A good way to explain how an individual’s motivation fluctuates is to look at Abraham Maslow’s theory of the "hierarchy of needs."  Maslow argued that we are all motivated by a variety of needs.  He claimed these various needs could be seen on a hierarchy, moving from basic, low-level needs to higher level needs. The most basic needs are physiological, including food, water and air.  These are the basic ingredients that sustain.  Once people have these basic needs, they are concerned about safety and security.  They don’t want to get hurt in their environment, and they want a job—not only this week, but next week as well. After people feel safe and secure, they want to belong.  They want to be a part of the group.  Feeling "in" is the key.  When these social needs are satisfied, most people then want to be important.  They want to stand apart from the crowd.  They have needs for esteem and recognition. The highest level of need according to Maslow, is self actualization.  This is a maximizing concept.  The person is doing what he or she is really capable of doing.  To me, the ultimate in self-actualization is when a person is confused about the difference between work and play. Some people have the belief that once they reach the upper levels of fulfillment, they will always stay there.  That’s not true.  A person can be self-actualizing in a job one day and then because of economic hard times be laid off.  The next day, the most important thing to that person could be job security. It’s very important to know what is motivating a person at a given moment in time.  It is important to realize that circumstance might change, and with it, those things that motivate a person. Give someone a job, and the next day that individual might need to feel "in" on things and want to be involved in the decision-making process.  People are ready to participate and get involved in decision making as long as they feel safe and secure.  Threaten their job security and see what happens when you ask for suggestions to increase productivity.  People usually will do one of two things:  Either they will clam up, or they will try to determine who has the most power in the room and who could hurt them the most. Then they will tell that person exactly what that person wants to hear.  In other words, they play it safe. This phenomenon works in the opposite direction, too.  In the past, a person might have responded well to a salary increase.  But that is not motivational anymore.  The person now wants more responsibility.  In other words, as conditions and times change, so do those things which motivate. You might say, "This sounds confusing.  It’s too complex.  I can’t figure out what people want all the time."  The answer to this apparent dilemma is to ask questions, listen, and observe.  Assume nothing—then you won’t be surprised. Just remember—while organizations have goals that need to be accomplished, people within the organization have needs that must be satisfied, too.  The successful manager will try to fulfill those needs that provide motivational satisfaction while people work to achieve the organization’s goals.  In other words, a win-win situation should be created for the individual and the organization.

We had an interesting meeting with a government customer this week where we showed our voice recognition/generation as the interface with our intelligent entities in a simulation.  It was interesting to hear the discussion, "That is great, that is how it is done in the field." Soldiers and sailors don’t type into a panel "May I have permission to this or that."  They say over the radio "Permission to do X". It is a very efficient human to human interface.  It is also a very efficient AI to and from human interface. Businesswire, way back in 2005, noted the commonly used Dragon Software could convert 160 words per minute to text.  160 words per minute was their recognition rate and it has improved dramatically over the last 6 years.  The Typing Institute of America rates a "Master" typist at a little over 75 words per minute. Sure there are people who say they can do over a 100 words per minute.  How accurately?  How fast are you?  I have been typing for decades and yes I still look at the keyboard.  I have used Dragon’s software from Nuance and it works very well. I have seen our team use other packages. We have voice recognition in our cars, cell phones, and tablets. So that is why I see this technology as a next wave. But what happens when you combine this with Artificial Intelligence?  Great things. You can talk to a virtual entity or device and it can talk back to you. It is amazing to see and at Discovery Machine we are doing it today as a little AI company.  Hopefully soon as a big AI company.   You have seen AI concepts like Multi-Strategy Reasoning work with IBM’s Watson AI implementation.  Here at Discovery Machine, when we combine approaches like that with voice it will blow you away. If you are interested and want to see a demo, send me an email at jmcassey@discoverymachine.com   By the way this blog is 357 words long.  It took me a while to type, the "a" sticks on my keyboard and I have to fix the mistakes that causes.

Many people get high marks for being good speakers.  People have become presidential candidates due to their oratorical powers.  In business, executives who wish to increase their public visibility hire speech writers to give them something terrific to say.  We have long recognized the value of being a good speaker.  Just ask any Toastmaster. Now, how many people do you know who have received a prize or had their picture in the paper because they were a good listener?  Darned few, I’ll wager. And yet, it’s rare to find a really good listener. It’s too bad more people don’t take an active interest in listening, because much of listening involves getting feedback, a commodity which I consider to be a gift.  When people tell you something that is important and useful, it means they care enough about you to give honest, sincere, and accurate data, which you should have. Of course, your reaction to feedback, regardless of its content, will determine whether you will continue to get useful information from others.  After all, if someone knows you are likely to become upset about something they’re communicating, they’ll eventually stop giving you information. If people know you’ll reject them or their message when they are honest with you, you’ll be working in the dark without the necessary intelligence about yourself or your environment.  For a manager, this can be extremely dangerous.  Here are four ways you can become a better listener: First, always acknowledge with appreciation the person who gives you the feedback.  You may dislike the information, but it may be potentially useful data you need in order to be more effective. Remember to disassociate the message from the messenger. Second, don’t try to listen and think at the same time.  I know it sounds crazy—just listen to the information as it comes to you.  Disconnect your mental data processor and merely gather the data; process it at a later time.  Get as much information as possible, and ask questions that may expand or clarify the situation.  Keep pumping for details. The more information you have, the better. Third, don’t try to solve a problem while listening.  If you do this, your listening capabilities will greatly diminish, if not stop.  Process all the details and then decide how to use the data.  If you rush to react to news without having received all the information, it is possible that your actions will be faulty because the information is incomplete. Finally, if you are receiving some unpleasant information you don’t especially want to hear, don’t blow up.  Keep yourself under control.  As I stated earlier, if someone knows you’ll verbally abuse them when they give you unpleasant news, they’ll eventually stop giving you any news at all—good or bad. To review, the steps to effective listening are: 1. Thank the person for the information.  2. Gather as many details as possible.  3. Act only after you have all the facts.  4. When receiving negative feedback, maintain your composure.  And always remember one of my favorite sayings taught to me by a former colleague, Rick Tate:  Feedback is the breakfast of champions!

Yesterday Discovery Machine had the privilege of attending the Capitol Hill Modeling & Simulation Expo.  This event was designed to showcase current Modeling and Simulation efforts in the United States to various members of Congress.  This event highlighted the importance of the Modeling & Simulation industry to the government and reiterated how much it will be needed in our nation’s future.  Many prominent congressmen gave encouraging words to the community and were interested in what the industry as a whole was pursuing. At the expo, Discovery Machine showcased the latest enhancements to our simulated training solutions.  We demonstrated how, through the use of Discovery Machine’s software and methodology, it is possible to capture the expertise of the world’s top experts and actually use it to control characters in simulated training systems.  As part of our demonstration Discovery Machine showed how users could leverage expertise to create expert-level behaviors through the use of basic level actions.  Discovery Machine’s approaches were very well received. Discovery Machine was proud to be in attendance at such an event.   It was great to have a chance to interact with various members of congress and fellow Modeling and Simulation industry personnel.  I believe it is the way of the future and it is encouraging to see such a strong part of the government agrees.  Through the use of products like the Discovery Machine Knowledge Service Modeler it is possible to create effective training that maintains our current state of readiness to face threats and reduces our national expenditures.

