them?

To be effective at networking, a few of the many situations I discuss in my networking workshops are:

1. Don't just join organizations like the local chamber, networking groups, etc. You need to participate. Get involved. Join a committee. Volunteer to help at events. Participate in a business expo. Do something so the others will get to know you. Don't expect much or any business if you merely meet for lunch once a month.

2. Have business cards available 24/7 because you don't know where you might have a chance to network. You can network not only at networking organizations, but at a birthday party, your service club, an ethnic group such as the Sons of Italy, a neighborhood gathering, at seminars and workshops, etc. It's amazing to me that when I have a workshop on networking, at least one and sometimes the majority of the class didn't bring business cards!

3. Most importantly, when you network, never use "I,"s. We don't network to sell anything. That comes later. We are there to "network," i.e. to build a relationship by learning from each other. We need to LISTEN to the other person.

4. If you go with someone else to an event, trade show, etc. DO NOT stay together. I've been self-employed for many years. Sometimes I go to networking events with my wife and/or business associates. We rarely see each other at the event. The purpose of attending a networking event is to meet OTHER people – not to mingle with people from your own group.

5. Develop a 30-sec speech that's meaningful. If asked what you do, will you say, "Hi, my name is Stan Smith and I'm a Realtor" or "“Hi, my name is Stan Smith, I work with people who want to achieve superior returns on their real estate investments, while saving money on their taxes, and I’m so glad that I’ve finally got the opportunity to meet you Mr. Trump. Do you have a quick moment to chat, or may I give you a call at your office.”

6. Join Toastmasters to help you learn to ask appropriate questions and to answer questions in an organized and concise manner.

To learn more about Frank's services and workshops, visit his website.

Interview with Franks S. Adamo, part 2

Are you a technical professional in need of help delivering a presentation to non-technical audiences? Right here, in part 2 (part 1) of the interview with Frank S. Adamo, he provides tips to get you on the right track.

Frank is an expert in the field of communicating. He recently joined Ken Blanchard, Brian Tracy & Stephen Covey in a new book, Discover Your Inner Strength!

RM: You worked in the chemical industry for nearly 13 years as a chemist, supervisor, lab manager and a lab consultant; and you have written a book, 31 Tips to becoming an Effective Presenter. What advice can you offer to technical professionals presenting reports or other findings to non-technical audiences?

FA: Very simple (no pun intended): keep it simple and concise and DON'T USE JARGON. Most Technical Professionals are very knowledgeable in their fields of expertise; however, most will be very detailed and comprehensive in their thinking. This is fine. They can have all the details, results and conclusions in the written report -- but NOT in a spoken presentation.

The mind works differently when we hear. We can generally comprehend the entire sentence by picking out key words and phrases of a sentence, much like a speed reader does. However, we can't do this when listening. If I decide to speak and stop in the middle of a sentence, e.g. "We have found a major cure for ," you have no idea what I plan to say until after I have completed the sentence.

Thus, avoid the long, drawn out sentences with multiple semicolons used in reports and perhaps daily speaking. By the time you complete one of these sentences, hardly anyone will remember the beginning of the sentence, thus your audience may get confused.

Divide your speech into short, concise sentences and pause a bit between major thoughts so that the audience can clearly understand your message. For other tips, please read my article on “Effective Presentations For Technical Professionals.”


Read the final part of the interview with Frank on Friday.

Interview with Frank S. Adamo, Communications Coach

I'm thrilled about the opportunity to visit with Frank S. Adams, the Godfather of Practical Reasoning. This is the first of a 3 part series of the interview with Frank.

Frank is a Communications Coach and Mentor, Certified Career Coach, International Trainer, Speaker and Published Author. Frank is the foremost authority on the fear of public speaking.

Road Map: Thanks for agreeing to this interview. It's a pleasure to have you sharing with the readers.

Road Map: Frank, you are quick to point out that “Effective Communications is the KEY to Success in business, at home and in the community.” Why are you so passionate about the topic?

Frank S. Adamo: We all can communicate, but are we effective? One of my students was hired by a utility company as an electrician's apprentice. While attending my classes, he applied for an electrian's position. After he got the position, he went back to the interviewer and asked him why he was hired. The interviewer said that, out of about 3 dozen other candidates, he was the only one who really listened to the questions, answered them appropriately, and was concise and to the point when answering the questions.

To paraphrase Ed Tate, the Toastmasters 2000 World Champion of Public Speaking, in one of his speeches, he said, violence is not the answer. We must use our mind and take the time to think. If I may add, once you take time to think, we need to communicate these thoughts effectively.

