Posts from — August 2007

A few years back I was involved in a study conducted by the RAND Corporation.  Among a lot of other things they wanted to know was the simple question: “How do you avoid getting overwhelmed when many projects and demands occur all at the same time?”

As I had said then and keep saying these days whenever a client or organization seems overwhelmed: ‘Gain or Buy yourself a Week’. You might reply: “That’s easier said then done”!

Not really. As soon as work and demands increase, you will find that there are things you really don’t like to do. Not only do these things distract from what you are really interested in, they also take time away from the tasks, and things you are really good and efficient at. For most people, the work week is calculated at 40 hours, even though many of us actually spend more time then that at work.  On the other hand we have more and more flexible work schedules to accommodate an aging work force and the demands of work and family life balance.

You can take advantage of this flexibility and Buy yourself a Week. Think of it this way. You can easily find individuals with the skill you need. They are good at filing, paperwork, administrative work, making calls, helping with the mail, and on and on and on. In most areas (even in California, where I live) you can find individuals who are thankful for $10 - $12 per hour, if the schedule is flexible. To gain a week per month for yourself, you are only looking at 10-12 hours per week in support.

Adding it all up, you pay $400 - $500 a month (4 weeks x 10-12 hours x $10 per hour). Think about how much more effective you will be if you don’t have to do the things you aren’t good at. Can you make $400 - $500 in 40 extra hours a week doing what you’re good at? If the answer is yes, then by all means, Buy yourself a Week and do what you are good at, while enjoying the help of someone who likes to do what you dread doing. If nothing else, you can Buy yourself a Week of vacation for about $450. That’s a steal…

Try it, you will be amazed how nice it is to know that stuff that normally piles up and makes you inefficient can get done without pain. Recently TD Magazine reported about Multi-tasking. This would be one way to make it easier and keep yourself, your boss, manager, or leader happy at the same time.

Axel Meierhoefer, President AMC LLC

A new approach to Performance Management
Part 1

As one of the multiple steps on my path to a PhD in Leadership, papers need to be written and learning has to be proven. The unique way the Antioch University PhD program in Leadership offers includes not only the ability to study from home and only having to meet with other cohort members once every quarter. it also combines pure academic learning from lectures and books or articles, with practical learning in the work environment. The closer I get to candidacy, meaning I have completed all the required papers to a satisfactory level, the more practical application of the learned material becomes part of the studies.

Since April 2007 I have been involved in what’s called a Individualized Learning Project. It requires me to combine already learned material in the area of leadership with new data points, experiences, and knowledge. The title of this project is: “The scientifically proven and EEOC compliant approach to top results”. Within the project I am trying to achieve 4 learning goals. Any additional learning and insights are to be shared as well.

Since the learning goals bear interest to a larger community - or so I believe, I decided to write the story of this project into the web log I am keeping here. Yes, this will be a little more academic then one would possibly expect, but, as Steve Pavlina keeps preaching, the deeper content offers value to those readers who are interested in the subject of Leadership, even if it takes more time to read it and digest it. I will create this as a series of posts as I am working my way through the reporting process. Before I start though, I like to thank Gary Morais of Global Performance Technologies Inc. (GPT) for guiding me through the process and being my mentor, teacher, and friend.

So let’s get started:

The first learning goal was to identify the individual parts of the Performance IQ System the company has developed in the last 15 years. This includes the Targeted Performance Coaching System, the Laser Beam Hiring System, the ThinkCap IQ System and the associated support tools as well as the certification requirements the company has developed for new coaches and trainers.

To achieve this initial goal, I decided to collect all the papers I could get my hands on. Then I reviewed the content on the GPT Website, and transfered a large list of files containing presentations and summaries of previous work from the GPT staff to my computers.

To get an appreciation of the materials, I developed a strategy which consisted of scheduling meetings and exchange emails discussing the content of the materials provided by GPT. I conducted meetings to reflect on the meaning of the GPT materials and the application in the assessment, profiling, coaching and template development process for customers.