A lot of people ask me for advice about partnerships.  Many will tell me about a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" that a friend or associate has shared with them and asked if they’d like to participate.  Often, the opportunity involves either investing a significant amount of time or money, or a dramatic shift into a new career path, or both. My advice to such individuals is simple.  First, I often ask them if it is something they really want to do; that is, do they truly enjoy this activity to the extent that they might even consider doing it without pay?  For someone to be successful at something, they first need to truly enjoy that activity—otherwise, they are likely not to have enough persistence during times of difficulty.  To me, enjoying what you are doing is an acid test in business as well as life.  If you are having fun, it’s more likely that you will confuse work with play and that you will be successful at that activity. Second, whenever considering getting into a partnership, you should always ask yourself the question: "Could either of us do this without the other person?"  (Have the other individual in the potential partnership ask the same question.)  If either of you answer "yes," or even "maybe," seriously reexamine the need for the partnership.             If you’re uncertain as to how necessary the other person is in a new venture at the very best of times—the beginning—you will certainly doubt and likely regret your mutual involvement down the line; perhaps sooner rather than later.  If there’s a good chance you could do the activity on your own, go for it!  Life is apt to be a lot simpler if you do. In a partnership, both individuals involved need to bring something to the party—and each person needs to recognize and value the other person’s contribution.  If the importance of each person’s role isn’t clearly recognized upfront, it most assuredly will be valued even less later.  In the event of failure, individuals often are quick to blame the other person for shortcomings.  In the event of success, most people are apt to feel the success was mainly a result of their own efforts. These reactions are human nature.  A clear initial understanding, agreement, and belief in what each person is contributing to the success of a joint venture will go a long way toward minimizing exaggerated perceptions and expectations of effort and worth at a later date. Third, a piece of common sense advice I truly believe regarding partnerships is that to be effective you need more than a 50-50 effort of both parties; you need 100-100 percent effort.  Both parties need to give the venture 100 percent.  Fifty percent effort is only half-hearted!  If you are no more excited about the opportunity at hand than to feel you are only responsible for 50 percent of the effort, the partnership is doomed from the start. I feel that 100 percent effort needs to be given 100 percent of the time by both parties in any partnership. Such an all-out commitment forces you to move ahead at full speed in making the venture a success.  It forces you to rely on yourself, not someone else, to make things happen.  It also affords you the ability to give the other person the benefit of the doubt when his or her effort, interest, or time spent seems to be less than ideal. I have found that it is many times more difficult to break up a partnership—especially if you want to do so on good terms—than it is to start one.  By following these simple rules of thumb, you might save yourself some unpleasantness (and possibly a friend) in the process!

This week Congressman Forbes asked for input, as he often does, on critical matters. His question: "Do you support the President’s call to increase taxes as a way to address our national debt?" As a woman owned small business we CANNOT afford to be taxed to support our national debt. Congressman Forbes thinks like a small business owner and knows that small companies like Discovery Machine are the economic engine that drives job growth and true prosperity. Thank you Congressman Forbes! (The actual email poll, from Congressman Forbes is included, below.) On May 16, 2011, the government officially reached the debt ceiling, or the level imposed by Congress on how much national debt the U.S. can carry. Despite reaching this threshold, stronger than expected tax revenues have extended the government’s borrowing authority through August 2, 2011. The Administration cannot raise the debt ceiling without permission from Congress and so for the past several months, congressional leaders and Administration officials have conducted negotiations to determine the size and scope of spending cuts necessary for Congress to agree to lift the debt ceiling.  Recently, the Associated Pressreported that the Administration is seeking to not only raise the debt ceiling, but also to raise taxes on small business owners and potentially low- and middle-income families. Instead of raising taxes on those who can least afford it and on those most likely to create jobs, I remain committed to a plan that includes serious and immediate cuts in spending, institutes permanent federal spending caps, and passes a requirement for Congress to balance the federal budget by spending no more than revenues allow. Question of the Week: Do you support the President’s call to increase taxes as a way to address our national debt? (  ) Yes (  ) No (  ) Other (share your thoughts on my blog here). (  ) I am unsure. Take the poll here.

I often have people come up to me after I’ve given a speech and say, "Boy, would I love to be able to do that for a living—go around the country and give speeches."  When I ask them why they don’t, they say, "Oh, I could never do that." Did you know that the fear of public speaking is higher on the list of fears than the fear of death? This probably doesn’t surprise any of you who have dreaded having to make a presentation. Some individuals have such an aversion to public speaking that they may even decline career opportunities based on the chance that they will have to speak in front of others. While this may seem startling or sad, the truth of the matter is that public speaking is a learnable skill. People who feel inadequate about themselves in front of a group can learn to become good speakers. I firmly believe there are three things that can impact your performance in public speaking:  body language, routine, and your belief system. Body Language. If you want to become a good public speaker, closely watch other public speakers to see what they do and how they carry their body.  For example, I have observed that good public speakers walk with their shoulders back and their heads high and use a lot of hand and arm gestures. If you are nervous, hold your head up and your shoulders back and say, "I am feeling good. I am feeling really good."  Silly as it may seem, this actually works.  The mind does not know the difference between what it perceives and what you tell it to perceive. Think of a time when you were feeling very confident and productive in some area in your life.  How did you act?  How did you walk?  How did you talk?  What did you do?  It’s pretty hard to feel inadequate if you walk and act like you know what you’re doing. Routine. What is the routine people use when they make a presentation?  When you see a good bowler, for example, they always start at the same mark, take the same number of steps, and release the ball in the same way.  By getting a routine established, you signal your brain that all is well. If the material I’m speaking on is new to me, I try to practice it several times with others—friends, employees, family—prior to delivering it to a group I don’t know. I get feedback each time, and I try to think of questions audience members are likely to have while I’m speaking.  I also use notes until the information becomes second nature to me.  Before I give a speech, I usually engage in deep breathing and a quick review of what I plan to say, which I may do with someone I’m with just prior to my presentation.  When I get on my feet, the first thing I do is tell some funny story that gets the audience relaxed and gets me relaxed. Then I can get into my speech. Now a lot of people tell me, "But I’m not good at telling jokes."  Well, this too can be learned. Experiment with what works best for you in breaking the ice with a group. Belief System. Finally, what are the thoughts and beliefs that you have about public speaking?  The late, great speech coach Dorothy Sarnoff used to suggest repeating these words to yourself before giving a speech: "I’m glad I’m here.  I’m glad you’re here.  I know what I know and I care about you."  Repeating these thoughts can change your belief system so that you actually become glad you are there and glad the audience is there. You know what you know and you can then stop worrying about not being good enough or perhaps not being able to answer a question that is asked.  When you focus on caring about the people in the audience, it becomes difficult to be fearful of the same group or of the situation. Once you start saying this over and over, it will have a tremendous impact on your level of confidence. After applying these principles, you need to practice, practice, practice to hone your skill.  Seek opportunities to make presentations or join a Toastmasters International club in your area.  It will then only be a matter of time before you can perform as a professional and experience the joy and excitement of sharing your thoughts and helping others in the process. Good luck!

