St. Jude

Thank You St. Jude!

https://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/novena/jude.htm

President Trump is a counter puncher – Sorry - Nope - No Way! - Updated NFL

Updated - September 24, 2017

C’mon, - this is ridiculous - No counter punching here just a wild Haymaker hoping to land but it did nothing but destroy yourself. 

The “sons of bitches” who knelt for the national anthem should be fired.

Why do you need to be so divisive?” This would have gone its way and was already petering out with just a small amount showing their disapproval.

As President there are “way” too important issues facing our country that you are trying to accomplish. I want Obama Care replaced. I want Tax Reform, I want a stronger immigration policy against those who have committed crimes and I certainly want North Korea to stop shooting missiles.

Instead of trying to unite democrats and republicans you taunt. Instead of letting a diplomatic solution take place with your cabinet people you taunt the ones they need to negotiate with for settlement.

You make everyone’s jobs harder and that is just not good!!!

I always remember a few lines from the movie Braveheart:

Robert the Bruce: Now you've achieved more than anyone ever dreamed, but fighting these odds it looks like rage, not courage.

William: It's well beyond rage. Help me. In the name of Christ help yourselves! Now is our chance, now! If we join, we can win. If we win, well then we'll have what none of us have ever had before; a country of our own. You are the rightful leader and there is strength in you. I see it. Unite us. Unite us. Unite the clans!

You are the rightful President –Unite us as a country – you have a chance to do great things but all you do is throw barriers in your own way.

August 18, 2017,

I have heard this statement time and time again referring to President Trump. Trumpnocounterpuncher

People make this statement (Boxing Reference) because they feel every time President Trump is criticized he fires back with both barrels at the attacker. This is not counter punching this is just stupid. Why? Because it is a reaction that has not been thought out or is based on any experience other than a reflex action responding to a threat. In fact, it leaves you open for a counter-punch.

I have been involved with Boxing for over 55 years and a good counter puncher is one who has a plan and a sense of purpose in trapping their opponent by making him miss and then going on the attack. He is the patient boxer that simply stands there waiting for you to make the first move. For every punch that you throw, he has the perfect answer. He relies on the opponent's own aggression to draw him into a perfectly set trap.

Successful boxers who use this style must have great reflexes, ring intelligence, punch precision and excellent hand speed. Willie Pep, Archie Moore, Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather are all great examples of great counter punchers.

President Trump you are being counter punched by the idiot pundits and news agencies. So what should you do? You beat a counter puncher by out thinking your opponent.  Counter punchers sit back and wait for you to throw the first punch. Their goal is to exploit any openings in your attack. You need to develop a systems thinking persona and consider the whole (How will my response affect others) instead of just the piece (Personal attack).

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/search?q=systems+thinking

It takes time and experience to become a good fighter and I believe the same for being a good political fighter. President Trump is new to this arena and needs to rely on his political aides who have experience until he learns the ropes. 

If he can remain patient and learn -  he will then be a force to reckon with -  but for now he is just a punching bag.

Should we use Letter Grades for Students? It depends.

Whether we use a grading system for students in education or rate and or rank employees is always a lively discussion. Over the years I have had many in both a business and education setting and I must say my thinking was usually in the minority even though I’m Right (Ha). Here are two examples:

Education

One of my former students who is now a teacher asked what I thought was the purpose of grades.  I simply answered that grades are usually a result of some sort of testing procedure. So rather than label a student as a failure, average or success I responded that the grade was to provide me as the instructor how well I did in transferring knowledge to the student(s). So it is my evaluation in question not the student.  I need to use the results as to determine which student needs help and to what degree based on the letter grade.

Business

I have written many posts over the years http://qualityg.blogspot.com/search?q=ranking&max-results=20&by-date=true about ranking and rating employees. Never believed in it and probably never will. There is too much variation between employees and the environmental conditions that go in to one’s job (Even if they are the same) that cannot accurately predict the outcome. It is leadership's job to know their employees talents, wants and needs in order provide them a job that will instill pride of workmanship. Rating and Ranking concentrates too much on documenting failures and mishaps as opposed to proving the tools and knowledge to do the job correctly so that he/she can succeed or move the employee to a job that matches their talents.

OUTCOME! That is the key that most people fail to see. We use students and employees as the outcomes (Scapegoats) when they are the product of the system/process. We want to fire or lay-off employees when a company fails when in fact it’s the system or process that determine the outcome. In schools we want to label or demote students and blame teachers for the failure of the system/process.

We want to uses employees and students as the end-result indicators when in fact they are the value-added inputs in each and every process/system. Yes, we need to monitor and measure employees and students but not for pass/fail we need to monitor and measure to help the overall process get better and to provide them with a sense of purpose.

We used to call this inspecting quality at the end of the line after the product is finished/produced. Amazing we still have this mind-set when it comes to students/employees.

Alexander Hamilton - "America's First Systems Thinker"

In order to understand what I propose it is first best to define "Systems Thinking."

I believe Dr. Russel Ackoff provided the best definitions and explanations for "Systems Thinking."

·         System - a system is a whole which is defined by its function in a larger system of which it's a part

•   Every system is contained in a larger system
•    Its role or function in that system is what defines it
•    For a system to perform its function it has essential parts
•                        Essential parts are necessary for the system to perform its function but not sufficient
•                        Implies that an essential property of a system is that it can not be divided into independent parts.
•                       Its properties derive out of the interaction of its parts and not the actions of its parts taken separately.
•      If you apply analysis to a system you take it apart and it loses all its essential properties, and so do its parts.
•      A system is never the sum of its parts. It is the product of the interactions of its parts.

http://environment-ecology.com/general-systems-theory/380-systems-thinking-with-dr-russell-ackoff.html

In my opinion Alexander Hamilton saw the United States as a whole (Central Government, National Currency, National Bank, Three Branches of Govt.) and not the individual parts (States, State Currency, Excessive States Rights (AH believed they should have many rights). If it were left up to many of our Founding Father's wishes we would have separate countries and the United States would be more like Europe. 

His ideas on combing the national debt united the country for the benefit of the whole and not the individual few (States). 

It is often said that changes that results in lasting improvement come from the outside. People too close to a situation can not let go of their biases (Like many of the founding fathers from Virginia and Massachusetts). 

Hamilton was not born in the United States and thus owned no allegiance to any particular state. (island of Nevis). He saw the country as a whole and united it would always be superior to the sum of it's parts.

Today our government is about the parts and individual biases of the democratic and republican parties. What a shame and embarrassment you people are to the common people.


INDIVISIBLE! - No greater word in our pledge of allegiance.

Heed These Words...

Democrats and Republicans and all else in between. Heed these words...

 

Dr. Deming taught that profound knowledge generally comes from outside the system and is only useful if it is accepted and received with an enthusiasm to learn and improve. A system cannot understand itself without help from outside the system, because previous experiences will stifle objectivity, preventing vital analysis of the organization (i.e, Government). Serious self-examination is difficult without impartial analysis from outside the organization.

Perhaps Newt Gingrich can explain to the Washington Bureaucrats...

https://www.fedsmith.com/2016/12/19/new-administration-real-improvement-this-time/

Updated - 6/1/17

I'm reading a new book (Highly Recommend) about the teachings of Dr. Deming by Edward Martin Baker, one of Dr. Deming's most valued associates, Mr.  Baker shares his deep understanding of Dr. Deming's System of Profound Knowledge. https://www.amazon.com/Symphony-Profound-Knowledge-Edward-Martin/dp/1532002394