St, Jude Day October 28th and Danny Thomas

 St. Jude Thaddeus is celebrated on October 28th each year. 

https://belovedcatholic.com/st-jude/

My mother many years ago educated me about St. Jude. Like many I thought she meant St. Judas. After I got out of the Army, I felt lost and desperate for a path forward. I prayed my novenas to St. Jude and my prayers were answered. 

I have prayed to St. Jude over the years asking for intercession for others and thanking him for his help those 50 + years ago. Presently. I seek his help for my children, friends and family members and to those I don't know but feel they could use his help. Please pray to St. Jude if the need arises.

https://shrineofstjude.org/the-shrine/st-jude/

If you have the desire one of the best charities in the world is the St. Jude Hospital founded by Danny Thomas. Danny prayed to St. Jude and his prayers were answered.

https://www.stjude.org/about-st-jude/history/how-we-began.html

WIIFM and Hierarchy Does Not Equal Intelligence

 

Over the past 40 years I believe this is the most popular radio station in the United States. Unfortunately, I don’t mean this in a positive way.

It is worse than any station you can imagine because the results are selfishness, dishonor and no loyalty to anyone or anything except oneself.

It has caused what Dr. Deming said is the “Demise of the American Management System.” It also ingrained in our educational system, and it has caused additional strain and damage to a system already in distress.

What do the call letters stand for – What’s In It For Me. (developed by qualityg)

Too many Politicians and Business Leaders make decisions on what changes have to be made by first thinking what will happen to me? Will I be Ok? I feel bad for others but that’s just the way it is. Once I know I am OK then I will make sure others are OK, but many will be not.

This is not Servant Leadership; this is Selfish Leadership that breeds long-term negative results.

Many Educational decision makers (Admin, School Boards & Teachers) also use this decision-making policy when changes come their way. The first reaction is “How much more work will this cause me because I am already overloaded?”

I would like all you folks who think this way and put the same thought process toward decisions that affect your family. Do you make decisions based on how you will benefit even at the expense of your loved ones? Most of us do not but we don’t take that same caring logic to our workplace. We have instilled this thinking in the next generation who will leave a job in a minute for short-term gratification.

We don’t think of the whole (systems thinking) and how we are not SERVING our employees, organization the communities we serve.

This thinking is rabid in many companies that push for cheaper labor in places that serve no purpose to the whole (employees, organization and communities).

Don’t give me your bottom-line crap. Your bottom-line sucks because of your short-term narrow Wall Street thinking.

So, stay tuned folks because this radio station is playing in your company, your school and in your home. Please don’t advertise anymore, this station needs to be cancelled NOW!

In Addition

Hierarchy Does Not Equal Intelligence (developed by qualityg)

This quote by qualityg is for all you Politicians and Leaders who think you know more than anyone else because you have been granted. promoted or appointed into a leadership position.

Summary:

Politicians must serve their country, constituents, conscience and then their political party. To change this order is wrong and you should find another job.

Business (Private and Public) leaders must serve their company, workers, conscience and family. To do otherwise is a formula for failure and no long-term success.

Educational leaders must serve their students/parents, teachers, conscience and school board. To lose sight of students and parents will cause long term systemic problems in the education system.

Remember 

 Hierarchy 

Intelligence

Supervisor/Manager - 7Es for Employee Excellence

I recently received an Email form a reader asking me questions about one of my earlier posts and measuring employees' work.  I wanted to share...

I created this model over 30 years ago (With updates) as a guide for anyone that supervises or manages employees. It is a very common-sense approach to any new supervisor or manager that wishes to create a cohesive working team.

Envision + Enlightenment + Enablement + Execution (added in 2006) + Empowerment + Evaluate + Encouragement = Employee Excellence. I call it the 7es.

7Es for Employee Excellence - Double Click to Enlarge Pic (developed by qg -1996)

 ENVISION – It is my job to relate/communicate to you the corporate, departmental, etc.… objectives into a meaningful AIM or purpose for us to follow.

Caution: If the vision cannot be described in a short amount of time (i.e., 15 minutes or less) then you have not thoroughly planned, measured and communicated a vision that will be successful. If you force the change, it may happen, but it will not be manageable or sustainable.

ENLIGHTEN (Pre-requisite to Enablement) – This is where we as a Team create an awareness, understanding and sense of urgency as to what is expected of us to meet the objectives.

Caution: If your audience is not excited or at least interested in a short amount of time (i.e., 15 minutes or less) then you may be in for a very tough time in implementing valued change. If the top echelon of leaders does not believe and equally importantly communicate and actively live out the proposed changes nothing will take place.

ENABLE (Pre-requisite to Empower) – Provide the tools, training and education to do the job in order to meet the objectives.

Caution: If you do not seek, serve and gather input from your people that are to do the work and manage the change you have done nothing other than has been done time and time again and that is create fear, mistrust and non-value-added change.