Some folks wonder whether or not it’s true that a good leader can manage anyone—even someone doing a job the leader doesn’t understand or someone with skills the leader doesn’t have. And, if it’s true, how is it possible? In fact, leaders are often responsible for individuals who perform tasks the leader may never have personally done. This is why you sometimes hear of managers and executives who successfully change jobs from one industry to a completely different one. How is this possible, you ask? First, leaders often coordinate activities of highly skilled, mature employees who are often capable of  working with little supervision.  Second, leadership is primarily a people activity. If a person has good people skills such as the ability to motivate, communicate, and listen, then that person has the most important attributes of being a good leader, regardless of the type of work being done by direct reports. If an employee is working in a specialized job with which his or her manager has had little or no experience, that manager can still help that employee achieve top results by listening to find out what that person needs to successfully do the job and working to meet those needs. In addition, a good leader can be a sounding board for ideas and can help talk through problems. A leader can also represent the importance and value of the person’s work to others within the organization. In short, an effective leader must be resourceful.  Remember, a common definition of management is "getting things done through others." This description of a good leader differs from the popular image held by many people.  The effective leader or manager is not an all-knowing, multi-talented "super worker."  I’m glad to report that this stereotype is on its way out. We don’t need leaders who are good at everything—we need leaders who are very good at a few things, such as helping workers get what they need to complete their jobs or being adept at coordination throughout an organization. Peter Drucker, one of the top leadership gurus, claimed that the best model for tomorrow’s organization is that of a symphony orchestra.  In such an organization, a single person—the conductor—coordinates the performance of hundreds of specialists. The conductor communicates directly with each musician and can tell the musician what is needed to achieve the right combination of sounds without knowing how to play the tuba or the drums. Effective leaders must know and be able to communicate what is expected.  They provide the big picture.  They don’t need to know exactly what must be done by specific individuals or departments to achieve those expectations.  Effective leaders set goals and then translate those goals for others using clear communication. This ensures that the number of management levels between the CEO and those doing the job will not need to increase.  Many organizations today have fewer layers of management and wider spans of control for leaders than typical hierarchies in the past.  Increasingly, organizations will become loose-knit clusters of specialists who are served by their leaders. Remember: Leaders are more likely to be effective at managing anyone if they have or develop the skills that are related to people and not specifically to a job or profession.

When I say "us" I mean the United Sates. We have all been hearing about the debt ceiling discussions for the last few weeks. $2.4 trillion in savings is a lot of dollars. I was in the area of the US Capital a few weeks ago and saw many wasteful spending examples. When you step back and you think about it, what has been driving savings for the last few decades? Technology and Innovation. So if a technology can save us money, shouldn’t we be using it everywhere? At Discovery Machine, our artificial intelligence applications are set to save the government a lot of money. The millions we can save will help to achieve that $2.4 trillion goal. I know other applications of different technologies that can also help reduce the debt. Do you know any? Discovery Machine is an example of how the government spends some research dollars in the right way.  We were helped by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The government invests money in a small business to help mature a technology to help them achieve a goal.  That advanced technology can then be transitioned to help many government areas and commercial businesses. One example of how we are doing this, is through the use of our methodology to capture the best practices for a critical area of the US Army.  We then use our very advanced AI technology to help them train new soldiers in a much less expensive way and save money.  Yes, saving money is a good thing.  When you use a technology that saves money in a lot of places, you get it. You save a lot of money. So one way we are going to close this gap is to use technology that saves us money. Innovative thinking that creates new technology has been the savings path for years.  The recent advances in AI have clearly shown the uses it can provide in driving savings.  Yes 2.4 trillion is a big goal, but it can be achieved by applying technologies to save costs.

Noted author Jules Verne wrote "Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real" in his classic novel Around the World in Eighty Days.  This statement resonates true today and can be correlated with the United States desires. "Anything one man can imagine…" The first half of the statement "Anything one man can imagine" implies to me a challenge.  The United States acts as "one man" in this quote because it often issues challenges in regards to cost-cutting measures, innovation, and ways to improve the country.  The government imagines what will make the country better and hopes others will rise to the challenge of meeting those dreams. "…other men can make real." The second half of the quote is more of a call to action.  In my opinion, small businesses are synonymous to the "other men" because they readily embrace challenges laid out by the government to reach seemingly impossible goals and actually attain them in real solutions. Discovery Machine is an example of this process in action.  We are a small business which continually strives to meet the challenges set forth by the United States government.  The government issued a challenge to reduce military spending while enhancing training readiness levels for military personnel.  Discovery Machine answered the challenge by documenting the expertise of the world’s top military strategists and putting it into the hands of instructors.  Now instructors can leverage that expertise and deploy it as artificial intelligence to control simulated entities in training. Discovery Machine’s approach reduces costs because it allows instructors to create intelligent behaviors for use in training without the need of a computer programmer.  Resulting behaviors are automated so it reduces the need for human operators, again reducing costs.  All Discovery Machine behaviors are validated by experts to ensure their accuracy which leads to enhanced training results.  Discovery Machine’s approach enhances training results because students are training with artificial intelligent behaviors validated by subject matter experts that are up to date with the latest tactics. Innovation is the answer to the United States economic woes.  If more companies would rise to the government’s challenges as Discovery Machine has, we can succeed and innovate our way into the future.

