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No Variation

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:44:00 +0000

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

I have worked with data my whole career. I enjoy taking a set of data and pulling a story from the data. Understanding variation fascinates me. I love to teach it and enjoy tackling it at work.

Many times I have stated that everything varies. Understanding variation involves separating common cause from special cause variation.

The verse from James is profound to me. There is no variation with God. He will always be with us. He will never foresake us. His light will always shine upon us.

Learning to See

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:27:00 +0000

God has blessed me with lean work lately. In conducting many lean events, I was reminded of the phrase "learning to see". As we begin to understand and apply the principles of lean, we see our workplace differently. What was once part of the workspace may now been seen as waste. Objects and practices that we walk by every shift now make us take pause to wonder. We are in tune to waste. We see the need to eliminate waste.
I equate this to our relationship with God. When you develop a real and growing relationship with God, you begin to see the world differently. In short, you begin to see life through God's eyes. Old habits seem old and are given up. Sinful practices stick out and you see the necessity of shedding them from your life. Your priorities take shape the way they should be and you want to live your life according to the right priorities. None of this is easy. In fact, it is hard. At times, you may feel some of the worst pain of your life. But remember that God never foresakes you. He is always beside you with outstretched hands ready to help and guide you. Ready to help you grow as a person and become what he wants you to be.

Making Adjustments

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:40:00 +0000

I was listening to a summary of last night's World Series game (Game Two) and the analyst was talking about the batting team's (Phillies) initial strategy against the opposing pitcher (AJ Burnett of the Yankees).

Burnett has a history of being inconsistent so the Phillies plan was to make him "hit the target". Well, the Yankee starter threw first pitch strikes to the first five batters he faced. By getting ahead in the count, Burnett gained the upper hand which is so important for a pitcher.

Much talk was deservedly about Burnett's performance but a fair amount was directed at the Phillies' lack of adjustment to Burnett's consistency. He was obviously hitting the target but the National League Champs never seemed to alter their strategy.

This baseball example helps me make the following work point: Never adjust unless there is ample evidence to support and guide the adjustment. If you are running an adjustable work station, never adjust based on a single measurement. Collect multiple measurements to clearly learn the behavior of the station. Adjust to the mean performance.

It is the same idea with measurement calibration. We measure a standard multiple times with a measurement instrument. We compare the mean of the measurements to the standard's value. If correction is needed, we do so from the mean to the standard, not from an individual measurement to the standard.

In life, extreme circumstances will confront us. Some will be good and others will be bad. At such times, it seems so obvious that life must be altered but it is more prudent to wait on God's will which, to me, is analogous to mean performance. God's will is the center of life. It is the mean of our existence. We should never get to high in the great times and too low in the bad times. We should trust and hope in God's will and have confidence that he will help us make the necessary adjustments (in life) to grow closer to Jesus who is our standard for living.

Overproduction:One of the Seven Forms of Waste

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:28:00 +0000

To become lean, you must systematically eliminate waste from your business processes. One of the seven forms of waste is overproduction. Overproduction is producing more than customer demand. If you produce more than what your customer is asking for, you must do something with the excess-store it or throw it away.

The attached example is an example of the latter. It shows that America produces more food than the public can consume. In this case, the excess is thrown away. (Click on the picture to make it larger for reading)

Everyone is Blessed

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:09:00 +0000

I find it fascinating to draw analogies between stories in the Bible and happenings of the workplace. Take for example, the story of Paul-

After Jesus' death, the disciples were obediently spreading what Jesus had taught them. They were passionate and persistent as the Holy Spirit spoke through them.

The persecution also intensified as the Jewish leaders tried hard to rid society of anything tied to Jesus. One of the worst persecutors was Paul. His purpose for living was to extinguish the disciples and squash their message.

Paul seemingly was the last person God would choose to spread his message to Jews and Gentiles. Yet, he chose Paul because he knew that if Paul could change, his strong attributes would catapult the mission started by Jesus.

Is there someone at work that just rubs you the wrong way? Everything they do just does not seem to be right. Well, they can't be all bad. Look for their positive attributes and put them in a position to succeed. Look beyond what they do wrong and see the good they could do if a change was to take place.

Prayer Ripples and Safe Drinking Water

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:39:00 +0000

I received this email from a friend at Water Missions International, a Christian engineering ministry located in Charleston, SC.

Dear WMI Prayer Partners,
We received a first-hand report of the desperate need for rain in Kenya from Pastor Simon of Kenya who visited the WMI offices this past week. The extended drought in the northern regions surrounding Morinjoi, Kenya makes the presence of the Water Missions International ‘cleansing machine’ joyous news to the tribes who are without water or food. News is spreading quickly by mouth and more and more people are traveling by foot as many as six hours a day – one way - to reach the source of safe water.

