Question: How did the Borg--the not-so-lovable cyborgs in Star Trek--get to be that way?
Answer: it all started with Bluetooth headsets.
I see more and more people walking around with Bluetooth headsets lodged behind their ears every day. Most states are passing hands-free laws for drivers. Even my technophobe wife wants one.
I could be wrong, but I think it's only a matter of time before some enterprising startup comes up with an implantable device. ... Read more
Fear is a human emotion. It's part of our survival mechanism--the adrenaline fight or flight response. In ancient times when a caveman felt fear, he ran and hid or readied himself for battle. Those who paid attention to their fear survived; those who didn't, well, let's just say their descendants probably aren't around to read this.
Having courage does not mean ignoring fear. It means facing fear head-on and doing the right thing anyway. At least that's my definition. If you fail to face fear and act appropriately you're not necessarily a coward, but you're not the best you can be either.
The most successful people on the planet are the ones who face the cold, hard truth of reality and act accordingly. They don't surround themselves with "yes men" and they don't view the world through rose-colored glasses. ... Read more
Compaq Portable II, c. 1986
(Credit: Oldcomputers.net)Believe it or not, my high-tech career began using punch cards and card readers to enter data into an IBM mainframe computer. When we got keyboards and monitors, we used them to enter what we called "card images."
As a chip designer in the '80s, I used GE Calma, Apollo, Daisy, Valid, and Mentor workstations. I had to know a whole smorgasbord of platforms and operating systems. I don't know how I did it. Guess I had a lot more brain cells back then.
... Read more
After describing a particularly exciting consulting opportunity, a friend called me "lucky." That got me thinking: Is he right? Is luck a component in business success, or is it all about knowledge and experience. And if luck does play a role, how important is it? Can it be influenced, or is that taboo by definition?
To answer those questions I first did a little research. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines luck as "a: a force that brings good fortune or adversity, or b: the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual."
Gee, "luck" sounds a lot like "competition" to me. ... Read more
I don't know about you, but I've experienced job burnout, and it isn't pleasant.
In case you're not acquainted with this somewhat poorly understood phenomenon, burnout is sort of a workplace version of depression. You know, you used to whistle while you worked, and now you'd rather get a root canal than get out of bed to go to work.
Burnout is bad news. If you're not aware that your work stress and frustration have reached the boiling point, you can find yourself in a near-constant state of irritability or anxiety. You might end up doing things you'll later regret and damaging your career or your personal life.
In addition to high-stress jobs like emergency workers, air traffic controllers, and doctors, I was surprised to find that high-tech professionals are prone to burnout, according to a number of studies.
There are three things you need to know about burnout: how to recognize it, what to do about it, and how to avoid it.
How to recognize burnout
This is not rocket science. If you complain about your boss or have an ongoing feud with the jerk in the cubicle next door, that's not burnout. If you used to enjoy or at least tolerate your job, but now you're constantly stressed and frustrated, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight, then you're probably experiencing burnout.
If you recently took a swing at your boss, then you've been there for a while.
What to do about burnout
Again, not rocket science. It's like peeling an onion. First, take a vacation. That's right; you have to try this old standard first. Get some perspective, and see if that helps. Try to determine the source of your stress, and change it--transfer to a different group, ask for a raise, whatever.
If that fails, then get out. I'm not kidding. You can figure out what went wrong and psychoanalyze yourself later. There's just too much at stake. Find yourself another job, take a break, if you can afford to--whatever it takes. Just get out. Get some distance and perspective, put yourself back together, and start over.
How to avoid burnout
Avoiding burnout usually comes down to recognizing the source. If it's an individual or a one-off thing, then it's probably not going to become a chronic problem. If it's a company, then switching companies might do the trick. If it's your profession, then it's time to consider a different one.
Times of crisis often lead to the discovery that you might be on the wrong path. Sure, it's tough, especially if you've put a lot into your career, but it happens. What's worse: changing careers or being miserable for the rest of your life and ending up a bitter old person?
Bottom line
Burnout happens. It happens in high-stress jobs, and it happens in the high-technology industry. Sure, your job is important. But your career and your personal life are more important. Staying in a job where you're burning out may earn you a few paychecks, but it may cost you far more in the long run.
A quarter of a century ago (I've always wanted to say that), when I was a young engineer with Texas Instruments, I had a manager named Dick Carroll. Dick was a big guy who looked a lot like Mr. Clean without the eyebrows.
One day, I was working on a drafting table in a large, open bay, when Dick walked up and started talking about how great his sex life was. That was more information than I needed to know, but I held my tongue. Conversations with the big boss were always precious, regardless of how they began. ... Read more
Sometimes I'm so uninspired I can't come up with a decent blog post to save my life. When that happens, I turn to what comforts me: numbers. Yes, I know how weird that sounds. What can I say, I'm a geek.
Anyway, I just got to wondering how investors in various technology companies fared over the long haul. I was just as interested in how technology companies performed versus companies with a more traditional business model. ... Read more
Guess what Google search gets more results than the 20.7 million for "pornography?"
"Self help" yields 31.8 million results. Porn has company at the bottom of the e-business food chain.
There are a number of things about the self help industry that bother me. ... Read more
Quick, by a show of hands, how many of you have workplace stress? Almost everybody, great.
Now, how much of that stress do you think is self-imposed? What, no hands?
Well, I'm not surprised, but you may be in for a shock.
You see, most people make their own stress. Why do they do it? How should I know? I'm not a shrink. I'm just here to tell you that a lot of it is self-imposed.
... Read moreTechnology companies run into trouble from time to time. Today it's Yahoo, Dell , and Motorola. Tomorrow it could be Google, Cisco Systems, or Apple.
Lest we forget, it wasn't that long ago that Apple flat-lined for an entire decade before ousting Gil Amelio in favor of ex-chief Steve Jobs. Jobs restructured the company by first cutting Newton and other unprofitable products, then introducing exciting new core products like iMac, and finally branching out into consumer devices like iPod and iPhone.
But that's nothing new. It happens to most companies, sooner or later. ... Read more