The first thing you need to decide when you lose a key manager is whether you need to hire a "winner" or a "potential winner" to replace this person.  Winners are individuals who have demonstrated that they can do the exact job you need done.  They are hard to find and they cost money, but they are relatively easy to supervise.  All they need to know is what the goals are. If the last manager was a winner and you worked well with that person, you might need to search extensively to get the same type of individual.  If you can’t afford or don’t think you can find—or take the time to find—a winner, your next alternative is to hire a potential winner.  Potential winners are individuals who have promise, but have not demonstrated the ability do the specific job you need done.  They are less expensive to hire but they require time and training to develop the skills for the job at hand.  Do you have that kind of time?  Can you afford to train someone to take the last person’s place? As you interview an individual, how do you tell whether you have a winner?  Let me suggest a process you might use.  When you interview job applicants, attempt to find out as much about them and their background as you can.  As they explain their past, probe with appropriate questions along the way to learn how they have arrived at their current position in life. After you get a sense of the person’s personal and professional background, share with him or her the key responsibility areas in the position you have open.  Be as detailed as you can regarding your concerns and expectations. This process will give you an initial sense of the quality of person you are dealing with. After this phase of interviewing, you will be able to narrow down the field to the best potential candidates for the job. During the second interview, give the person a pad and pencil and have him or her prepare a strategy to follow if he or she were to get the job—that is, what would be done first, followed by what would be done within the next three, six and nine months.  Give the applicant an hour to complete this task. Tell him or her that you will want to read the prepared statement as well as listen to an oral presentation.  This will give you not only a sense of the person’s ability to think and plan, but it will also indicate his or her level of initiative, organization, and creativity as well as ability to communicate and present ideas verbally and in writing. After you have heard the presentation, talk about it. Ask what kind of supervision he or she would need from you in each of the key responsibility areas of the position: Close supervision (known in Situational Leadership® II as a Directing leadership style); both direction and support along with participation in decision making (a Coaching leadership style); support, encouragement and listening (a Supporting leadership style); or could you leave the person alone with minimal supervision (a Delegating leadership style)? Suggest that the amount of direction the person will need will depend on his or her level of competence in the areas of responsibility, and that the amount of support and involvement you will provide will depend on his or her level of confidence in performing each task or goal.  For example, for you to effectively use a Delegating leadership style, the person would need to be highly competent and confident at the task at hand.  Whereas, if the person is an "enthusiastic beginner" (SLII® language), more direction will be needed.  Suggest that the person look at each of the responsibilities separately and be ready to talk with you in terms of what kind of supervision might be necessary. While your new candidate is working on analyzing his or her own development level and the appropriate leadership style needed to be effectively supervised in each responsibility area, you would do the same in relation to what you have learned about the person. After you each have analyzed appropriate supervisory approaches on various tasks or goals, you would come together and talk about the kind of supervision that person would probably need. What is fascinating about this exercise is that you are essentially contracting for a leadership style with the person before he or she has been hired.  This way, you can find out whether this person is a winner who can be generally supervised or a potential winner who will require a greater degree of direct supervision and control. Hiring a replacement for a key position is not a simple task—it’s something that must be done with great care.  The ideas I’ve presented here have helped me many times to make the best hiring decision—I hope they help you, too!

Best practices are activities that are tailored to a specific situation and carried out by experts to achieve goals. Powerpoints and training videos can describe general processes, but nearly always fail in capturing decision  making and problem solving techniques. Decisions are tied directly to specific situations that people encounter and those situations quickly diverge from documented steps. To date, lessons learned and best practice efforts are broad and shallow. They touch the surface of deep problems but do not address the core issues. They fail to decompose knowledge to a granularity that is useful and thus fail to capture the important aspects of key knowledge assets. Knowledge is cognitive decision making based on the current situational factors and the combination of conditions the expert considers. A true best practice represents an actionable response for any reasonable scenario. Consider the following ways in which best practices are typically documented:  PowerPoint, videos and documents.  How often do you find yourself referencing a standard best practice and find an exact match to the situation you find yourself in?  How often do you have access to the person who authored the best practice to ask how the best practice can be applied to your specific situation?  The Discovery Machine methodology results in a job aid that helps to match your current situation to the decisions and actions that need to be made in real time. Traditionally, the lack of true best practice capture prevents organizations from both identifying many useful standard processes and from improving upon them overtime. Discovery Machine’s approach applies a methodology and patented technology to turn each best practice into a fully functioning application.  Each best practice acts as a targeted expert system for solving some problem.  In addition, each best practice can be adapted over time with automatic incorporation of new, situation specific lessons.

On August 29th the Williamsport Manufacturer and Business Association hosted U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania) at a roundtable discussion with area business and community leaders. Discovery Machine was delighted to attend. Senator Toomey, who was recently selected to serve on the elite "Super Committee" created by the Budget  Control Act, discussed both jobs and the state of the economy with local leaders. Since joining the Senate in January, Toomey has distinguished himself as a leader on economic, financial services and budgetary issues, striving to restore fiscal discipline to Washington and economic opportunity for all Americans. A ranking member of the Commerce Committee’s Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance Subcommittee, the Senator previously represented Pennsylvania’s Fifteenth District for three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Discovery Machine took this unique opportunity to seek the Senators’ support of the reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. These programs have a proven track record of innovation and quality, long term job creation, and are an important part of  the Discovery Machine business model. Our follow-up letter to Senator Toomey is  listed, below. "Senator Toomey, Thank you for coming to Williamsport today and speaking with the group at the Manufacturer and Business Association.  James McAssey, from my company Discovery Machine, brought up the request to support the reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. As a women owned small business, we have been able to use these programs to mature our Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to allow the DoD to save hundreds of millions in training efforts. Our technology can also allow you to capture the knowledge of the retiring baby boomers, so the development of that lost expertise doesn’t have to inefficiently take years to regenerate.  You mentioned the 10,000 Baby Boomers that become eligible to receive government entitlements every day.  I believe an even bigger economic impact is the loss of their experience if it is not effectively captured in an actionable way, which is what our technology does. (I have attached a strategy paper on this issue) As a Pennsylvania Senator, you might know that Pennsylvania is the origin of this wave.  Kathleen Casey-Kirschling was born in Philadelphia on January 1st of 1946 at 12:00:01 AM. She marked the beginning of a generation born between 1946 and 1964 and is fully eligible this year for social security. She is credited for being the first Baby Boomer. Discovery Machine would have not have been able to develop the AI technology we have and hire the highly skilled workers in Pennsylvania without the SBIR and STTR programs.  I urge you to support Senate bill S.1082 and provide Super Committee support to these innovative programs (HR.1425) that can provide the mechanisms for much of the savings that need to be developed.  Big savings can come from a new and more innovative way for doing something.  We need to spend less but also spend smarter on technologies that drive savings. We would appreciate your support to these programs.  If you want to hear more on how the Discovery Machine AI technology saves money and helps the knowledge drain the baby boomer wave creates, I would be glad to meet with you.  Thank you. Anna Griffith CEO and Founder Discovery Machine, Inc."