I found that GPT has the following main products in its inventory:

• PerformanceIQ Assessment and profiling system
• Targeted online performance coaching system
• Laser Beam Hiring system
• Virtual Head Hunter system
• ThinkCap IQ support infrastructure

As the next step in the description of this project, each one of the products and their impact will be described as they apply to Performance Management. The overall direction is to provide insights of a solution that can actually help overcome imminent problems in the areas of hiring new workers, developing existing worker into managers and leaders, and retaining good individuals through leadership development and succession planning measures.

Axel Meierheofer, President AMC LLC

I always thought the Indians in the United States are very concerned about their lands. When I worked in New Mexico with the Mescalero in the Sierra Blanca region, the preservation of historical and cultural sites had a very high priority. The tribe preserved the land, kept the forest clean of weeds and brush, so much so that the Spotted Owls actually migrated to their lands rather then staying in the federally preserved areas.

Recently I read a small article in The Economist (Vol. 384, #8539) titles “The politics of Indian coal”. This article put the energy policies of New Mexico’s governor and presidential hopeful, Bill Richardson, under the spotlight. The Navajo tribe is contemplating to build a 1500 MW coal power plant on land owned by the Navajo Nation.

The situation of the Navajo Indians is surely not very good and a source of income would help the unemployed adults, most of which have to live with less then $8000 annually, according to The Economist. On the other hand, putting more then 11.5 million tons of carbon dioxide per year in the air is not really a way to proceed in this day and age. The cost is probably very high to the lands, especially if one looks at the lack of any clean up at existing sites, like Wyoming.

With better and better technology for wind energy, like the one which AMC LLC is involved in through Suzlon Energy Ltd and H&F Industrydata GmbH, the introduction of the new 5 MW turbines would be an alternative option. The same 1500 MW as from the coal plant could be generated with 300 of the new turbines and no unsightly holes will have to be ripped into the ground to get to the coal, not to speak of the enormous air-pollution.

Maybe I should write to the Chief of the Navajo and suggest this alternative…

Axel Meierhoefer, President AMC LLC

As I had said in the first post for the energy leadership section, AMC LLC is involved in the project support of wind park establishment, working with the fifth largest producer, Suzlon Energy Ltd, and H&F Industrydata GmbH. In an article published in The Economist (vol 384, # 8541) this trend is described. On August 4th, the US Congress passed a new bill that allowed better funding for wind energy and a mandate for utilities to generate 15% of all power through wind energy by the year 2020.

This new law is just following up on laws of similar content enacted by 27 states to this point. It is a good sign as it shows that the country is really getting involved in renewable energy production, even if not all methods are as helpful as some make us believe, especially when look at Ethanol created from corn.

It is true that generating energy from wind is more expensive then the current methods, but it doesn’t put a burden on the environment. I wonder when we will calculate all the cost of our current production and include all the subsidies producers do and have received.

For now I am happy to report that the laws are starting to follow the thoughts of many in this country who like to see us get more independent from those who wish bad things for us, and at the same time sell us fuels which polute our air, water and enviroment.

Stay tunes for more. I just read an article about Navajo Indians in Arizona/New Mexico planning to build a coal power plant when they could do the same thing using wind.

Axel Meierhoefer, President AMC LLC

I am excited to make you, our readers, aware of the fact that AMC Consulting LLC has recently been contracted to support projects in the sector of renewable energy. I will write posts and articles about the topics related to this new category. From a recent visit to a windpark in Texas - yes, you read that correctly, Texas is actually the state with the most wind turbines in the United States, although we always associate it with oil wells, I will post my impressions and some pictures. 

I am sure most readers will agree that the US is far from the claim our President made about climate and renewable energy leadership in the world, but it is refreshing to know that the US market for wind energy is doubling each year for the last five years and probably will continue to do so for a long time to come.

AMC Consulting LLC is contracted to support H&F Industry-Data GmbH, a company located in Germany, with technincal suppport projects for Suzlon Wind Energy Inc., the fifth largest developer of windparks in the US. I have always been passionate about preserving nature and finding better solutions to generate power. Now the opportunity has come and I will use it to provide my impressions and reflections on this and related subjects here.

More to come soon, including pictures from Texas

Axel Meierhoefer, AMC Consulting LLC, Buellton, California,