Sunday, January 07, 2007

Managing Remotely

The Mrs. says that managing remotely is possible, and in fact is becoming more common nowadays. She offers two points:
  1. If the team being managed is itself a localized team that goes to the same office every day then managing it remotely is much more difficult. Managing a remote (scattered) team remotely is the model that seems to work.
  2. Communication is the key. The Mrs. is very good about scheduling weekly "touch base" calls, and being open for ST pings. She works hard to maintain a communication link to her people, and they appreciate that.
So yes, it is possible. And if that's what you think would help facilitate your staying close to your daughter, then I'd say do it. Whatever is necessary. I can't imagine much else is more important to you right now that providing a stable and loving home for her.

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Mrs Minnvers problem is interesting but the solution needs a diagram, one not evident in the Wikipedia :(

Well then ... seems like someone -- you! -- should create one. I can't understand anything math related.

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Human chess is dead though, computer + human tournaments are the way forward.

I suspect there'll always be a human vs. human element to it, if for no other reason than for the "quaintness" of it.

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We have a routine now yes. "New" things I have had to take care of are regular eating, bath and bed times, and good diet -- and ironing! (Of the school uniform).

Two points:
  • Get a pressure cooker! :-) Just kidding ... but they do make wonderful soups and stews and they cook meat so it's fork tender. I cooked chicken the other night and it came out so wonderfully textured.
  • Uniforms? Public school or private? Here the notion of uniforms in the public school was met with a law suit filed by the ACLU citing suppression of the students' right to "free expression." Sheesh.
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It's funny though, will acronyms like "SOA" or "ESB" still be used in 10 years time? Or will they go the way of SAA?

It'll pass by the wayside as new terms emerge. As I write this presentation and reflect upon what I've witnessed over the past year, there seems an inordinate focus on semantics in this space. "Is XYZ really an ESB?" It's all marketing.

* * *
I go to the 7:30am church service at my church because I like it better -- it's relatively quiet and rather small. The 8:30am service is the "contemporary" service which features "pop" praise songs and lots of noise. It jangles my nerves. The 10:45am service is too late in the morning for me ... I'm an early bird.

The 7:30am service is attended largely by elderly folks. One such attendee is a gentleman named Clint who is 90+ years old. I am struck by the man -- he seems genuinely gentle and kind and at peace with things.

For some time now I have had a thought -- I'll never exercise on it because I'm too lazy -- to go to nursing homes and retirement homes and talk to the people there and get their "stories." I'm not talking about grand stories of adventure, but the simple stories of life. For instance, I'd ask them: "Tell me about your first kiss ... who was it with, what's the setting, and were you nervous?" My guess is the folks would open up and provide such a rich tapestry of memories and recollections it would be precious. I think writing a book of such stories would be enormously appealing.

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