Do you ever go home feeling that you’ve spent the whole day doing jobs on other people’s "to do" lists instead of your own?  Do you feel that you’re doing more but accomplishing less?  Your life may seem out of control, but it doesn’t have to be if you learn the art of monkey management. Several years ago I had a chance to work with the leading expert of monkey management, Bill Oncken, Jr., who authored, with Don Wass, one of the all-time best-selling articles published by the Harvard Business Review entitled Managing Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey?  Bill and I joined forces with Hal Burrows to write The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey (Morrow, 1989).  It was a fabulous experience and I learned quite a few things about managing monkeys that still hold true today. For those of you who are still scratching your head, allow me to explain. A "monkey" is the next move after two individuals meet, as illustrated here:  Say you meet an employee in the hallway.  He says, "Can I see you for a minute?  We have a problem."  He explains; you listen; time flies. Twenty minutes later you know enough about the problem to realize you’ll have to be involved, but you don’t know enough to make a decision.  So you say, "This is very important, but I don’t have time to discuss it now.  Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you." The detached observer understands what just happened, but when you’re in the middle, it’s harder to see the big picture.  Before you met your staff member in that hall, the monkey was on his back.  While you were talking, the matter was under joint consideration, so the monkey had one leg on each of your backs.  But when you said, "Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you," the monkey moved squarely onto your back. The problem may have been part of your employee’s job, and he may have been perfectly capable of proposing a solution.  But when you allowed that monkey to leap onto your back, you volunteered to do two things that this person was generally expected to do as part of his job:  (1) You accepted the responsibility for the problem, and (2) you promised him a progress report.  Just be sure it’s clear who’s in charge now, your staff member will stop in on you several times the next few days to say, "Hi!  How’s it coming?"  If you haven’t resolved the matter to your employee’s satisfaction, he may begin to pressure you to do what is actually his job. To avoid this travesty, monkey management is necessary. Managers must be careful not to pick up other people’s monkeys.  When they do, they broadcast the message that the employees lack the skills to care for and feed the monkeys themselves.  Managers who grab monkeys off their people’s backs often kill employee initiative, and everyone is left waiting for the boss to "make the next move." Nobody wins when you take care of other people’s monkeys.  You become a hassled manager and don’t feel very good about yourself.  And you have workers who look to satisfy their needs elsewhere, because they feel underutilized and unappreciated.  They often become dependent upon the boss.  The care and feeding of other people’s monkeys is the ultimate lose/lose deal. Bill Oncken, Jr. developed four rules of monkey management to help managers give back monkeys without being accused of buck-passing or abdication.  They are: 1.  Describe the monkey. The dialogue between a manager and a staff member must not end until appropriate next moves have been identified and clearly specified. 2.  Assign the monkey. All monkeys shall be owned and handled at the lowest organizational level possible. 3.  Insure the monkey. Every monkey leaving you on the back of one of your people must be covered by one of two insurance policies:  (1) recommend, then act, or (2) act, then advise. 4.  Check on the monkey. Proper follow-up means healthier monkeys.  Every monkey should have a checkup appointment. If you follow Oncken’s rules, you’ll stop viewing your people as the major source of your problems and will soon start seeing them as major solutions, because each of their backs can be a depository for several monkeys. Try monkey management—it works!

The United States government needs to save a lot of money. Some say it is not the $1.2 Trillion the congressional Super Committee talks about,  Alice Rivlin, the founding director of the Congressional Budget Office and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution says it is a more like $4 to $5 Trillion over 10 years. That is an amazing amount. A trillion is equal to a thousand billions (1,000 x 1,000,000,000) or just  a million millions (1,000,000 x 1,000,000).  Sounds like a lot?  In 2009, there were about 130 million houses in the US. 5 Trillion houses would be a little more than 38 houses for every house in the US today. Image more 37 houses on your yard? I got a chance to ask a question to Pennsylvania Senator Toomey, who is on the congressional Super Committee, last month.  Since we are an artificial intelligence company that is posed to save the Navy 10s or maybe 100 million over ten years and we have benefited from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. I asked him to support the continuation of the SBIR program. He said he did not know much about the program but would make a note to look into it. I wish I had more time to tell him about how the Discovery Machine software positioned to save the Navy millions. This same use of intelligent automated technology could save the government millions in other areas. Technology like the Discovery Machine AI capabilities is posed to help the US government achieve this very lofty goal. I believe the only way to achieve goals like this is to think outside the box, use revolutionary technologies, and reach out to small innovative companies. I hope the government continues to realize the benefits of what Discovery Machine o

It’s not uncommon after I have given a presentation for someone to say to me, "If only my manager had been here!  He (or she) really needed to hear this."  I feel it’s a bit of a cop-out to blame your work problems on others.  It’s a safe way of not taking responsibility for your own circumstances and initiative to make things better.  The fact of the matter is that, during the span of your career, it’s likely that two out of every three managers will not be very good at the job of managing.  Are you going to let that keep you from getting what you want and need in your job? If you’re going to succeed, you need to train your manager to give you what you need.  Fortunately, this is easier than it may sound—perhaps as easy as 1,2,3: 1. Give your manager what he/she needs to be successful. It’s going to be difficult to get your manager to make special efforts to help you if you don’t first show, through your actions, that you are worthy of such special effort.  Be responsive both in promptly doing what is asked of you, as well as volunteering to help on special projects and responsibilities.  Be proactive, try to anticipate your manager’s needs, and help to meet those needs.  Take a moment on occasion to ask what else you could be doing to help out.  Your attitude and behavior on this first step paves the way for the next step. 2. Tell your manager what you need from him/her to be successful in your job. After you have confirmed with your manager what is expected of you in your job, state what you’ll need from him/her for you to succeed.  This is where your knowledge of One Minute Management can be used to get the results you want.  Identify simple, clear, and specific One Minute Goals for each item you will be counting on for your manager to deliver, and then set realistic time frames for when those items can be done. 3. Follow up on 1 and 2. By doing what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it, you will build a reputation for being dependable and responsible.  By tactfully following up on items your manager agreed to do, you will build the expectation of reciprocity. When your manager follows through on a commitment to you, use One Minute Praising to positively reinforce the behavior.  I am constantly amazed at how many employees feel that managers don’t need praisings!  After all—so goes the logic—that’s why managers are paid more.  It’s as if by making more money managers graduate to being appreciated less!  Let me let you in on a secret:  People are never too old or too high up in an organization to not want praisings—it’s human nature. Everyone likes others to notice things they worked hard to achieve. Give your manager a praising today and see for yourself!  And remember to praise progress—don’t wait until something is done perfectly before you say something. If your manager does not follow through on a commitment to do something for you, you need some subtle form of a One Minute Reprimand.  Either reestablish the goal while checking on what you could do to move things along, or redirect your manager’s efforts toward a more feasible and realistic task.  Of course, you won’t have the position power to reprimand your manager, but the more you have built your personal power with him/her, the more likely a subtle reminder will work to get things back on track. So don’t lament that your manager hasn’t created the perfect working environment for you—do something about it!  Take control of your work life, and learn how to get what you want from your manager in order to make things happen for you and the company.  People who learn the skills of managing up will soon be the ones who move up in today’s organizations.

