This one is for you Mom…the answer to your question is above and below.

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Execution – The act of performing; of doing something successfully; using knowledge as distinguished from merely possessing it;

Bureaucracy (1) – An administrative system in which the need or inclination to follow rigid or complex procedures impedes effective action: innovative ideas that get bogged down in red tape and bureaucracy.

Bureaucracy (2) – Management or administration marked by hierarchical authority among numerous offices and by fixed procedures

Bureaucracy in itself is not a bad thing. Policies and procedures in the corporate world are in most cases designed to provide employee direction for the execution of the companies objectives. However, bureaucracy does become a problem when one’s personal ambitions get in the way of achieving greatness for the company. Greatness in terms of increasing creative outputs, efficiencies, employee productivity, ROI, and company profits.

Hierarchal structures will never disappear from the corporation; these structures are critical to the direction of the company. What I am suggesting is that hierarchal structures be more fluid and dynamic – that collaboration about the companies future direction is not just among executives. Collaboration by its very definition is working together specifically in a joint intellectual effort.

Where is the value to holding meetings, when meetings leave out the subject matter experts. In our new world of globalization, connectivity is of the highest importance. Employees want to feel as though they have direct input into the direction of their company, a company that is as much theirs as it is the top-level executives.

My eyes have been opened to new-age thinkers (executives) who are compelled to engage all of their employees. These new age thinkers have experience as their greatest asset. They engage their employees in an ultra simplistic way: they treat their employees as equals; Equal in terms of the impact he/she can have on the companies success, and equal in terms of their place/fit in this complex world of ours.

Having a superiority complex is trés old-school. Those who are stuck in the aformentioned rut have a false sense of job security primarily attributed through their personal belief that they are better than everyone else.

So what? Engage, Engage, and engage some more. Have open meetings, invite those that are interested in what you have to say. You will build your value which you create for your company much faster by being open to ideas from employees, partners and customers from all levels within the company. You will earn respect of not only your peers, but the respect of your subordinates. You will build an environment of creativity and innovation, and environment where the norm encourages pushing the boundaries and limits of process, technology, and behaviours (which are currently
preventing the company from truly achieving world greatness and profits)

Let me now talk about innovation and execution.

I recently read an article in MIT’s Magazine of Innovation. The article was entitled “The Rules of Innovation”. I was quite taken back by its content. The articles compares the success and failures of McAfee and Associates and Tribal Voice. Both pushed into new business model frontiers, both achieved great success, and yet their end results were radically different. McAfee has a current market capitalization of about $2 billion US. Tribal Voice collapsed in 2000 when AOL blocked the companies POW WOW traffic.

POW WOW allowed computer users to instantaneously communicate with other users of similar interest. Tribal Voice was one of the first companies to distribute a multprotocol instant messaging platform. The current company which is implementing this vision is http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/
through their IM software Trillian.

Here is an excerpt from the article “The first attempt to commercialize an invention almost never succeeds. There are two reasons for this:
First, the innovator is often early; the really important market for invention does not exist.
Second, the innovator doesn’t know how to make money from the invention; the business model that will support the invention is imperfectly understood.”

My continuing ongoing career efforts will revolve around perfecting the business model around internet connectivity. Good day and merci.

I’ve successfully made it through my first week as Business Systems Analyst for Bell. I’ve been meeting tons of new people, learning new and exciting things around how we operate our business from both a business and systems perspective.

For those of you that don’t know already, I will be having a party (soi-rée) at my house on Saturday May 14. It will be starting around 8:00.

I’m going to try my hand at making Martini’s (mmmm), Wine and appetizers will be served, and music will subtly playing in the background ensuring that this will be an evening of excitement at fun. If you have a particular Martini preference please comment. I need to find who in Hamilton sells Lychees as they are the piece de resistance in my Martini’s.

I’ll be providing updates all weekend. Cheers and have FUN!

For those of you who have supported me thus far in the Bell Walk for Kids Helphone it is very much appreciated. For those of you have yet to still do so…THERE IS STILL TIME. I have a personal goal of raising $750 for the event, and right now I am sitting @ 17% of my goal. This is an awesome feat thanks to all of you who have donated.

Donate Now!!!!!

Remember that even a dollar or two will make a difference.

For those of you who will be walking in the Hamilton event, my coworkers and I have formed a team called the Walkie Talkies and you are more than welcome to join.

Ciao.

So I made it through the first day at my new job. The team I work with is great, and Fiona has been so very helpful and informative.

I have been assigned a new IBM T30 laptop…but unfortunately don’t have administrator access to make any modifications. I’m going to see about getting that changed.

Hi Everyone,

This is my first year participating in the Bell Walk for Kids help Phone. In my youth I personally used the kids help phone on numerous occasions, and looking back now, I’m not sure what I would have done or who I would have talked to if they weren’t available. Please, even if you can only donate a buck or two, every penny counts.

Thanks,
Ralph

You have been invited to pledge Ralph Meiers in the Bell Walk for Kids Help
Phone on May 1, 2005.

Secure online donations can be made with VISA, MasterCard or American Express
and an electronic tax receipt will be sent to you by email. You can make an
online donation now:

https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/StartUp.aspx?SID=403814

By walking and raising pledges, Ralph is helping ensure Kids Help Phone can be
there 24 hours a day, 365 days a year:

– $50 will help 1 child realize that suicide is not the answer
– $100 will help a counsellor answer 5 online questions from kids that need help
– $500 will help send awareness materials to 250 Canadian schools to ensure that
young people know Kids Help Phone is there for them

For more information about the Bell Walk for Kids Help Phone, or to join us on
May 1, 2005, please visit bellwalkforkidshelpphone.ca.

Thank you for your generous support.

Kids Help Phone

What’s the hype? VoIP is radically transforming Bell Canada, and the Canadian telecommunications marketplace simultaneously. For those not sure as to what VoIP is, let me explain it to you.

VoIP – Voice over Internet Protocol is simply using the power of internet technologies and network to place, route, and receive telephone calls.

My friend Tom sent me the following link http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/04/13/new.telephony.ap/index.htmlit’s an interesting read.

Testing

I saw The Ring II, much better than the first one (the story line was much more developed). Saw a preview for a movie called ‘The Island’, and it looks quite interesting.

I’m out.

This image was taken from what I presume is my mom’s Seventeen magazine circa 1974. Apparently my mom did succumb to the marketer’s magic by purchasing a can of the magic wonder. The image actually contains four instructions (of which only two are visible):

Spray, Fluff, Brush, go!

Below is a scanned image of my original Nintendo user manual. It was the late 80’s and my friend Brian and I were glued to our TV’s playing Zelda, Super Mario Bros, and some other game I now forget the name of.