EMPOWER (Pre-requisite to Encourage) – Based on previous EEEs, provide by which we are to operate with each function/process of our work.

Caution: If the culture/environment has not been prepared/nurtured for change it will be short-lived and will not take hold. Effective leaders are sensitive to the challenges facing workers in a changing environment. Not empowering them with the authority, skills and tools to make change happen then you are doomed for another failed attempt for an efficient and effective change. Also, if you do not allow obstacles (That means people too) to be removed from preventing the change you failed as a leader.

EXECUTE (Pre-requisite to Empower) - Based on previous EEEEs, provide the methods and procedures (As developed by all stakeholders) by which we are to operate with each function/process of our work.

Caution: If you do not establish process and quality measures that can identify errors/mistakes then learning and growth will not take place. True learning and change must come through testing and correcting mistakes for improvement. If "Fear of Failure" is evident then people will provide you with false readings and numbers that will eventually leave the change effort in a tampered and damaged state.

EVALUATE (Pre-requisite to Encourage) - What Gets Planned and Measured Gets Done!

ENCOURAGE - Recognize and nurture behaviors for on-going improvements and culture change. Each of us has the responsibility to recognize and praise the good work done by others.

Caution: If you do not celebrate short wins along the implementation route then long-term change will not take place. Praise and encouragement that is delegated is worthless. Go to where the learning is being done. Be an “Active” Participant and Leader.

Along with the 7Es you need measures of what your employees actually do during a work week.

The following example are goals and objectives that could come from a Department Head to his/her boss.

I developed some of the examples from some of my own (names/info changed) goals and objectives from the past.

The important things to remember are to include realistic means of measure that will allow you to meet corporate goals and objectives that should have been developed first before you and your team create your own (seldom done & people wonder why they never get done or accomplished). All goals and objectives must be aligned from the top to the bottom and then communicated and EXPLAINED throughout the company (Regardless of the number of employees).

Please note that the example below (Developed by qualityg) is ahigh level example and needs to be in much more detail in the form of strategy and responsibilities.

Double CLICK on EACH Slide to Enlarge - Then Click on 4 arrows for more clarity.

I hope this provides a model that can be used for you and your employees.

What No Government Shutdown - How Come? - Updated 10/8/26

 

Another government (Partial) shutdown. According to the Department of Homeland Security's September 2025 funding lapse plan, most employees will be classified as exempt, requiring them to work through the shutdown. Although they will not receive pay during the shutdown, they are guaranteed back pay once the shutdown concludes. 

Here's who's affected: 

• Department of Defense: Nonessential civilian staff furloughed (military personnel continue to be paid under special rules).
• Department of State: Many consular and administrative staff may be furloughed.
• Department of Transportation: Parts that rely on annual appropriations may be affected.
• Department of Health and Human Services: Some programs slowed or suspended.

I wrote about this insanity last year: https://qualityg.blogspot.com/2025/10/another-government-shutdown.html

Again, I state three simple solutions:

Government shutdowns have become a recurring feature of US politics, the product of partisan stand-offs over spending that force federal agencies to halt a wide range of services.

So, what is the solution to avoid these high school antics and sissified back and forth threats. First of all, no one can leave congress for their home state the month before a balanced budget is do for approval. Second, negotiations must be on going (No leaving the capital) until a resolution can be found before the shutdown date. 

Thirdly, and most importantly ONLY congress people should NOT be paid (With a daily $500 fine) during a shutdown. All other workers should continue to be paid. And NO retroactive pay after resolution for a balanced budget. 

Congress needs to get over themselves. Most people could care less and don't even know why you are having a shutdown. When I am at the gym and one of these so-called politicians come on the television everyone starts to laugh regardless of party. You people live in your own minds and social media bubbles. 

Updated 3/30/2026

Yep, The House and the Senate are gone again (just like last year during the shutdown) on a two-week recess starting Friday, March 27, for Passover and Easter, and left Washington, meaning it could take some time for the chambers to reconcile the differences in their legislation.

There are some congress people who are withholding their pay as to support the workers who are not. One Senator from Ohio (Moreno) introduced a Bill (To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose a daily tax on members of Congress during a lapse in appropriations) to impose a tax on congress members during a shutdown. A worthy effort but will not get passed or even brought for a vote.

You people are a sad representation when you continue to put party politics over working people and military people putting their lives on the line for us in the Middle East.

You are nothing but Lemmings.

