marginally subversive

"I told you so!"

I am going to cut and paste this blog in its entirety - because I couldn't have written it any better.  All I can say is "This explains a lot!".

A New Power Principle?

Posted by: Jena McGregor on May 20

You may think it’s your boss who’s always the one messing things up. But according to new research in the journal Pyschological Science, people with lower-ranking titles are more likely to make errors than those with higher-ranking roles. That’s because, says Adam Galinsky, a study co-author and professor at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, the “executive functions” of the brain, or the gray-matter processes that override automatic responses, can be impaired when people are put in jobs with little power. In Galinsky’s study, which was co-authored by Pamela K. Smith, Nils B. Jostmann, and Wilco W. van Dijk, subjects who were randomly assigned to be subordinates had a harder time staying focused on goals than those who, by chance, were named to be managers.

The research isn’t the first Galinsky has done on the effects of power on performance. In another study, he had students sit down very close to electric fans blowing in their faces. Sixty-nine percent of those randomly assigned to be managers moved the fans, while just 42% of those named subordinates did. Galinsky believes such research helps confirm why employee “empowerment”—especially in health care, or high-risk factory jobs—should be much more than just lip service. Says Galinksy: “Lacking power impairs those parts of the brain that allow people to stay focused.”

I wouldn't really call it "power" though - it's "control" or the perception of the ability to make a difference and to control one's environment.  Once that is lost - all is gone.

Withdrawal symptoms...

A challenge, I would say, is emerging. 

I am used to seeing lots of zeros in planning, learning, and project engagement briefs (unfortunately, those zeros don't get filtered down into my pocket.)

I am also used to being able to work independently and sign or initial invoices for endorsements.  Or give advice on pressing business issues about the strategic direction of the office.  Or be heard about what my thoughts are with regard to where the company should be headed in the next 3-5 years - and what the risks are.  Or be consulted by the staff. Or approve forms. ("Approve now, inform later..." was my mantra; "it's easier to rationalize and apologize than seek permission" was my other mantra.  Of course, within reasonable bounds.)

Or stay up late to finish one report or presentation needed by the client for a very crucial meeting that could make or break the business.  Or stare at the screen in search for stories amidst a plethora of numbers - and scratching my head every time a hypothesis bombs.

Suddenly, I have to scale down.

Significantly.

And my body - and my mind - is suddenly undergoing "withdrawing symptoms" with all the changes that are happening in my new environment.

I know - I should be thankful.  And be careful of what I ask for - as I just might get it.

Well, that gives me more time to do more of my academic and charity work, and more time to spend with my significant other [albeit electronically].

But I wonder how other agency-execs feel and cope when they move to the client side?  Did they feel the same as I do now?  Or is mine a spurious case - an outlier?

Dumbing it down is making it boring...

I just wrote about boredom in a previous entry.  And right after I hit "publish" on my Windows Live Writer, my RSS reader told me that Seth Godin just wrote something about "dumbing it down".

He writes about pandering to the masses and dumbing things down - and argues that hey, give me smart customers anytime because they are far more profitable, far more energetic, far more engaged.

Why?

The thing is, when you dumb stuff down, you know what you get?

Dumb customers.

And (I'm generalizing here) dumb customers don't spend as much, don't talk as much, don't blog as much, don't vote as much and don't evangelize as much. In other words, they're the worst ones to end up with.

I honestly don't think there dumb customers (and I believe that Seth Godin is being sarcastic...)  Ogilvy said that "the consumer is not a moron; she is your wife".

I have sat down in so many client-agency meetings where clients go "That's too sophisticated for our customers; they wouldn't understand that" or "It's nice and witty - but won't it be too witty to our consumers" or "Just tell them the specifications of our products - that we have GB of storage that could store X thousands of songs and videos" or "just plaster the brand logo there - and we'd be fine".

In other words, "dumb it down because consumers don't understand it".

This runs counter to my belief that we are overly underestimating our customers and our target consumers.  If they were "dumb", then we wouldn't have all these things called FaceBook, Wikipedia, and other tech wonders that were dependent on these "dumb" customers.

Simplify it, yes.  But don't dumb it down.  That's what I would say.  Simplifying it is not necessarily dumbing it down.  Simplifying it is all about making things intuitive, for example, in a computer software. 

