Steve Holden's Blog

What Factors Impact Overall Happiness In The Workplace

A month or so ago my son Conrad who is attending SDSU asked me to post a link to a survey that his marketing research class needed inputs on.

You can find the original post on Linked In.

The team created a PDF of the results that I'd like to share via this link (pdf download).

Here is their Executive Summary:

In this report, we sought to understand what type of working environment would lead to greater overall happiness in individuals. In order to dive deeper into this topic, we did extensive research on different working styles within the US as well as other countries. We also researched how COVID-19 may have affected the way individuals view working and how working from home may affect the way individuals choose to work going forward.

After gathering our research, we constructed a 16-question survey to better understand individuals' demographics, attitudes towards working, and their current levels of satisfaction and happiness at their current jobs. Our research questions targeted asking about different work style preferences such as working completely in person, working completely online, or having a hybrid work style. We also asked individuals about their current work type status such as part-time, full time or unemployed, as well as their education level. We also incorporated questions asking about individuals' current levels of happiness and whether or not they are satisfied working at their current job or satisfied with the current amount of money they make.

We ran multiple extensive SPSS analysis to include: descriptive (for the mean, standard deviation, and frequency), associative (bivariate correlation), differences (one-way anova), and predictive (simple regression).

From the data results, we conclude that there is a weak positive correlation between age and happiness. The older a person is, the somewhat happier they are likely to be at their job. We also found a weak positive relationship between the older you are and the less likely you are to leave your current job. The rest of our research questions involving: pay in monetary form, education level, and work schedule, all have inconclusive effects on happiness. This means there is no clear pay level, level of education, or work schedule that has a greater effect on one's happiness.

Thoughts & Tips for May 2021

This photo is part of my Blurry collection.

CURRENT HAPPENINGS

All but one of us is vaccinated. Guess which one? Ha Ha! #stay_home_if_sick, #wash_your_hands, #social_distance, #wear_a_mask

Christy and I had a great 2nd retreat to The Oaks to celebrate our 27th Wedding Anniversary.  It was super reflective and restful.  Here are some photos!

I recently did a Getting Things Done (GTD) related presentation to Manager-Tools' M Conference attendees alumni group.  Here is more information about the presentation with an offer to present to other groups or organizations that are interested in productivity.

My work did a virtual Spring Break scavenger hunt (above are some of the photos).  It was super fun and collaborative with friends & family helping out. It was also nice to get out-and-about little bit more. I highly recommend doing something like this if you have the opportunity.

LOOKING FORWARD TO

Carson is going to be graduating high-school soon, and has decided to go to Long Beach State to study nursing.  We are very proud and excited for her upcoming college season.

Summer vacation plans seem to be coming together: Mission Beach beach house rental, back to The Oaks, Def Con (Las Vegas), and camping at San Elijo State Beach.

I am hoping that my friend's D&D session (mentioned in previous posts) will get us through this epic battle I have been DMing for months, and on to a new "underwater" related adventure created by our other DM Darren.

TECHNOLOGY, TIPS, & SUGGESTIONS

Here are some greate Windows 10 tips from ZDNET. The one about the new Clipboard History is especially useful as I have had to use a 3rd party tool to do this in the past.  To open Clipboard History, press Windows key + V. Neat!

I have been experimenting with these Rode Wireless Go Compact Microphone Transmitter & Receiver Systems for The PodCraft Beer Show.  So far they are working well, and they definitely decrease the amount of gear I need to drag to each recording.  I think they are also making the conversational style of the podcast easier to record, and edit on the back end.  I'll probably do a future full review, so standby for more information.

Engadget's article on "Google makes it easy to jump back to the search box by pressing '/' -- The new shortcut makes it easier to refine your search results." should enable you to quickly expand searches to include addition terms.

I knew how to schedule the release of emails, but this article from Wired describes how to do this on Apple iOS devices and on Google Android devices for text messages.  Super handy to know.