I've been a Rotarian since 1985 and the purpose of Rotary International is world peace and understanding. How can we really understand without effective communications? How can we have world peace without effective communications? We can't. It's the same with our individual lives.

If our child (in my case, my grandchild) comes home with 2 A's, 2 B's and a D, what is our focus? "Why did you get a D in science?" Instead, we might want to say something like, "Wow, you did so well in English, Social Science, Reading and an A in Math? Fantastic." Then after a moment or two, you might want to add "I see you got a D in Health. Is there something you don't understand? How can we help?"

Regardless of your political affiliation, President Reagan, the Communicator, won the re-election by a landslide and he was able to pass through many of his policies even though there was an opposing Congress. Even those who respect and believe in George W. Bush have to admit that he doesn't have the best communications skills. Even he will admit to that.

I wonder how the world would perceive Pres. George W. Bush if he had the communication skills of Ronald Reagan? Effective communications, particularly in the age of instantaneous communication, is essential for success in your life.

RM: Some people believe they can’t overcome the fear of speaking in front of groups. What are some steps they can take to overcome their presentation fears?

FA: What I tell my students when I teach my class on Transcending your Presentation Fears, if I can be here teaching you, then anyone can transcend their fear. I believe I'm the foremost expert on the fear of public speaking because I had that fear, not for years, but for decades.

1. I begin by telling my students we are born with only two fears: the fear of noise and the fear of heights (or falling). All others are learned. Therefore, the fear of presenting can be unlearned.

I generally talk about presentation fears rather than the fear of public speaking because most people have to, at one time or another, give a presentation, a toast at a wedding, an eulogy at a funeral, etc. They are not particularly interested in becoming "public speakers." but they do want to be comfortable in being in front of an audience.

2. Fear is generally based on the unknown. I tell my students to consider living in a small village 1,500 years ago. It's a balmy, bright day around noontime. Then, it begins to get darker and darker. The entire village flock together in fear as the villagers look up and see the sun disappearing. In these modern times, millions again flock together -- not in fear -- but to see a rare solar eclipse. People today understand this phenomenon. They don't have a fear of an eclipse.

Public speaking or giving presentations is an unknown for many people. That's when I recommend my students to join Toastmasters because that's where they will begin to understand how to present in front of an audience in a sate and encouraging environment.

3. Fear is POSITIVE. Without fear, our primitive ancestors would have died and the human race would have been extinct eons ago. Thus, we should embrace the ability to feel fear.

4. If fearful, the body physically changes. The symptoms we have are a natural reaction to the fear. For example, we feel nauseated because the digestive system shuts down. Thus, if you are a bit fearful, don't eat until after your presentation. We get the shaky hands and knocking knees, the quivering voice, and a fast heartbeat because our body is rushing oxygen and energy (in the form of glucose) to our muscles to prepare to fight or flight from danger. Thus, shake your hands, arms, and legs (or do some other form of exercise) before you present. This will release some of the built up energy and relax you. Please shake your arms and legs, etc. off stage. That might really "frighten your audience ."

5. Join Toastmasters. When we began to walk as babies, we didn't immediately get up and began to walk. No! We got up and fell, got up and stumbled, over and over and over again. But through continual trying and determination, we began to walk, to the pleasure of our parents -- at least until we learn to climb on everything and running out of the house into mischief. The same with speaking in public and doing presentations. It will take time, but it will happen, if you have a safe place to practice and stumble. Toastmasters is the place to practice and learn how not to stumble the next time.

Coming next on Wednesday --more of Frank's thoughts on communicating>> part 2.

Individual Contributor? Do This and Stand Out

“One clear way that individual contributors can differentiate themselves is by taking their project and articulating a vision for it,” says Karen McHenry.

Why is vision so important? The success of a project or effort requires teamwork. And if the team can't see where the project is heading or the final outcome, they won't give their all to the project. In my past, I can remember serving of some manager's pet project that was doomed for failure. He didn't bother to create buy-in. He didn't have realistic expectations nor plans.

McHenry writes this about creating a vision and expectations: “True leaders back up their vision with a realistic roadmap for accomplishing that vision.” When this happens, they can effectively lead the team.

Neal Whitten, PMP, author of No-Nonsense Advice for Successful Projects, writes the biggest reason project managers are not effective, is because they are soft (no vision for team success). Soft refers to not holding teammates accountable and trying to keep everyone happy.