Water Missions technology has opened the door for reaching the Samburu tribe that has previously been unreached with the Gospel. The first answer to the question “Do you know Jesus?” was “No, perhaps the next village has heard of this man.” The people did not even realize that the pastor was speaking of a Savior. As a result of the gift of safe water, village chiefs and elders have told the people to welcome the newly installed Samburan pastor who operates the LWTS™ and his message about the God who loves them enough to send this cleansing machine. The church that was birthed on the day the LWTS™ was installed has quickly grown to 50 adults and 60 children.

The story of Morinjoi, Kenya is an incredible witness to God’s grace for all nations. We take great joy in seeing WMI’s vision of providing safe water and an opportunity to hear the Living Water message of Christ achieved with such an overwhelming response in the midst of a dry and thirsty land.

Thank you for your faithful prayers as we seek to multiply this story of hope to those who remain without safe water and the knowledge of our Lord.

Join us in praising God for His wonderful works!

Unspoken Needs in South Carolina Businesses

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:43:00 +0000

According to data collected by the South Carolina Department of Commerce, on average, fourteen South Carolina companies per month experience employment issues such as closure or layoff.

This struck close to home last week-I called a client to catch up on things. Three months ago, I provided training to this client. Like many employers, they were experiencing tough times but I left feeling they could weather the storm.

Well, the storm erupted in a bad way and they are at the point of closure. I had no idea. Could I have helped prevent this? I don't know but I wish I could have tried to keep them afloat.

I learned this-These businesses are out there. Struggling to stay open. Letting people go to reduce costs. It is probably worse than we imagine. They need help. Not from the state, though. A significant portion of the stimulus money earmarked for South Carolina is being funneled through the education system for use in job training. I just don't think this is the answer. What good is training if there is no business to hire trained people?

In my opinion, the solutions come in answering these questions-How do we help management retrench/regroup in these economic times? How can we help management scale down to ride out the tough times?

Jesus traveled from community to community and found needful people. He knew they were there. He did not sit still. He spoke (usually in the temple) and people listened. Some heard him and others ignored him. He did not linger in one area but moved to the next needful community.

We have many needful communities right now. Please remember them in your prayers.

The Role of Christian Business People

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:59:00 +0000

In February 2009, Dr. Henry Blackaby (www.blackaby.org) spoke at a Lifeworks (www.lifeworkscharleston.org) breakfast in Charleson, SC. The gist of his talk was the role of Christian business people in current times.

In a subsequent breakfast, I won a copy of the DVD from Dr. Blackaby's talk. I felt led to call a group of business people (five consultants/engineers) together to watch the video a second time. Like any great movie, I picked up on points the second time that I failed to notice in February.

Here is my summary of the key points made by God through Dr. Blackaby:
1. For my group-We are Christian businessmen, consultants, and engineers

2. We solve problems and improve things

3. God’s strategy for changing the world is through businessmen

4. God took 3.5 years to shape the 12 businessmen (disciples) that worked with Jesus

5. Scripture says we must be global

6. Charleston needs to be a world mission strategy center

7. Seek God and the kingdom of heaven in your business

8. Many men realize there is more to business but they don’t know what to do (ref CEOs)-They must be coached

9. Your business must honor God

10. We currently have an opportunity to change the culture of America

11. Jesus was a role model for the disciples

12. When business drops, how do you handle it? People watch you.

13. God wants to receive honor through our lives

14. The secular world is trying to keep faith out of public life

15. The problem is not with the darkness but with the light

16. Darkness desperately needs the light

17. We must become light

18. The rod represented Moses’ business world

19. The major move of God right now is in the marketplace

20. Are the scriptures guiding you/us?

If you would like to know more about Lifeworks or Dr. Blackaby, please email or call me.

The Voices We Hear

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:50:00 +0000

Like most of you, I sit amazed at the downfall of South Carolina's governor, Mark Sanford. I have mixed emotions. Sure, he committed a sin. But this is between him and God to sort out. Not me and you to judge him.

A part of me feels bad for him. Since the revelation, I have spoken several prayers for him and his family. It is sad in so many ways. But life moves on hopefully in a good way for him and his family.

Governor Sanford heard a voice. We all hear the voice. The words entice us to do something we know is wrong. At times, the voice comes at us in an incessant whisper. Often, it screams at us and seems to push and pull in an effort to get us to listen.

The essence of life is how we respond to this voice. In short, without a solid relationship with God, we will never be able to ignore the voice. Even with God, the voice will nip at us. It will never quit. Jesus himself was often tempted by the voice but he never gave in to the voice.

There are two concepts in process improvement that come to my mind as I collect my thoughts on this issue. Both involve the management of variation.

First, there is a statistical control chart. Control charts are great tools for controlling a process and are often implemented in the control phase of a six sigma project. From a control chart, we see multiple sources of variation. We see the variation WITHIN a subgroup and the variation BETWEEN a subgroup. For the chart to be effective, the variation WITHIN must be minimal in order to detect variation BETWEEN groups of collected data.

