Business Management

BUDGETING
Plan ---> Team ---> Management ---> Stakeholders
          |
          |
        \  /
   Budget
- Line item (Authorise change)
- Block Budget (Block of money, spend to discretion)
- Restricted Funds (For specific purpose)

Production: What we did before / Projects: what we plan to do



Enterprise Scalability
Comprehensive analytics
Analysis Services
Pervasive Business Intelligence (UDM)


STRATEGIC VISION

Segment clients by
- size
- geographic location
- Service Line

Small: no IT (old machines, limited specs, don't want to pay for consulting
Need online solution, reduce time on support,
Environmental issues takes longer to resolve (not our core)

Medium: Strategic direction
Road map of software, some IT strategy


Equanimity _______________________  flow
Opposite   /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

My Marketing

PROBLEM
Time spent on manual reporting
Infighting/resolve conflict & business process differences
Why do we use info systems?  To have info!

I seek business analysis positions related to business information and data analytics

I have good analysis, problem solving and organising skills that allow me to identify a problem, analyse possible solutions, and organise teams to help resolve and implement approved changes.

I am friendly, proactive, and enjoy working with a variety of people from different backgrounds and expertise. 

I have over 19 years experience in information systems, working in a wide variety of roles and departments during that time.  My career has spanned over financial, logistics, supply chain and IT.


VALUES
Friendly: Fun (humour), Kind
Openness: Teach, Learn
integrity: Word, deed
Unity: diversity, understanding


SKILLS
Analytical: Interview, what why how who....
Problem solving: Perseverance, Intuitive, Investigative
Organisational: Facilitating, Presenting

GOALS
Dashboard graphical reporting
Birds ornithology
Generations writing about elders (dying generation)

Searching for self

When removed from the known, after a while,
when the excitement of the new subsides,
Does one reflect back on what was,
and what could have been if different options were taken
all of it wasted effort and energy.

How do we rid ourselves of the constant calling
that we should be busy, doing something else or worth while,
Why do we allow our lives to be robbed from us?
We are afraid of our own happiness
because we know it is impossible to maintain it.

What do I fear?
I fear a life with no meaning
A wasted effort on oneself when in fact
you should be busy meaning something to someone else
it does not mean my needs are unimportant
it means doing what you love to serve others.

You should not be afraid to accept payment for your services
it just needs to be a fair exchange of energy

Meditation on how to find your way

Believe in yourself and in your own abilities
Be true to your values

1. Know who you are
• Live by conviction --> express the fear/ break the silence of fear
• Willing to accept different ways (what is truth/morals?) --> Uphold understanding
• We are all one --> Uniter (cross functional facilitator)
2. Believe in yourself
• Take action -->  
• Take the lead
• Become efficient  --> learn most popular BI Tool
• Remove all and add only the essentials
• Become excellent in...Writing, Information dashboards
3. Mahakala
• Pacify: Foundation - Gentleness, be curious about others, defences are unnecessary
• Enriching: Support, Encourage others
• Magnetizing: Seek contribution/resource of others
• Destroying: Anger, Possessiveness, Stupidity, Dismissive attitude, impulsive arrogance

CONFLICT
Protect OUR territory
Preserve OUR resources
Voicing OUR opinions
Supporting OUR allies
Achieving OUR objectives

ENRICH
Provide perspective
Seek options
Promote win/win
Offer Assistance
Reveal commonalities
Make concessions
Tell stories to clarify point
Build alliances


Test the theory that every human has something to offer

Find something:
Holistic analytical
Compassionate writing
Detail persistence

My random career

My career feels like a constant search for more, for meaning.  Then to be moved back and forth by circumstance.  If I did not initiate change, would I have been here anyway?

I started working and frankly would have done any office work just to earn money.  I was given administration tasks, but then I got bored.  Turned out I did care what I did after all.  3 years later I asked to move to Debtors, doing reconciliations and admin, I wanted to be where the action is, I wanted to do something that matters. 

I build internal relationships quickly and after 2 years I got entrusted with more admin work related to trade and stock.  Moved away from people contact and I got bored again.  I wanted to start studying and after giving it a go, decided finance is not for me.  I had to move.

I requested a transfer to the Planning administration role to put me right in the middle of all the action.  I implemented processes and procedures to streamline the business process.  We then changed systems and had little management reports available to run the business.  I worked with IT to get reports required by the business.  Things quiet down again and I got bored again.

I then made my transition to IT being involved in Business Analysis work and believed that Project Management is what I wanted to do.  After consulting a coach, I realised that project management and business analysis is driving me crazy and not in line with my strengths. 

One common denominator is focusing on the important things that need to be done, and designing dashboards.  The following notes:

Macro Environment
Competitors
Levers of success
Legislation
Direction / Strategy
Statistics

'   ' of balance
Some situations are either/or, measure on gliding scale:
A -----------------------------------------------|----->--------------------- B
| Goal, > Current State

Free Trade -----------------------------------------------------------------regulatory


first step to successful career is to know who you are, and what are your values:


OPENNESS

• Eager to learn
• Willing to teach

INTEGRETY

• Do what you say
• Live by conviction

HONOUR UNITY IN DIVERSITY

• We are all one
• Communication & understanding

SMILE

• Pleasant to be with
• be with others who are pleasant

Day at the beach... what type of rock is in your hand?

Does our actions always have meaning?

