Fresh officers (boots, butterbars, third-butter-cutter, all sorts of names for them) out of officer school are all hot to show their Stuff. Typically, within weeks of commissioning they were given a platoon of men to lead. As the head cheese, it is their responsibility to get the platoon where it needs to go.
These guys are around 22 years old. In this platoon, you are sure to have one old salt, and a couple on their way. The unwritten rule is to make sure the butterbar has adult supervision in the form of a senior non-com. This senior non-com goes out of his way _not_ to make decisions. So, you will hear plenty of stories about how a platoon gets hopelessly lost while the non-coms who could have 'prevented' the tragedy do nothing. The officers learn from their mistakes with the benefit of senior non-coms as training wheels.
In modern times, the officers go through some OJT as an exec. or something in addition to the more extensive field training currently in the system.
I will stay with the darker side that nobody likes to talk about.
Do not subordinate your will. You may be younger, but you have the authority. They owe you their duty, it us up to you to earn their loyalty. Let's say that again: it is up to you to earn their loyalty. Seasoned professionals respect strength and competence. We can smell incompetence and fear like a jackal. If you show strength, your team will actually help you achieve competence.
You are overtly asking for tactical advice, I believe you are actually seeking insight into the world and culture of your team. Don't just observe, become part of it and mold it as is your duty as manager.
Finally, avoid the mistake I have seen way too many young managers make: do not put them in your shoes. They have life experience you can only read about; you need to live in their shoes. Eventually you will find that we all wear the same shoes. Hmm, ok, that took the metaphor too far, but hey, I can't stay all dark and gloomy in this post.
That's what I thought at first. Then I read the full letter. I have a hard time believing that someone who actually installed and tried linux in college would believe it was illegal. ?
I got the distinct impression that she lumped Linux in college in the exact same category as drug and homosexuality experimentation.
First on supplies: Do you think that every kid should have to supply their own paints/crayons etc for art class?
Whether I believe it or not does not change the fact that this is the reality in my district.
Do you think that every kid should have to bring in their own basketball/kickball?
The school board cut gym (PE outside the midwest) in their tit for tat spat when the referendum failed. Somehow that jeopardized some funding and it had to come back. In the interim, yes, there was a parent run physical activity program immediately after school.
Should a elementary/middle/high school make kids pay for their own books every year just like students do in college?
I pay a book rental fee which is actually quite reasonable. But this is still in addition to my taxes. I pay for the book, then pay for the upkeep of the stable with an additional 'hidden' tax.
Also, do you think that while the cost of goods purchased has increased, AND the numbers of students attending our schools have increased, that by having us cutback on funding; we'll somehow people able to find sufficient money?
Growing student population implies population growth in general, hence additional tax revenue.
Cost of goods go up with inflation, but so do the property taxes. Point being there are a lot of things that can be done to remediate inflation like a buyer's consortium, or direct negotiation with vendors. Some school districts do very well in these matters.
Traditionally, however, school districts suck at saving money because their capital and operations budgets have been turned into patronage by pols and apathetic/unknowledgeable constituency.
Also, while I will complain about the salaries of administration, their salaries come out of a completely different budget than either my salary OR those used to pay for supplies and books?
A 'budget' is just an arbitrary classification in an accounting system. The source of the money does not change depending on what column you put it in. There are specific exceptions that vary with geography, but they are usually well known. For instance, in my area new housing impact fees must go into a building fund that the districts cannot use for operations.
Throwing money at problems does not solve them. Most private schools do a lot better with fewer dollars spent per child. They do this by putting the money directly 'into' the students. Public school can't model this directly because they do not have the option to cherry pick students and parents. What can be done is mimicking their penchant to cut out Stupid Stuff and focus on education.
Computers in classrooms are fairly useless except for attendance, and solitaire during planning periods. Student access to computers and structured time with them is beneficial, but only as an adjunct to and in furtherance of the fundamentals of the three R's.
Maybe you should talk to your administration and union before asking ME for more money.
Why, in addition to my property taxes, do I have to provide a mandatory school supply list designed to keep the teacher in chalk AND kids who can't afford to buy their own crap? I give to charity in church. "charity" in public school is just a hidden tax.