QUOTE I'M THINKING ABOUT

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” - Peter Drucker

Tom Peters - Recession46: Forty-six 'Secrets' and 'Clever Strategies' For Dealing with the Recession of 2008

I recent got an email from Tom Peters:

The email listed his 46 secrets & strategies he recommend during the 2008 financial crisis.  I found a link to the blog article, but when you go there the PDF down link isn't working (hopefully it will get fixed soon).

So meanwhile here they are:

Forty-Six Strategies for Dealing with Gut-wrenching Downturns from Tom Peters:

1. You come to work earlier.
2. You leave work later.
3. You work harder.
4. You may well work for less; and, if so, you adapt to the untoward circumstances with a smile—even if it kills you inside.
5. You volunteer to do more.
6. You dig deep, deeper, deepest—and always bring a good attitude to work.
7. You fake it if your good attitude flags.
8. You literally practice your "stage face" in the mirror each morning, and in the loo mid-morning.
9. You give new meaning to the idea and intensive practice of "visible management."
10. You take better than usual care of yourself and encourage others to do the same— physical well-being significantly impacts mental well-being and response to stress.
11. You shrug off shit that flows downhill in your direction—buy a shovel or a "pre- worn" raincoat on eBay.
12. You try to forget about the "good old days"—nostalgia is self-destructive. (And boring.)
13. You buck yourself up with the thought that "this too shall pass," but then remind yourself that it might not pass anytime soon; and so you rededicate yourself to making the absolute best of what you have now—character is determined, virtually in full, by one's reaction to adverse circumstances.
14. You work the phones and then work the phones some more—and stay in touch with, and on the mind of, positively everyone.
15. You frequently invent breaks from routine, including "weird" ones—"change-ups" prevent wallowing in despair and bring a fresh perspective.
16. You eschew all forms of personal excess.
17. You simplify.
18. You sweat the details as never before.
19. You sweat the details as never before.
20. You sweat the details as never before.
21. You raise to the sky and maintain—at all costs—the Standards of Excellence by which you unfailingly and unflinchingly evaluate your own performance.
22. You are maniacal when it comes to responding to even the slightest screw-up.
23. You find ways to be around young people and to keep young people around—they are less likely to be members of the "sky is falling" school. (Naïveté can be a blessing.)
24. You learn new tricks of your trade.
25. You pass old tricks of the trade on to others—mentoring matters now more than ever.
26. You invest heavily in your Internet-Twitter-Facebook-"cloud"-computing skills.
27. You remind yourself, daily, that this is not just something to be "gotten through"—it is the Final Exam of Competence, of Character, and, even if you're not a boss, of Leadership. (People often make great leaps in a short period during difficult times.)
28. You network like a demon.
29. You network like a demon inside the company—get to know more of the folks who "do the real work," and who can be your most dependable allies when it comes to getting things done seamlessly and fast.
30. You network like a demon outside the company—get to know more of the folks "down the line," who "do the real work" in vendor customer outfits. (They can become, and will become, your most avid allies and champions.)
31. You offer thanks to others by the truckload if good things happen—and take the heat if bad things happen.
32. You behave kindly, but you don't sugarcoat or hide the truth—humans are startlingly resilient, and rumors are the real spirit-killers.
33. You treat small successes as if they were World Cup victories—and celebrate and commend people accordingly.
34. You shrug off the losses (ignoring what's going on in your tummy), and get back on the horse and immediately try again.
35. You avoid negative people to the extent you can—pollution kills.
36. You read the riot act to the gloom-sprayers, once avoiding them becomes impossible. (Gloom is the ultimate "weapon of mass destruction" in tough times.
37. You give new meaning to the word "thoughtful."
38. You don't put limits on the budget for flowers—"bright and colorful" works marvels.
39. You redouble and re-triple your efforts to "walk in your customer's shoes." (Especially if the shoes smell.)
40. You mind your manners—and accept others' lack of manners in the face of their strains.
41. You are kind to all mankind.
42. You keep your shoes shined.
43. You leave the blame game at the office door.
44. You call out, in no uncertain terms, those who continue to play the "office politics" game.
45. You become a paragon of personal accountability.
46. And then you pray.

Notes From Manager Tools M Conference 2019

Here are my PDF notes from the Manager Tools M Conference held in Dallas, TX from October 9-10, 2019.