(And this is why I like XLSTAT and XLMINER - they're advanced stats software but they're not assuming I am dumb; they just made how I use their software easier and faster.)

Anyway, the same is true with people:  Don't dumb people down.  When you explain things to your subordinates or your peers, don't dumb it down.  Simplify it.  But don't dumb it down.

Here's Seth's Blog on Dumbing down.

My Ten Most Favorite Digital Things...: Part 2

This is part two of my ten most favorite digital things.  In the first part, I listed down in no particular order five digital things that I really loved.  I had the Yahoo finance pages with the advanced charting techniques, the Windows Live Services, my MacBookPro and OSX Leopard, my Nokia E90 phone, and the New Outlook and OneNote 2007 - all of which I really loved and enjoyed using.

Now, I am off to name the second set of the digital things that I really love - and I start off with...

Number 6:   C++. I know, I know.  It's not really something that I am good at - and it's not even something that I can see me using in the next couple of years.  But I am hinging on the possibility that with the more information coming my way - in the form of usage patterns, raw data on how people are using information on the net and how they are interacting with different sites - I think C++ will come in handy.  I have finished the first five chapters of my book - and am now into learning more about classes and objects.

Now some will probably say that C++ is too old - and that there are far too many other, more important and more up-to-date programming languages.  But for some reason, I have some affinity with C++.  It's probably because it's easy to understand - and from what I gathered, Office was built on C++.  (I could be wrong - don't shoot me!)

So I think that C++ will remain to be one of my favorite things - even if its applicability remains to be seen.  At least, I will have learned something.

7.  XLSTAT and XLMINER

I have personal subscriptions to XLSTAT and XLMINER - and when embedded into the new Excel 2007, XLSTAT becomes a real power-house.  I have not tried XLMINER on Excel 2007 - but the ability of Excel 2007 to manage so many rows and columns makes it easier for me to analyze different sets of data.  Back then, with Excel 2003 which I think accommodates only about 255 columns, I had to break down all my files into different sheets.

These days, I work and run my XLSTAT with ease on big files.

XLMINER, which still runs on my Office 2003 at my old personal PC, is still a gem.  Its neural networking capabilities, logistic regression, and classification routines are simply good and easy to navigate.  It's one helluva of tool that every data miner should have in their PC.  And I would gladly recommend it to someone interested in the field of datamining. 

My only gripe with XLMINER?  It can't manage much of the qualitative variables - or at least, I have not unlocked how to use qualitative variables just yet.  But all in all:  thumbs-up to both software programs.

8.  Apple Airport

I bought it, unboxed it, fired up the Mac, and set it up - all within 15 minutes.  Me the klutz when it comes to wires and setting up things managed to get it running.  And yes, it's now linking two personal laptops and two mobile phones in my apartment.

9.  Live.Com

Friends have been encouraging me to use Google Reader - but for some reason, I find it too ... blah.  Perhaps, it's just my personality.  I need some colors, some photos, some life in my news reader.  And Live.Com gives me that.

It allows me to customize my site (yes, I know - iGoogle does the same thing - but still... it's... bland!)  I like Live.Com:  it's now the default home-page on my laptop both at home and at work.  It summarizes the days news for me in various tabs - and the good thing about it:  I can preview the contents of the different subscriptions I have (and I have lots!).  If indeed the abstracts of the things I read intrigue me, then I would go off and read them.

10.  Lifehack.Org

OK.  I am one who does not really want to be told.  But seriously, LifeHack.Org gives me so many ideas on so many things.  Some of the articles I really like - like the latest entry on what to do if you're not really celebrating Christmas.  Others are way-off my field, I guess.  But that's the beauty of LifeHack.Org - it touches on things that are important to you directly, on things that may not necessarily be important to you now but could possibly be in the future.  My Del.Icio.Us account is full of LifeHack.Org tags.

I don't think any other website has been as cool LifeHack.Org.

Additional Stuff that I really liked...

I know the title says 10, but I need to mention two other services that I really liked:  LinkedIn.Com and PickTheBrain.Com.  You are probably very familiar with LinkedIn.Com - and if you are not, better go to LinkedIn.Com now and create your own profile.  I think of the different networking sites that I have joined, LinkedIn.Com perhaps was the most profitable in terms of generating "returns" on my efforts.  I have had several  requests for interviews and consulting projects through LinkedIn - all of which I had to turn down due to some reason or another. 

