tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5911290188475076424.comments2009-04-27T10:20:06.640-04:00Brian Disbrownoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5911290188475076424.post-8320983379012627882009-04-27T10:20:06.640-04:002009-04-27T10:20:06.640-04:00LOL, this could be a good thing. I mean, it would be nice if the IBM fact-based decider would note how much more expensive/less productive organizations are with WAS, RAD, WPS, etc and decide that you should scrap it all for a lighter weight stack. Something tells me more often than not the decider will decide: "it is a fact you need more IBM products and services"Chris Latimernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5911290188475076424.post-55670165439318201132008-11-02T20:11:59.711-05:002008-11-02T20:11:59.711-05:00Nice Brian! I definitely agree that too many people judge their worth on their ability to squeeze extra value from their "Word a Day" calendars. Although, we should be careful not to confuse wordsmithing with eloquence - the art of using "simple" verbiage to lend actual credibility to one's statements.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096634202420508508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5911290188475076424.post-83760320148792296192008-08-13T09:42:13.296-04:002008-08-13T09:42:13.296-04:00Brian, you just described exactly what Jim Collins outlines as a Level 5 leader in "Good to Great". Many leaders are quite transparent in their disrespect for those under them, which actually de-motivates the worker. It takes someone who is highly focused on the good of the team, instead of their own personal success, to successfully lead.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096634202420508508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5911290188475076424.post-53305748738376528202008-07-26T01:08:07.250-04:002008-07-26T01:08:07.250-04:00I totally want to steal them as analogies the next time I bring this up :)Brian Disbrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14312247770141677179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5911290188475076424.post-69187997363786167142008-07-26T01:07:01.567-04:002008-07-26T01:07:01.567-04:00Awesome storiesBrian Disbrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14312247770141677179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5911290188475076424.post-13923777102552016792008-07-26T00:28:58.170-04:002008-07-26T00:28:58.170-04:00The demolition analogy is very powerful. During college I worked demolition for a summer and have seen some of the things that happen. 2 similar but very different stories come to mind. Both are about taking down brick walls with hammers. <BR/><BR/>The first worker was given a sledgehammer and told to take down a wall - without first looking the guy begins knocking out the bottom of the wall. Unfortunately he didn't stop to think about how the wall would come down around a - still live - high-pressure fire pipe (enough pressure to shoot a stream of water 100 yards horizontally). Only once the bottom of the wall was removed did he realize the trouble that was about to happen. Needless to say it took a team of 10 guys about 3 hours to cleanup the mess, all while working in about a foot of water.<BR/><BR/>In the second instance a worker went to a wall with just a 12 ounce hammer (the kind even a carpenter would scoff at for being too light). And with a few well placed blows began removing bricks low on the wall. Eventually he removed enough bricks to let the weight of the wall do the work for him, and all that was left was cleanup - sans water.<BR/><BR/>Like you say, sometimes even the apparent "best" solution isn't the one that works the best. And too often its the lack of forethought by the worker/developer that leads to a subpar solution.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096634202420508508noreply@blogger.com