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January 31, 2006
just business
Recently, I had a conversation about how pricing is done. Part of the interesting part of doing business overseas is that I can have the most interesting conversations from best vodka in Russia to the coming World Cup to the best vacation spots in Europe. On the other hand, you realize that people think differently about topics such as pricing. I had never heard of the idea of price harmonization; this idea emphasizes the same prices across different countries. I find that business is like a language and you wish sometimes that everybody spoke the same language as you do. But, that may not be the case, even among managers.
I miss working with my classmates.
Posted by azileretsis at 08:08 AM | Comments (0)
January 24, 2006
translation please
Google's stock is good to sell or keep. It's a great short-term profit or keep long-term, at least until their capacity for innovation seems to slow down. I don't think it's a good time to buy but those lucky enough to have some, it's a nice predicament.
Poor Disney, having to eat their words. It's still a good move for them to buy Pixar.
Funny sentence in this article: Taiwan is also attractive because, unlike China, it has strong enforcement of intellectual property laws.. Pulleeez.
YES! I miss Jojo.
Posted by azileretsis at 10:02 AM | Comments (0)
January 23, 2006
being proactive
I treat everything as a learning experience. I've recently seen that new managers spend too long relishing in their new positions rather than proactively looking at potential issues. It's highly likely that the previous manager left some messes behind. The first step for new managers should always be to triage the new situation.
Everybody should be required to take a class on priorities.
Posted by azileretsis at 06:33 AM | Comments (0)
January 21, 2006
food
The state of Virginia allows anybody see the latest food inspection reports for all the restaurants. What a downer when you want to go out and eat.
Posted by azileretsis at 11:10 AM | Comments (0)
January 19, 2006
giving back
I went to my first Rotary Club meeting today and I liked it. First, it was filled with people at people much older than me. You know, "gray hair is a crown of splendor" kind of people. Second, the local club seems genuinely interested in being an active part of the community. They did mention that the Rotary Club has strict attendance policies. This is good for them but not so good for people like me who sometimes have attendance issues.
One person commented on how strange it was to see someone of my age but I disagree that it is because of our apathetic attitude. I think my generation really do care about the community but we have too many responsibilities and distractions to focus on community right now. Also, I don't think our generation knows much about these organizations, especially those that seems to represent another generation. Case in point, this week, I know a whole bunch of young people helping out a local traveling homeless shelter.
I like Rotary Club's simple mission.
Posted by azileretsis at 04:37 PM | Comments (0)
January 16, 2006
blank page
I'm still reading the article about complexity and innovation in HBR. Reflecting on the article makes me realize why companies like Dell did so well against in the 1980s and 1990s against IBM. Sometimes a company's processes become so complex and so solidified that any company that starts fresh has a chance of taking market share. Yet, you can build a company that can renew itself like Jack Welch and Carlos Ghosn have proven.
On anther business topic, I cringe these days when I hear about sales order processes that are inefficient. Somebody suggested to me this weekend that profit could be made at finding companies' inefficiencies and capitalizing on them. I consider that stealing and stealing from fools doesn't make it any more ethical.
Posted by azileretsis at 01:27 PM | Comments (0)
January 15, 2006
photography
I have this urge to start taking pictures again. Something about art that touches on life's expressions. Anyways, this led me to finally watch Born into Brothels and I liked it! My friend thought it would be depressing but I disagree. The kids were heart-warming. The movie renewed my interest in visiting India someday.
Posted by azileretsis at 06:04 PM | Comments (0)
January 13, 2006
stories
I agree that our society has lost the art of story-telling. Who doesn't love a good story? Story of Sun
If you haven't heard it before, your job satisfaction is highly correlated to your relationship with your manager. As a supervisor or a line person, both need to manage this relationship. Good managers are those with exceptional skills in this area.
When you accept a job, make sure you have the necessary resources to do your job. Otherwise, your opportunity is to fail too great to overcome. I now have seen this happen to someone and understand its importance. I also saw that other managers watch it happen.
Posted by azileretsis at 08:38 AM | Comments (0)
January 12, 2006
it's simple, stupid
Complexity exists everywhere around us, from our environment to our workplace. However, we desire to work simply. It's not that systems need to be more simple, it is that we need an simple interface that hides the complexity.
I think we deny complexity because we don't want the trouble of actually thinking yet that is what separates us from computers. When you stop thinking at your job, it's the first sign that you are replaceable.
I can definitely empathize about giving your brain a break sometimes but it worries me when people look for systems or processes to put in place that allows them not to think.
Different topic, COO at Sun blogs!
Posted by azileretsis at 01:04 PM | Comments (0)
January 06, 2006
use what you produce
I think each project manager should be forced to use the products that create. If they are built poorly, they should be made to use it on a monthly basis. The Social Security Administration (SSA) contact system either kicks you out or gives you a busy signal. At least at Verizon, I got a clueless person.
I recently was told that my IT experience is mainly on the web. It's true but now most business systems are on the web or going to the web. Also, my IT experience is also inclusive of many years in database design, development, management, and analysis. This db work is invaluable. Who would have thunkit?
I strongly believe that IT is a subset of doing business. You can't stay competitive without understanding how to make your decisions. More and more, you need to understand how to use technology to make better decisions.
Posted by azileretsis at 01:41 PM | Comments (0)
financial reports
A good financial report is like a good adventure novel. You can see the echos of great ideas, cohesive teams, and stellar individuals. It also reflects beginner's mistakes and times of surprise and uncertainty. The report highlights the path that the company took and what environments that it encountered. Read about yours today.
If you allocate your overseas earnings to be invested overseas again, you can reduce your effective tax rate.
Posted by azileretsis at 08:29 AM | Comments (0)
January 04, 2006
bios
Interesting bio on Daniel Vasella of Novartis. I didn't realize that I bought products sold by Novartis like my contact lens.
I also had difficulty putting Jojo on the WLAN. The problem was the information was spread out across two pdfs and two GUIs. I had to tinker for a couple of hours before I finally figured it out. This was after deciding to not to follow some of the documentation. Figuring out how to get Jojo to blog was along the same lines and I had to go online for some answers. Jojo and I are bonding well though. It's a great gift for someone who doesn't have to time for a real pet and willing to be patient.
Posted by azileretsis at 12:41 PM | Comments (0)
old haunts
I stumbled onto a website I haven't been to in awhile, Jakob Nielsen's useit.com. Good advice about pdfs.
Windows security information on new vulnerability.
I appreciate good humour.
I rejoice with the one survivor and mourn for those who didn't.
Posted by azileretsis at 08:25 AM | Comments (0)
January 03, 2006
cool gifts
I got the coolest gift this Christmas, Jojo. We are bonding well. People are pretty fascinated with her until they realize she's a bit slow. She even blogs! Once, my friend found out she also reads emails, he spent last night trying to send me emails with creative language.
My ip address finally refreshed during the last week of December.
My prayers are with the families of the miners.
Posted by azileretsis at 01:42 PM | Comments (0)