http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/ "Did you eat from the Tree?..." en Copyright 2007 Sat, 11 Aug 2007 23:15:35 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Is there an appeal process for conference room booking decisions? http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/08/query.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/08/query.html Mike Sat, 11 Aug 2007 23:15:35 +0000 Hello Everyone, Just a couple of things from your humble Department Head. Because everyone in this department has been working so hard and with such great results I have approved a small budget for a Friday afternoon Happy Hour. For the rest of the season, every Friday afternoon at 5pm adult beverages and snacks will be put out in the common area for all to enjoy. There is one condition however - before you open a beer or pour a glass of wine, you MUST submit your time sheets. I look forward to responsibly socializing with you all. Next, I understand there have been some problems with over-booking the conference room of late so I have appointed Ellen to look in to the situation. Please be patient and support her to the fullest as she tries to co-ordinate what we all know is a challenging situation. That's all for now - let's 'bring forth' people. Brad http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/07/notes_from_brad.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/07/notes_from_brad.html Brad Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:56:31 +0000 It has come to the attention of the executive that the current management of the conference room is less than effective. I have been appointed to investigate the situation and then help design and execute a solution. With that in mind, anyone looking to book the conference room for creature meetings, department meetings, element presentations and so on - must contact me directly. Tuesday will be assisting me when her time allows. We will do our best to accomodate everyone. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Ellen http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/07/booking_the_conference_room_1.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/07/booking_the_conference_room_1.html Ellen Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:52:58 +0000 From the company mailbag - Dear Brad - Why do I have to fill out time sheets? I am a full time employee of Genesis, Inc. - doesn't the administration already know I work here? Lisa Firmament Technician Dear Lisa Good question. Time sheets were originally created to determine clear payroll hours per employee but have now evolved. Timesheets may record the start and end time of tasks, or just the duration. They may contain a detailed breakdown of tasks accomplished throughout a specific project or program. This information may be used for payroll, client billing, and increasingly for project costing, estimation, tracking and management. Thank you for your question Lisa - and remember - 'There's no me in team' Brad http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/03/employee_mail_time_sheets.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/03/employee_mail_time_sheets.html Brad Fri, 23 Mar 2007 14:30:07 +0000 For a creature with a small brain it is very curious - and I mean VERY curious. In fact this little fellow is watching me type right now. I can't help but wonder what he is thinking as he watches me watch him. He is designed to be able to stand on his hind legs but not walk on them. He feeds himself with bugs and small fruit. I've observed the hedgehog clean his teeth by chewing on a branch. The statistics on the hedgehog are that it is a very simple creature with very limited intelligence and capacity but he is totally staring at me. I wonder how his line will evolve. Go hedgehogs - Paul ]]> http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/the_hedgehog.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/the_hedgehog.html Paul Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:24:10 +0000 I attended the lunchtime workshop that Ellen hosted last week and I must say I was a little surprised. I thought Ellen did a great job talking about teamwork and time management and such, I thought the presentation was colorful and didn't take too long and I thought that the catering provided was appropriate given the scope of the event. What surprised me was the behavior of the attendees. When a co-worker puts in the necessary work to justify a catered workshop and then cares enough about the assembly to keep it brief, everyone should be on their best behavior. Getting up to leave after the first sentence and trying to take all the deserts with you is simply not acceptable. I appreciate the temptation and trust me, I have made the mistake myself - but you have to believe me when I tell you that such behavior is counter productive to the future of catered events at work. Teamwork begins at the buffet folks. If we co-operate, there will be enough desert for everyone. When you think about it - wasn't that the point Ellen was trying to make in the first place? More to come - Mike http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/workshop_etiquette.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/workshop_etiquette.html Mike Tue, 27 Feb 2007 14:18:12 +0000 The following is a report on the 'Prioritizing Mission Critical Integrated Solutions Workshop' . During a lunch period last week, I was asked to present the above workshop. The lunch room became an informal meeting space and while attendance was good I'm not sure everyone wasn't just there to eat lunch. Several expressed regret for bringing their own lunch after seeing the small lunch buffet provided. Our manager Brad popped his head in and offered some encouragement before running off to a meeting with the division head. I opened the workshop with - "Whether you‘re plotting a long-term strategy or trying to improve performance, critical thinking enables you to cut through the fog of faulty beliefs and misperceptions to make reflective, rather than reflexive, decisions." Then four of the nine attendees took most of the brownies and made for the exit. I was going to say something but Mike stood up, chastised the unsupportive team members and re-claimed most of the brownies. I was thankful for his enthusiasm. I immediately went to my overhead projector to support my opening statement with some statistics (The eyes are often better students than the ears). I condensed a 2 hour workshop into a 40 minute lunch break and left time for plenty of questions. Surprisingly there were none which suggests either I did a pretty thorough job, they were already pretty clear on the subject or they were upset for the interruption and figured questions would just prolong the punishment. Brad contacted me afterwards to thank me for my efforts and suggested that given the success of this gathering, a monthly lunchtime workshop was in order. I said I would do my best. Ellen http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/lunchtime_workshops.