This week, I attended an economic development meeting in a South Carolina community. The meeting assembled local businesses, government agencies, and educators to discuss upcoming changes in the region's economic environment. One of the best agenda points was having the businesses articulate what they needed from potential and current employees-skills, talents, etc.
One of the speakers mentioned a good understanding of Algebra. I silently applauded the comment and could not agree more. It is simple-Get good at Algebra and your way of thinking develops and matures into a disciplined exercise of logic and rationality.
But the age old question posed by middle schoolers (and some parents) has been- Why do I need to learn this? What in the world does x mean? What does y represent?
The x and y really mean nothing. It is the art contained in Algebra that is more important. It is sitting at a table with pad and pencil staring at a problem having to solve for x. Scratching your head over and over to find the answer.
It is learning and following a process for solving problems: (Algebra problems)
1. With pencil, write out the equation
2. Work down the page one line at a time. Each line contains work that gets you closer to the solution.
3. At each line, simplify and cancel as much as possible
4. Continue down the page one line at a time until you solve for x or y.
5. Look at your work and plug what you got for x (or y) into the original equation
6. If it fits, you know the answer is correct. If it does not, you must start over.
So you still wonder why this is remotely necessary. Well, follow this process enough and get half decent at it and before long, your thought process adopts this rational and structured approach. It prepares you to be a problem solver for business. It gives you the skill and talent to improve processes and manage projects. Sure, there is much more training involved but it all starts will old school Algebra.
Showing posts with label improve America culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label improve America culture. Show all posts
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Life Works: Change the Culture of America
My wife and I attended a wonderful event this week. The LifeWorks event was a breakfast followed by a keynote address from Dr. Henry Blackaby (www.blackaby.org).
I looked at my notes from the event and decided to summarize them as a blog post. I hope you find these tasty food for thought:
The mission of Lifeworks: LifeWorks will be a conduit for Christian professionals seeking to successfully apply their faith in the marketplace, providing education an encouragement through a commitment to biblical teaching and quality programming.
Additional comments on Lifeworks: In being a conduit, not just a stand alone quarterly event, LifeWorks wishes to serve those seeking to connect and grow in their walk with Christ. With this in mind, we will point out various opportunities from time to time. These will be other local groups/organizations, events, books, and websites centered around the LifeWorks theme which seeks to explore our roles and responsibilities as Christian leaders in the marketplace. (www.LifeWorksCharleston.org)
Notes from the keynote address:
Dr. Blackaby talked at length on the role of Christian businessmen in today's culture. I thought of the 85/15 rule for management responsibility. In most working environments, management is responsible for approximately 85% of organizational problems. There are several explanations for the statistic but in short, management's control of resources is arguably the number one reason. Almost any problem can be solved if the right people are correctly focused and dedicated to the problem's solution. He told the story of a television show that was creating an uproar with its inappropriate nature. The ratings were good and the advertising dollars were flowing in so there was no impetus for corrective or punitive action. When a CEO (a Christian businessmen) learned that his company advertised during this show, he immediately ordered a halt to the advertising. With a hit to the cash flow, the show was soon cancelled. A great example of leaders controlling resources to enact real change. Dr. Blackaby presented this in the context of what faces the country. The real solutions to our problems must come from the hearts and souls of men and women who desire a better America. The voices of Christian businessmen must be heard in the midst of daily clamoring about what must and must not be done for America.
He floored me with the following summary. I've talked before about the plan/do/check/act cycle of continuous improvement. It is a very simple tool used to improve a business process. I have often thought that God used the cycle to create us. He planned the world, created it (it took him seven days), and checked its status multiple times. His actions were often severe as he did not like the results of his check: flooded the earth, destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and exiled his people from the promised land. Dr. Blackaby made the point that within the last decade, there have been three significant checks/acts by God: 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the current economic fallout. My take away from what he said:
1. We have gone through three cycles in less than ten years
2. Have we learned the right lessons?
He suggested that each day, we have unhurried time with God. Whether it is early in the morning or at night, we need to spend good time talking and meditating on God's will for our lives. As you feel pulled in a direction or led to take a certain action, write down your thoughts. He called it a daily record of your encounter with God. Over time, you can go back to your writings to see if you responded to God.
