Project X Discussions

Harvey Saying # 17 - Be Passionate and Steve Job

Recently I read an old blog by Tom Peters about Job's management style and it really struck a cord about what being passionate meant.   Green is Green. NOT!

Harvey had an interesting view on moving forward on an innovative idea.  "Be Passionate."  He said that he observed that the people who made a new idea a reality had to really believe.  Often people come up with great innovative ideas but do nothing with it except talk about it.  I know a fellow who comes up lots of amazing ideas.  He is really fun to talk to.  However, once he has talked about the idea for a few days he got bored with it and moved on.  However some people grab an idea and really take it on as a personal mission.  The successful people have the characteristic that they are passionate about an idea.  For sure the guy with all the ideas he is really fun, but the ideas will never go anywhere.  As I write this I wonder if we had lost our passion for Gellman, Hayward when we decided to merge with CGI.  Just not sure, but could be.  What is your passion?

In observing the founders of Project X, I think they are both passionate about making their company a success.  They are quite different characters but both very passionate.  One evidence is how they go the extra mile for their clients.  

 

Casting Your Bread On The Water

If you cast your bread on the water, it will return a hundred fold.  An old proverb one I firmly believe.  

My father after he retired he told that it wasn't the projects he was most pround of but the people he had helped.  He said that the effect on people multiplies a hundred fold.

Harvey Gellmen, my partner at Gellmen Hayward, practiced this continually.  Anybody who sought his help, he left no stone unturned to help them.  He mentored many people and took special interest in helping women who needed support in tackling the glass ceiling.  I remember one fellow who was struggling with a teenager said "Harvey saved my life!"  How good is that.

Being a consultant, the potential for leveraging my help throughout an organization was my challenge.

Sometimes you are not aware the effect of a smile or encouraging word can have on people.  

If anybody knows the source of this expression, please let me know.

Why Jim Blogs

I expect many people who read my blogs wonder why I write what I write.   For sometime I wondered myself and continued because it felt right.  I think I now know why.  I love to help people and guide them along the path to effectiveness and success.  I provide as much help as possible from my years of experience in the IT consulting business.  I started consulting in the late 60's as a programmer and learned from my experience and other people lots of lessons.  I would like to share these lessons with as many people as possible.  The Project X Ltd. blog offers a great opportunity for me to share.  The idea fits perfectly with our values.  Project X Ltd. believes that if we work together and cooperate everybody wins.  Cooperation is the "iron clad logic of social living." 

I am reading a book called "Love is a Killer App" by Tim Sanders which helped me understand why I blog.  He really takes a quite a different philosophy towards business than most people and it really resonated with me.  The idea is that love in business is defined as all the things you do to help others grow and be effective.

One of my credo's in my business life is always answering the question "What have you learned lately?"  I love learning new slants on old ideas and new approaches to common problems.  I also know that the best way so solidify my learning is to share these ideas with others.  If you can explain the key ideas to somebody else, my knowledge becomes more solid.  I find that knowledge and useful ideas are expanding rapidly and so many ideas are so much more accessible these days.

I belong to business book discussion group called the Senge Group.  We meet each month to discuss books that one of us thinks would be interesting.  We started the group many years ago discussing Peter Senge's book "The Fifth Discipline", that still remains as one of the best business books.  The discussion really helps us all understand this important book about creating a learning organization.   We have read and discussed many books since and I find the group very stimulating and helps expand my understanding.  I strongly recommend we all form such groups and commit to meeting regularly at a time convenient to the members.  The members need to give the group some real priority in their lives because we all very busy people.  I suggest you form a group of like minded people who do not work together and meet to discuss the concept of a discussion group.  If you cannot form a group, find at least one other person you can share good book titles.

I blog because I want to share my ideas and experiences, expand and consolidate my own ideas.  

I would welcome comments and feedback.       

"It's Getting Fine"

When I was about 12 years old I set off early with my bosum buddy early to go fishing with Jack Sampson, who was an adult friend of my buddy.  The plan was we would get our row boat at a pond and take it out to the river and take it across the river to a favourite fishing area.  