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/lunchtime_workshops.html Ellen Mon, 26 Feb 2007 16:27:55 +0000 I must congratulate Ellen on her wonderful lunchtime presentation - 'Prioritizing Mission Critical Integrated Solutions'. I think we are very fortunate to have a team member both knowledgeable in cross-department communications and so able to communicate the needs of each department so clearly. I believe the presentation went so well that I have asked Ellen to present more of these problem solving summits - at the rate of one per month. I have given Ellen the opportunity to include other members of the Project Development team so don't be surprised if you get tapped to present your specialty. Again - Thanks Ellen, great job. Brad out - http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/the_valuable_meeting.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/the_valuable_meeting.html Brad Mon, 26 Feb 2007 15:43:04 +0000 I love lunch meetings. I have portable containers in my desk I keep specifically for lunch meetings. The subjects of these lunch meetings can be interesting, even fascinating - but usually they are not. So why do I love lunch meetings? Catering. Fresh salads, 'build your own' sandwiches with cold cuts and cheese and 3 kinds of bread, soda pops, brownies and cookies for desert - I love it. My strategy is to find a seat in the conference room with both access to the table for eating and within reach of the food itself. These seats are rare so it's best to be prompt. Then, once the consumption has begun, start small - one small sandwich, a little salad, eat slow and look modest. Then, when the meeting is in full swing, offer to quietly 'clean up' the plates and utensils of the staff members around you. There are 2 reasons for this, one - you remove from your co-workers the tools to take more booty and two - you have a reason to get up in the middle of a presentation and re-visit the buffet. On your second visit, you can take a proper plate of food and enjoy it. When the meeting is done, feign interest in the speaker and the subject if only to allow other attendees to wander away and leave the remains of the buffet. At that point, take your containers and fill them to your satisfaction. I know, right? You're welcome! Mike http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/the_lunch_meeting.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/the_lunch_meeting.html Mike Fri, 16 Feb 2007 17:23:45 +0000 Hibernation is a great tool. Consider the life of a creature that spends 8 months a year feeding on everything they can reach or run down only to attain the peak of consumption, grow dizzy from their own bulk, prepare a nest in a cave and take a 4 month nap. I believe I envy the hibernator. Paul http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/the_long_sleep.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/the_long_sleep.html Paul Fri, 16 Feb 2007 17:09:02 +0000 Because of the success of the "Photo-Synthesis in new Subterranean Foliage" project between the Project Development Dept. and GI Engineering, I've been asked to host a 'Prioritizing Mission Critical Integrated Solutions Workshop' in the conference room at lunch. I eagerly accepted the request because department integration is often overlooked as a necessary element of project success. I'm preparing materials and handouts at the moment but fully expect an interactive discussion to drive the lunchtime session. I will write a full post lunch report and reveal the results. Best Regards Ellen http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/lunchtime_workshop.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/lunchtime_workshop.html Ellen Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:44:26 +0000 There's a real buzz around the office right now - everybodys excited. Projects are going well, teamwork is paying dividends and the division is growing. I like to make myself available to assist when needed but I have to admit, I most enjoy watching the team when they don't need me. I'm looking forward to the "Prioritizing Mission Critical Integrated Solutions Workshop". I think everyone is. Brad out - http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/brads_blog.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/brads_blog.html Brad Fri, 16 Feb 2007 03:09:32 +0000 I made a pot of coffee this morning because I wanted a cup of coffee and as usual, there was none. Now I understand the rules of the office and I am more than prepared to play by them - if one wants coffee and none is available - one makes coffee. It sounds simple - right? So in the time it takes to prepare the coffee and actually pour a cup, I went for a stroll through the office. I visited Tuesday and Vince and played with the photocopier a bit only to return to an empty pot of coffee. So here is my question - how do the coffee hawks know there is a fresh pot of coffee, get to it and empty it before the person who made it? If there are office rules, why are they not observed across the board? If one is owed coffee, how does one collect that debt? Finally and perhaps most importantly - what does one do with the repressed frustration and anger created when ones good nature is taken advantage of. Suggestions are welcome - Mike http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/genesis_inc_blog_1.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/genesis_inc_blog_1.html Mike Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:38:36 +0000 At Brads request, Project Managers are now assigned to write a blog. Suffice it to say that such an activity in the face of such critical deadlines strikes me as counter productive but in the spirit of teamwork I will contribute what I can. Todays reccomendation: Keep good filing practices. Thank You Paul http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/genesis_inc_blog.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/genesis_inc_blog.html Paul Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:24:40 +0000 Hello, I'm Ellen and I am a Project Manger and Genesis, Inc. Recently, Brad our department head requested that we participate in a new communications experiment - a group blog. I'm not sure what benefit this will have but I am will to try new things in order to increase product quality. I'm also told we can discuss any subject (within reason) and we are encouraged to include our feelings, should any arise. Ironically I have a desk piled with things to do from weather assessments to terra firma re-deployment and ocean balancing - and yet I'm not sure what I want to discuss on my blog. I guess I prefer to let the quality of my work speak for me. I will return to this exercise when I can contribute something useful. Yours Professionally Ellen http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/the_genesis_inc_blog_1.html http://www.genesisinc.tv/blog/2007/02/the_genesis_inc_blog_1.html Ellen Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:57:17 +0000