Improve you effectiveness and stand out, read McHenry’s three keys to building credibility as an individual contributor: expertise, values, and vision.

Karen McHenry consults to the software industry on strategy and new product development, writes on business, technology and career issues, and teaches at Endicott College.

How To Work With Others

In a previous post on The Road Map, we discussed leading in a technical environment. A major point in that discussion was the importance of getting a mentor, and leveraging the relationship to become a stronger technical leader.

I bring that article up because the tips in this next article, along with a mentor is perfect for you tech savvy leaders. Celine Roque's "10 Tips for Working with the Not-So-Tech-Savvy" offers hot tips to help you work with others. Her intended audience is web workers, but this message applies to others.

Roque's tip #1 Avoid Jargon - is atop of my list of biggest barriers when communicating with technical professionals. In my experience, using jargon is a surefire way to confuse others and hurt productivity.

However, with a little work and coaching anyone can reduce their use of jargon. One idea is to have a not so tech savvy teammate listen to your word choices.

Read Roque's thoughts on jargon and the remaining 9 tips to work with not so tech savvy workers.

What Leaders Can Learn From TV?

HR World Editors posted a fine article discussing management skills and the TV show "Lost". Here are several excerpts from that feature:

10 Things Every Manager Should Learn from "LOST"
By HR World Editors on May 15, 2008

An island full of plane-crash survivors and mystery might not strike you as the best place to learn management lessons, but the fact is that "LOST" has much to teach about leadership. A great deal of the story focuses on the struggle between leaders and their groups, and how the choices they make impact the entire island. Read on to find out what you can learn from "LOST," and how you can apply these lessons to your own management skills.

Make Alliances.

The survivors of "LOST" have found much help from outside sources by forming alliances. Sayid's relationship with Rousseau has been particularly helpful, as she's been the group's native guide to the island in many episodes. Even Michael, in a bloody and roundabout way, has worked with Ben to help protect the people on the island.

These sort of relationships can be translated into a management setting in the form of knowledge-sharing between departments, such as cross training. The bonds created by forming alliances between groups can prove useful when your team needs help.

Continue to read entire list

Efficiency in Your Organization

Do you promote a culture of continuous improvement in your organization? Whether small or large, continuous improvement is important in the race for efficiency. Large sums of resources are washing down the drain due to inefficiencies in the way many organizations run do business. I ran across great this article by Amy Smith while preparing for a process improvement initiative with a business associate. It is a must read for leaders who strive for efficiency and need a little direction.

"Continuous improvement is much like this search for the shrine," writes Amy Smith, a Kentucky-based director of organizational planning and performance. She goes on to write it is the process of searching for improvement ideas that helps achieve the organizational big picture goal.

Read Amy's article on continuous process improvement.

Technical Leader: Read This Advice.

One day you are the technical darling at the office. The next day you are managing the group. If you find yourself in this situation and transitioning to a technical leader, read the advice offered by the CEO of Netspective Communications LLC at Shahid’s Perspectives blog.

Great Mistakes in Technical Leadership

Leading a software technical project? If you are and seeking some advice on the task, there is a great article at Hacknot.com. The article titled Great Mistakes in Technical Leadership, shares one leader's insights from various projects and team leaders. The author discusses 18 mistakes he's witnessed leads make. Here are ten mistakes:

Mistake #0: Assuming the team serves you
Mistake #1: Isolating yourself from the team
Mistake #2: Employing hokey motivation techniques
Mistake #3: Not providing technical direction and context
Mistake #4: Fulfilling your own needs via the team
Mistake #5: Focusing on your individual contribution
Mistake #6: Trying to be technically omniscient
Mistake #7: Failing to delegate effectively
Mistake #8: Being ignorant of your own shortcomings
Mistake #9: Failing to represent the best interests of your teamMistake #10: Failing to anticipate

Click here to view the full article.

Get In the Gaming Industry

Want to be a gamer? Well, according to Ian Parberry in his article, So You Want to be a Game Programmer?,”There is currently only one way of getting a job as a games programmer, and that is to write a game - or more properly, write what is known in the industry as a game demo.”

In a previous post, Video Games: 11.2 Billion Reasons to Embrace the Technology, I shared the growth and attractiveness of the gaming industry, and how this technology is beneficial in the training and development of people. Now part 2 of this series, let us explore getting into the industry.

Here is what Parberry writes on the educational aspect of getting into the industry. He highlights choosing a college and what courses to take. He writes...

