Only you can preserve your freedoms Read More
Know What You Value
“Happiness does not come from a job. it comes from knowing what you truly value, and behaving in a way that’s consistent with those beliefs.” -Mike Rowe, Host of “Dirty Jobs” To know what you value is the cornerstone of managing the biz of you. You get caught up in the currents of your environment… Read More
Avoid Head Trash
I came across a quote on Pinterest I related to. I even made a few copies and gave it out to people at my work. Most could relate, but there was a friend of mine who disagreed with a part of it. For this I am thankful. I appreciate it when people speak their minds… Read More
Finding Reflections of Ourselves
Last week we spoke of balancing the shadow and light within ourselves. Our ego-centric view is a tool. Like all tools we need to use our ego to the extent it’s useful. Being in the center of the universe can get in the way of our continual improvement and integration with our environment and the… Read More
Learning Our Leverage Points
Growing ceaselessly until our death, we have to shed the old so we can grow anew. This idea gives credence to the zen story of emptying one’s cup. “A professor who focused on religious studies went to visit a Zen master. While the master quietly served tea, the professor talked about Zen and its relations… Read More
Our Butts have Power
My goal is to publish my manuscript. This blog’s intent is to present the ideas of A Valued Life, Managing the Business of You. However, I want bring the ideas to life on this blog by interspersing excerpts from the manuscript with daily experiences and reflections. In doing so, perhaps readers can relate to the… Read More
Thinking about our Roots
Root Cause is a way of thinking that allows us to continually improve complex systems with both manageable and emergent properties. It implies an ordered sequence of events. However, having worked many root cause analyses as a quality engineer, within complex and even simple systems the causal chain is not linear, direct and easy to… Read More
Dealing with One of Those Days
Over the weekend, I had one of those days. You know the kind where things just don’t work out. I love cooking and lined up a few meals to cook for the family. Breakfast was good. The family enjoyed the eggs, fresh hash browns, sausage and toast. Afterwards, I started peeling apples for some fresh… Read More
Managing Expectations Yields Opportunity
There are many organizations, especially in the aerospace industry, that struggle with perpetual reaction mode. Unfortunately it starts with the contract award. When we plan for being proactive including adequate margin, we are told by our customers our schedule or cost does not meet their expectations. What do we do? We capitulate. We cut out… Read More
Business of You 