Updated 4//21/26

Yep, the government is still in a partial shutdown but not many seem to care. Perhaps congress should only work part-time since they don't do much except go on social media and cable news talk shows and show their stupidity.

https://www.shutdowntracker.com/

Updated 4//30/26

The Government Shutdown is now over. Not much fanfare in the media news because it no longer serves a political purpose. So, when will the next shutdown take place? Probably the end of September 2026. This should be very interesting to see which party will hold the other responsible before the mid-term elections. 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhs-shutdown-house-vote

Updated 5//14/26 - Finally a Senator makes a stand - Government Shutdown Ends

Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican who proposed the resolution, In a May 14 vote, the Senate resoundingly approved a measure to temporarily pause members' own salaries when funding for one or more agencies lapses because of congressional inaction. The next hurdle will be the House of Representatives. I would still like to see a daily fine ($500) that must be paid and NO retroactive pay, sorry you lose.

Updated 10/8/ 26

What No Government Shutdown - How Come?  - That's easy, because of the Mid-Term elections. Neither political side wants to take the chance of losing votes because people are laid off and government agencies are shut down. How pathertic you politicians are to use people as pawns to make the other side look bad or to push/stall your agendas at the expense of hard-working people.

I say again, you are pathetic. Wait until next year, I'll be updating this post with the next round of shutdowns.

School Report Cards - Has anything changed?

I originally wrote the Post below 21 years ago in 2005. In the past few months, the University of Michigan has been in the news about removing letter grades for their freshman class in the college of literature. Why? because of mental stress. https://www.npr.org/2026/08/12/nx-s1-5928197/university-michigan-freshmen-letter-grades-pilot-fall-2027

They have now rescinded this position. https://www.wxyz.com/news/university-of-michigan-drops-plan-to-replace-letter-grades-with-pass-fail-for-some-first-year-students

Wow - You don't try and fix a process after the product (student) has already been built. If you want to change the grading system, then it has to be standardized up front (Elementary School) before becoming a rule. Mental Stress? Read my example below from my time spent at a catholic school when report cards were passed out. Hey, I didn't even mention what happened when you brought a bad report card home! 

2005 - School Report Cards - Who is Failing Whom?

It’s that time of the year again when education grading periods end and report cards are sent home to parents. Some siblings in the same school but different grade levels are getting praised while others are getting grounded. How do you know that the “A” child is doing better than the “C” child? Because the teacher told you so, did you look at all the papers brought home? Did you compare grading scales? Do you care?

I can remember back in grade school (Catholic) when the pastor would pass out cards. You could tell he was coming because he smoked cigars and the halls would fill with smoke. Everyone would sit still and pray that they did not get lower than a “C” in any subject. Father would sit in the front of the room in a big chair and call us up one by one. One time the kid in front of me got a “D’ in geography. Father threw his card on the floor and told him to pick it up, when the kid bent over Father whacked him with his cane across the buttocks. Another time he kicked a kid in the butt as he bent over. He did not hit girls, just humiliated them until they cried. This happened twice a year all through grade school. 


Now, do you still believe in grades? Most of you know that I do not and I have written about it several times. How about “Report Cards?” Should they be standard across a school district? How about the country, after all when a child moves from one district to another is it their fault if the grading system is different? What about the math teacher in my son’s high school who fails over 60% of her class on a regular basis while her counterpart gives “A’s and B’s.”
Some say so what, but when it comes to GPA and getting into a college why should a child be penalized because one teacher is too strict and one is too easy.

I have seen systems where 94 – 100 is an A, versus the old standard of 90 – 100 is an A. I have also seen report cards where below 70% is failing. WHO IS FAILING WHOM???

I have written before about calculating the Grade Point Average. If we have to have grades at least develop a fair system for how much effort a student puts in to learning as opposed to an "AVERAGE" which mathematically when used by itself (Should use measure of Central Tendency - Mean, Mode, Median and Range) is worthless. I say this because GPA by itself is a poor means of measuring one’s academic knowledge. In fact, the way a student's GPA is calculated depends on the school he/she attends. Averaging the GPA in my opinion is worthless. Why don't schools assign points per Grade ( A = 4, B =3, C = 2, and D=1). If you want a 5 for Honors or AP classes that is fine. Simply total up the final score 6 As, + 1 B = 27). The more points you have the better. This would also encourage more students to take more classes instead of the minimum in order to graduate. Is a student who takes 5 classes and gets all As (GPA = 4.0) doing more than the student who took 7 classes in the example above who would have a GPA of 3.8 under the current way of calculating GPA (27/7).

In some teachers opinion an excellent cannot be achieved because no one is perfect, where as others give them out like candy. Some parents will move to an easier district if their child is in sports, while others will even go across the country searching for the right match.

While I still don’t believe in grades (I say – you pass upon completed demonstration of applying your knowledge, if not, you are given additional learning until you do so, grades and grade levels are not important just learning) I know I am not going to see paradigm shift in education until we start seeing education as a basic fundamental right of all citizens. We must reduce the cost of education; we must respect our teachers and pay them a fair wage. We must keep politics and the governmental officials out of the decision-making. We must control the destiny of education. 

So maybe the next best thing is to consider standardized report cards, at least it will start to create a more level playing field. The time has come to consider this change. This must start at the Elementary School Level.