I think the notes speak for themselves.  This was an amazingly effective use of my time.

I will be getting a return on investment throughout the rest of my professional career, and then probably even more once I retire.

If you are interested in attending in 2020 then Manager Tools wants to hear from you!

I didn't take enough photos, but here are what I got via Google Photos.

An Audio Excerpt On Management From "John Brown's Body" By Mark Horstman

Mark Horstman at Manager Tools has a great weekly newsletter called "Things I Think" (subscribe here).

This past week Mark had a reference to a fellow Manager Tools listener -- Robert Greiner -- who posted a blog post about a great quote about management that Mark has been sharing for years from Stephen Benét's Pulitzer-Prize winning book "John Brown’s Body."

I've loved this excerpt so much that one time, I think in early 2013, that Mark actually read it outloud in a podcast.  So on Feb. 18, 2013, I took that podcast and abstracted the audio of Mark reading the poem.

It's been sitting in my library for only me to enjoy.  So, that ends today.

Here is Mark Horstman reading that excerpt from "John Brown’s Body."

I hope it inspires you as much as it inspires me.

Notes From Leadership Summit 2014

Below I have a link to an Adobe PDF of my personal notes from attending Willow Creek Association's Leadership Summit 2014 this past week.  I was not able to attend in person, but I did attend via video broadcast with my church at Journey Community Church in La Mesa, CA.

Here are few take aways:

• Leadership requires a commitment to a constant and dedicated learning process that never ends.
• Leadership is not management.  If you want to be a better manager, then check out: www.manager-tools.com.
• Successful deployment of strategies and vision require teams, and teams require multifaceted leadership skills/abilities/traits (for instance: humility, vulnerability, trust, truth, honesty, integrity).
• Sometimes you just need to "figure it out."
• Michael Jr is very funny.

Next year's conference is August 6-7, 2015.  If you get a chance, then I highly recommend you attend if you are in a leadership position.  I probably won't be able to attend as next year's DEFCON is August 7-9, 2015.

Here is the link to the PDF.  Let me know if you have any questions, comments, corrections, etc.

 

Quote from John Brown's Body poem by Stephen Vincent Benet

My friend Mark Horstman readily shares that his favorite part of John Brown's Body (Poem) by Stephen Vincent Benet is ...

If you take a flat map

And move wooden blocks upon it strategically,

The thing looks well, the blocks behave as they should.

The science of war is moving live men like blocks.

And getting the blocks into place at a fixed moment.

But it takes time to mold your men into blocks

And flat maps turn into country where creeks and gullies

Hamper your wooden squares. They stick in the brush,

They are tired and rest, they straggle after ripe blackberries,

And you cannot lift them up in your hand and move them.

It is all so clear in the maps, so clear in the mind,

But the orders are slow, the men in the blocks are slow

To move, when they start they take too long on the way -

The General loses his stars, and the block-men die

In unstrategic defiance of martial law

Because still used to just being men, not block parts.

Very powerful, thoughtful, and meaningful words that have now become one of my favorites also.

I recently noticed that Mark (who is co-host of Manager-Tools.com) read this part of the poem in a Career Tools podcast entitled How Not To Multi-Task (Part 2).

I took the liberty to edit a version of just the poem from the podcast.  It is going in my Monday motivational playlists and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Book Review - "Wait" by Frank Partnoy

 After hearing a recent news blurb from The Economist on a new book called "Wait" by Frank Parntnoy I put this book in my queue.

I just finished reading the book -- well to be completelly honest, I listened to it via my Audible.com subscription -- and here is my review.

I found the book very interesting and a good balance between some of the "physical" and "mental" reasons for how we make decisions, and why waiting before making a decision is a valid decision making process.

The book moves through examples of "waiting" from a series of perspectives that drive home the point that waiting is a natural course of activity and something that should be a valid alternative to snap decisions and first-imrpessions.