Second, analysis of variance (ANOVA)is a tool often used in the analyze phase of a six sigma project. ANOVA compares the means of two or more populations. It does this by comparing the variation WITHIN each population to the variation BETWEEN the populations. One of the assumptions in ANOVA is the variation WITHIN is the same for each population. For example, say we have five machines in our department and each machine produces the same part. It would be good to know if the machines produce similar output. ANOVA will compare the output WITHIN each machine to the output BETWEEN machines. If the variation WITHIN is larger that the variation BETWEEN machines, the machines may be seen as the same even if there are noticeable differences between the machines.

So by now, hopefully you have picked on the concept of variation WITHIN something and the variation BETWEEN somethings. Let's make it personal. We all have variation within ourselves. Part of this variation is the voice that I mention above. To be good professionals, parents, and spouses, we must work to minimize this variation. If you drink too much, stop! If you never exercise, start!

One of God's commandments is that we love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Well, we can't love others (analogous to variation between) if we don't love ourselves. (analogous to the variation within). This is why I am so passionate about personal and professional development. If we don't reduce the variation within our lives, it is silly to think we can positively influence the lives of others.

Five Steps for Improving Municipal Government Work Processes

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:11:00 +0000

From the ICMA (International City/County Management Association) website (www.icma.org) :
“Process improvement efforts systematically document, analyze, and reduce redundancies and inefficiencies in processes. The best systems focus employees on customer needs to drive improvements. They require time and management commitment across the organization.”

Well said.

My main “take aways” from this paragraph are the need for process improvement and the importance of meeting customer needs. But let’s make sure this is more than just lofty rhetoric.

Every organization needs a structured approach for improving processes. Any sound process improvement technique will have customer needs as an integral part of any activity.

Here is a simple and effective five step process for improving processes.

Step One: Define the Project
You should always start with a definition of the project. Often, there is a rush to action without truly knowing where action must be applied. Spend time (as painful as it may be) up front laying out the case for the project and constructing a context for the team to work through in the project.
The project definition should always start with the voice of the customer. Start this voice by identifying as many project stakeholders as possible. Stakeholders are all departments, people, entities, etc. that may be affected by the results of the project. (internal and external customers are examples of stakeholders) They deserve to know about the project before it starts. Their input will be valuable to help the team formulate a plan for action.
Other key components of a project definition include:
a. The project team
b. The team leader
c. The project’s scope
d. A business case for the project
e. A mentor for the project
f. A goal for the project
g. A metric for the project

Step Two: Measure the Process
As part of the project definition, the business process needing improvement must be defined. In step two, the team starts understanding the process. Measure its current performance by mapping the process steps and collecting as much performance data/information as you can.
Techniques for measuring a process include:
a. Simple process flow diagram
b. Deployment diagram
c. Value stream map
d. SIPOC diagram
e. Videotaping the process in action
f. Time studying the process in action
g. Brainstorming

Step Three: Analyze the Process
Now that you have thoroughly measured the process, take time to analyze the results of the measurement. Within the data and information is a story. You are looking for tangible opportunities for improvement. A key concept in the third step is the relationship between inputs and outputs.
Simply defined, a process converts inputs into outputs. Outputs are what customers require and are what we see and notice. When we say a process needs improvement, we are really saying an output must improve. To improve an output, we must improve inputs. The analyze step helps define the key inputs driving outputs.
Techniques used in the analyze step include:
a. Fishbone diagram
b. Nominal group technique
c. Matrix diagram
d. Scatter plot
e. Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis (PFMEA)

Step Four: Improve the Process
Once you hone in on the key inputs, you should have a good sense of what is needed for the process to improve. Now, take actions to improve the process. Use the PDCA cycle to implement your ideas. First, develop a plan (P) for implementation. Be clear on what you will try, experiment with, or implement. The plan is just a plan if you don’t put it into action so be sure and enact or do (D) the plan. You don’t know if it will work but you will not know until you try. Once you do the plan, take time to check (C) the results. What did you learn? What went right? What went wrong? Using the results of your check, decide on the next actions (A) to take. Do you go back to the drawing board and develop a new plan? Do you need more evidence? Did you like the results enough to permanently enact the changes? Whatever the case, go back to the plan step and start a new journey through the cycle.

Step Five: Control the Process
Once you have implemented and verified improvements, be sure and implement controls to sustain the positive results. If this step is skipped, the process could revert back to its previous state. Implement controls to keep an eye on the process and to alert the team if more opportunities for improvement arise.
Example of process controls include:
a. Process audits
b. System audits
c. Control plan
d. Statistical process control

The Wilderness of Business and Life

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:50:00 +0000

God's chosen people were working as slaves in Egypt. None of them chose this path in life but it was all they knew. They had food to eat and a roof over their heads so things could have been worse. Then along comes Moses who, on behalf of God, tells the slaves that they were to be freed and delivered to a wondrous land. "Sounds great" was the reaction. "What about the Pharaoh?"

Moses boldly tells the Pharaoh to let the people go worship their God for three days in the wilderness. Pharaoh says no. God then starts the plagues to work on Pharaoh and to test Moses' strength and courage.