When we started out it was raining but Jack looked up at the sky and said "It's getting fine."  We got our boat and took it out to the river only to find our trip across the river was blocked by logs collected on the river.  We went back to the bridge across the brook and dragged to boat up to the road.  We hitchhiked a ride with the boat up to a place where we could put the boat in the river above the logs.  Jack looked up and said "It's getting fine."  It was still raining.  

We took the boat across the river and went to the brook that was a favourite fishing spot.  We stopped to light a fire and dry out as it was still raining.  We fished and I do not remember if we caught anything.  We stopped to dry out again and i guess have lunch.  Jack looked up in the sky and said "It's getting fine."  It was still raining.

We eventually went back across the river but because of the logs, we could not return to the pond to return the boat.  We landed the boat near the road and hitched a ride back home.  We returned later to get the boat back to the pond.

During the trip, I was wearing a wine coloured leather jacket.  When I got home the wine coloured dye had gone right through to my underwear.   Soaked to the skin and very cold, but happy to have experience an adventure.

I will never forget Jack's expression "It's getting fine."   A memorable trip i will always remember fondly.   I still believe "It's getting fine." 

 

7 Consulting Lessons Learned

These lessons have been learned in school of hard knocks in consulting.  Would like to see my scars? 

1. Readiness - People only do what they are ready and willing to do.
2. Hidden factors - Many important factors are hidden.
3. The clients are always right - Even when they appear to be wrong.
4. The client success - The only measure of success in a consulting work.
5. Change is the product - The product of a successful consulting project is not a great report.
6. The Best interest of the client - Always act in the best interest of the client.
7. Go the extra mile - Give the client 10% more than they expect.

I have written about many of these items in previous blogs and in a Knol called Harvey Gellman Pioneer Computer Consultant.   Project X strives to use these lessons on every engagement.  Tell us how we do.

Comments and additions are welcome.

 

 

Why Are You Reluctant To Write

Through out my consulting career of thirty five years I wrote very little because I did not think I could write well enough to meet Harvey's standards.  Harvey, my business partner, was very particular about the quality of written documents.  

However Stephen and Graham encouraged me to write on their blog and I have written more in the last three or four years than I wrote in my whole career.  I have discovered my writing voice.  

Start writing and finding your writing voice.  As you get more experience you will improve and become more comforable.  

I wrote the story of my business partner, Harvey Gellman, some time ago but only recently I had the courage to make it public.  If you are interested see Harvey Gellman - Pioneer Computer Consultant  I realize that the only way to improve is to experiment and have the courage to be imperfect.   Stephen also encouraged me that I have some valuable things to share.  Suggestions are welcome on the story.

If you would like some help editing something, send me a message and I will help in any way I can.

 

Facilitating Problem Solving

How can you most effectively help somebody solve a problem?  A simple question produces the most amazing results.  The question evokes very creative answers and ones the person is ready to do.

As great problem solver, I eagerly offer solutions but find they are ignored.   I decided to take a different approach and asked a simple question.  

"What would you like to do?"

"What would you think would work?"

"How do you want to proceed?'

These and similar questions ellicit the most amazing answer and insights.  The person really knows at some level the solution and your questions brings the solution to their consciuosness. 

As you help the person flesh out the solution with more questions, listen to their readiness to act.  The next great question is "So what is the next step?"

Try it and come back and tell me how it went.

 

Actions That Defy Logic

Often people do things which defy my logic and understanding.  Hidden factors are things that are unknown to me which explain people's behavior.   Remember that you do not have the whole picture from that person's point of view.  To understand another's behavior, we must walk in their shoes.  Each person has a unique set of experiences that bring them to this point and determine their private logic.

One technique I have used which helps I call "contecting the dots."   The dialog goes something like this:

• X says "That is not the way we do things here."  (or some other apparently logic defying statement.
• Jim says, "Could you help me? I am confused.  Help me connect these points, first you say you want to change and then you tell me it is not the way we do things.  Could you clear up my confusion."
• X replies, "Some time ago we tried to do that and it got shot down by senior management."  or "I guess I mean it is not the way I want to do things." 
• Jim says, "So how do you think we should proceed?  What are you willing to do?"
• X says, "I think if my boss bought in to the change, it would make the difference.  Maybe I could check with him." 

