A Saturday Evening of Fitness with Tennis

The tennis racket that was leaning against the wall for the past few months finally got some use. It seemed to be much useful on the court than as a cheap form of house decoration. Health is becoming important to me and so is the opportunity to meet interesting people. Tennis provides an appropriate balance between fitness and fun so that I can sustain movement toward my fitness goals.

It wasn’t a particularly warm afternoon for Southern California; somewhere near a breezy 60 degrees. A sweatshirt would have been appropriate in most casual outdoor situations. Within a few minutes, you will no longer think about a sweatshirt; or even the outside temperature.

Chasing that green furry ball is all the heat needed to keep warm. Tennis is a fast sport and requires sprinting from one side of the court to the other. The quick dashes, stops, and arm movements  of your muscles, heart and arms.  It is one of those full-body workouts that doesn’t feel like you're doing anything until it is all over.

Accordingly, that is one of the reasons why I like to play tennis. A few competitive games and an hour is up. If there was more time before the sun went down I might have stayed another hour. Because time flew bye we played until the court lights were needed to see anything.

Tennis has its charm as a fun alternative to other workouts that drag on and keep reminding us that we are “working out”. Improving fitness is easy when you engage in activities with enjoyment. Tennis is a social sport that any level player can enjoy. Maintaining an intensive fitness program requires finding alternatives to “traditional” exercises. Tennis seems to fill that gap without all the drudgery of the gym.

The Dangers of Hacking-Is China Opening an Era of Cyber Warfare?

The cost of corporate hacking and cyber warfare is a growing problem that results in the loss of over a hundred billion dollars annually. It is difficult to measure the costs of hacking as many such attacks, and the impact are difficult to track.  The Recent theft of up to 4 million federal workers has raised concerns of government hacking and its potential impact on the nation.

Cyber warfare and corporate theft are an attractive option because it doesn’t require a direct confrontation with any entity. In the Information Age, data is the primary transactional unit of understanding and getting things done. In many cases, information determines who has the upper hand in a conflict.

Collecting mass amounts of data is not an innocent affair. If information obtained through cyber attacks is funnelled to the right people(s) and cross-examined for similarities, robust profiles of important people emerge.

Profiles can include medical records, family members, spending habits, phone numbers, relatives, assets, income and just about anything else forming a comprehensive picture of the person. With the amount of information tucked in cyber world hacking creates greater leverage against individuals who oversee national assets.

Theft of information isn’t the innocent affair of some boy-genius sitting in his parents garage testing boundaries. It is conducted by companies, sophisticated cyber teams, foreign corporations and governments for gain. Lives are ruined, and national security is jeopardized when this information is applied inappropriately to shadow activities.

Almost any country can engage in this activity, and economic might doesn't necessarily impact it. The technological abilities and resources a country puts into cyber activities may determine its sophistication level but has little effect on effectiveness. Effectiveness is more influenced by the people doing the hacking.

Updating cyber security, and how information is stored should, be an important part of corporate operations. Those organizations like government entities and large businesses have even more responsibility to protect data and track breaches. Many have no idea how much information, or what type of information was compromised, making cyber warfare the new covert challenge of the 21st Century.

Opening Communication Lines for Better Decision Making

Charles Dickens said in the Tail of Two Cities, “A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.” Communication is a process sharing information from one person to the next that lowers this mystery. Problems arise in organizations when communication is not accurate or reflective of actual events. Ensuring lines of communication are open is essential for creating more functional companies through better decision making.

Poor communication wastes intangible assets and creates inefficiencies among resources (Mazzei & Ravazzani, 2015; Hola & Pikhart, 2014). Intangible assets form the nucleus of the company and include relationships, intellectual capital, and decision making. What makes one company different from the next are the internal soft mechanics often ignored because they are not easy to define.

Misinformation can be intentional or unintentional. For example most of us have been subject to rumor or conjecture at one point in our careers. Despite lacking substance, false information can create havoc in our lives and damage work relationships. A corporate culture of rumor mongering is a sure way to destroy productivity in a company quickly.

