Scratch, scratch, scratch your head sometimes for hours or days. Then, you get it. You've learned just enough to solve the problem and you feel accomplishment because:
- You solved a problem
- You learned something
Nov 3, 2010
Solving Problems
There's nothing like the sense of accomplishment you get from solving a problem. When you're new, it's frequent that you get to solve problems. Well, maybe that's inaccurate everything you touch is a problem because you've never seen it before, you haven't learned enough yet.
Scratch, scratch, scratch your head sometimes for hours or days. Then, you get it. You've learned just enough to solve the problem and you feel accomplishment because:
Scratch, scratch, scratch your head sometimes for hours or days. Then, you get it. You've learned just enough to solve the problem and you feel accomplishment because:
Nov 1, 2010
Tooting Your Horn
Software Developers are notorious introverts. There are very few who love to tell the world how good they really are at things. I'm improving, but it's not my default demeanor. It makes me uncomfortable to take credit, or to announce when I do something well. Sidebar - I'm very practiced at taking blame. I do it pretty smoothly.
People making hiring decisions, handing out assignments and deciding who's next to run the group are usually looking for great people to do those jobs. The greater the better. They are going to take the greatest one they can get (most of the time).
If they have to interrogate you to find out your level of greatness, they might take a pass. After all, the next guy in line is making it easy to find out how great he is. You don't want to bludgeon anyone over the head with self-serving arrogance, but it shouldn't be a secret either.
I try to make it part of my day to do something great, something unexpected, better than expected. The next step I have to master is making sure the right people find out about it.
People making hiring decisions, handing out assignments and deciding who's next to run the group are usually looking for great people to do those jobs. The greater the better. They are going to take the greatest one they can get (most of the time).
If they have to interrogate you to find out your level of greatness, they might take a pass. After all, the next guy in line is making it easy to find out how great he is. You don't want to bludgeon anyone over the head with self-serving arrogance, but it shouldn't be a secret either.
I try to make it part of my day to do something great, something unexpected, better than expected. The next step I have to master is making sure the right people find out about it.
Oct 29, 2010
Favorite Workplace Quote
I heard a quote from a friend of mine the other day. Not sure who originated it. Maybe his boss, maybe it's someone famous and this is a well known one.
Besides being hilarious maxim it's an organizational imperative that no matter who fucked it up, in the end, it has to be fucked back down.
They keep fuckin' it up, so we have to fuck it back down
Besides being hilarious maxim it's an organizational imperative that no matter who fucked it up, in the end, it has to be fucked back down.
The Hump
It's easy to go in early and home late when things are going your way. You're learning, your producing, progress is made. It's exactly the opposite that makes you a winner. Go in early and home late when things aren't the greatest. You should be there figuring out how to change it.
Oct 28, 2010
VMWare Remote Plugin and IE8
Internet Explorer 8 on a 64 bit Windows 7 doesn't get along well with VMWare Server. If you seeing this message:
No matter how many times you install and remove the plugin, then you're likely problem is that you're using 64 bit Internet Explorer 8 and installing 32 bit plugin.
As far as I can tell, there is no 64 bit plugin with vmware server, luckily you can run 32 bit Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7 64 bit. It should be installed. You might have to look through the start menu.
At least, until the plugin is usable with Firefox or Chrome.
Remote console plugin is not installed or could not be found
No matter how many times you install and remove the plugin, then you're likely problem is that you're using 64 bit Internet Explorer 8 and installing 32 bit plugin.
As far as I can tell, there is no 64 bit plugin with vmware server, luckily you can run 32 bit Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7 64 bit. It should be installed. You might have to look through the start menu.
At least, until the plugin is usable with Firefox or Chrome.
Oct 27, 2010
Fiefdoms And Their Leaders
Seems like there's a natural tendency in workplaces to cloister, close, confine, protect. That's the default mode for many workers, their supervisors and management. I like to think of this as a little medieval fiefdoms that are carved out of an organization. I think the idea is that you want to keep solitary that which makes you unique and at the same time control how the organization judges you and your fiefdom (sometimes fiefdoms are single person entities).
When you get good at something, it's natural to try and protect what you know and use it to your full advantage. For a worker, I think the attitude is a little forgivable. Their job is not to maximize department output, decrease inefficiency, increase output. But what about managers that have this attitude? Sometimes managers are just longer term employees that got promoted up. I guess it's possible for them to bring their attitudes with them into the more senior roles.
The leaders are also not beyond the scrutiny of their managers in turn. So if a persons natural tendency is to spin, massage, or deflect the information used to judge their performance, likewise they will protect their departments or divisions in the same way.
The problem is that in this environment, creativity is stifled, fear is at maximum warp factor, mistakes are not forgiven, so everyone is really wearing professional handcuffs. The mantra - in the fiefdom, there is safety, let's all retreat to the fiefdom.
Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to change attitudes instantly from petty fief to benevolent and potent leader? Well, there isn't one; stop dreaming. It's hard work to change your attitude. A daily grind fighting your own worst enemy. But you have to do it if you want to get off the fiefdom and do something fulfilling.
When you get good at something, it's natural to try and protect what you know and use it to your full advantage. For a worker, I think the attitude is a little forgivable. Their job is not to maximize department output, decrease inefficiency, increase output. But what about managers that have this attitude? Sometimes managers are just longer term employees that got promoted up. I guess it's possible for them to bring their attitudes with them into the more senior roles.
The leaders are also not beyond the scrutiny of their managers in turn. So if a persons natural tendency is to spin, massage, or deflect the information used to judge their performance, likewise they will protect their departments or divisions in the same way.
The problem is that in this environment, creativity is stifled, fear is at maximum warp factor, mistakes are not forgiven, so everyone is really wearing professional handcuffs. The mantra - in the fiefdom, there is safety, let's all retreat to the fiefdom.
Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to change attitudes instantly from petty fief to benevolent and potent leader? Well, there isn't one; stop dreaming. It's hard work to change your attitude. A daily grind fighting your own worst enemy. But you have to do it if you want to get off the fiefdom and do something fulfilling.
Be Generous
My favourite blog is Seth Godin. He's marvelously insightful and often when I read his blog I think he's writing a letter directly to me.
One of my favourite sethisms is that you should be generous with your ideas and knowledge. You should be giving that away for free. It does no good to pinch every piece of information you have with both hands hoping to hold on to it and through that, make yourself indispensable.
That's not how indispensable works.
The great thing about generous is that once you've done something once, you tell others, then they can do it, and you can figure out something new. That's the part of working that I love. The new and exciting, not the brainless and repetitive.
One of my favourite sethisms is that you should be generous with your ideas and knowledge. You should be giving that away for free. It does no good to pinch every piece of information you have with both hands hoping to hold on to it and through that, make yourself indispensable.
That's not how indispensable works.
The great thing about generous is that once you've done something once, you tell others, then they can do it, and you can figure out something new. That's the part of working that I love. The new and exciting, not the brainless and repetitive.
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