I was discussing recently how much difficulty the North American car manufacturers have in adapting to the new world. I recalled a book  called The Machine That Changed The World .  The book described research done by MIT on the changes in the automobile business over the years.  The book predicted that GM would have great difficulty adapting to what they called the "Japanese Way" which the book calls "Lean Manufacturing."  They cited how much difficulty a Ford plant in the UK had chnging to Mass Production. A Ford plant in England still paid for peice work for fifty years after Ford introduced mass production.  They would not change because it was "the American way." 

The strange thing is the book clearly states GM's problem.  The GM people likely saw the book and some would read it.  Why did GM not change?   I conclude their private logic  led them to a different conclusion.

Then my friend brought up the case of Caterpillar Tractor.  The Autoworkers Union represented the Caterpillar workers and treated Caterpillar just like the car companies.  Caterpillar was not protectied like the car companies and competed internationally.  A new CEO, promoted from within, took the company through a radical change process.  They had to go through an eleven months strike and radical management changes but they are now doing much better. The new CEO surprized everybody by what he did but really changed Caterpillar. 

So many of these things defy most analysis because of hidden factors.  Other people's private logic of people  will be quite different than ours.  GM and others clearly need some sort of a revolution if they are going to survive. 

I recall some marvelous consulting reports that I have produced that were praised by the client and nothing changed.  I now conclude that my great report was very logical and well written, but beyond their ability to change because of the hidden factors.

Changing Your Point of View

Many times I find myself trying to explain something saying that I believe that is very simple and often it is viewed as more complex.  I was in a conversation with Graham last night as we were reviewing some stored procedures created a couple of years ago and he said "Jim is right this really is very complex".

One of the things I get out of this comment is that often if I only see something as simple, it does not give the right perspective to the nature of the issue that is at hand. When we do this with technology, we often overlook the complexity and this will often cause us to use the wrong approaches in development, management, testing or support.

To take it in a slightly different than technical direction, think about the difference between a project or a program.  I once was involved in a project audit and the banking customer and one of the biggest observations was had was that when the project started it was small and manageable as a project.  Somewhere in the project there was a change in the nature of the project (system, scope, interfaces, business model) and the project managed these with changes through a CR process, but there was no ability to realize that this project had really morphed into a program that needed multiple releases.  The findings really showed that if the perspective had changed there would have been a better chance to generate a successful conclusion.

These examples really drive home the idea of the difference in how you view or discuss the problem can have in this case a negative effect.  The same is true that if we can find a way to always be challenging our viewpoints and basis of understanding, we have a great chance to help ourselves and others be able to grasp the scope or nature of the issue at hand.

Ohh the power of words.

Beverley Fingerhut Remembers Harvey

It is difficult for me to tell stories about Harvey because there are so many. I spent many hours with Harvey as he was my coach for many years and each hour was so precious and valuable.  

We talked about everything including of course client issues and problems. What stands out for me:

How difficult it is as consultant to achieve a balance between work, relationships and children.

How support staff was equal to or more important than the consultants

To walk that extra mile for a client

And Visibility - the importance of making your achievements visible.

Harvey often spoke to me of his early years and his wonderful family. His love for his wife Lil came out loud and clear. No matter how busy he was they would go away for weekends together.

One day I was walking down Eglinton Avenue and there was an elegant couple walking in from of me arm in arm. He was wearing a brown leather jacket and they looked so trendy and happy. I caught up closer and saw that it was Harvey and Lil.

What impact did Harvey have on me:

Harvey nurtured and believed in me. Not being from the system side there were times when I faltered but he was always there to tell me I could do it and he was always there to help.

He helped me work out my problems with clients by asking me questions and making me think things out.

When my husband and father passed away , he always came into my office to ask how I was and how were my kids doing and that thoughtfulness and caring continued throughout our relationship.

I know that when Harvey retired, he continued to help people. One on one, he helped people with daily chores, played cards with them and enriched their lives.

I am very lucky to have Harvey as a mentor and coach. He has influenced both my work life and personal life. ] There is a Hebrew word for a rare men like Harvey. It is a tzaddik – which essentially means a wise man, a good man, a gentle-man.