As the plagues progressed, the Pharaoh cracks the whip on the slaves. His thought was if they had enough time to wonder in the wilderness for three days surely they needed more work. The overworked, chosen people grab Moses and tell him to stop. "Just leave well enough alone. Things were tolerable until you came along."

But God and Moses did not quit. Eventually, the people leave Egypt and enter the Wilderness. They no longer had rules and structure to live by. No one told them how to live and what to do every day. In short, they had no standards for living.

Well, it doesn't take long for the complaints to start about hunger and thirst. Gratitude gave way to material needs. God listened and provided.

Soon after entrance into the Wilderness, God begins to implement standards for living. We all know about the Ten Commandments but there were many more. In very specific detail, God (through Moses) gives instructions for living and worship. All he asked of the people was to obey the rules and they would reach the land flowing with milk and honey. At times, they struggled to follow the standards and God acted to bring them back to the laws and rules.

In 1996, my company decided to pursue QS9000 registration. It was a painful experience that initially seemed to be an exercise in tree killing. All we did was write procedures and instructions dispersing stacks of paperwork throughout the organization.

I learned several things during the registration process. First, any workplace must have standards. I'm not saying they must be good or bad standards but only that they must exist. Standards are the basis for continuous improvement. How can you improve a process if you don't know what it is? You define the process by creating standards for work. Train people to the standards and hold them accountable to the standards. If they don't follow them, actions must be taken to bring work back to the standards. As simple as that.

Without standards, you have organized chaos. The technical term is variation. One person does the work differently from time to time. Multiple people perform the work differently over time. The effect is cumulative and usually has bad business consequences. Variation leads to inconsistent product and services. Inconsistent product and services lead to unsatisfied customers.

Raul Ibanez Should Speak with Data

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:14:00 +0000

If you casually follow baseball, you probably heard the name Raul Ibanez last week. Ibanez has been in the major leagues since 1996 and currently plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is having a wonderful first half season but some question the validity of his fast start.

Again, if you casually follow baseball you know we are knee deep in the steroid era of America's pastime. Every record and any hint of exemplary play reeks of performance enhancement of some sort. Back to Ibanez. He is having a career year for home runs hit. Nothing in his historical performance would have predicted his home run rate year to date.

Last week, several bloggers suggested that perhaps Ibanez was using performance enhancements to gain the bump in performance. Well, Ibanez lit into the accusatory public daring anyone to test him anywhere at any time.

I've heard arguments for and against his outburst. Some say he should get over it because it is the context of baseball that is to blame. All good performance is viewed with suspicion these days. Others admire him for taking a stand. His solid and definitive rejection of the claims certainly make it seem he has nothing to hide.

It got me to thinking on how important it is to speak with data. A few voices mentioned that Ibanez could sue his accusers if he truly was clean. But this was quickly shot down as these were not accusations but rather opinions.

Subjective or objective opinions? In this case the former but let's turn this into an objective opinion.

The graph at the top of the page is an individual moving range chart of Ibanez's home runs per game by year from 1997 to 2009. Several things jump out at me. First, his home run rate increased in 2001 and has been trending upward ever since. Secondly, this is his first year in the National league. I'm not sure if that means anything but I do know that the leagues are different in multiple ways. Last, is this year's rate for home runs. It clearly is different from previous years. Statistically speaking, 2009's rate is beyond the expected range of home runs per game for the hitter. If this was an industrial setting, we would look for an assignable cause for this occurrence. Something out of the ordinary that caused this unusual occurrence.

So the data begs the following questions:
a. Is this season just a drastic continuation of his increasing trends in home runs hit per game?
b. Has something special happened this year to significantly increase his home run rate?

Carrots, Eggs, and Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:53:00 +0000

Thanks to my friend, Gilbert Reeves, for supplying this wonderful story-

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, 'Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes a long their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!!

This reminds me of the story of Joseph. Joseph had every reason to be down on life. His brothers plotted to kill him. They spared his life but sold him into slavery. He was falsely accused of a crime and spent at least two years in prison. But his life turns out ok as he ascends into a position of authority within the Egyptian government. Later, he faces his brothers who fear his position of authority. They throw themselves at his feet and fear he will enact revenge on their lives. He certainly had the right to do so. Instead, Joseph breaks down and cries. These were his brothers and he loved them. He says, "Don't be afraid of me. Am I God, to judge and punish you? As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil, for he brought me to this high position I have today so that I could save the lives of so many people."

A Hezekiah Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:27:00 +0000

Hezekiah was twenty five years old when he became king of Judah. He inherited a country in disarray and a society devoid of ethics and morals. God's standards for living were not being followed and the place of God, the Temple, was in near ruins. There was no respect for the sanctity of the holy place and this mirrored society as a whole.

From 2 Chronicles 29: 3-9
"In the very first month of the first year of his reign, he reopened the doors of the Temple and repaired them. He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the open space east of the Temple, and addressed them thus.

In short, he saw many wrongs and exercised leadership to right the wrongs. Immediate actions were taken for low hanging and rotten fruit.

