The Nature of Time-Enjoying the Motion

Life always changes so we should become accustomed to it. What was just a few moments won't be the same just a few moments from now. Time is a stream of events that that act and interact to create the world as we know it. A, influences B and their actions influence C in a stream of consciousness. Seeming irreversible we act and are acted on by time and events within that dimension.

Time is seen as a 4th dimension beyond the 3 dimensions that we use to understand the world. Newtonian Time is seen as real and part of the universe while Immanuel Kant believed that time is nothing but a human construct and can't be traveled. Time is seen more as a measurement of motion than a physical entity.

One could argue that time is just a measurement of action that has been referenced by human intellect to a standard in minutes, seconds, hours, seasons, etc... Early human understood nights and days as time measurements based on walking distance while modern man can slice time into a nanosecond. Our speed determines our perception of time.

Time is subjective to our human experience and can be seen as simple velocity (action). Time, motion, movement, points, speed, change, and finish are all different words to describe time. We know that time is limited based on the number of events we can experience in our lives so enjoy your time as much as possible to have the happiest of lives.

Time changes everything and everyone around us.

The Nature of Time

The season swings,
warmer,
brighter,
sunnier.

The earth spins,
rounder,
brighter,
faster.

Life changes,
bigger,
brighter,
better.

Knowledge shifts,
wiser,
brighter,
smarter

Feedback Metrics for Training

Training without feedback is like sailing out into the ocean without a compass. That is precisely what some organizations do. Using metrics to create training feedback loops helps ensure employees are learning the "right" kind of skills, and the company is getting the maximum return on its training investment. Selecting beneficial training metrics should take into consideration the reliability and strategic focus of each measurement.

Feedback is a tool for assessment of training effectiveness. Appropriate feedback provides measurable evidence that a training program is doing what was intended. When the evidence does not support the training program, changes must be made to evolve the training program into something more advantageous.

All training programs should be aligned to the organizational objectives in a way that funnels people toward the most beneficial learning. Without this alignment, people will be expected to perform their jobs in ways that don't help the organization. When strategies change, training should also change to be more reflective of those goals.

Selecting functional feedback makes a big difference in performance. When not selected with care, the metric will have little meaning and could cause your significant harm as output and operational need become misaligned. You will be training people on the wrong type of information with the wrong objectives in mind thereby weakening the organization.

Feedback metrics should also be reliable and valid. Metrics should provide consistent and valid results that lead to greater insight. If you are seeking to improve performance on a given task, the metric must be chosen so that it is accurately reflecting what is happening in the work environment. More metrics are only beneficial if they lead to greater understanding.

There are thousands of different metrics that companies use to determine successful training. The most common are pre and post-test offered within the training. However, learning in class may not always equate to performance on the job. The best metrics integrate training with actual performance in a way that realizes tangible results for organizations.

Some Feedback Loops:

-Discipline
-Performance
-Interviews
-Cost
-Culture
-Time
-Retention Rates
-Complaints
-Sales
-Employee Satisfaction
-....any metric.

Hiking Cowels Mountain for Fitness

Cowel's Mountain is a 1,500 foot peak with well worth paths. It is used by fitness enthusiasts to help get in shape. There are people who climb it everyday using the well-worn paths and step like structures. It takes about 35 minutes to go up and 25 minutes coming down putting the whole trip at 60 minutes. If you did this three times a week you won't need to go to the gym as much. 

Three Rules that Fill the Talent Gap

Talent is where business success starts, and failure ends. It is that piece that seeps into the smallest nooks and crannies of just about every facet of corporate health. From entry level to executive positions, talent acquisition of a company separates winners from losers. Successful management of the talent gap rests on three broad rules of discovery, practice, and application.

A talent gap occurs when there is a lag between employee potential and performance needed for corporate advancement. Talent is the culmination of potential ability to take on new tasks and work assignments that lead to higher revenue. Employees who have not realized their greatest potential are not full contributors to society and their skills go untapped or lost.

There are many reasons why employees can't reach their full potential. Some of it relates to how they raised and perceived themselves while another is based on a lack of knowledge of their potential.  As people become more aware of themselves and their abilities their talent flourishes.

