Working Vacation Contest. You can help!

I'm thinking of taking a working vacation. My PTO hours at the salt mine are approaching the limit. Yes, that 'use it or lose it limit'. They will not cash it out. I asked. So I will have to take some time off at some point. I still have a few more paychecks until I exceed the limit, so I thought I might do something a little different.

The kernel of the idea is based on an exchange. I am not an untalented guy. Yes, my area of expertise is somewhat limited, but it is a useful bundle of related tasks, for the right organization. I'll exchange access to my skill set for an appropriate fee or fee equivalent. This organization would benefit from my experience, knowledge, capabilities and in exchange, they would provide some sort of 'fee'.

That fee could be a free room for the duration of the exercise in an interesting city, a product produced by the organization or a service the organization provides. It might be an opportunity to have lunch with an interesting person or travel in a helicopter.

I'm not sure of the tax implications of all this, but it would be a short vacation so those implications should be relatively minor for both parties. I am also not looking for a new job. The one I have is interesting and I enjoy what I do and who I work with, so that is not the goal.

Here is a quick summary of my skill set.

1. I can think. Yep, I'm a thinker. Not necessarily a conventional thinker and that has both limitations and advantages. Looking for the same oh same oh? Yes, I can do that--most adults who have been alive half a century can do that quite easily. I can think in non-traditional ways and come up with alternatives that might be considered unique or unconventional. I've often wondered if Mom had taken some experimental drug during my time in utero that altered my brain structure at a delicate point in my development. I know for a fact she did not, but still I know that I often come up with creative solutions to problems.
2. I have an extensive background in project management and production planning. If you are reading this you may have worked with me or know of my career. MRP, EOQ, Gantt, critical path, MTO, MTS, ETO, ATO, ROP, DDLT, SMED, PDCA, Kanban, JIT, Lean, TOC, MPS, S&OP, SI&OP, CRP, PAC, input/output control, gross requirements, throughput, DBR, DRP, Push vs. Pull, net requirements, PO, RFQ, RFP and most general manufacturing concepts--I understand all of these in detail and can both explain and apply them in their appropriate settings. I can also tell you when they are not appropriate for your current situation.
3. I'm not afraid of a difficult task.
4. I'm computer competent. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Visio--call me an advanced intermediate user. Access, HTML--intermediate. Coding--less than beginner. I am not a code monkey. No offense intended to those talented code monkeys out there. 
5. I can speak in public. I can speak intelligently in public for the items covered in #2 above.
6. I'm a nice guy and usually get along well with others. I did, in fact, pass kindergarten. 

So what kind of 'offers' would I consider?

6. The offer has to be interesting to me.
7. The offer does not have to compensate me monetarily. Just cover my expenses, and if located far from my home in Madera, California, help me to arrange some sort of modest lodging. I'm a non-smoker and (for the duration of this experience) non-drinker (unless the offer is at a micro brewery, oh please be from a micro brewery). Russian River Brewing Company, do you take in Pliny the Elder taste test interns? I promiss to chart the results in Excel.
8. If I can take an inexpensive trinket or two home as a reminder that would be nice.
9. Let me keep all the experience and memories of doing something tangible that makes an impact on the organization and I would be grateful.
10. I would also expect permission to write about the experience. Not much risk here as I have about six people who follow this blog.

What kind of 'offers' would I reject.