Here is a list of highlevel topic areas where waiting is analyzed:

• Relationships (Baby to Parent, Dating, etc)
• Financial (Lehman Brother's collapse, )
• Athletics (Football, tennis, baseball, cricket , )
• Humor (Commedian's and their punch lines)
• Fast Food (just seeing a logo can speed you up)
• Military (OODA loop)
• Politicans (and the art of the apology)

In addition, one of the main themes of the book is that "managing delay", which we called today "procastination," is actually something we really need to cultivate more or we will continue to have growing problems with time-based decision making.

In summary, according to Professor Partnoy the best decision makers are those that can gauge how much time they have to react, and then wait the longest possible amount of time before making/executing on a decision.

Increase in Tablet & eBook Print Advertising?!?

I noticed this morning in the Sunday Union-Tribune (5/1/2011) what seemed to me to be an increased number of  tablet and ebook advertisements:

• Best Buy: Kindle with Special Offers ($114); Acer Iconia Tab A500 ($450); NOOKColor ($350)
• Office Depot: ViewSonic 10.1" Tablet ($300)
• Staples: Dell Steak 7 ($400); BlackBerry PlayBook ($499); Motorola Xoom ($600); Amazon Kindle ($189 plus $25 gift card); NOOKColor ($249)
• Target: Kindle with Special Offers ($114)

I do think both the Kindle and the Nook are great ebook readers based on what I've heard from others about them.  I am still very happy with the new Apple iPad 2, so I don't think I'd seriously consider any of the other tablets at this time.  And since I like my iPad 2 for reading books, adding an ebook reader to my technology toolkit probably won't happen.

My usuage pattern for the iPad 2 are still pretty much the same since I purchase the original iPad: ebooks/PDF reading, email, web browsing, personal GTD, casual gaming, and consuming podcasts/music/video.  

Are you using a tablet?  If so, which one, and what are you using it for?

One Week With The Apple iPad Review

After experiencing the Apple iPad for the last week, I thought I'd outline my thoughts on the device that seems to still have a lot of buzz and interest.

In a nutshell, I am very happy with the iPad and I believe that it is a compelling device that fits in well between laptops/desktops and mobile phones.

I believe this device is going to help me be more effective with reading, podcast & audio book listening, and consuming professional content in eBook, PDF, and other standard formats.  I expect it will also help me on the organizational front with more ubiquitous access to reference material, project support data, and communications services.  Plus, it will be a fun device to decompress with casual games, videos, and music.

No device is perfect -- says the former Newton & still TabletPC laptop fan. As I outlined in a previous blog post, I had some concerns with the hardware and software as proposed by Apple for iPad v1.0 before picking up the device. 

The good news is that as far as I can tell there isn't anything new that the iPad can't do that wasn't already publicly announced before it was released. So, I don't have any buyer's remorse. I know there are now confirmed Wi-Fi issues, but I haven't experienced those with the Wi-Fi networks I have available to me.

Things that are great:

• The screen is awesome.
• Battery life is equally impressive.
• Bluetooth keyboard support is solid.
• Surfing the web is fast and fluid on the screen with the pinch-to-zoom working as expected.
• Books via Amazon's Kindle application are readable and easy to consume over hours of reading.
• Physically the device is solid and feels good in your hands.
• Goodreader.net is a very nice $0.99 application for reading PDFs.
• The interface and applications run fast -- so the custom Apple A4 processor was a very good idea IMHO.
• The built-in Apple iPad applications are well designed.  The Email application with support for viewing a large number attachment formats is especially functional.
• Native 3rd party iPad/HD applications look spectacular on the device. Some of the ones I've been using include: USA Today, Reuters, TweetDeck, The Weather Channel, Zino, Evernote, Toodledo, Kayak Flights, Dictionary, ABC Player, Yahoo! Entertainment, Sudoku Tablet, YouVersion Bible, and Box.net.
• On screen keyboard is significantly better than my previous iPod Touch experiences.
• Internal speaker is better than I expected and so is the microphone.
• Doing a one on one demo with someone is pretty powerful for sharing and viewing information. The built-in Photos application is especially noteworthy as a good example.
• Maps with Wi-Fi geolocation is remarkably accurate.
• I haven't really ran into situations where multi-tasking would be an issue, but I can think of one area I am going to run into problems -- browsing in Safari and then wanting to post via TweetDeck.