PickTheBrain.Com is rather a different breed.  It's more of the personal-development site, minus the preaching.  I am too hard-headed to be preached to - and I guess too cynical to even consider the "field" or the "spirituality that surrounds us all".  But PickTheBrain.Com is quite interesting as it focuses on achieving balance.  Their latest entry as of this writing talks about Self-Actualization and exercising, which I thought made sense.

I am sure there will be more useful stuff coming around and bubbling up in the near future.

My needs?  They're very simple, really.  Anything that would get me going and make me more efficient in managing my life and achieving that balance between work and personal life - that's good with me.  (Oh, Facebook is cool - but for now, I guess I don't really see the value in it for me save for wasting some time in the office when there's a lull in between projects - or mass-broadcasting everybody to leave me alone as I am trying to beat a deadline.)

That's it for now!

Turning Great Data into Great, Compelling Stories...

It is commonly assumed that if you have great data, it follows that you have great stories. Sometimes even with the greatest of data, one cannot easily create stories that are interesting, compelling, and remarkable. And the other 'round is true: one can tell great stories even without data. (Think Nixon, Clinton, and all th consulants and lawyers you know.)

It also doesn't help if the data is static: just pure tables full of percentages. I - for one - have not mastered the art of coaxing stories out of percentages. I know of people who can create great stories out of nowhere. But, man... I think I am not one of those yet.

I am reminded of one of my colleagues, Prashant, and his words of wisdom: Tell stories, not regurgitated data.

To compel. To be remarkable. To enroll. These go beyond data.

It takes guts. And an integrative mind.

My Ten Most Favorite Digital Things...: Part 1

OK.  Everybody is coming up with their own list - of what's hot, what's not, what's cool, what's uncool - about 2007.  So I decided to come up with my own list.  I am going to list them down in no particular order since some of them are really not comparable.

A disclosure probably is in order here:  I am not a techie - I have never been a techie.  But I do try to keep abreast with the changes that are happening in the tech-world, specially when it comes to software and gadgets.

My hope?  To inspire you to consider creating your own list - and perhaps egg on companies to do better about their products into the future.

So here are my ten most favorite digital things - again, in no particular order:

1.  Yahoo! Finance Pages.

In the same way that I am not a techie, I am not financially savvy.  However, I do know the basics of stocks and technical analysis.  I know my Betas, MCAs, ROCs, Bollinger Bands, EMAs, and Stochastics.  Yahoo! caught my eye one day with their beta (is it still a beta?) of their new charting functions.  I went crazy!  For once, I didn't have to strain my eyes looking at the graphs that I usually look at when analyzing stocks and their possible movements.

Have I learned a lot of money after using Yahoo! Finance?  If I did invest based on my analysis, I would have done better.  But since I would rather go for less volatile stocks, well, nothing really did materialize and get monetized.

Maybe next year.

2.  Windows Live Services

Windows Live indeed upped their usability quotient this year.  I now have Windows Live Mail on my desktop which checks my emails from hotmail.com, live.com, and gmail.com.  It's a one-stop-software that consolidates all my email accounts into one big screen.  And to add to that, it's got RSS readers that fetches all my favorite blogs and newssites that I read at the end of the day to keep my brain alive.

Of the different things that I really love, Windows Live Writer tops my list.  It is an amazing piece of blogging software.  Much better than MacJournal which I am now using when I am on my mac, and even the interface that Typepad has when one logs on.  WYSIWYG interface, cut-and-paste photos, add-ins that are quite helpful - I think this is my favorite of them all in the Windows Live suite.

3.  My MacBook Pro and OSX Leopard

OK. OK.  It was a buy that I was cajoled into buying by a friend.  He said "Be different; get a Mac!"  And I reasoned post-purchase, "I will use my Windows laptop for work, my Mac for other stuff".  But there is indeed something magical about using a Mac.

In fairness, I have not tried Windows Vista - so I really cannot compare the two.  Windows for me is for serious business - when I do data-mining, simulations, modeling work, and other heavy numbers stuff.  Mac is for photos, collating them into nice albums.

The only problem I have with the Mac - it keeps on asking me to login to mac.com.  I have enough emails and blogs and other services on the web.  Enough with it already.  I am happy with that.