Have you ever through rocks at a wall when you were a kid just to make it brake in pieces?  What would have been your motivation?  Are you aware of what you are doing or is it random selection? 

Do you even consider the type of rock you through? It could be clay, it could be lime, or it could contain a diamond.  What will make you stop and look?  What would have to happen, or not happen, for you to stand still, observe what is in your hand before flinging it against a brick wall.

When all the rocks are thrown and we're left with only ourselves, who would we be?

Is meaning to my life purely dependent on what I mean to others?  Should that be enough, or is there more?  Am I suppose to be someone, or am I just an empty jar, able to contain many types of juices, depending on my choice. 

I am linked to the arts, but in what way?  Am I a performer?  Do I really enjoy technology or is it an unfortunate competency?  How did I get here? Was it by accident, or is there a visible pattern to how I make my decisions, that ultimately lead me to where I am?

"Do you think what you think you think"

The book called "Do you think what you think you think"
(by Julian Baggini and Jeremy Stangroom) got me thinking...

The ultimate philosophical quiz book helps you understand any tension standards that one might have. In other words, certain beliefs that are contradictory with one another. I ended up with 6 tensions (of the 15 possible ones), which is a high ranking .... oops. So this attempts to help me challenge some of my own beliefs, and either change my opinion or answer on some of the questions, or try and live with inconsistency (not advisable by the author).

TENSION 1: Is morality relative?

1. There are no objective moral standards; moral judgements are merely an expression of the values of particular cultures. (Agree)
2. Acts of genocide stand as a testament to man's ability to do great evil. (Agree)

These two beliefs contradicts one another, one has to either judge people by your own standards, or believe that each person acts morally from their own perspective. Ouch. I'm not prepared to give up number 1, so number 2 will have to go.

However, the author challenges my thinking by stating that: "if moral judgements really are merely the 'expression of the values of a particular culture', then how are the values which reject genocide and torture at all superior to those which do not?" Hmmmm....

TENSION 2: Can you put a price on human life?

1. The right to life is so fundamental that financial considerations are irrelevant in any effort to save lives. (Agree)
2. Governments should be allowed to increase taxes sharply to save lives in the developing world. (Disagree)

When I answered 2, I did have it Agree at first, but changed it as I thought maybe it is little harsh. Now I can see and I confirm that life is more important than financial gain to me, and therefore 2 should change to Agree. Where does this leave theft, I wonder?

TENSION 3: How much must I protect the environment?

1. The environment should not be damaged unnecessarily in the pursuit of human ends. (Agree)
2. People should not travel by car if they can walk, cycle or take a train instead (Disagree)

Okay, so I kinda made myself feel better by answer disagree with no 2, but I really agree with the statement, and to be honest, I did start doing that as well (rather walk to the shop).

TENSION 4: Can we please ourselves?

1. So long as they do not harm others, individuals should be free to pursue their own needs. (Agree)
2. The possession of drugs for personal use should be decriminalized. (Disagree)

With this one, I don't agree that it is contradictory, because in case of drugs, the user will certainly do harm to their family. This tension I am prepared to live with.

After reading the authors explination, I am not so sure anymore, because what about drugs that are legal, like alcohol (and maybe road accidents) that are among the leading killers in our society. Even second hand smoke is bad for others, but yet are legal. "there is no reason to treat all currently illegal drugs the same."

TENSION 5: How do we judge art?

1. Judgements about works of art are purely matters of taste. (Agree)
2. Michelangelo is one of history's finest artists. (Agree)

Again, I am not giving this tension up, I still believe that art is matters of taste. Most people just happened to like Michelangelo's work. I am happy to accept some debate on this one.

TENSION 6: What should be legal?

1. The government should not permit the sale of health treatments which have not been tested for efficacy and safety. (Agree)
2. Alternative and complementary medicines are as valuable as mainstream medicine. (Agree)

Okay, so no. 1 will have to go, I forgot about alternative medicines. I use them myself and find them to be useful.

So I'm left with 2 tensions now, which seems to be reasonable.

And so I shall live with contradictions...

I end with the authors final thoughts on this section:

"is [our inconsistancies] someting we should be sanguine about, or do we all have a responsibility to think our opinions through much more carefully?"

Don't eat the marshmallow....yet!

"Don't eat the marshmallow....yet!" is a book by Joachim de Posada and Ellen Singer.

It's a small easy read book and serves again as a gentle reminder that we shouldn't count our chicks before they hatch. Except, it goes a step further, in that if we save a marshmallow today, we might have two tomorrow.

It addresses the concept that we challenge our 'fast-food' fast-gratification mentality of today, and maybe delay our 'wants' in order to reach our long term goals.

The five step marshmallow plan

1. What do I need to change? What can I do to stop eating my marshmallows?
2. What are my strengths and weaknesses? How can I improve?
3. What are my major goals? what is my 5 point long term goals?
4. What is my plan? Write it down and manage it!
5. What am I going to do to put my plan into action? How will I become willing to do what unsuccessful people are unwilling to do?

It's funny that we've become accustom to a philosophy that "life owes us something" and "good things comes to those who wait" or "good things happen to good people". Sorry to say, these are empty words. Yes naturally things happen around you without you having to do anything, but life presents to you opportunities, not solutions. It gives you a chance to show what you can do, but you need to do it. So..... what are you going to do about it?