Blog

Time is speeding up faster then a sup’d up civic at an illegal street race with nitro injection. I’ve been working like a monster so that I’ve got all the loose ends tied off. I figure “go big before I go home”. Reason being, no one knows who’s going to fill my shoes. It seems that I’m so indispensable, that even when I put it all on the line, they (the infamous them) can’t seem to find a replacement. My question is, if I give 3 months, how long do you think it’s possible to find a replacement? Normally answer would be hopefully less then 3 months. Not at my work. I kinda feel bad because everyone around is freaking as to who the replacement will be, I tell them to call me boss.

This brings into play the whole idea of succession planning. At my work, they’ve got the beginnings going on, but I don’t think they’ve pushed it enough. I believe that every job requires succession planning. I might not be a team lead or manager, but guess what happens when I leave? Ask the people around me, if I should have been teaching peers or been a mentor? Succession planning isn’t for management only.

You know that sound your mother used to make as she waved her finger back and forth “Tisk, Tisk”. Well my metaphoric mother is doing that to me right now. Here I am, trying to share information and it’s been too long scion I’ve posted. I guess you could say I fell off the wagon, but did I really. I might not have posted it, but since my last post I had the pleasure of reading “Values Shift” by John B. Izzo and Pam Withers. It was on or local chapters Company of Friends, and like always I didn’t really notice it until afterwards. And I thought hey…why not. WOW! I don’t normally do the all caps thing but WOW!

Here I was thinking that me going off to start my own business and make a difference in the world was a minority, but as I’m reading, I’m seeing so much in me in this book. As a man who cradles both generation X and Y ( X ending 1977 and Y starting 1978, with me December 77 ) I’m finding that my values aren’t of my parents and it’s because of them that it’s not. Seeing what they went through for me, deciding “no” that’s not going to be me.

The sad thing, is how many companies will actually take the serious call of the boomers leaving. It’s like the changing of the guards on a mass scale, but what if there is no guard behind you? I find I’m asking myself some serious questions and wondering, What’s the world going to look like when Generation X is those fat cat’s pulling the strings, how bout Generation Y?

Today Change This: the fight club of the business world, launched it’s first set of manifestos. I’ve only had a chance to read the first one, “The Art of the Start” by Guy Kawasaki. I liked what it had to say. I’m still soaking in everything, but it comes at a good time for me. With me planning on diving into the world headlong by my own, this information comes to me at a very good time. Originally I had a bit of me being skeptical. I’m still looking to read the others, but so far so good. So, I’m doing my bit, to spread the word. Read On, my friends, read on.

A very quick yet poignant post by Anita Sharpe
on Worthwhile entitled Let’s Hear it for the Overworked Brain surgeon.

It’s a great point about the necessity for down time. The necessity for a break.
When is too much? I’ve taken a look at the people around and it’s not just the
nine-to-fivers ( or should I call the seven-to-whatever-ers) that do it. I’ve been
noticing the worst culprits are the entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs naturally are
doing things that inspire them, that get their juices going. It’s easy to forget
about time and to be working when it’s something that lights a fire under you.
But I ask all of you self employed people out there…When was the last time you
had a weekend? When was the last time you took a day off?. I know that all of you
would easily come back to me full of excuses as to why. Full of reasoning that
you can’t afford not to. I say blah blah blah! If you keep it up…you’ll burn
out, and then nothing will get done. Which is worse?

No, unlike the title, this has nothing to do with those things that the gymnasts are using, although the connection is a good coincidence ( Go Canada! Well that my little shout of patronage). What I refer to is the women and men behind the music streaming. These streamers in my opinion are another crew at the forefront. They aren’t spouting off words like bloggers. They aren’t pushing boundaries with ideas that are verbal. Their word is not a word at all. I took a small hiatus from listening, but I’m back and I’m back 10 fold. My entire day is listening to sweet beats from SomaFM or dublab. It’s going to places like ShoutCast and finding all the wonderful and obscure sounds from around the world.

They help me. Their music inspires me, which inspires my work, which hopefully gets me closer to innovation. I’m not their yet, but I’m hoping to be. I can go from thick phat beats, micro-beats, ambient, to indy rock, and foreign sounds; to the sitar and tabla. It’s about finding your sound. I find I’ve got the right stream for the right mood, and they now that I’ve found a few, they always hit the feeling on the button. Even if I don’t feel it, just listening to the right one will change me.

I came across another blog with the same question I’m about to ask. (sorry if I could find the reference I would put it down). What streams do you listen to?