Here was his message to the "managers and supervisors" in verses 5-11:
"Listen to me, you Levites. Sanctify yourselves and sanctify the Temple of the Lord God of your ancestors-clean all the debris from the holy place. For our fathers have committed a deep sin before the Lord our God; they abandoned the Lord and his Temple and turned their backs on it. The doors have been shut tight, the perpetual flame has been put out, and the incense and burnt offerings have not been offered. Therefore the wrath of the Lord has been upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has caused us to be objects of horror, amazement, and contempt, as you see us today. Our fathers have been killed in war, and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity because of this. But now, I want to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. My children, don't neglect your duties any longer, for the Lord has chosen you to minister to him and to burn incense."

Well, how can we apply this wonderful story to our working world? When I read this, I think of 5s. Don't accept the filth of a workplace, the unsafe work conditions that surround you, or any disorganized work areas. As a leader, take the bold and decisive steps to sort out the clutter and waste from your organization. You stare at it everyday. It is literally a part of the work scenery. But someone must see it as the waste it is. And that someone must initiate the action to eliminate the waste.

In fact, I see this passage as a script for any leader to use. Try this-
When he became manager of the department, he immediately addressed things obviously broken. He then pulled the supervisors together and addressed them thus. "Listen to me. We have strayed from continuous improvement and have accepted chronic issues that greet us at work everyday. I want you to go back to your work area and create a new standard for work. First, clean up! Get rid of the dirt and debris that are not needed. Don't tell me we've always done it this way and don't need to change. We do. The evidence abounds. We have angry customers. Our employee morale is low. But no more. I say to you that we are making a new commitment to our customers and employees. We must lead our people. Don't forget this is your priority. To coach and lead your people, who in turn, will take care of our customers."

For our lives, I ask what is the clutter that pollutes your life? Be honest. What are the obvious things you must eliminate to improve as a person? You will never improve as a spouse, parent, or professional if you don't adjust your life to a better standard for living.

A Nehemiah Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:07:00 +0000

A great biblical example to reference when you are faced with a professional or personal decision. We can learn much from Nehemiah-

Here are words from the book of Nehemiah-

In December of the twentieth year of the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, when I was at the place at Shushan, one of my fellow Jews named Hanani came to visit me with some men who had arrived from Judah. I took the opportunity to inquire about how things were going in Jerusalem.

"How are they getting along?" I asked- the Jews who returned to Jerusalem from their exile?"

"Well, they replied, things are not good; the wall of Jerusalem is still torn down, and the gates are burned."

When I heard this, I sat down and cried. In fact, I refused to eat for several days, for I spent the time in prayer to the God in heaven.

One day in April four months later as I was serving the king his wine he asked me, "Why so sad?. You aren't sick, are you? You look like a man with deep troubles."(for until then I had always been cheerful with him. I was badly frightened but I replied, "Sir, why shouldn't I be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins and the gates have been burned down."

"Well, what should be done?", the king asked me.

With a quick prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, "If it please Your Majesty and if you look upon me with your royal favor, send me to Judah to rebuild the city of my fathers!"

The king replied, with the queen sitting beside him, "How long will you be gone? When will you return?"

So it was agreed! And I set a time for my departure!
____________________________________________________

Has there been a moment in your life when an issue burned in your gut? Was there something that you wanted to do so badly that the action literally spilled from your pores? We all have been there. Yet, working against the intense want and desire were the forces of "I can't" or "There is no way this can work". There is fear of stepping out and logic that gives you every reason to not do it.

Nehemiah's issue made him physically ill. He could not eat. He had to do something. Well, what he did was pray. His answer came four months later. He found himself before the king and the opportunity arose for him to relay his issue to the ruler of the land. This was a dangerous act for Nehemiah. He was a servant and one of the Jews pulled from Jerusalem into exile. I can imagine an environment where men such as Nehemiah were not to talk but serve. Yet, this brave man had the king's ear and he stepped out in faith to voice his concern. He was asking the king to free him for return to his homeland. Potentially, the king could become furious and act against Nehemiah. But we see that he did not.

I can see Nehemiah speaking with passion in his voice and longing in his heart. He undoubtedly looked the king in the eye and conveyed his absolute emotion. In short, he convinced the king to honor his request. Well, the real explanation is that the prayer was answered albeit four months later. Nehemiah did not forget about his prayer and neither did God.

Here is a Nehemiah moment I had years ago-In 2001, I decided to go to graduate school while working full time. Everything told me not to-I had multiple bills to pay and four mouths to feed. But this was something I truly wanted to do so I set out on the journey. Luckily, I could remotely take classes via satellite and my company had the equipment for doing so.

This went on for over two years until I had three classes left. It just so happened that these were not offered via satellite for another two years. My choices were to wait until then or somehow go to school on campus. The latter meant not working full time which logic said was ludicrous to even consider. I'm sure I prayed about this because what happened next amazes me to this day.

I decided to resign from work and go to school full time. I agonized over the decision and finally decided that I could not wait two more years. So, I typed a resignation letter and took it to my manager. I explained to him my decision and recall it coming straight from my heart.(like Nehemiah speaking to the king) When I finished, my manager picked up the letter, tore it in half, and said we would find a way for me to go to school and stay employed. Well, we did, and I finished.