Four years ago when my local school board was crying for more money, I attended one of their open hearings. I asked quite simply, have you done any auditing internal or external of current spending. The answer was 'no'. The referendum didn't pass. Yet, the darn fire department got their first new truck in 20 years (ok, 18, but still).
In exchange for higher pay, are you willing to work 8 hours a day doing community service in the summer? The union screamed high holy murder when this was suggested.
In summary, look in before out. You might find a more receptive crowd around election time if you can demonstrate real belt tightening and real reform efforts aimed at the primary mission of educating children instead of bureaucracy growing and union power building.
Of course, I know you specifically are not the root of evil, but as a poster child simply asking for more money is NOT the way to go.
It made me wonder if someone did just watch for houses to hit the HUD list then rob them.
Yes, yes they do. What is better than a precompiled list of residences where you KNOW nobody will be laying in wait with a shotgun or dog.
That is why I insist on living on streets that begin with the letter Z and numbered in the high nines. I'll let you know when I find that place and keep assuming they'll start at the top of the list.:o
Instead of offering a 'me-too' common sense post, I'll instead say MOD PARENT UP. The recession (butnotreallyarecessionbecausesomemadeupstatisticwedreamedupsaysso) has largely corrected the copper thievery problem.
I don't know why you would think so many projects would be backed by angel investors when those projects would return nothing financially on their investment.
Welcome to the dot com era! A few years too late, perhaps.:)
He is not our ally in ensuring we can get whatever media we want whenever we want for no cost.
Not too many people are looking for a free lunch.
Movies (DVD) are priced roughly correctly given their production cost and 'replay worth'.
CD's are priced so out of whack that it boggles the mind how such practices are morally defensible.
The collective consciousness wants the RIAA members to embrace the modern technologies of distribution and consumption of their product, not just give the stuff away for free.
The copyright system was intended to be a societal trade-off between content and content providers. The framers never intended copyrights to be a club of corporate media giants.
Most of these are remote teleworkers. Their time clock does not start until they launch the right set of applications on their PCs. Hence, the wait for boot up/app set up.
Quite literally, their paycheck is a reflection of their network logon.
I've told this story in these hallowed bits before. A good friend of mine worked for a small organization. He was their only IT guy.
Not only was he a good sysadmin, but he was a DBA, email guru, security specialist, the usual list of stuff every org needs. His new boss, hot to save money, put him through the same paces. Cut to the chase, my buddy lost his job over the reasoning that nothing ever goes down around here, why pay an FTE to maintain it?
The boss got his comeuppance about 8 months later when the infrastructure went to hell and a hand basket.
My friend got some sad selfish satisfaction telling them 'no' when they needed the inevitable work on the database system he wrote. Apparently they wouldn't sign a liability waiver.
Don't let the short sightedness of the higher ups harm you. You are a tech. You need to speak to your bosses in BUSINESS TERMS.
There is no 'value' in IT. You are the steward of the company data. Your value is tied to the value of the data, specifically, the loss of that data. You, yes you, need to point out the Bad Things that happen when data is left to it's own devices.
You do not troubleshoot borked Office installs on Windows workstations, you prevent the waste of money by an idle resource. You enable productivity of the staff that actually makes money for the company.
You do not report X troubletickets handled for the month, you report Z hours of productivity loss prevention. Your on-site response time is a BIG PART of this--make sure they know it. A four hour response 24X7 support contract is going to cost the company big time.
Remember, your metrics MUST be in business terms, not IT terms. It is your job to make sure the suits see you as Electricity, or running water.
Slashdot Mirror
Old military lore.
Fresh officers (boots, butterbars, third-butter-cutter, all sorts of names for them) out of officer school are all hot to show their Stuff. Typically, within weeks of commissioning they were given a platoon of men to lead. As the head cheese, it is their responsibility to get the platoon where it needs to go.
These guys are around 22 years old. In this platoon, you are sure to have one old salt, and a couple on their way. The unwritten rule is to make sure the butterbar has adult supervision in the form of a senior non-com. This senior non-com goes out of his way _not_ to make decisions. So, you will hear plenty of stories about how a platoon gets hopelessly lost while the non-coms who could have 'prevented' the tragedy do nothing. The officers learn from their mistakes with the benefit of senior non-coms as training wheels.
In modern times, the officers go through some OJT as an exec. or something in addition to the more extensive field training currently in the system.