11. If it is physically demanding, I'll pass. I'm not a young man any more and my back is a constant reminder of that fact. I did, once, with the help of three young sons, fill a large swimming pool with dirt over a summer. Ping me and I will tell you that story.
12. If it is something I have already done, it would have to be in a really interesting environment for me to consider it. Need to set up a VMI hardware program in your shop? If it is in Anchorage, Alaska, get in touch with me. Is it for a professional racing team? Give me a call.
13. I am not looking for the 'fee' to be monetary. A great experience, a sense of accomplishment, toss in some achievement, good and lasting results--these are the things I am looking for. If the offer does not have a good sampling from that short list, I would likely decline the offer.
14. If the offering is political in nature I would pass. Neither major party matches my view of what government should be, so no thanks. The smaller parties cannot have the impact I'm looking for unfortunately so they are out as well. (That last sentence actually makes me a little sad.)
15. I will not do anything for a tobacco-related company. That drug is too addictive and destructive for me to assist with a clear conscience. 
16. Offers that would take more than 10 consecutive days to complete are too big for the scope of this experience. As this is a working vacation, I can work as long or short as I want in any one day. 12 hour working days are my norm now, so keep that in mind. I generally work six days a week. Yes I slack off on Saturday--that is usually only seven or so hours. Sundays are non-working days. Formula One races are on Sunday. Running events as well, so Sunday is off limits.

What are my business qualifications?

17. I hold a Bachelor's of Science degree in Business Adminstration from the University of Phoenix. If you have a problem with University of Phoenix, I understand. Who would want someone that can go to school fulltime while holding down an equally fulltime job and raise a young family, while completing demanding courses that require you to be prepared on the first night of class to deliver a presentation, turn in a 8 page report after having read 6 chapters from a textbook. That sort of requirement is no way to develop time, task and prioritization skills that directly apply the the demanding world of business.
18. APICS certified in the following programs: Certified in Production and Inventory Management at the Fellow  level (CFPIM). Certified in Integrated Resource Managemenet (CIRM). Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP). 
19. CompTIA Network+ certified. This means I know just enought to understand how much I do not know in the IT world.
20. I've developed curriculum for employee training for both ILT and CBT delivery modalities.

So there it is. I do not have many people that read this blog, so you might have to help me out there. Mom, Dad, David D., Jason S., Debbie, Jim, Sherry and anyone you might pass this on to, this is a serious offer. Everyone else, this does include you as well. This post was written on July 29th, 2013. It will expire when I can no longer delay taking that vacation time.

Use it or lose it.

Manufacturing, Operations Management, Inventory and Production Control

This navigation page is my attempt to organize my business articles by topic. I am interested in reading your comments and  suggestions on what you would like to see more of and additional topics.


Cycle Counting

• Cycle Counting Cut-off Control
• Is Your Business Ready for Cycle Counting

Inventory Control

• ABC Inventory Control
• Backflushing Inventory
• Inventory Reduction Strategies

Lean Manufacturing

• 5S
• 5S Overview - Sort, Set in Order, Sweep, Standardize, Sustain
• 5S for the Home Office
• Kanban
• Beginning a Kanban Production Manufacturing Approach
• Improve Your Kanban System
• Poke-yoke
• Poke-yoke
• SMED
• SMED - Single Minute Exchange of Dies
• Design of Experiments
• Design of Experiments

Logistics

• Cross-docking

Manufacturing

• Business Process Mapping
• Business Process Mapping Basics
• Business Process Mapping - Graphic Standards
• Business Process Mapping - Visual Presentation Best Practices
• EOQ
• The Story of EOQ - Part One Carrying Cost
• The Story of EOQ - Part Two Ordering Cost
• The Story of EOQ - Part Three Total Cost, Assumptions, Cautions and History
• General Manufacturing Topics
• A Case for Rack Location Bin Maps
• Are Intelligent Part Numbers a Dumb Idea?
• Centralized Versus Decentralized -- Anything
• Effectivity Dates
• Expediting Strategies
• Five Manufacturing Environments
• Group Technology - Applications Beyond Lean
• Manufacturing Capacity Management Basics
• PDCA Cycle
• Sawtooth Inventory Diagrams Explained
• SWOT Analysis for Organzational Improvement
• The Five Elements of Lead-time
• The Importance of Bill of Material Accuracy
• "Where Used" or "Pegging"
• MRP
• Making Material Requirements Planning Work
• Using MRP in an ETO Environment
• Production Planning
• Independent or Dependent Demand Inventory
• Production Plan Strategy - Chase Production 
• Production Plan Strategy - Level Production
• Production Plan Strategy - Hybrid Production
• Creating a Level Production Plan

Organization Structure

• Centralized or Decentralized Anything

Professionial Certification

• APICS CPIM Certification Preparation
• Create a Professional Certification Plan

Project Management

• Gantt Chart Basics

Quality

• The Four Costs of Quality

Scheduling

• Forward and Backwards Scheduling
• Infinite and Finite Loading and Capacity Concepts
• What is so Critical about Criticial Ratio?