Have you ever heard of Williamsport?  When presented with this question, most people hesitate and then say, "I think so.  Isn’t that where they play the little league world series?"   Although that is true, there is much more about Williamsport than meets the eye.  In fact, the city was recently praised as the 7th fastest growing metropolitan area in the nation according to a study by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. A recent article by the Williamsport Sun Gazette highlights this statistic and provides some argument as to why this is the case.  Among the reasons discussed for this rise are the emergence of the gas industry and a pro-business stance by the city of Williamsport.  There are many organizations within the greater Williamsport area which support the development of emerging businesses and technology.  Organizations like the WLCC, Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ), Industrial Modernization Center (IMC), Tech Futures, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and more encourage the development of business in the region. With such great support from regional organizations, it comes as no great surprise that Discovery Machine has been able to succeed.  Discovery Machine is located in the heart of Williamsport with our offices residing in the old city hall building.  We have had the support of a variety of regional government and commercial organizations and each has contributed to our success.  People often wonder why Discovery Machine is in Williamsport.  The answer is simple; Williamsport is an area the supports hard work and growth.  Discovery Machine might be a small company but it produces powerful artificial intelligence training solutions in commercial and government efforts alike. So, have you heard of Williamsport?  Next time someone asks, I hope you don’t simply say that’s where they play little league".  Instead I hope you answer, "Yes, that’s where Discovery Machine is pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence."

I’m constantly amazed at how employees and managers seem to consider training for themselves and their people not as an important opportunity but as a fringe benefit, reward, or social occasion, with little if any plan or expectation on the part of attendees or their managers to maximize the investment.  This is a shame. I find that with a minimal amount of forethought, the effectiveness, retention and practical application of almost any training opportunity can be greatly enhanced.  This is true whether it is a presentation, classroom lecture, experiential learning situation, or even an internship.  Here are three steps to follow to make sure training has a real impact on your organization. Step 1:  Set learning goals prior to training. Before any learning experience, set goals for yourself and with your manager of what you hope to learn during the training.  Just as we read faster and with better comprehension when we read with questions in mind, learning goals help us focus our attention and retention of concepts discussed in training. For example, after you read the description of a training session, make a list of specific questions you would like to have answered while you are in the training. Ask how the session applies to your current or future job responsibilities.  Then talk about your expectations with your manager and others in your immediate work group.  Their comments might prompt you to form additional questions or learning goals for the training.  The clearer your expectations for what you want to get out of the training, the greater the chances you will achieve those expectations. Step 2:  Use real-life applications in the training. Once you are in the training, consistently try to apply what is being discussed back to your job and work group.  For example, if the course is about communication skills, consider how to apply this learning with your employees, manager, and colleagues.  If there is a chance to role-play, use someone you are having difficulty communicating with in your work group as a case study for your activity.  If the course is on leadership, make it an opportunity to actively define your philosophy of leadership with examples to illustrate your beliefs.  If the course is about problem solving, select one or more problems from your work environment to address during the seminar. With other attendees and with the instructor, during a break or at the end of the day, discuss the application of the concepts to your focus area.  Also, before the session ends, check your list of questions to be sure all items have been addressed. The more you can view training as a chance to pause and examine problems and situations in your work setting, the more apt you are to get lasting value from the program. Even if the training doesn’t call for it, make an action plan so that when you’re back on the job you will be able to implement learnings and insights you gained in the program. Step 3:  Follow up on learnings once you are back at work. As soon as you are back on the job, get out your original learning goals and see how many you achieved.  Share what you have learned with others—your manager, your peers, or your employees.  Having to explain things you learned will help you integrate those concepts into your own behavior. Identify at least one change you can make right away to gain momentum for making other changes and to keep from slipping back, unchecked, into the status quo.  With others in your work group, share your action plan for doing things differently as a result of the seminar and seek support for the changes you plan to make.  Even the most determined person can benefit from the support and encouragement of others when trying to change his or her behavior. Set a time in the not-so-distant future to review your plan and your progress.  Hold yourself accountable by sharing your plan with your manager or others in your department.  The extent and frequency of your follow-up is crucial to maximize the practical application of your learnings. These three rules are not difficult to apply—in fact, you can have fun doing so.  The time invested in getting the most out of training will help to increase your learning and its application and retention so that the initial investment in the learning activity will be paid back time and time again.

The new iPhone 4S incorporates an application that has been around for about a year called Siri.  The Siri application (and company) was a spin-off from the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) and, like Discovery Machine, has roots in Artificial Intelligence (AI) research out of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).    The company was quickly acquired by Apple which led to its inclusion in the 4S.   Siri is another demonstration of the emergence of AI systems into the public sphere.  What makes Siri interesting from an AI perspective is its inclusion in a "situated" device like the iPhone, which will push AI into new markets.   Google’s Android is pushing similar capabilities, without the "conversational" aspects of the intelligence.  For example, you can talk to an Android phone and ask it to "give me directions to the nearest Walmart" it will open Google Maps and show you a path to Walmart.  It does not, however, attempt to engage you in conversation.   The difference now versus a year ago is that Siri is an embedded part of the operating system and uses speech generation in addition to text-based output. What Siri does is similar to what we do at Discovery Machine, but in the "personal assistant" domain.   In fact, the domain is a bit narrower than that.  It is akin to a "social personal assistant".   It uses the information it can acquire via search and places a communications layer on top.  It also leverages voice recognition and speech generation technology.    Discovery Machine’s communications handlers take a Siri-like approach but in specific domains of expertise, such as the domain of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW).  Instead of using a web search and GPS location to create its current situation, Discovery Machine’s ASW AI leverages the simulation sensor data (and other data) to determine its situation.    As the instructor adds the building blocks of knowledge into what we call basic-level actions, we include the ability to communicate that information back to the user (trainee).   Siri, on the other hand, has communications strategies that are focused on commonly desired activities like going to dinner, finding a movie, or responding to text messages. The Siri application is simultaneously amazing and disappointing.   It is quite easy to make it slip-up and provide the wrong information.  Also, anything slightly outside the domain described above will cause it to fall back to web search results.   When it works, however, it feels like something out of science fiction where you converse with your computer rather than typing in keywords.    Apple has set the bar pretty high on this integration, and it remains to be seen if this will entice or frustrate the general population.   In either case, I think that speech recognition technology is finally coming of age and will push AI technology to the forefront. More than any other company, Discovery Machine is positioned to capture and provide expertise for use by speech-enabled virtual assistants.   Imagine your expertise being available to everyone in your organization in the form of a conversational agent.  Imagine being able to converse with an agent that communicates the expertise of one of your key employees.    Discovery Machine has demonstrated this capability to the US Navy and can demonstrate it for you. Go to www.discoverymachine.com to learn more.

