I Don’t Understand

This week I failed to understand a work assignment and a personal assignment.

“We need you to write a past performance narrative based on the provided historic record that will be judged on three factors”. I wrote an executive summary that says why we should be selected as the contractor for this solicitation.

My wife told me to make sure our Company provides her HSA allocation as an elective from her pay. I increased her salary which was basically the opposite of what she asked.

Both of these mistakes cost me our most precious thing, time and not making my wife angry. A non-angry wife is pretty much just as important.

So what can improve on? Active listening is something I have always struggled with. Through my life experiences and education I have learned communication is the ability have the receiver understand the message. Communication is not the ability to speak and be heard. The sender must listen to the receiver’s responses. If the receiver is not able to demonstrate understanding a good way to help them understand your message is to ask different questions to stimulate the receivers’ comprehension.

I believe I understand how to effectively communicate, so why was I not able to receive the message? Why was I not able to realize I was not clear on what the sender was sending in that moment?

The first question relates to process. In retrospect, I did not repeat back what the sender wanted. I failed to take notes to refer back to when doing the assignment. My ego got it the way. I keep thinking, I to smart and experienced to not understand what I construe as a simple task.

One of the very first things I learned as a leader in the military was to always have a pencil and paper to take notes. Writing things down always holds true. A person cannot go wrong concentrating by note taking. I thought I had learned very early to be humble. These mistakes are a good reminder to reinforce humility in every situation.

I hope this message is understandable and valuable as it is to me writing it down. I like this image below provided by Lyondellbasell. PMP 101.

Planning and Setting Up a #Backoffice for a #Small Business that brings #value, is #agile and keeps you focused on your services.

Does your Company offer a health plan? How about an 401K or HSA? A FSA to help with my commute? Pet Insurance? Why not? and If not, I’ll probably work somewhere else.

Even for a Company with as little as one employee benefits security and just plain old concern about their future provides a differential that will set you apart from so many other Companies. I hear all the time the excuses that we can not provide these benefits: it’s too costly, too expensive to the employee, too much time and effort to administer and how does it help me get more customers, retain customers and provide the services I have promised?

In my experience, I have heard of and witnessed many organizations that failed to pay social security taxes for their employees. The employee is faced with sometimes years of no credit towards federal retirement. This does not take into consideration the legal implications on the business for failing to pay taxes. I know of nationally known Companies that offer no health insurance or retirement and can get away with it because of their organizational structure. Providing a vanpool for a group of people might provide a great tax benefit to your company and allow folks to get to and from work easily and endear them to the organization.

Below is the diagram I use to manage my back office. Its our background image with hyperlinks to all the partners and systems we have relationships with. It might help your business let me know if it does or I can help you in your journey.

Daily Management to Focus You on Finding the Next Opportunity

I have been looking for my next great opportunity for half a year now.  
I started a small business and I’m working for a Fortune 15 coming but 
Why stop looking for the something amazing.  I don’t want to settle any longer.
This minimum effort at daily management effort I use on my search.

David

Take a Holiday

Several years ago, I embraced the European philosophy of “holidays”. A vacation lasting longer than two weeks sometimes a month or longer, completely cut off from work and most of my personal life.
During that time I try and stay present mentally by not using my phone and staying active both physically and mentally. This really has benefits on my return to my home as I can “see” my situation much clearer than before.
I just returned from a three week holiday, and immediately I feel more empowered in my daily work life. I understand more and more that my work is just that, and I need to enjoy it and feel that I am providing a benefit or any financial gains that I receive are fleeting and ultimately nothing beyond the basic requirements of shelter, food and comfort.
The Holiday helps me to see areas I can improve. Taking away distractions a person can concentrate on interpersonal relationships. Am I this needy? Do I need to offer my opinion? Why do I need so much time alone? I ask many questions of myself. Does it have any benefit? I hope it does as change is possible but its hard. I have to see an issue (clear vision) to analyze it (ask questions) and decide to make a change. The Holiday helps me do this abridged scientific method.
The Holiday provides a better perspective of people and things as true experience is the best teacher. People are good. The dark side is present in us all but for the vast majority of life experiences the idea that People choice right over wrong good over bad this philosophy holds true. Through my travels on Holiday this is always reinforced.
Time to get ready to go to my next job….

The Bottom is the Top

In 2019 I was falling

Yesterday I was reading a post on Linkedin entitled; “What was your key to success?” The responder said; “I got my priorities right”.

I didn’t want to exercise this morning, but I put my shoes on and got at it…..Its been four years of that decision. Looking beyond the feelings and seeing what I want. Pushing past the easy to the hard and the hard becoming the easy.