4.  My Nokia E90 Phone

My first phone was a Nokia - it's one of those brick phones that could be used as a murder weapon when thrown at another person.  And the old Nokia Communicators were really ugly and bulky.  So when I decided to go for a phone upgrade, I ditched my Sony Ericsson P900 (which sucked badly) for a Nokia E90 - and yes, it was a match made in heaven.

Prior to the Nokia E90, I had a Motorola (difficult to use - and only for engineers, I felt), a Samsung (too stylish for my liking - and too sensitive to the touch), an O2 (which has bad customer service in Singapore and kept on hanging on me), and another Nokia (the one with the blue screen).

I am happy with Nokia E90 because I can access the web through its 3-3.5G capabilities.  I downloaded as well the Windows Live application for the Nokia E90 - and now, I am always ON Windows Live Messenger, which is also slowly becoming my favorite thing in the world.

Will I ever trade my E90?  Never.  Unless they come up with something better, more functional, more powerful than an E90 - then I just might consider.

5.  The New Outlook 2007 and the New One Note

I have always used Outlook since I started working.  My greatest frustration was how disjointed the different subroutines were - I couldn't link my tasks/to-do lists with my email, and vice versa.  I cannot link contacts with my to-do lists.

The New Outlook 2007 is simply easy to use.  If I needed to follow up on something, all I have to do is drag and drop an email to my to-do-list and voila, I can schedule when I should follow it up.  (Mostly for me to remind the boss to respond to an important query.)

The other thing that's really great is OneNote.  I now bring my laptop to meetings.  I like the way OneNote allows you to type and type and type.  It automatically saves your work, which makes it really reliable. It also allows me to create task lists accordingly - and plan my life as I take down notes.  It also allows me to highlight important things to remember - and link them with files in my laptop and with other programs or notes.  OneNote's ability to capture weblinks and webpages (as a 'printout') is also a great favorite.  Now, I don't have to print out on paper all these research stuff that I do.

----------------

So there you have it, the first five of my favorite digital things in the world as of 2007.

There'll be more.  So watch out.  And if you have any comments, just comment.  Disagree with me - or just suggest new or perhaps even better things that I should consider. Would love to hear your thoughts.   

The Search for the Great GTD App...

This article form Lifehack.Org talks about the search for that great GTD app - which I would say is becoming more and more important in these harried days (and particularly in my new job).

I’ve yet to find the system that works best for me, although there are plenty of slick apps that look promising until I actually get down to working with them. After a few days of excitement, I find myself coming up against barriers to productivity — some of them because of poor design, some because of differences in philosophy between myself and the programmers, most because I’m simply not the target client — and find myself spending time looking for workarounds to make the system work rather than actually getting stuff done.

I can commiserate with the author's experience.  I once downloaded PlanPlus for Outlook (it was supposedly created by experts from Franklin Covey of the Stephen Covey fame; see www.franklincovey.com for more information).  And for awhile I found it to be a great tool.  However, it's got problems syncing with my Windows Mobile powered phone.

I gave up on it after one year of lugging my heavy laptop around.

I would say, however, that the new Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 comes close.  I am rather new to Office 2007 and coming from Office 2003, the leap to Office 2007 for Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint was rather disconcerting at first.  But on day-1 of my personal migration to Outlook 2007, it was rather easy.  And each day, I find more and more tools to make my life a little easier.

I specially like the "drag-and-drop" feature of Outlook 2007.  Say, someone sent me an email that I would like to follow-up on three days after.  I'd just highlight it and drag it to my to-do list or to my calendar - and voila!  Three days after, I would remember and in fact follow it up.

I also like the idea of creating calendars in Outlook 2007.  (OK, I am not entirely sure if this is a new feature and if this feature was available in Outlook 2003.)  But that was exactly what I did today - I now have two calendars on my Outlook:  One for my day to day stuff, and the other one for my professional milestones.  I am sure that this will come in hand as I venture into more and more projects.

It's not perfect - but I really think that it is getting there.

(And Google Calendars?  It's screwing up my schedules - for some reason, it keeps on moving my recurring appointments one hour later!  I think I'll stick to my Outlook for now.)

One wish though:  I would love to be able to sync my Outlook Calendar (at least one of them) with my Live.Com calendar.  That way I don't have to log in to check my Monday appointments every Sunday evening.