Choosing a College. The author suggests choosing a college is an important task. He believes potential gamers should choose an institution with a vibrant and active computer science department. Parberry says look for a computer science department with at least 15 full-time tenure-track faculty members, and preferably one with 20-25 faculty.

What Courses to Take. Programming, Assembly Level Programming, Computer Architecture, Software Engineering, Computer Graphics, Data Structures, Algorithms, Communication Networks, AI and Expert Systems, Human Factors, Mathematics, Physics

Read more of Parberry’s article to understand the reasoning behind his comments be sure to check additional resources on the Gamedev.net site.

Extra Info

Want an insider's view on what really happens in the game development industry? Read Diana Gruber's book. Diana Gruber, computer game creator and programmer, offers information on breaking into the industry at fastgraph.com. She says the first step is to learn a programming language, preferably C and C++. Next, knowledge of assembly programming if your intent is to write low-level graphics routine.

There is lots of information out there on becoming a gamer. The above sites are good places to start. I'm no expert in gaming technology, but I see the value of having team members with gaming skills to aid in the development of people.

Video Games: 11.2 Billion Reasons to Embrace the Technology

Think junior is wasting time playing those darn video games? Think again. Here are 11.2 Billion reasons why should you support junior’s dream of being a Game Developer. The Defense Industry Daily, reports the US Army is inking a contract that “would consolidate operations, maintenance, systems integration and engineering support services for the Army's live, virtual and constructive training systems into a single 10-year, $11-12 billion package…” (US ARMY).This means there are big plans for the small gaming industry. And those plans include aiding in the training and development of people.

How does this apply to leaders of today? Organizations all across the land recognize people as their greatest resources. As leaders it is important, that our greatest assets continue to grow and develop, in order for our organizations to stay healthy and competitive. With the advent of technology and some amazing innovators, the playing field is leveling off. You read stories of entrepreneurs creating and operating million dollar organizations out of the their home-based office. Therefore, one key to staying ahead of the competition is, the training and development of your team. Now, this is where the gaming and simulation industry can help. The adaptation of gaming technology for training can create a risk-free training environment, it’s cost effective, and it enhances the training experience for participants.

Over the years, the gaming industry has received a few black eyes from the public regarding game content. Mike Snider, USA Today, writes, “Some observers are critical of the combat-gaming trend, saying the games can mislead players into viewing war as fun, particularly among the target audience of young men.” Some groups have called for a ban on the ultra-violent games. Whatever your thoughts are about the industry, there are some advantages to researching and implementing the GAMING technology for training purposes.

One advantage, games are the perfect forum for risky training. According to Kristin Kalning, MSNBC Gaming Editor, the United States government and the military were early pioneers in adapting the gaming technology for personnel training and development. She goes on to report in her article, Small Industry, Big Plans, the partnership between the Department of Justice and Breakaway Games was created out of a need for the DOJ to teach potential first responders how to react to a major crisis in a post 9/11 world.” Some organizations are also using the technology to assist in the training of its sales staff. Sales reps, while playing the game, are placed in various selling scenarios. Where was this technology when I broke into sales?

When it comes to creating the simulation and training programs, cost is another advantage. Video games have been around for a long time, therefore much of the development is already in place; it’s a matter modifying existing structures. The previous comment is not meant to downplay the contribution of development today today’s game developers, it serves as an illustration of innovation at its best.

Gaming technology creates a “compelling training experience.” So says, President Scott Randall and EVP, marketing, Jim Wexler, of BrandGames, a New York-based marketing communications company specializing in learning games and simulations. If you a have child that is into gaming, think about how focused they are while playing. Michael Burczak, director of sales training at Ortho-McNeil, reports his reps are asking the company to do more, and create more challenging programs. When was the last time someone in your organization asked for more training?

The Gaming and Simulation programs will not obsolete traditional classroom training, but they’re definitely a complement to the traditional methods.

Here's a preview what's in store for part 2 & 3 of this series of the gaming and simulation industry.

Want to be a gamer?

The demand for programmers in the Gaming and Simulation Industry is growing. To help meet the need, DeVry University , a for profit, hands-on and career-oriented university, has developed the first of it’s kind – a Gaming and Simulation Degree.

Who and how they are using the technology.

