Time heals all….

What a difference a week makes.  Get your zone right and getting it right most of the time brings about focused, measured calls and respect from the players.  On the bases, clear calls, elevating volume as the calls get closer.  Pre-empting discrepancy by telling, signalling why you made a call, all goes toward a very nice job on the job.
Butterflies I had a few.  But the one true test was the quietness from the bleachers.  Quietness from the coaches and when a player chirped, thoughtful eye contact, simple monosyllabic retorts and bang, respect.

Now all I have to do is repeat this, week in, week out and my development will continue.


previous blogs;
http://johnmasonstuff.blogspot.com/
http://john-mason-stuff.blogspot.com/

Quality Objectives – part 3

Just a quick recap.  You need to have documented quality objectives.  They need to be linked from your quality policy.  They need to have targets.  They need to have assigned resources.  They need to be reviewed.  They need to be communicated.

Oh so simple.  Over the years I managed this process for many clients and used many tools that address each of the above.  The methodology and tool is very dependent on the organisational culture of the client.  I never prescribe what they ‘have to do’.  Only via a process of discovery would we suggest a few models and then agree with the client the most suitable methodology.  Of course, we have changed models if the original chosen wasn’t quite working out (and conversely, what our auditor ‘wants’ to see).  Don’t forget the above recap is the absolute minimum and there is nothing wrong with adding to the requirements as needed.
So here are just a few ways to manage quality objectives.  1) include them in the strategic business plans; 2) include them as separate standing agenda items in company meetings and or management review meetings; 3) draft and maintain a quality objectives plan which is reviewed at company meetings and or management reviews.

Just remember, each of the recaps are needed for the certification process.  Never go with less than two (and always add a third) and that the start up objectives must be; customer satisfaction, continual improvement (and my add-on, achieve certification).  Good luck.

previous blogs;
http://johnmasonstuff.blogspot.com/
http://john-mason-stuff.blogspot.com/

Do you dance?

I was asked very recently, ‘How do you ask someone to dance?’  My response….
"Hi.  My name is John.  Would you like to dance?"

Yes, simple.  Keep it that way.  Match it with eye contact and you will dance 9/10 times.  Just remember, the answer will be yes, no, later. accept it.  However, I rarely ask anyone in the 'wild' to dance.  I only ask in the right environment such as a ball, a wedding, a social dance, etc.  Why?  It's a bit like not blurring the line between work life, private life, sporting life.  When you see me at my studio (the best ever being Arthur Murray Castle Hill) I am there to dance, not work.  If you are at the pub to drink, drink.  If you are there to meet new people, meet new people.  Dance is just one of many ways to do this.  Using dance as an ice breaker is (perhaps was) a conventional way to meet new people.  But in the modern era of selfish endeavours and ‘what’s in it for me?’ a simple question to dance might just be seen as a hidden agenda.  The best thing about being part of a studio is that an agenda and an expectation is set so that you get to dance and meet new people as part of the deal.  So, pick your time, your situation and enjoy the dance.

Make appointments

Sounds simple enough.  But do you?  Do you commit?  Do you prepare?  You had better.  Be early.  Allow enough time between appointments.  Never make an excuse, especially to leave an appointment early to get to the next one.  Allow enough time for the appointment from start to finish.  Start an appointment by setting the expectation and probable duration.  The more the preparation before and at the start, the more you will keep an appointee happy.  Cherish appointments.  They are the window of opportunity for your business.

And on the flip side, respect the person making the appointment.  Turn up on time, turn up prepared, turn up ready to get the desired outcome.  If not, give plenty of warning and reschedule.  If possible, never reschedule more than once.

And how do we go about making appointments?  My first rule is to try and set a date by verbal communication first, when the other person has their diary at hand.  This will enable firsthand look, review, agree and confirm.  You can run through this cycle as long as you need to until a mutual arrangement can be found.  The second best way is via e-mail but only if you follow these guidelines.  Offer choice and ask for an alternative.  For example; ‘Hey Joe, can we catch up for coffee on the proposal you asked for?  How about either in the morning of next Monday or Wednesday?  Say 10 or 11.30 on either day?  And if your first preference can’t me organised, what is another time or day you could do from the above.  Formal?  Yes.  Efficient?  Probably and you will be able to approach a number of people simultaneously and get the desired results.  Just remember, once you have an agreement in principal, set the appointment in stone via confirmation emails, phone calls or meeting requests.