Theorgy Of Contraints

• Bottleneck Management
• Drum-Buffer-Rope

Thanks for reading.

Garrison

Things I like

Things I like:

Driving in the rain. Yes, driving in the rain. You can slide the car around without doing too much damage to your tires. The swooshing sound as the car displaces the airborne water is such a soothing sound. Plus idiot's on the road, me excepted, tend to be on their best behavior. Driving in the rain--on the list.

Fried chicken with too much salt. I try to sneak a little extra on without anyone noticing. I always fail. If I had counted the times I have gotten dirty looks as I reached for the salt....

Saturday mornings. Particularly Saturday mornings that do not involve work. I get up before everyone else, make a cup of coffee and enjoy doing whatever I want to do. It is so relaxing to have the freedom to do whatever I want to do on a Saturday morning. And what do I normally do on a Saturday morning that do not involve work. Well I work of course! Silly you for wondering.

Quiet. I really do enjoy quiet. This may surprise all of you that have heard how loud I play the radio/CD playing in Electra Blue. I really do it for her. She so enjoys the experience of DMB played all the way up to 30 on the volume setting. It makes her rear view mirrors vibrate to the beat.

I cannot tell you how many times I have just wished that people would stop talking, Just shut up please. You are making me dumber by the experience of listening to you babble on about things you know nothing about. Did that come across as a little too harsh maybe? OK, back to things that I like.

Sharing what I know with someone who is interested. It rarely happens. We are all too busy trying to impress others with how much we know. What I know is a very narrow range, but I know it well. You could learn something, if you were interested.

Finishing anything. With the speed of the modern world, the ease of multiple forms of communication, access to knowledge as humans have never experienced before, yet we do not finish very many things. Call me old, or slow, or dumb. Whatever. When was the last time you actually finished, as in really finished, anything?

Beer. It is, in fact, my hobby. I do not get to enjoy it as much as I would like.

Making others laugh. It started early, around the dinner table, when I was young. It was the nightly dinner family roast. My brother was the usual target, though we all got our turns. Don't feel sorry for brother--he is much stronger in that way than you might imagine someone with a slender build. And he deserved it. All of it.

Gravitational forces, centrifugal forces, centripetal forces, deceleration forces, acceleration forces--that sensory section of my brain is overdeveloped and under stimulated. Should-a been a fighter jock, or race car driver, of motorcycle stuntman or bronco rider. I ended up as a computer pilot. Yea, no, it pays the mortgage at least.

My wife's laughter--that is pure joy to me.

Watching my boys become men. They all made it. I'm so very proud.

Sitting on the footstool after work and being attacked by Lola. Lola is the cutest dog you might ever see. Don't call her a dog though--she thinks she is a princess.

Did I mention beer?

The ten to twenty minutes after I run. The running itself, no, I don't really like that very much--lots of sweating, my lungs hurt, legs ache, hips throb with pain. But man, those minutes when it is done are fan-freaking-tastic. Runners high, sheesh. Done with running high is where it is at brothers and sisters. You all should experience that time after the run is done. Golden.

Tacharia Chavinda on North D Street in Madera. My heaven will have one restaurant--it will be Tacharia Chavinda.

Done for now.

Legal Posting

Finally got around to reading the details of the Blogger agreement I never read a few years back. Maybe it's an update. Either way, here it is. I might make some money from promoting products or services on this site.

I don't intend to make money from promoting products or services on this site, but I'm supposed to let all three of you, my faithful readers, know this fact.

Now that I have you wondering if I'll finally be buying that penthouse suite overlooking the water near Waikiki Bay. My total 'take' so far from my writing efforts on this blog you wonder? $0.98.