Yea, but they gave me a ducky!!
----
Seriously, that is sad to hear. I will think twice if the occasion to use them again presents itself.
I've been an Anysystem customer both personally and professionally.
I was happy with my experiences. They even gave me a yellow rubber ducky with one of my orders.
The last fallout shelter I was in succumbed to water. We had to stand on top of the bunker to call in fire considered to be danger close.
I've mod points, but parent is already at 5.
Most advice so far concentrates on the obvious.
I will stay with the darker side that nobody likes to talk about.
Do not subordinate your will. You may be younger, but you have the authority. They owe you their duty, it us up to you to earn their loyalty. Let's say that again: it is up to you to earn their loyalty. Seasoned professionals respect strength and competence. We can smell incompetence and fear like a jackal. If you show strength, your team will actually help you achieve competence.
You are overtly asking for tactical advice, I believe you are actually seeking insight into the world and culture of your team. Don't just observe, become part of it and mold it as is your duty as manager.
Finally, avoid the mistake I have seen way too many young managers make: do not put them in your shoes. They have life experience you can only read about; you need to live in their shoes. Eventually you will find that we all wear the same shoes. Hmm, ok, that took the metaphor too far, but hey, I can't stay all dark and gloomy in this post.
Slashdot is distraction enough. I'm not so sure putting boobs on the desk is such a good idea.
*RIMSHOT*
Mod parent up. Sometimes a flippant retort needs the benefit of light to illuminate the stupidity of the GP post.
That's what I thought at first. Then I read the full letter. I have a hard time believing that someone who actually installed and tried linux in college would believe it was illegal. ?
I got the distinct impression that she lumped Linux in college in the exact same category as drug and homosexuality experimentation.
It would seem to me that you are getting hung up on the difference between communicating a concept and literal interpretation.
The term 'reverse discrimination' is similarly stupid, but used to communicate a concept.
Personally, I hate it when people use long strings of words to demonstrate a concept we already have a phrase for.
First on supplies: Do you think that every kid should have to supply their own paints/crayons etc for art class?
Whether I believe it or not does not change the fact that this is the reality in my district.
Do you think that every kid should have to bring in their own basketball/kickball?
The school board cut gym (PE outside the midwest) in their tit for tat spat when the referendum failed. Somehow that jeopardized some funding and it had to come back. In the interim, yes, there was a parent run physical activity program immediately after school.
Should a elementary/middle/high school make kids pay for their own books every year just like students do in college?
I pay a book rental fee which is actually quite reasonable. But this is still in addition to my taxes. I pay for the book, then pay for the upkeep of the stable with an additional 'hidden' tax.
Also, do you think that while the cost of goods purchased has increased, AND the numbers of students attending our schools have increased, that by having us cutback on funding; we'll somehow people able to find sufficient money?
Growing student population implies population growth in general, hence additional tax revenue.
Cost of goods go up with inflation, but so do the property taxes. Point being there are a lot of things that can be done to remediate inflation like a buyer's consortium, or direct negotiation with vendors. Some school districts do very well in these matters.
Traditionally, however, school districts suck at saving money because their capital and operations budgets have been turned into patronage by pols and apathetic/unknowledgeable constituency.
Also, while I will complain about the salaries of administration, their salaries come out of a completely different budget than either my salary OR those used to pay for supplies and books?
A 'budget' is just an arbitrary classification in an accounting system. The source of the money does not change depending on what column you put it in. There are specific exceptions that vary with geography, but they are usually well known. For instance, in my area new housing impact fees must go into a building fund that the districts cannot use for operations.
Throwing money at problems does not solve them. Most private schools do a lot better with fewer dollars spent per child. They do this by putting the money directly 'into' the students. Public school can't model this directly because they do not have the option to cherry pick students and parents. What can be done is mimicking their penchant to cut out Stupid Stuff and focus on education.
Computers in classrooms are fairly useless except for attendance, and solitaire during planning periods. Student access to computers and structured time with them is beneficial, but only as an adjunct to and in furtherance of the fundamentals of the three R's.
Maybe you should talk to your administration and union before asking ME for more money.
Why, in addition to my property taxes, do I have to provide a mandatory school supply list designed to keep the teacher in chalk AND kids who can't afford to buy their own crap? I give to charity in church. "charity" in public school is just a hidden tax.