Be diligent.  Be effective and if you are time poor like most of us, make an appointment with yourself and take 30 minutes out of your day to take a breath.  You will appreciate the effort and the preparation.

Baseball - enjoy it or else

Boy I had a shocker on the weekend.  In the first game I could not please either side with my strike zone.  This means I was consistently bad.  The trouble with that, was when I got it right, they still barked at me in order to influence my next call.  I felt bad.  Then I find out that the main protagonists do this as a matter of course and that the only way to rectify the situation is through warnings and eventually ‘toss them’ from the game.  They expect it and try it on us rookies just because they can.  Hey, I was still calling a shocker but this revelation post game made me feel like a chump.

Then comes first grade.  A man mountain on roids is the coach on one side.  He makes it his personal vendetta to ridicule me for every call on the bases, and I mean every call with just the right amount of niggle so as not to get ejected.  With my self esteem low, this tirade put the boot in.  No wonder so many of my brothers blue, just get sick of these twits and toss them, or just get sick of the game itself.

A remarkable insight into a person who takes great delight in belittling another just because they smell ‘blood in the water’.  I mean, if this is your idea of having Sunday arvo fun at sport, pul-lease (my spelling) give me a break or get a life.  So my advice to those who crank it.  The rookie will learn.  The rookie will toss.  And if you can’t enjoy it, I will.

Employee / Subcontractor auditors

There are many pros and cons about our certification auditors not the least being whether they are an employee or a subcontractor of the certification body.  Here are a few thoughts.  In the first instance, make sure you know whether they are an employee or not.  Why?  It is just good to know, especially with regard any conflict of interest process.  If you don’t know, then ask.  Ask if there are any potential conflicts of interest.  There is nothing quite so wrong that your auditor is also a consultant for the auditees biggest competitor.  A little checking via LinkedIn and Facebook would also help.  Employee auditors very rarely have control of their forward planning.  This means that you cannot plan an audit 1, 2, 3, 6, 12 months in advance.  For project management focused people like me, this is very important.  If they cannot do it, you best find out who in the back office is the keeper of the calendar and try and book that way.  But of course, if you are one of the smaller players in the certification town, don’t be surprised that you get bumped as time approached.  Just keep the communication up to the operations people and cross your fingers.  Sub contractor auditors can at times drift into consulting more than our employed ones.  Why?  They just do.  Does this help or hinder.  It is very situational.  Just be aware and temper ‘advice’.  The employee auditor tend to have a little less customer service.  This is because their billing machine back office does not like idle days.  This means they do not have planned customer relations time which results in no coffee chats, update phone calls, etc.  They turn up on the assigned day.  Sub contractor auditors normally have more flexibility with their time and as a consequence have a little more flexibility when it comes to rescheduling and at no extra cost.  Employee auditors are normally blissfully unaware to schedule changes and any forward planning.  But if you want the specific date, that normally means a new auditor.  Consequently if you hold out for the desired auditor, that normally means a change in date to suit them, not you.  Subcontractor auditors also get a break from auditing.  If you audit full time, you can become a little stale and a little cynical.  If you are exposed to the rigors of designing, implementing, consulting in quality management system, it will keep you keen, keep you flexible in the auditing phase.

I wouldn’t pick a certification body based on the employee status of your auditor, but you should take it into consideration as part of the overall process.

I am lucky

I am lucky.  A life partner who loves me dearly and unconditionally.  Great kids.  Great ‘job’. Great lifestyle.  And whilst from the outside this may appear lucky, I am here to tell you there is no such thing as luck.  Good or bad, there is none.  There is just opportunity and I truly believe that every opportunity you create for yourself. 