• Novartis uses a scenario-based simulation to train its sales managers in decision-making... Let the Sims Begin
• Earliest adopters of game technology were the U.S. government and the military. US ARMY
• The current Wyeth training programs all incorporate animation and virtual role-playing scenarios. Let the Sims Begin
• New York and Cincinnati, OH-based retailer Macy's, Inc. (formerly Federated Department Stores), has added training simulations to train retail employees. The simulation tools are there to complement it’s current training program. Focus on Retail: Training for Changing at Macy's

Leading in the Technical Environment

Are you becoming a strong technical leader? While researching the topic, I ran across an article on this topic at iTtoolbox blog. James McGovern, enterprise architect, wrote of events leading him to seek a mentor -- on his way to becoming a stronger technical leader. The neatly packaged article is called "Becoming a strong technical leader."

The post highlights two points which are important as we strive to become better leaders. Number one, if you're going to develop as a leader, it is important to get a mentor. McGovern is a successful enterprise architect, but realizes the importance of developing a mentoring relationship. Number two, leaders must have resolve and persistence. McGovern shares an executive's story of resolve and fight. The executive shared with the group his past and a prior arrest. However, the executive didn't allow his past to get in the way of his future.

Visit the iTtoolbox to view the post. Read More

The Impact of Technology on Society

When you think about technology, do you think about its impact on society? Before you answer with what I call the "I'm Green response," think from another point of view. It's often discussed -- the impact new technology has on the environment but what about the moral and ethical impact? My questioning is simply a tool of awareness. Let's go further by reviewing a great example, the moral and ethical impact of TV technology on China.

The television technology has created ethical and moral dilemmas in China. China historically is a country keen on preserving its traditions and customs, but the boob tube is bringing in a wave of western civilization. Thus lies the problem. A long withstanding practice of censorship has impacted the media and Television viewing in China. The areas affected include politics, sexuality, violence and other subjects that are mainstays in the American Television entertainment (French). China’s intentions are to protect its people; but some in society are not buying into this plan. They are resulting to breaking the law to view American Television programs.

In his article, “Subtitle subculture brings U.S. TV to China, ” Howard French tells the story of outfits translating American Television shows for free to Chinese audiences, “dodging Chinese censors and American copyright lawyers” (French). Their goal is give Chinese audiences fine entertainment and a little bit of American culture. They realize their actions are unethical, but the translators feel their efforts are for the good of society. Therefore they continue on with the efforts.

Morally speaking, television technology has brought on a big issue with China and Chinese families: Sex. First let’s talk about the taboo of discussing sex in China. An article written by the Xinhua News Agency, paints a picture of “sex” and the Chinese family:

In the traditional Chinese culture, "sex" has long been considered a disgraceful, even dirty, word that few would discuss openly. A child would be scolded by his parents for questions about how he was brought into this world or what the differences are between males and females. (Chinese TV)

Western culture and television programming enamor many in the Chinese culture there are concerns that Chinese children will get their sex questions answered by way of television programs. Many youngsters have tried to get information from porn videos, said a teacher with the No. 1 Secondary School in Nanchang (Chinese TV). Parents should best answer questions concerning sexual ethics and behavior procreation and contraception, and AIDS prevention.

Source(s):
"Chinese TV series to promote sex education." Xinhua News Agency – CEIS. 24 February 2003.

French, Howard W., International Herald Tribune. Paris: Aug 9, 2006. pg. 1

The Leader's Toolbox

“What’s in your tool box?” My grandfather, a homebuilder, would always ask this question. It was his way of making sure his free laborers (my brothers and I), had the right tools for the job. Let me ask, what’s in your tool box? I'm referring to your leadership tool box. This is my way of making sure you have Excel’s power analytical tool in your box --the PivotTables.

Let’s look at the PivotTable and why you should have this in your leadership tool box. The PivotTable is Excel’s most powerful analytical tool. PivotTables allow you to group, organize and summarize data with the click of the mouse. PivotTables can be used to analyze the data, make comparisons, detect patterns and relationships, and discover trends.

If PivotTables are so great, why do people avoid using them? I’m glad you asked. Many people avoid using PivotTables for one big reason -- PivotTables seems difficult to grasp. Just look at the finished charts and tables. The truth is, trying to learn how to use this tool from a novice user only makes PivotTables appear difficult. In reality, using the tool takes a little work, but it can be learned. Visit O’Reilly’s WindowDev Center to view lessons to create PivotTables. I also recommend going over to the Microsoft site for a self-paced course.

When you learn the tool and its benefits, you will be hooked. As a technology leader, I PivotTables allow me to organize failure and marketing data, and effectively identify trends. I’m thankful to the mentor, who years ago, recommended I add the tool to my tool box.