Its hard to share this photo…

In 2019 my father, my hero past away.

To say the least he was quite a man.

In his last two years of life he lived with us.

I stopped doing the foundation work we all need.

I started to deal with the anxiety and stress with poor diet, no exercise and no work life balance. Drinking became a relief.

I couldn’t see beyond the moment.

I reached my highest weight, my highest body fat percentage, my sleep was poor, my mental health was going downward.

My excuse was I was over 50 everything is supposed to hurt. I have already done everything I wanted to accomplish.

I’m done.

Luckly, with the belief in me from my extended circle and my upbringing, Pops didn’t raise a quitter. I began to realize that I needed to be here and not just here I wanted to be here to give back and continue to grow and I couldn’t do that without the basics.

Slowly and methodically I changed my priorities.
I joined “Orange Theory” and I’m still at it today. HIIT is awesome and my OT family provides Love, esteem and safety that support the basics.
I joined “Noom” to learn and understand food. I eat eggplant and spinach. I love food, but Noom taught me to be aware of my choices. For me, it is just like when I don’t want to exercise I’m aware of what the decision long term produces and I don’t want that.
Most recently I left an unfulfilling job and despite losing a tremendously sum in income my outcome holistically is much much better.
The road in my opinion is never down just different levels of incline as we must always be climbing.

a tiny fish in the oceans of the blue planet

It started as an announcement that my wife and I would be working as (1099) folks for small companies. That means they give you money, you worry about all the stuff your parents told you working for an established company gives you. Through that spark or kick in the pants to leave our parents directions behind we started off on our dingy down the Thames.

As I do most things, I ask my friends; “what type of business structure I should choose?” Everyone said an S-Corp as it was the best for two folks working as independent contractors making hopefully over 80,000 a year. Simple enough, I did a search on the app “Thumbtack” for Formation of S-Corps and I hired another veteran from a long list of possibilities. Connie is great, hired he on April 16th and any accountant that can take a call on that day has gotta be organized. So for 180 dollars I was able to get my EIN, Corp Docs, CAGE and Election of a Small Business as well as my states Dept of Revenue structure set up. With that one phone meeting I surrendered my first bit of independence by committing to tax filing both personal and business to someone else, no more TurboTax for me. As well as a reoccurring expense.

I asked Connie; “if she took the federal and state taxes out of the monies the Companies I did business with?” No, she said I have a referral for you to a guy that does payroll. So after setting up a business bank account with a Credit Union, I set up payroll administration with another Company. Two more alliances in the battle for two small folks working for others.

From formation to banking, taxes, and payroll we jumped into Insurance; all kinds of insurance, I got umbrella, professional liability and general liability not to mention a medical and dental plan for our employee (1) and growing! All those come with its own program administration portal and of course a reoccurring fee which all the sales people say is great because its a deduction and several more partners in crime to add to my phone contacts along with 800 numbers to service desks around the world to wait on hold to support my team.

Luckily in a way as my sole employee and also owner and wife can’t have a business provided HSA she had to do that on her own. I’m just happy I don’t have to administer the program, but I am the webmaster, bringing me back to my youth and providing me an outlet to write which I love to do.

As the say;” A Soldier ain’t happy if he aint bitchin” so I guess I am happy, I’m happy.

Sayings of a Project Manager

Sayings for a Project Manager

In a light hearted way the author attempts to convey the power of speech, words and communication within project management. The author reflects on and utilizes his experience managing projects and programs to present a “top eleven list” of idiomatic sayings that he commonly uses to impart a message to the receiver or project team. The PMI Lexicon of Project Management Terms is the backdrop to portray to the reader the importance of a common language and understanding when communicating, specifically in the profession of project, program and portfolio management.

Happy New Year

When a leader puts into prespective what your organization does in the form of a structured list thats fun to read the organization’s members are able to relate to others within the group that don’t work directly together.  The list lets the team take a step back from the daily operation and realize the groups accomplishments.  We did a whole lot of stuff this past year.

A position I held in Health Information Technology in the US Army

Presentation to grad school on my position  Lots of interesting pictures from around the world and interesting facts and figures.

•I wanted to serve my country from a very early age….Father said: “It’s the only profession left”

•BA in History from The Citadel, 1991, commissioned as an Army officer the same year

•Led medical units, supervising 26 to 140 individuals, for my first eight years in the military

•Completed MS in Instructional Technology in 1997

•Worked in fixed-medical units for the next eight years in the field of Health Information Systems

•Currently a “consultant” to an executive physician responsible for managing Army Healthcare in Southwest Asia