Four years ago when my local school board was crying for more money, I attended one of their open hearings. I asked quite simply, have you done any auditing internal or external of current spending. The answer was 'no'. The referendum didn't pass. Yet, the darn fire department got their first new truck in 20 years (ok, 18, but still).
In exchange for higher pay, are you willing to work 8 hours a day doing community service in the summer? The union screamed high holy murder when this was suggested.
In summary, look in before out. You might find a more receptive crowd around election time if you can demonstrate real belt tightening and real reform efforts aimed at the primary mission of educating children instead of bureaucracy growing and union power building.
Of course, I know you specifically are not the root of evil, but as a poster child simply asking for more money is NOT the way to go.
It made me wonder if someone did just watch for houses to hit the HUD list then rob them.
Yes, yes they do. What is better than a precompiled list of residences where you KNOW nobody will be laying in wait with a shotgun or dog.
:o
That is why I insist on living on streets that begin with the letter Z and numbered in the high nines. I'll let you know when I find that place and keep assuming they'll start at the top of the list.
Instead of offering a 'me-too' common sense post, I'll instead say MOD PARENT UP. The recession (butnotreallyarecessionbecausesomemadeupstatisticwedreamedupsaysso) has largely corrected the copper thievery problem.
I don't know why you would think so many projects would be backed by angel investors when those projects would return nothing financially on their investment.
Welcome to the dot com era! A few years too late, perhaps. :)
Pfft, just mandate that every day flight have a corresponding night flight to cancel each other out!
-Brought to you by the Committee For The Catastrophically Simple.
He is not our ally in ensuring we can get whatever media we want whenever we want for no cost.
Not too many people are looking for a free lunch.
Movies (DVD) are priced roughly correctly given their production cost and 'replay worth'.
CD's are priced so out of whack that it boggles the mind how such practices are morally defensible.
The collective consciousness wants the RIAA members to embrace the modern technologies of distribution and consumption of their product, not just give the stuff away for free.
The copyright system was intended to be a societal trade-off between content and content providers. The framers never intended copyrights to be a club of corporate media giants.
Most of these are remote teleworkers. Their time clock does not start until they launch the right set of applications on their PCs. Hence, the wait for boot up/app set up. Quite literally, their paycheck is a reflection of their network logon.
Pfft, where's the cool tech, or witty repartee in that? ;)
I've told this story in these hallowed bits before. A good friend of mine worked for a small organization. He was their only IT guy.
Not only was he a good sysadmin, but he was a DBA, email guru, security specialist, the usual list of stuff every org needs. His new boss, hot to save money, put him through the same paces. Cut to the chase, my buddy lost his job over the reasoning that nothing ever goes down around here, why pay an FTE to maintain it?
The boss got his comeuppance about 8 months later when the infrastructure went to hell and a hand basket.
My friend got some sad selfish satisfaction telling them 'no' when they needed the inevitable work on the database system he wrote. Apparently they wouldn't sign a liability waiver.
Don't let the short sightedness of the higher ups harm you. You are a tech. You need to speak to your bosses in BUSINESS TERMS.
There is no 'value' in IT. You are the steward of the company data. Your value is tied to the value of the data, specifically, the loss of that data. You, yes you, need to point out the Bad Things that happen when data is left to it's own devices.
You do not troubleshoot borked Office installs on Windows workstations, you prevent the waste of money by an idle resource. You enable productivity of the staff that actually makes money for the company.
You do not report X troubletickets handled for the month, you report Z hours of productivity loss prevention. Your on-site response time is a BIG PART of this--make sure they know it. A four hour response 24X7 support contract is going to cost the company big time.
Remember, your metrics MUST be in business terms, not IT terms. It is your job to make sure the suits see you as Electricity, or running water.
DMCA does not apply here. So far it is a contract dispute between two parties. That is your legal advice from a geek for the day. ;)
The cow in the picture for the story is obviously facing left, not North. What maroons these guys are... ;)
So, terrorists are made of wood?
Please pardon us for incorrectly naming our oppressors. :o
Mod parent up!
I'm looking at you North Winds Software. I'll BUY a support contract! If you offered such a thing. If you answered the phone.
Um, isn't North Winds the name of the company that comes with the sample Access database? They're not real, you know... ;)