He told the story of meeting President Clinton. He prayed long and hard to say the right things to the Commander and Chief. His meeting was during the height of Clinton's questionable behavior. He told the President that he had the potential to be a strong spiritual role model for the world but that he had surrounded himself with non-spiritual people who provided non-spiritual counsel to him. The moral-surround yourself with spiritual counselors.
Finally, he advised to never hesitate to share what God says to you. It may cost you. It certainly cost Jesus and Paul. Just know that God's spirit will tell you what to say.
Please visit my websites:
The Center for Process Improvement offering online education for personal and professional development: www.cpionlinecourses.com
Quality Minds, Inc offering world class six sigma consulting and training in quality and process improvement: www.qualitymindsinc.com
Stephen Deas
I looked at my notes from the event and decided to summarize them as a blog post. I hope you find these tasty food for thought:
The mission of Lifeworks: LifeWorks will be a conduit for Christian professionals seeking to successfully apply their faith in the marketplace, providing education an encouragement through a commitment to biblical teaching and quality programming.
Additional comments on Lifeworks: In being a conduit, not just a stand alone quarterly event, LifeWorks wishes to serve those seeking to connect and grow in their walk with Christ. With this in mind, we will point out various opportunities from time to time. These will be other local groups/organizations, events, books, and websites centered around the LifeWorks theme which seeks to explore our roles and responsibilities as Christian leaders in the marketplace. (www.LifeWorksCharleston.org)
Notes from the keynote address:
Dr. Blackaby talked at length on the role of Christian businessmen in today's culture. I thought of the 85/15 rule for management responsibility. In most working environments, management is responsible for approximately 85% of organizational problems. There are several explanations for the statistic but in short, management's control of resources is arguably the number one reason. Almost any problem can be solved if the right people are correctly focused and dedicated to the problem's solution. He told the story of a television show that was creating an uproar with its inappropriate nature. The ratings were good and the advertising dollars were flowing in so there was no impetus for corrective or punitive action. When a CEO (a Christian businessmen) learned that his company advertised during this show, he immediately ordered a halt to the advertising. With a hit to the cash flow, the show was soon cancelled. A great example of leaders controlling resources to enact real change. Dr. Blackaby presented this in the context of what faces the country. The real solutions to our problems must come from the hearts and souls of men and women who desire a better America. The voices of Christian businessmen must be heard in the midst of daily clamoring about what must and must not be done for America.
He floored me with the following summary. I've talked before about the plan/do/check/act cycle of continuous improvement. It is a very simple tool used to improve a business process. I have often thought that God used the cycle to create us. He planned the world, created it (it took him seven days), and checked its status multiple times. His actions were often severe as he did not like the results of his check: flooded the earth, destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and exiled his people from the promised land. Dr. Blackaby made the point that within the last decade, there have been three significant checks/acts by God: 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the current economic fallout. My take away from what he said:
1. We have gone through three cycles in less than ten years
2. Have we learned the right lessons?
He suggested that each day, we have unhurried time with God. Whether it is early in the morning or at night, we need to spend good time talking and meditating on God's will for our lives. As you feel pulled in a direction or led to take a certain action, write down your thoughts. He called it a daily record of your encounter with God. Over time, you can go back to your writings to see if you responded to God.
He told the story of meeting President Clinton. He prayed long and hard to say the right things to the Commander and Chief. His meeting was during the height of Clinton's questionable behavior. He told the President that he had the potential to be a strong spiritual role model for the world but that he had surrounded himself with non-spiritual people who provided non-spiritual counsel to him. The moral-surround yourself with spiritual counselors.
Finally, he advised to never hesitate to share what God says to you. It may cost you. It certainly cost Jesus and Paul. Just know that God's spirit will tell you what to say.
Please visit my websites:
The Center for Process Improvement offering online education for personal and professional development: www.cpionlinecourses.com
Quality Minds, Inc offering world class six sigma consulting and training in quality and process improvement: www.qualitymindsinc.com
Stephen Deas
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