If you are faced with such a decision, my advice is pretty simple-pray about it. You can't make this decision, no, you should not make this decision on your own. Get help. God is the only one who knows what you feel and the importance of this decision to you.

If you need help, I will do what I can to help.

Don't Stop Developing Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:45:00 +0000

I recently chaired a quality conference in Charleston, SC. We began preparing for the conference in November 2008 and one of our first topics of conversation was whether or not we should have the conference.

We worried that participation would be low because of the economy. We forged ahead after agreeing that quality improvement is needed now more than ever. Participation was great and the conference was a success.

I will say the same to all reading this post. Please pass this message to friends and colleagues. We must not stop developing ourselves. Do not give in to the doom and gloom that darkens the airwaves and news print. Sure, times are different right now and we all have been directly and/or indirectly affected by the changing economy. But, this will pass. Have faith and know that this will pass.

I will say this. The business world of tomorrow will not be the same as it is today. Whether you accept the bad news or not, there is hard core evidence to say the times are changing. Just look at the automotive world. The big three will never be the same again. What they will be, nobody knows at this point.

But I focus on you! What are you doing to improve yourself? How are you improving personally and professionally? I implore you to not sit idle. Work on your life. Better yourself as a father, husband, and employee. Here are two things to do:

PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT
Read the Bible. For forty plus years, I did not read the Bible. Well, now I do. I just recently finished reading it from beginning to end. I could say many things here but suffice it to say the reading changed my life. There is so much meaning and lessons to be learned in the good book.
PROFESSIONAL IMPROVEMENT
Take classes. You don't have to go back to school but there are many cost effective, high quality ways to learn these days. I just so happen to offer one. My site, www.cpionlinecourses.com, offers low cost and high quality training in the areas of process improvement, lean, quality improvement, and ASQ certifications. We currently offer the following on line courses:
1. Personal Improvement
2. Problem Solving
3. Lean Concepts and Tools
4. Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
5. Basic Minitab
6. Basic Statistical Process Control
7. Process Mapping
8. ASQ Certifications (Quality Auditor, Quality Engineer, Six Sigma Green Belt, Six Sigma Black Belt)

Each course is a video with narration from me. I invite you to visit the following site to view two videos that I created: How to create a histogram in Minitab and How to perform a regression analysis in Minitab

http://www.screencast.com/t/cDZ9D3rIT2U

To register for a course, please go to:
http://www.cpionlinecourses.com/registration.htm

Once you register, you will pay online via Paypal. Once payment is received, I will send you a login and password to view the course.

If you have any questions or need any support, please contact me.

Stephen Deas
843 814 3864
sd@qualitymindsinc.com

Quality has No Boundaries

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:32:00 +0000

I recently attended and chaired the Lowcountry Quality Conference held in Charleston, South Carolina.

This annual event assembles professionals to talk and hear about quality in different work environments.

We seriously thought about not having the event this year. We almost succumbed to the negativity that increasingly pervades our society. We are constantly being told how bad things are and don't hear too many tales of good. Now, I recognize that times are different and difficult for many. I've been impacted by the lull in the economy. But now is the time to do what is right. Now more than ever, we must fight at work to become lean and improve quality. We can't give up on what we believe and know to be true.

With this interjection of positive energy, we forged ahead with the conference and, by all accounts, it was a success.

I learned several things but one thought stuck in my head: quality is everywhere. It is how you live your life. It is how you serve your customers and employees. It is how you greet someone when they enter and exit your business place. It is seeing yourself as something more than the mainstream perceives. It is creating standards for behavior and work and holding all accountable to the standards. It is constantly learning new tools and techniques and networking with people that know more and less than you do. It is anticipating the needs of your customers and being prepared to meet the needs on demand. It is calling your customer by name. It is speaking with objective evidence rather than subjective opinion.

The necessity for quality in our lives and in the workplace is so great right now. This country is grabbing for solutions and I just don't think the government can fix it all. A significant portion of the solution comes from us. How will we improve as people? How will we help our workplaces improve? How will we take what we know and apply it to the myriad opportunities for improvement in our communities?

I pray frequently for God to raise up voices to say what needs to be said right now. We have a tremendous opportunity to improve the way we work in this country. We need to seize the opportunity and not sit idly by waiting for the next economic disaster to occur.

Here is an action I ask you to take: If you have not done so already, please join our discussion group on Linkedin (www.linkedin.com). Linkedin is free to join. Look for the group titled "Lowcountry Quality Conference". This is a forum for us to discuss, share, and collaborate.

Balancing Work and Family-It's Not Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:29:00 +0000

An excerpt from my ebook Invest in Yourself

You want to improve your life. Something is motivating you to become a better person or employee. There is power in simply sitting down and putting your thoughts to paper. From this documentation comes the beginning of your plan.

