One of my roles as a “management consultant who happens to do tech” is to go into organizations and look for ways in which things can be streamlined and make information more accessible. Organizations of all stripes struggle with this, and periodically it’s good to look at things with fresh eyes. Mapping the flow of…
-
-
As what some would call a “serial entrepreneur,” I have a soft spot in my heart for small businesses and those fledglings just leaving the nest. Armed with great ideas or better approaches, it’s an exciting time, and I get to take a hit of some of that new venture vibe. Often I come in…
-
When Albert Einstein’s dear friend Michele Besso died, Einstein wrote the following to his sister: “Michele has left this strange world a little before me. This means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is nothing more than a persistent, stubborn illusion.” One of the…
-
The CEO (and CIO, and VP of IT) have resigned. The board president/former CEO has come back from retirement, to quell any potential stockholder revolt. In the last month, stock prices have fallen 30%. A Mid-level IT Operations Director has been thrust into an interim VP of IT role, to stabilize a big, years-overdue project…
-
Confession Time: I’m not a very good flosser. Over the years, several dentists in several states have gently (and not so gently) encouraged me to be better. I go through periods of being good, then backslide into my regular, wicked ways. My favorite movie scene from 1986’s “Peggy Sue Got Married” is this one: Peggy…
-
July 25, 2022 Our family vacations always do multiple duties. For example, over the years with summer camps and activities, it never fails that in spite of our intentions we’re always either en route to vacation on my birthday or heavily into it. Vacations check multiple boxes, and the days of simply luxuriating at a…
-
April 21, 2022 “Scott Zarrow had a library.” So began Rabbi Marc Fitzerman’s eulogy of Scott Zarrow, a former client and philanthropist who became a friend, whom I think about often. Scott called me up one day after he finished an add-on to his house that was equal to or bigger than the original footprint…
-
For the past 6 months or so, I’ve been riding shotgun for my daughter while she does her state-required 50 hours of behind-the-wheel driving practice before getting her license. Recently, when accelerating from a stop sign she said “Vrroom-vrrroom.” I asked: “Why do you do that?” “Why?” “Well, you’re in an electric car. There’s no…
-
It’s no surprise to say that for most of their 30-year existence, IT departments have not been held in high regard. Organizations grow over time based on perceived need. Every startup or small business I’ve ever known added a bookkeeper of some kind in short order, then grew over time to require more than accounting.…
-
Yesterday I attended a remembrance service for William Fosterr, whom I got to know and appreciate during my days as the sole IT contractor (2004 — 2011) for the Mental Health Association of Tulsa, now known statewide as MHAOK. I got to know William initially as one of the Front Desk people at their old…