Everyone knows the importance of making a list of things to do, prioritizing that list, and then working on the highest priority item.  Yet how many managers actually do that?  More often than not, managers have the best intentions as they come to work—but before they are even settled in their offices, they may be completely sidetracked by the needs of others.  From that point on, most managerial days become a series of interruptions, conversation snippets, ad hoc meetings, rushed phone calls and crises. Interruptions aren’t all bad, necessarily.  In fact, research on time management indicates that effective managers and executives tend to have lots of interruptions during the day as they seek to keep in touch with day-to-day operations and to make themselves available to whoever needs them.  In fact, many effective managers define the most important part of their jobs as being available to others. Conversations are the primary way a manager or executive has to influence others today.  It may be the best strategy to take advantage of conversations whenever you can have them, even if other tasks you wanted to work on get delayed as a result. Take Time to Focus When, then, do those other tasks get done?  When should a manager take time to concentrate, focus and reflect?  The right answer varies from person to person and is a function, in part, of your personality.  If you are a morning person, you may surprise yourself at how much you can get done by getting up an hour earlier in the morning.  Some managers report getting everything they have to do in a given day done in less than an hour of unobstructed time, leaving the remainder of the day to help others.  If you are a night owl, it may make sense to periodically carve out time in the evenings to do such tasks. And increasingly, people are discovering the distinct advantage in having the flexibility to work at home.  Managers indicate they can get two to three times as much work done than in a comparable time span at the office.  There are no interruptions, no socializing, no phone calls—just quiet focus time. Use Different Time Management Systems Probably more important than having any specific rules for managing your time is having a willingness to try different systems when the one you’re using is not working.  Since we are all creatures of habit, a time management system helps you gain efficiency in the use of your time.  Having flexibility in using different systems helps you to gain effectiveness in using the system that works best at any given time, and keeps you from becoming a slave to a single system. "To do" lists, card sorts, post-it reminders, calendar tie-ins and project planning software are all useful time management tools.  Working on the next item that pops into your head, focusing on one high-priority item at a time, having a group work on a task, or doing a number of items as fast as you can, can also be effective time management approaches—but none of these approaches will work for you all the time. You have to have a willingness to switch to something new when what you’re doing is not working. I go through phases in which a very flexible, detailed, priority-ranking time management system works best for me.  During such times, I grind through the tasks like a machine.  The following week I might go to bed determined to only work on one task the next day, stay home focused on that task, and put all other demands completely out of my mind until that task is finished. Don’t Do What You Don’t Have To Of course, the best way of getting something done is by not having to do it to begin with.  Thus, a manager should constantly check to see if the things he or she is spending time on are items that have to be done or that could be better done by someone else.  I find it useful to periodically review old "to do" lists to see if, looking back, those items completed were really that important. Often they were not. I then try to prune similar items from my current "to do" list. We also need to constantly ask if things we are doing could be done better by someone else.  It is human nature to lean toward doing things we enjoy rather than those things we are required to do as part of our jobs.  Thus, a manager who used to be in a technical position might like troubleshooting equipment problems, while another manager who used to negotiate contracts might still enjoy spending extensive time combing over the details of a contract.  Effective managers keep this tendency in check, realize what parts of their jobs could be better done by others, and assign those tasks accordingly.

In Brendon Burchard’s latest book, "The Millionaire Messenger" he describes how to develop a business selling expertise. I highly recommend this book because Brendon describes how every person has expertise. Through your own personal struggles and passion, expertise develops. The question is, how does that expertise provide value to others? http://brendonburchard.com/ In his book he describes activities for creating products based on expertise. There are no surprises on the list. There is a new and innovative way to capture expertise as best practices that goes beyond a presentation or a document - whether for a new expert business or to distribute expertise within an existing enterprise. Discovery Machine has a methodology for capturing expertise and creating an intelligent app to coach a user through the process of using the expertise. Have you seen SIRI on the iPhone? Imagine creating an assistant based on your expertise. http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/siri.html

One of the most difficult things I have had to do over the years is to learn to say no.  As a people-oriented person, it is very difficult for me to say no to anyone—I don’t want to hurt their feelings or make them feel unimportant.  As a result, ever since I was a teenager I have been overloaded with things I have agreed to do. I have always made too many commitments. Saying no is simple, but not simply done by most people.  I have tried all kinds of ways to say no in my life.  When I was a professor at the University of Massachusetts, for example, I became so overwhelmed with things I had agreed to do that I sent out a letter to a number of people saying, "I am dying—dying from good opportunities.  If I don’t do something about it, I will not be long for this world."  Then my letter went on to say that I had to drop a number of things I had agreed to do, just for survival.  I apologized to each reader because I had to drop something I had planned to do with that person.  The letter helped me out of the crisis in the short run, but was not something that made me proud. To be effective in the long run in relieving overload, I’ve determined that you have to have a systematic approach and philosophy on saying no.  I recommend three steps: 1)  Be clear about what you are doing, and what your priorities are. If you are purposeful about how you are currently managing your work and time, it is easier to say no to new activities that are seemingly less important. We have a saying in one of our programs that goes, "A person who does not have goals is used by someone who does." To be proactive about saying no, you need to be very clear about your own goals. What are you trying to accomplish during a given period of time?  How can you focus your energy on things that will move you toward those goals?  This doesn’t mean you have to be rigid and inflexible if a new assignment or opportunity comes along, it just means your goals become your reality check. Within those goals, set priorities and stick to them. Then you will be better able to discern whether something is consistent with your job or area of expertise, which will make it easier to determine if you should take it on. All good performance starts with clear goals.  Without them you will quickly be a victim, because you will have no framework to make decisions about where you should or shouldn’t focus your energy.  I become much better at saying no when I am more clear about my focus and what my goals are. 2)  Be clear and realistic about the consequences of doing one more thing. This is for yourself as well as the person who wants you to do something new.  I’ve found the best approach is to be honest and direct.  For example, say, "If I do this, I won’t be able to do the other things I’ve committed to."  Or, if for no other reason than past history, you can say, "With what I’ve got going on right now, if I take on this additional task I feel certain that I won’t do as good a job as I’d like, and we will both be disappointed." In recent years when a new opportunity has come my way that I know I’m not able to do, I often compliment the idea (if I feel it has merit) and then simply say:  "I don’t choose to get involved."  I’m amazed how, when I use this powerful approach, people very seldom say, "Well, why can’t you do it?"  They just accept it and say, "Thank you." 3)  Offer alternatives and solutions. Suggest someone else who you feel could do the job or who may be available sooner to work on the task.  If the request is from your manager, suggest a project or priority you are working on that could be dropped, delayed, or given to someone else, or ask your manager to do the same. The degree of flexibility between these three approaches is, of course, a function of exactly what the task is, who is asking you to take it on, and the time frame involved.  A request from your manager is going to involve more consideration and discussion than a request from an associate or someone you don’t know. Still, these basic approaches work. Research done by Charles Garfield, author of the Peak Performance trilogy, clearly shows that peak performers only focus on a few key things.  And the late, great leadership expert Peter Drucker asserted that the people who truly get things done are "monomaniacs on a mission"—people who focus intensely on one thing at a time.  The more you take on, the greater the chance that you will lose effectiveness in not only getting that particular task done, but in all aspects of your life.  Keep in mind that when you say no to someone, you are not saying no to them, only to their proposition. And never forget the old expression: "Nobody can take advantage of you without your permission."