An inability to solicit and respect multiple perspectives is a sign of short-sighted strategic development. It is easy to make decisions when you have no competing information; try sticking your fingers in your ears next time you don't want to hear something. The problem is that those decisions are based on skewed information and alternatives have not afforded proper weight. Managers expand their channels to ensure they are receiving all of the information needed to make appropriate decisions.

Information is the lifeblood of solid decision making and those who keep their communication lines open are better able to capitalize on that information. Organizations that seek to create productive communication among organizational members find that decisions are well rounded and more holistic in their approach. Short-sighted and self-seeking decisions are a sure way to limit the growth potential of any organization. Open information lines keeps your sonar active and your mind sharp.

American Principles as a Catalyst for International Investment

America was founded on a mere idea of opportunity that enticed thousands of people across the soapy seas to nail down new entrepreneurial stakes in the fragile colonies. Blacksmiths, carpenters and farmers spread out to start new businesses to feed their needy families. Even in a global economy the entrepreneurial spirit embedded within our American values has market appeal that can be converted to investment value.

Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are based on trust. People believe that when they put a dollar in the bank it will be there a few days later, they are charged the price posted for products, hard work still results in increases in wealth, and education opens new doors. Trust glues societal fabric between people, employees-employer, investor-executive, citizen-government, and civilian-law enforcement.

When the fundamentals of trust break down so does the economy. The microeconomic transactions that occur throughout the nation are founded on simple ideas of value and confidence in the future. The dollar is the measure of that trust and is exchanged in good faith among economic elements to complete transactions.

Trust applies to foreign investment as much as it does to domestic commerce. Multinational companies spend a lot of time trying to understand the political and economic nature of nations to make investment decisions. Political instability and mistrust raise the risks of investments that ultimately result in sparser economic wealth generation.

Companies invest in places where the political, cultural, and economic spheres show enough stability to help ensure that their investments will have value in the foreseeable future. Increasing investment and heightened economic activity is one sign of increasing levels of trust. Investors believe that their opportunities are safe and growing.

Laws and values come to define the health of the system. Where laws encourage entrepreneurial activity and protect the rights of people socio-economic assumptions form. It is those assumptions that filter throughout the decision-making lenses that lead people to engage the market at higher levels.

In countries where there are political instability and inconsistent application of laws, you find that economic activity declines. Not only do companies under perform the market, but the countries find themselves in competitively weaker positions as people either disengage from the market or move into the black market.

America is changing and opportunities to build a better society abound if we ensure that trust is created in society. Founding principles applied consistently across our country prompts engagement and stability in the market that is attractive to international investors. Nation building has entered a new era of exploring the power of the human mind and funneling that through our American lens to create greater investment and economic activity.

Recruiting Business Executives the Military Way!

The military has always fascinated me in terms of how they train leaders to make their way through challenging situations where most of us would not be able to follow. Both business and military leaders share similarities that can provide us with a better understanding of the skills needed to influence people. Marrying the two approaches creates a better executive selection process that can pay companies dividends when these leaders mature.

We must first accept that leadership is not for everyone and those who are sometimes seen as leaders are not always the best candidates. For example, self-interested personalities sometimes rise to the top but their level of leadership wanes when they seek supporters who will need to sacrifice. In my experience, the more demanding and pushy a person is, the less likely they will be able to manage large groups.

On the other hand, a follower could have innate leadership skills that come to the forefront only under certain circumstances. Seeing beyond the obvious by selecting those with leadership traits and abilities can create returns on executive development. Without humility, leaders won’t know when they are wrong, consider the needs of their followers, or think beyond themselves.

According to a study comparing leadership, it found that the military selected candidates based on traits while businesses focused on skills (Hussain and Hussan, 2015). Before moving people into intensive training programs, the military desired persons who had the innate traits to use as a platform for development. In contrast, the business world sought people who displayed high skill levels.