Now on the face of it, not every opportunity is good, meaning that if it is not good, then by definition, it is bad.  Wrong.  Every opportunity is good.  Every opportunity is created by you and it is what we do with the opportunity that makes the face value appear good or bad.

Hey, I have seriously blown opportunities in both my personal and business lives.  But my definition doesn’t mean a blown opportunity is a piece of bad luck.  It just means that, at that moment of time I didn’t make the most of that opportunity either through lack of preparedness or lack of identification of the opportunity.  And deep down, lack of identification is a result of lack of preparedness.

I know this is way too deep for this time of morning but the beautiful Bendigo has made me reflective (which is so often the case when I am away).  So if you are feeling unlucky, and feeling like the ‘luck fairy’ has forgotten about you, just remember that it is up to you to redefine the opportunity and to find the lack of preparation.  Then all you need to do is dust yourself off, take a deep breath and get on with bridging the preparation gap.  Hey is that a fifty under the couch in my hotel room?  Booyar.

Business attire

I am lucky enough to have a personal stylist (luv you googie) and you may think you know when I haven’t consulted her when we next meet in the street, the office, the networking event, etc.  But as with all aspects of business (and in your personal life) judging a book by its cover will cost you.  In my line of work, appropriate business attire changes every half day.  Why, because I normally visit a different client every half day.  I will always try to find a middle ground between the expectations of the two, but normally it is a matter of meeting the requirements of one and then either dressing up or down for the next.

If I need to have specific work attire for one, like my two day visit to an iron foundry this week – jeans, long sleeves, boots, etc, then it is a little tough to dress up for the next client.  Thankfully I don’t have to but if I did, just a change of shoes and a sport jacket will normally raise the tone for an office visit.

So one rule of thumb I have for going to a client the first time is to dress up to what your expectations might be and modify accordingly.  This means you can dump a jacket, remove a tie, roll up sleeves as needed.  Of course sales meetings and first time sales meetings should command the full corporate front but I have found today, that a jacket only is becoming the norm and does not impinge on the sale.

And then of course there is casual Fridays or even casual always clients.  If you are unsure, go with my rule above.  There is nothing quite so alarming when you turn up in jeans and a tee to only find out that they do it once a month, not once a week.  My tip here.  Phone the day before and find out.

So, for my last bit on attire, here is just a little protocol I use when attending conferences, workshops, presentations that last more than one day.  On all but the last day, dress down, dress very casual ensuring you are still clean and well presented.  Then on the last day power up and get as corporate and as in-your-face with business style as you can get.  If anyone asks (and they normally do), tell them you are off to a big and important meeting.  Their last impression of you is the suit, the importance and the ‘I should do business with him’ thinking as you head off into the sunset.  And you know, once you have taken the time to dress for it, you may as well set up that very important meeting and go and close that great big deal.

Check swings

As always, there are some big misconceptions concerning the rules around check swings.  So here is my take.  The first thing you need to know is that there is no rule concerning check swings.  The rule is ‘did the batter strike at the ball?’  Was it a strike, no strike situation.  If yes, the plate umpire calls a strike.  If no, the plate umpire calls a ball.  If the plate umpire is unsure or unsighted if the pitch was swung on or not, he or she will ask the appropriate base umpire if the batter went or not.  The base umpire will adjudge and make the appropriate call which is then repeated by the plate umpire.  If sure, the plate umpire will make the strike / ball call adjudging a pitch.  If the plate umpire is sure that the batter swung, he or she will point at the batter / plate and call that is a strike.  A check swing is not an appeal play (rule 7.10) but an appeal can be made by the catcher or the manager to the umpire (rule 9.02.c) and only on a call of ball.  The plate umpire does not need to refer to the base umpire.  So those are the legalities, here is the interpretation of the swing or no swing at a pitch.  The batter has to have an intent to swing.  If the batter ‘locks’ his wrists and / or his elbows toward a pitch then he has swung.  The bat does or does not, not have to pass the plane of the plate.  When bunting, should the batter raise or lower or put his bat forward, then he has swung.  Man, this umpiring stuff is just too easy.