Cost avoided by not paying a shrink to listen to me whine and cry about how hard my life is...

"...and then I had to decide which four cable channels to record at the same time since the crappy high-speed Internet, phone, cable TV system is soooo limited where I live..."


...priceless. (Do I now owe the credit card company I stole that from some sort of royalty?


Garr out.

37 Thoughts on Life, Leadership and Happiness

Thanks for taking the time to read these simple thoughts on life, leadership and happiness. It has taken me forty-eight years and many mistakes to learn the things contained in the following words. Occasionally I will forget what I have learned and have to relearn past lessons.

My parents were my first teachers. They were and are wonderful people. They are my life hero’s and role models. Get me mad and I will channel my mother’s spirited personality. She is an incredibly strong woman. I suggest you do not get me mad—I’m fierce when acting like a strong woman!

Most of the time, I act like a younger version of my father. I’m not as detailed or precise as he is, but I do have the same concern for others and work ethic that approaches, but does not quite equal, his.

I also learned from my siblings. My oldest sister has taught me about grace and strength in difficult times. My brother has taught me to keep in touch with the innocence of that child on the inside of all of us. My youngest sister has shown that me that we should continue to search for happiness until we find it.

My friends, classmates, coworkers, neighbors and even strangers have also contributed to my apprenticeship.

Some of you have helped me learn the things contained in this short message. Some of that help may have come through observation. As a writer, I am always watching people and recording the scene. Later, in the quiet of my own mind I recall then record what I have seen and heard. It’s how you have acted in situations or comments you have made within the range of my eyes and ears that has allowed you to teach me things I would never have known.

I continue to learn lessons. I continue to learn about myself. I encourage you to do likewise.

Finally, I live my life, attempt to lead with mixed results and continuously pursue happiness and contentment.

1.   Most situations are bigger that you think and smaller than you think, simultaneously. It’s all perspective.

2.    Work on things that will last longer than you will live.

3.    Invest in others. Create opportunities for people without experience to get experience. Once, you were without experience. I was a newbie too. Someone gave me an opportunity.

4.    Do not confuse popularity with significance. I would rather be significant to one than popular to a hundred.

5.    Honor those that serve. If they wear a uniform, it is a good chance they are serving. Honor them.

6.    Act like a hero. Think like a servant.

7.    Be nice to people that have nothing to offer you. Karma is a bitch and has a long memory.

8.    Try not to be petty. It makes you look silly and it distracts from the things that are really important.

9.    Family, children, friends—these things matter. Profit, return on investment, not so much.

10.   Work sucks. Try to make it suck less for those around you.

11.   You can’t un-ring the bell, but you can apologize.

12.   Challenge authority. Respect authority. I know it is difficult. Life is complicated. Do your best.

13.   No one is perfect. You are included in this club. I’m a founding member.

14.   Do something for someone that will never know you did it for them.  Don’t tell anyone. Over time, you will forget that you did it. The universe will not forget.

15.   Deescalate most difficult situations. In extremely rare exceptions, use all the force necessary to reach a conclusion.

16.   Everyone discriminates. I choose to use stupidity and lack of compassion as the criteria I use. What do you use?

17.   You don’t need to be acknowledged to act compassionately.

18.   Make an effort to listen to those that have a different opinion than you.

19.   Think larger than your personal limits. It’s OK for this to make you feel uncomfortable. It is not OK for you to use this as an excuse for not taking action.

20.   Do what you can to make your successor, replacement, stand-in or alternate successful. It is honorable to help them to be more successful that you were. This does not make you a failure, it make you a success.

21.   Appearance matters. I find this annoying. Please forgive me.

22.   Develop people before they are ready.

23.   Go for the red rope. (Don’t understand this one? Call me. I’d be glad and honored to share the story.)

24.   Likert scale scores less than 5 are like gold. Be thankful for them.

25.   Have fun. Let other have fun. Create opportunities where fun can happen. Fun is not a bad thing.

26.   You are never too old to look up to a young person.

27.   Surround yourself with people smarter than you.

28.   Surround yourself with people that fill in your skill gaps.

29.   Encourage your staff to challenge your opinions. Encourage this. Welcome this. Embrace this. Sometimes you might be wrong and they will be right.