Step One: Create a Current State SIPOC Diagram of Your Life (see example above)
The diagram depicts the current state of your life. Starting with life process (P), list in order of priority: Work, Family, Play (self), and God. The priority should reflect where each stands in your life. Where are you spending your time and thoughts? Your day rises and falls with what occurs in these arenas.

Be honest in the prioritization. If you are taking time to do this, you want to change so make this an honest effort.

The output (O) of this life process is your feelings. Give yourself two and one half minutes to write down (in the output O column) the negative feelings you have and the same amount of time to write down your positive feelings. These are your emotions during the course of a day. Think about this week and things you encountered at work and away from work. When you are done, add up the total amount of feelings and calculate a percent positive and a percent negative. Write the percentages in the third row under output.

Your customers (C) are the recipients of your feelings. They receive them free of charge in their daily interactions with you. They see the good and bad in you. They know you (some better than others) as a person. In general terms, use the 3F3C format: First (you), Friends, Family, Colleagues, Clients, Congregation. First (you) signifies yourself as a customer. To be good to others, we must be good to ourselves. Friends are the people you enjoy being with and need to interact (with) for your well being. Family is your immediate family and extended family. Colleagues are the people you work with. You spend a significant amount of time with them so it is important to treat them as customers. Clients are the workplace; the recipients of your skill and work tasks. They can be internal to your company or external to the company. Congregation is your church. Write the categories in descending order according to the current priority in your life.

Study your life process, output, and customers. What does this self reflection mean to you? Hopefully, this allowed you to organize your thoughts.

Write down the current inputs (I) to your life process. I suggest two sources: Physical condition and thought process. The concept is sound mind and sound body. In the S column, list the suppliers of your physical condition. What suppliers are shaping your thought process? Think of what you are bombarded with every day. A distribution of your time should help with this.

Go to the third row and summarize each section of the SIPOC diagram.

Step Two: Create a Future State SIPOC Diagram of Your Life (see example above)
Becoming lean means systematically eliminating waste from processes to deliver products and services quicker to your customers (always on time) with exceptional quality. A leading tool in lean is a value stream map. In general terms, value stream mapping creates a current picture of a key business process including areas of waste and creates a future state map of the process minus waste. Your life is no different. The current state SIPOC diagram shows where you are now. This should organize your thoughts and help you understand what is coming into and going out of your life. The future state SIPOC diagram is the vision of what your life will be minus waste (sin, etc.). God already knows the answer but you are starting (with this diagram) to learn what his plans are for you.

Change the Priority Order of Your Life Process (P)
Critique the order in your current state diagram. Does the list reflect the correct priority order? If not, put them in descending order (on the future state diagram) from most important to least important. Often, my high school football coach told us to keep priorities in order. His order was God, Football, Family, School, and all Else. This reordering of priority is your first step towards change.

Focus now on the suppliers of your inputs. To improve or change your physical condition and thought process, you must improve or change suppliers. In the supplier column, write a list of suppliers you will allow in your life. The list may contain current suppliers and/or new suppliers.

This activity is done with the belief that God is pleased with your action. He loves the fact you are excited to discover what he has planned for you. What you put on paper does not have to be correct. There is no right or wrong. The significance is you are putting your innermost thoughts to paper. You are opening your heart and mind and documenting both for you and God to see.

God knows the output. All you have to do in the output column is write down what you want the output to be. What do you want in life? Think about this using everything you have done to this point. You are poised to ask God for something. He anxiously awaits the question and is eager to help you. In the form of a question starting with “God, I ask for/that,etc.”, write down what you are asking God to do in your life.

In the customer column, prioritize the list of customers from your current state diagram. Who should be your number one customer?

In the third row, write down actions you want to take to better serve your customers and actions you will take for each supplier.

Voices Need to be Heard

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:34:00 +0000

A quick lesson on problem solving-

In business, we are constantly faced with issues that demand our attention and resources. There could be customer complaints that require a drop everything sense of urgency if you truly are customer focused. Internal issues creep up every day and can't be ignored. If you do ignore them, they will grossly infect your organization with waste, sloth, and apathy.

These issues can only be solved by seizing, extracting, and removing the problem's root. The "root cause" of the problem is driving the effect. The latter is the pain you feel and sense. It is the fire that needs to be doused so you can move to more productive work such as employee development and customer service.

Too many times we only address the symptom of a problem and don't dig deep enough to find the root. A simple example: If you wake up tomorrow feeling very sick, you may go to the doctor. Let's say your stomach hurts bad enough for you to miss work. The pain you feel is the symptom. The doctor surely needs to know the symptom but must address the cause of the pain to make you well. Watch any episode of House and you know what I mean.

Right now, our country has multiple opportunities for improvement. There is a widespread sense that we need solutions and we need them post haste. The government is throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at the economy to jump start it back to vitality.

But are we addressing the symptom or the root? I would argue the former. I don't disagree that something must be done. I'm not smart enough to understand the intricacies of our economy but do feel that many of our systems (banking, etc.) are broken and must be fixed. So, some level of involvement is needed.