It amazes me how seriously some people in business take themselves.  It’s as if they have come to the conclusion that who they are or what they are doing is so important that there should be no time for anything as frivolous as laughter.  This is a sad outlook on life. I tell people who work with me to take their work seriously and themselves lightly.  In doing so, they are better apt to have a sense of perspective about what they are doing that is balanced, and an openness to suggestions and new ideas I often find missing from those who are more tunnel-visioned and only focused on business. A sense of humor serves as a pressure valve that can keep you enjoying your work even when times are stressful. I find it a preferred alternative to developing an ulcer or migraine headache.  In fact, it is one of the best ways I know to get you through stressful times on the job. I have found three useful methods for keeping a sense of humor. 1)  Take time for yourself. You should take time to relax and enjoy yourself some every day.  What this means will vary from person to person.  It may be reading a magazine, taking a walk, practicing yoga, or playing with your children. I personally recommend skipping.  I believe that it’s impossible to skip and not enjoy yourself—and people who see you will probably laugh as well.  (Unfortunately, I’m afraid my own skipping days are over now that I have two "bionic" hips!)  I also recommend easing into your day—that is, getting up an extra 30 to 45 minutes earlier each morning so you don’t have to "jolt and bolt" like a race horse out of the starting gate. If you are too busy to take some time for yourself, you will inevitably start to expect others you work with to do as you do, and stress will result for both you and your people. 2)  Set an example. Let others you work with know that it’s okay to joke with you by sharing your own sense of humor. I think the best humor is self-deprecating, because it’s never at someone else’s expense.  For example, when I’m with a group having a good time at work I love to say something like, "Hey, if I’m in charge here, how come everyone’s laughing?" If you are a manager, CEO, or business owner, you have a great amount of influence in setting the tone of the work environment.  You need to show that it’s okay to have fun at work and to celebrate successes when they occur.  For example, once to celebrate record sales halfway through our fiscal year, we closed the company and took employees to the beach for some fun in the sun.  We took time to explain our company’s financials and why we were celebrating—and what it would mean to each employee in terms of gain sharing if our sales and profit rate continued. 3)  When you find yourself stressed about something, ask yourself, "What difference will this make in 100 years?" You guessed it:  No difference.  So why get stressed about it now?  Instead, make a plan and take positive steps toward your goals in a way that is reasonable for both yourself and those around you. I use another perspective-setting technique that I call my "zoo mentality."  I developed this when my children Scott and Debbie were growing up.  I noticed that whenever we were at a park or zoo I’d see parents yelling at their children for running around misbehaving and generally having a good time.  It seemed crazy to me to take your children to a place to have fun with them and then spend all your time yelling at them!  I decided what was called for was to get into a different frame of mind that I dubbed my "zoo mentality" when I wanted to have fun. Then if the kids started acting silly or chasing each other I’d be more inclined to join the fun myself.  I still use this technique occasionally when attending company meetings. The way I see it, everything is on loan—the skills we have, the opportunities to use those skills, and the impact we are able to make in this life.  I’ve had good fortune in my life and I am thankful for it.  I have yet to meet the person who does not have some good fortunes in his or her life.  Even during dreadful times in your life and work, there is always a positive side if you take the time to look for it. Once you have this perspective it is difficult to have what I call "false pride," in which you feel the world revolves around you. Remember, no one says on their deathbed that they wish they would have worked harder. Most are inclined to wish they would have enjoyed life—and being with those they knew and loved—a lot more. So have a great week and don’t forget to laugh every day.

It would be difficult to argue that technology has made life worse rather than better for humanity. From entertainment to medical care, technology has rapidly increased our standard of living.  Even those living at the poverty line in the United States appear to have mobile phones, cable or satellite television, and one or more gaming consoles. As scholar James Q. Wilson has stated, "The poorest Americans today live a better life than all but the richest persons a hundred years ago."[3] In 2005, the typical household defined as poor by the government had a car and air conditioning. For entertainment, the household had two color televisions, cable or satellite TV, a DVD player, and a VCR. If there were children, especially boys, in the home, the family had a game system, such as an Xbox or a PlayStation.[4] In the kitchen, the household had a refrigerator, an oven and stove, and a microwave. Other household conveniences included a clothes washer, clothes dryer, ceiling fans, a cordless phone, and a coffee maker. (http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/07/what-is-poverty) It should be noted that these benefits are not necessarily due to increases in income, but rather to advances in technology. So why is technology such a pain in the %@#$!   It would be fair to say that I was born and raised in the technology era.  I am the Chief "Technology" Officer at Discovery Machine Corporation.   I was 12 when I got my first computer at home which was an Apple ][e (actually one of the first clones called a Franklin Ace 1000).   I have been working with technologies of all kinds since the mid-80s and have kept up pretty well with the advances. My main disappointment is that it is people that are adapting to the technologies, rather than technologies adapting to people.   We recently purchased a new double-oven and as is my habit I looked for the coolest new technology I could find.  The oven has a touch panel and libraries of recipes for all kinds of things built in.  Sounds cool!  But the touch panel shorts out when the oven goes over 400 degrees and requires me to "reboot it".  Yes, I have to reboot my oven?!?.   So point number one is what does technology do when it fails.  "Message FE12: call the manufacturer" is not helpful! Another example is the universally aclaimed user interface found in iPods and iPhones.  Have you ever tried to deal with a whole family of "iDevices" each attempting to access a different subset of music, apps and videos with your daughter asking "Hey Dad!! Why can’t I get Avril Lavigne on my iPod?"  Its not that it can’t be done or that its particularly difficult, but for the uninitiated it requires significant learning.   And even for me it requires my time.   Why?  Nor am I interested in hearing the argument: "Android does this way better?"  So I should throw out all my kid’s iPods and switch, giving myself new technology to administrate?    A great user interface only goes so far. Why do those who develop technology expect those who use it to adapt?  Why doesn’t the technology adapt to them?   Well, for one thing, technology is stupid.   I don’t mean useless, I mean it does not have the intelligence needed to adapt to its situation.   Also, technology is built upon requirements where functionality and aesthetics trump the inconvenience of learning.  Everyone assumes some learning curve for their new gadget. At Discovery Machine we are building technology that is based on the best practices of experts.  We capture not only the typical use-cases for doing a job, but also many historical or limiting case examples.  While our efforts currently involve military or manufacturing jobs, the potential is far greater.   What if every new gadget came equipped with an on-board "expert user" that I could ask questions?   If I could dialog with my technology and it attempted to understand what I wanted, rather than reading through manuals and help systems,  I may be able to significantly reduce that learning curve.  We have entered a new era in technology where we will be able to talk to our devices as demonstrated by Apple’s Siri.   Now we need to give those devices something useful to talk about.   Perhaps not: Message FE12, but "One of keys is stuck and needs to be replaced.  Should I call the manufacturer to schedule maintenance?"