The same study found that successful leaders are separated from mediocre leaders by their relationship abilities. Those that have the capacity to develop working relationships with others, and rely on those relationships to achieve goals, are more successful than those than those who are only task oriented. Even though the study doesn’t mention this, it is entirely possible that task orientation has limited impact on the environment without the help of others.

Leaders set challenging goals, rally people behind those objectives, and can change their styles based on what others need. Adaptability is trait oriented but enhanced through growth in skills, knowledge and abilities. Bridging the gap between military and civilian leadership development relies on finding those with the right innate traits and helping them gain the knowledge needed to be effective.

Hussain, M. & Hassan, H. (2015). Military leadership and implication for business leaders in light of alternative theories. Pakistan Journal of Science, 67 (1).

Melt Calories Playing Beach Volleyball

Volleyball is one of those sports you don’t move more than a few feet but still reap all of the benefits of a solid work out. It won’t take much time for you to build up a good lather of sweat when you jump, bump, and spike the ball over the net. Within minutes, your heart rate will be into its fat burning zone, and the calories will start melting off.

You can burn as much as 450 calories in an hour playing volleyball. It is comparable with swimming and running. Your heart rate will rise, lower, and rise again as you wait for the ball and run to keep it from hitting the ground. Raising and lowering your heart rate has been known to strengthen your cardiovascular system.

It is hard to find sports that are both fun and fitness packed. Volleyball not only gets your heart rate up but also improves muscle tone. Natural jumping jacks, burpees, and sprints are built into the sport, and you don’t even know it. It takes lots lot of energy to chase that ball around, and you use every part of your body to score the next point.

Unlike many sports that require repetitive use of the body, volleyball uses the full range of motion. This whole range can help people develop total body fitness versus just focusing on one area of the body. As the muscles grow and develop, they do so in an even manner creating a more attractive body form. Look at the serious beach volleyball players and see their sleek and muscular design.

Few sports are as fun and as fitness directed as volleyball. Beach volleyball is one of my favorite games because the sand offers more resistance and freedom of movement than court volleyball. The jumping, running and diving in the sand will put your coordination to the test. Because you don’t even feel like you are exercising you will keep coming back for more.

Supporting San Diego Art Institute Through Brews and Oil Paintings

Local artist Jessica Siemens’ new series of oil paintings will be showcased during several events at Culture Brewing Co (CBC) in June. CBC is located at 111 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, CA 92075. Showcased events include a preview fundraising event June 4^th 6-9pm. CBC will donate 25% of its proceeds to the San Diego Art Institute (SDAI). Jessica and several artists will also be drawing portraits at the event for donation, with proceeds going to The SDAI Life Drawing Program. Friday, June 5th 5-9pm is the opening reception featuring beer, food and a collection of fine art paintings by Jessica Siemens. Each Monday in June from 12-9pm Jessica will be at CBC painting an 8x4 ft canvas. Feel free to come enjoy a beer and talk to her about art.  

Jessica Siemens creates large oil landscapes that capture the beauty in nature with surreal and new perspectives. Jessica teaches fine art drawing and painting at The San Diego Music & Art Cooperative www.SDMAAC.com. To view her paintings visit www.JessicaSiemens.com or to inquire about private art instruction email jess@jessicasiemens.com. For show information visitwww.CultureBrewingCo.com.

Culture Brewing Co is located at

111 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, CA 92075.

June 4^th 6pm-9pm

A Preview Fundraising Event where CBC will donate 25% of its proceeds to the San Diego Art Institute (SDAI). Several artists and I will also be drawing portraits at the event for donation, with proceeds going to The SDAI Life Drawing Program.

Friday, June 5th 5pm-9pm

Opening Reception featuring tasty beer, food truck and maybe even Beer Gelato made by Gelato Vero.

Mondays in June from 12pm-9pm (5/8 5/15 5/22 5/29)