Companies have some responsibility in developing employee capabilities in a fiscally responsible way. From an economic standpoint, it is beneficial for society as national capacity increases. It is also a moral and ethical imperative that encourages people to live to their fullest potential. The three rules are as follows:

Rule 1: Discover Latent Skills: Discovering new talents helps employees reach their full potential. It is the manager's responsibility to uncovering hidden talents and brings them to the forefront for greater performance. Work assignments should encourage exploration of passive skills that are needed to overcome new tasks.

Rule 2: Kung-fu the Talent: Practice makes perfect. The original meaning of the word kung-fu is the learning of excellence through hard work. Practicing skills through the completion of one's tasks leads to excellence that can be applied to other workplace challenges. Consistence practice bring greater awareness of one's abilities and their appropriate application.

Rule 3: Completing a Quest: The best performance occurs when someone believes in the use of their skills to achieve a primary cause. Inspiring employees to overcome a major quest or challenge will help them perform at their highest levels. Once employees mastered a major quest, problem, or project the skill will create confidence and expectation.

Protecting Nature and Helping Sea Lions

Nature has many creatures that are part of the environment. It isn't everyday that you have an opportunity to engage and interact with sea lions. In this case the sea lions are based around La Jolla California and become a world attraction drawing thousands of visitors every year.

Is is beneficial for companies to protect the environment by moving to more sustainable manufacturing methods and reduce waste. I believe that as we reduce waste there is an additional benefit of lowering cost and helping creatures like these sea lions.

World governments are become more concerned about consumption and pollution and are seeking to limit environmental impact. For many construction and development projects, environmental studies are necessary to ensure our actions don't damage future sustainability.

La Jolla Sea Lions

Happy 4th-The Multiple Forms of Patriotism

Our service members have risked their lives to keep our freedoms secure. They are a blessing to the nation and set an example to ourselves. Patriotism can come in many forms and range from the smallest act to that which transforms our lives. Any American can engage in patriotic acts that further the cause of their great nation without being in the Service.

The first criteria for patriotism is that it is an act done for the benefit of one's nation. This means it is done so that society can receive a benefit. There are people everyday who do patriotic things for sheer moral value of doing so. For example, police officers who do a kind act and protect someone are engaged in one form of patriotism.

Patriotism doesn't only mean the use of force. Those who protect the civil rights of people also engage in acts of patriotism that pressures the larger system to become better and change in a way that supports the cause of the  nation. Acts that help make society a better place are patriotic acts that have practical utility.

The feelings associated with patriotism are deep and are often tied to our language, culture, and belief systems. There are many different viewpoints of what America is, who is an American, and where America should go. People are actively engaged in that debate and are contributing to a definition that is workable for a nation as diverse as ours.

Acts of patriotism could be the cleaning of a park, helping a neighbor, speaking out about abuses, and even reporting a crime. There are some who have devoted their lives to patriotic acts that help society but have not asked for anything or received any positive encouragement. As you celebrate independence remember those who stood for something greater than themselves.

Why it is Important to Diversify an Economy?

Economic diversity is important for keeping cities, states, and nations adaptable and capable of competing. There is a balance between focusing on what the country does best based on its personal competencies and what is needed to keep enough variability to ensure the country can change and adapt when crisis occurs. Building stronger platforms creates a more adaptable and viable economy.

Small countries have a hard time diversifying their economies because they have a limited amount of resources and capabilities. Larger countries like the U.S. and China have greater access to resources and can create competencies in multiple areas. They can be masters of a number of different markets.

The problem we face through our political structure is that large corporations often influence economic decisions. They encourage politicians to decide on courses of actions that are advantageous to their positions. As more government resources and legislative action mobilizes in the direction of campaign contributions opportunities for diversification become limited.

It is important for governments to encourage the general platforms that lead to greater business growth without curbing political action to specific industries. It isn't that the needs of large corporations should be ignored but that the needs of the entire economy should be encouraged so that industry diversifies based on market forces.

When the platform is right where small and large businesses can compete a truer form of Capitalism exists. This system, when not manipulated, can provide great benefits and advantages to their people. Diversifying the economy is about protecting our current and long-term economic viability as the country moves into an era where globalizing forces will put pressure on American's ability to adapt.