Wow! That's one ugly baby.

Everybody has something they don't want to hear about themselves. As a consultant, you are sometimes forced to call attention to short-comings of your clients or potential clients. This pertains to the old advice of not "calling someone's baby ugly". Only a select few can really accept criticism for what it is... suggestions for change.

I'll admit, these suggestions can seem more like acusations at times. Acusations have a tendency to have the reaction of having people put up their gaurd. It is even more common for people to put up their gaurd to any suggestion no matter how blunt or sugar-coated. This usually embodies itself in suggestions for change being rationalized away. The conversation goes something like this:

• Mr/Miss/Mrs/Dr Doe, you have a problem.
• It's not me. It's not my fault. I've been trying to do better

Why is it we can't just accept what people say? The funny part is that we don't accept these things no matter how many times we hear them. I heard a funny quote from a movie that I have to agree with. "The first time someone calls you a horse, you punch him on the nose. The second time someone calls you a horse, you call him a jerk. The third time someone calls you a horse, well, then perhaps it's time to go shopping for a saddle." (Lucky Number Slevin) Learn to accept what people see that you do not. It's the same reason a smart person will have people that are different from them nearby. You have blindspots and the biggest is your ego!

Me... I'm sitting here not only calling my baby ugly, but your's too. Some people pay for this to happen, some ask for the advise and others do not ask, but still get it. Have the courage to accept the answer. I'm not saying you have to say "thank you". Learn to accept the fact that you are not perfect, you may never be perfect, but you can work toward being perfect. Have the brass to get back up and give it another go, if things don't work out the first time. Don't be afraid to have a mirror put to your face.

Illegitimi non carborundum

I'm happy to say that I'll be speaking in the class of a past professor of mine. He's got one message to get across... "get aggressive". Not in general, of course. The university doesn't need any riots going on. (ex. CMU End of the World party circa 1986) The message is that you need to be aggressive about getting your career started. The only person that will move your career along (unless you have an agent) is YOU.

How do you get your career started? The same way you get a job or get invited to a social event... go get involved. If you have a job, you have a professional organization you can join. If you have a hobby, somewhere near you is a group dedicated to that hobby. It's time to come out of the huddled masses and make yourself known. If you're sitting down right now... you're probably not doing something productive. (Exception noted to IT people) GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING ALREADY!!!

Fired Up

I was in a bit of a slump this week, things were not going my way. You know how it goes. Well, I didn't want to write some mediocre post for all of you. But today I had a spark of thought. It could have been the discussion question for class that made no sense. I know it had something to do with Rep. Wilson from South Carolina.

I was fired up about the outburst at the President during a speech in the House of Representatives. I'm a friend of people that like to question the authority. I believe that it is important to question authority. Well... within reason, no need to go overboard about it. It has to do with my belief in checks, balances and freedom of speech. But there is a time to speak and a time to keep your trap shut! Rep. Wilson can have his time to question the President if he wishes, but not in the middle of a speech to the government of the United States. In this country we are very informal and I'm fine with that. I do feel that the office of the President is a formal office to hold. Don't outburst during a formal speech. (Not that I didn't love the shoe incident with President Bush.) But seriously... "You Lie!" That's your big outburst? Come up with something better to say if that's the way to choose to act.

Besides, it looks like the healthcare reform is going to be about making healthcare within the reach of every U.S. Citizen. But let me ask... What is wrong with a little socialism? Have we gone so far in the world where we forget about our fellow man? It's not illegal to be socialist. What's the problem with socialism?