Carta Ex Machina

This is irony. Not that fake Alanis Morisette irony, but real honest-to-God irony. The type of irony we learned about in my English classes at BH.

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Every parent faces the fear that something really bad medically will happen to your child. It starts before birth, and extends indefinitely. What this California family had to deal with is amazing. Their daughter, Colby Curtin, was diagnosed with vascular cancer three years ago. By the time of her death, their daughter had a 94-inch waistline due to the fluids her body couldn’t properly deal with.

In the days up to her death, she expressed a single desire. She wanted to see the movie Up. Due to the fact that she couldn’t make it to the theatre (a wheelchair snafu) Pixar came to her with the DVD! Talk about an epic win! Even better, they declined to comment on the situation. Imagine! Someone from Pixar flew in, watched the movie with the family, then took the movie and got back on the plane.

The daughter died a few hours later, happy that she at least was able to see the movie. She was so sick that her mom had to tell her the play-by-play of the movie. She had to as her daughter couldn’t open her eyes.

Read the story here:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pixar-up-movie-2468059-home-show

According to Jim Collins in his book, How The Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In, there are six characteristics that define the right people. He states that the reason this is important is simple. If you don’t have the right people, you can’t succeed. He believes (as do I) that the right people are the key to success.

1. The right people fit with the company’s core values

The kind of horrible reality is that you have to hire the right people. You can’t create them. They have to “want it” on their own. I think this is partially true, but not realistic. We do not get to hire all of our people, usually. I think that most people want to succeed.

2. The right people don’t need to be tightly managed

This one I completely agree with. The second I start to see policies instead of action to mediocre to low performers, I start to get very nervous. Now everyone is more worried about APPEARING to be productive and competent, rather than actually BEING competent. I have seen this at far too many places.

3. The right people understand that they do not have jobs, they have responsibilities.

I found this one to be the most interesting. It really echoes Covey’s beliefs on leadership. The reason this resonates so deeply, is if you have responsibilities, it instantly creates prioritization. Since you are a hard worker, this leads to right action. I think the other state this helps create is one of humility. I am not entitled to this job, but rather I am paid for a sense of what I am responsible for. Third, I also believe this helps employees understand what they are NOT paid to do. If it is someone else’s area of responsibility, go to that person–do not do it yourself.

4. The right people fulfill their commitments

This is something I have improved, and understand why you have to be good at it. I over-promise, thinking that everything will go right. I now work like Scotty in Star Trek–the idea that if it takes four hours, say eight. That way if you happen to accomplish the commitment in four hours, you are a “miracle worker.” If not, well you still delivered.

5. The right people are passionate about the company and its work

If you don’t want it, you won’t do it with conviction. At the first sign of trouble you will give up. I have seen this time and again in I.T. over the years. I am not smarter than others who failed in a certain task, I just didn’t want to let it beat me.

6. The right people display “window and mirror” maturity

This is my favorite characteristic. In good times, the manager will operate with a “window” mentality–deferring to others in success and taking little credit. However, when things aren’t going well, the manager adopts a “mirror” mentality and points the finger at himself. I strive for this everyday.

I am just kidding, this is a pricing error, right? Uhhhh right?

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I have seen large targets before, but a dumb bomb could hit this…

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Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell believes in the idea that most of what makes a statistical anomaly (an outlier) in the world of success can be explained away by their circumstances and hard work–not inherent intelligence. I agree to a degree, but talk about over-simplification! He completely ignores what makes us great! It is not the fact that Bill Joy happened to be born into the right year and right environment to endlessly code success after success. It is the fact that he is one smart guy coupled with the fact that he passionately and tirelessly works at his craft.

This, for me, is where Gladwell leaves me cold. He makes it sound like individuals are not free to choose. Want to be a great hockey player? If you are not born in January, February, or March then don’t bother. Wow, just wow! I agree, prima facie, with the fact that two-thirds of all professional hockey players are born in January, February, and March. But even if true, then what about the ONE-THIRD born the rest of the year? That is what he should have written a book about. How did they overcome the odds of a Gladwell outlier, and become a true outlier.

Nothing is really earth shattering here, but I love these articles. You can learn some basics.

Here is the article.

In his best selling book, Seven Habits for Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey talks about one of his children needing more assistance than the rest. He seemed less athletic, less academic, and just not as successful. After weeks of deliberation, he and his wife realized that they were the problem. They were projecting a message on a deep level that he was not a capable person. Instead, they started letting him fight his own battles. They changed the deep message to one of, “you are capable.”

As a parent myself, I have a remarkable daughter whom I love very much. I do, however, have a tendency to over-parent. My wife teases me often on this point. Thus, as a parent, it is important for me to remember that my daughter is capable. Just not without me.

I love programmers that know how to comment their code.  

Take this guy for example. I think he needs to learn to really express himself!

Wow!