Things that are not so great (from a consumer perspective):

• Screen gets smudged very easily, but cleans up well.
• Can't subscribe to podcasts directly in iTunes on the iPad.
• The iPad could lose a half-a-pound in weight, and be more portable plus easier to hold over a longer period of time.
• Pricing on new iPad specific applications is way to high in my humble opinion. Kudos to many of the application developers I currently use for creating 'free' upgrade versions.
• The 2x upscale for standard iPhone apps leaves a lot of pixelation issues that distracts from the experience.
• Safari has crashed more than I expected when consuming media files directly from sites like podcast RSS feeds.
• I don't like having to sync to iTunes to get Contact updates.  You can get Google Calendar updates directly via CalDAV.
• iBook prices appear to be on average more expensive than Amazon Kindle prices.  For instance, David Allen's "Getting Things Done (GTD)" is $9.99 on Amazon and $12.99 on Apple's iBook store.

Things that are not great (from my own Enterprise work perspective):

• No DOD PKI CAC support so you can't sign emails or read encrypted emails.  You also can't use many DOD sites without DOD PKI CAC support in the browser.  Plus at my organization, VPN access and authenticated WIFI is not currently possible without DOD PKI CAC support.
• Currently there is no way to encrypt the whole device and/or all the application specific storage areas.  This will be a problem as Data At Rest (DAR) requirements become more prevalent and no longer optional.  I've heard rumors about possible 3rd party solutions being released soon that solves this type of problem but nothing definitive as I post this review.  If anyone knows anything about future iPhone/iPad DAR solutions, then please let me know.

Other than fixing the items that are not so great, what could Apple do for improving iPad 2.0 hardware?  Here are a few suggestions:

• More Bluetooth device support (i.e. networking, GPS, DOD CAC PKI, etc),
• Integrate a native USB port,
• Add an SD Card slot, and
• Drop the price for all units by $100.

I'm sort of ambivalent on adding the camera from a video conferencing/chat perspective, but I think the camera as a sensor to capture location views, barcodes, snapshots, etc would be useful.

With recent news of the iPhone/iPad OS v4.0 coming out soon there is a good chance that many of the software issues will be either solved by this v4.0 release or an earlier v3.x release.  Given that the current release date for iPad support for v4.0 is Fall 2010, I'd expect a hardware update for the iPad when this actually comes out.  Regular Fall releases for new iPad hardware makes more sense for Holiday Sales, and future iPad release will probably be part of Apple's traditional new iPod releases usally in September or October.

The one thing I have not had a chance to try out but would like to is using the iPad to remotely connect to Windows or Mac systems.   I think this could be a big business area for Apple when the 3G version comes out.  With this feature, businesses could leverage the iPad for mobile computing solutions like access to intranet applications, sales presentations, eLearning, etc outside their internal physically controlled Wi-Fi networks.  The only reason I haven't tried them out is the three that look good for evaluation had prices ranging from $15 to $35.  Apple and their developers really need a 'demo' option for items in their AppStore, especially for applications with high price tags. Spending money to do multi-product evaluations is not that appealing to me.

Another thing worth noting is that there is definitely going to be more iPad-like products coming to the market in the near future. I think some of these will be pretty competitive, especially those with Google's Android and more than likely Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Series.  The big change, when compared to the past, is that the iPad is based on an operating system geared for being mobile, and the full blown operating system software like those on previous TabletPCs is not the right answer for devices in this middle ground between laptops/desktops and mobile phones.

Want to learn more? One of the better Apple iPad consolidated tips, tricks, and pointers articles is posted at HowToGeek.com (link via Kreg Steppe @ FriendsInTech.com)  Another tool that looks interesting is a Google Docs editing tool called Office2Pro that was recently reviewed on one of my favorite mobile technology blogs JK On The Run.

If you have any comments, then please post them below and I'll definitely respond.  If you have any questions that you'd like to have answered, then you can send me email at: [email protected] or send me a Twitter message (@sholden) or on direct message on Facebook (sholden).