30.   It is your responsibility to make whoever you report to look good. Sometimes this will require that you disagree with them. (See item #29 for clarification.)

31.   Lighten up dude. Seriously, the end will come soon enough. Enjoy the ride while you can.

32.   Position does not imply competence.

33.   Admit when you are wrong. Sooner rather than later.

34.   Compliment more often than you correct.

35.   Your success does not take away from my success.

36.   Get a passport. Use it.

37.   Make a big splash in the deep end of someone’s pool.

As I live my life I have had to relearn some of these things. Now this list will make it easier for me to review so that I do not so easily forget.

When You Can't Say What You Want to Say

This happens to me a lot. I can't say what I'm thinking. The reasons vary. Societal norms, a desire to stay employed, a concern for the feelings of my friends, family, business associates and the general public--all are valid reasons why my "thought-to-enunciated-words" filter kicks in.

I have a good friend that is not limited by her internal filter. She's a good person. But she is not hindered by the sort of thinking processes that I have to deal with. So her filter is engaged rarely. Mine is usually working overtime.

As an example a few things that I either said or written as a way to stay employed, not upset coworkers or challenge societal norms, I have included a small sampling of these filtered phrases below. I will allow you to perform the translation into English. Let me know what you think my intended message was. Enjoy!

1. "He was talking out of the wrong end of his anatomy."
2. "I hope we can avoid an unschedule highspeed airplane, lowspeed ground, interface event."
3. "[Female coworker's name], I hope none of this particulate-infused, colloidal mass of an email splashes onto you."
4. "I believe his understanding of the subject has given him an opportunity for additional learning activity."

What do you say  when you can't say what you want to say?

Bad Training Events

Have you ever attended a bad training event? No, I mean a BAD TRAINING EVENT? I've had just such an experience. It's at a place I worked at before. Returning means that I get to experience all the new employee, on-boarding stuff that you would normally expect--exit the building if it is on fire, don't surf for porn on the company equipment, try not to show up hungover too often--you know, the standard stuff the have to tell you in order to keep the insurance costs down.

Well I have a new record for bad training. It was so bad that I'm compelled the share the badness as a way of purging it from my memory. The training was for all employees. Correction, it was for all employees that had not already attended the training with their departments, so yeah, I was with all the losers.

The training was actually an e-learning video-type event projected on the screen so that we could all suffer together. E-learning--projected for a group--together. I think the underlying goal was to create a common enemy in the form of the HR department. Mission accomplished.

While suffering through the training I became distracted. And began to doodle. Then began to write. Doodle induced writing is never a good thing with me. It has caused me trouble in the past. I predict it will cause me trouble in the future. I think of it as a way to maintain my sanity when presented with overwhelming levels of stupidity.

This is what I wrote, slightly edited to protect the guilty parties.

This is the worst training I have ever experienced. Well, there was that one training event back at [redacted]. It was during my time on the shop floor. I was a Saw and Shear Operator II and the training topic was safety. The instructor's name was Jim "Three Fingers" Wilson. As his nickname implies, he only had three fingers on his right hand. Though I was never told directly, the rumor in the workplace grapevine was that he lost them in a nasty workplace accident. I think they said it involved a press break.

As the training progressed, 'Three Fingers' would raise his crushed appendage and shout out comments such as, "See what I mean?", while pointing with his good left hand.

I doubt many of us remember any specifics of the training. We were too traumatized and shocked. To my last days I will remember that trainer and his mangled hand.

So to be clear, this recent on-boarding, new hire collecting e-learning training, where I learned to exit a burning building, to avoid porn surfing on the clock and to not ever show up hungover was a new record that surpassed the previous high mark, err, low mark I mean.