But ask yourself this-How did we arrive at this mess? I submit that we did so by straying from the principles on which this country was founded. Words like greed and corruption come to mind as I list the issues we have heard and read about over the last six months.

The root lies within our hearts and minds. Our standards for living have altered. This country was founded on God's standards. We seemed to have strayed from how God instructs us to live. We need voices to speak up and say what needs to be said. I don't care if it is the President, a Major League Baseball player, or a Minister, now more than ever, this country needs to run from unethical and amoral practices and get back to life's basics-that is living according to what God says in the Bible.

To me this is not debatable along the political spectrum. Read the story of Joshua as he prepared to lead the people into the promised land. They lived in the wilderness (where we seem to be right now) for decades and were poised to cross the Jordan River into the promised land. God had just transferred leadership from Moses to Joshua and gives Joshua a small "pep talk". He speaks several pieces of advice as the people stared across at the unknown land promised to them many years ago.
To Joshua, He says:
1. I will not leave you or forsake you.
2. Be strong and of good courage
3. Observe to do according to all the law which Moses commanded you-do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
4. Do not be afraid nor dismayed.

In my lifetime, this is as close to wilderness as our country has come. The government can't enable us to cross over because the root lies within our relationship (or lack thereof) with God.

Hope this gives you much to think about. Please share this with friends and colleagues.

Professional Development Using ASQ Certifications

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:00:00 +0000

I was certified as a quality engineer in 1991. I can honestly say that going through the certification process made me a better engineer and sparked interests in me that became my path for professional development:
1. A career path in quality engineering and quality management (1991-2009)
2. A Masters of Industrial Statistics (2003)
3. Certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt (2005)
4. President of Quality Minds, Inc., a six sigma consulting firm (2006-Present)

To become certified takes much work, time, and sweat. The number of certifications you pursue depends on several factors:
1. Your ambition and drive
2. Who is paying for it? You or your company?
3. Your personal life-do you have a family? How much time can you apply to this effort?
4. Your educational and experience levels
5. Your career goals Exams are given every March, June, October, and December in most metropolitan areas. You can register on line at http://www.asq.org You do not need to be a member of ASQ but it helps your wallet to be a member.

I have been teaching exam preparation courses for almost twenty years. Here are the factors, in my opinion, that separate those that pass from those that do not pass: Key Factors for Passing an Exam:
1. Have a Good Textbook: Quality Council of Indiana has great books for exam preparation
2. Support: I recommend taking a preparation course on site or online. A great online resource is www.cpionlinecourses.com It is important to have someone you can go to for questions especially with the advanced subjects
3. Study time: Decide when to study and how often you will study. You must establish a routine for studying. Don’t get behind.
4.Working problems: Practice makes perfect. Work all the problems in the textbook Seek extra problems to work. If you take a course, a good instructor will give you extra problems to work.
5. Equipment: Get one other reference material such as Juran Handbook, calculator, # 2 pencils

If you are interested in ASQ certification and want to take a preparation class, contact Stephen Deas (843 814 3864, sd@qualitymindsinc.com) or visit www.cpionlinecourses.com

A Simple Approach to Improve a Business Process

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:20:00 +0000

The Five Steps for Improving Processes:
1. Define:
•What are your customers saying about your product or service? (Quality, Cost, Delivery)
•Complete a Project Charter:
–Project information: Pick a team leader, a team mentor, and a start and end date for the project
–Team Members: Pick five to six team members making sure the membership is cross functional
–Process Start/Stop: Where does the process (to be improved) start and stop?
–Process Importance: Why is this process important to your business?
–Process Improvement Opportunities: What needs to improve? This may come from your customer or from within your organization
–Process Goals: What are your goals for this process? What do you want to achieve in the project?
–Process Measurements: How will you know if you reached the goals? How will you track progress?
–Project time frame: List the key steps of your project with dates. Make sure the dates fit within the start and end dates for the project.

2. Measure:
•Understand the process as it exists today. You are painting a “before picture”
•Techniques:
–Time it
–Videotape it
–Talk to the people that work within it
•Create a SIPOC Diagram of the Process:
–S (Suppliers): Who supplies each input?
–I (Inputs): What are the key inputs for this process? These are the ingredients needed to make the process happen.
–P(Process): Write out the general steps of the process. Look at the process from a satellite view. This is the recipe for the output
–O (Output): What are the key outputs of the process? These are what the customer is paying for. For each output, list the key metric. Collect data for the metric to understand how the output has performed.
–C (Customer): List your customers. You have external customers (those that pay you for your product and/or service) and internal customers (internal departments that receive output from this process)
-Collect performance data for each area of the SIPOC diagram

3. Analyze:
•Once you have measured the process and understand how it is performing, analyze the process to understand the specific areas that need to be improved
•Techniques
–Watch the videotape and critique it
–Brainstorming
–Nominal Technique
–Fishbone diagram
•Write out a statement of the opportunity for improvement. What needs to be improved or fixed?

4. Improve
•Once you are clear on what needs to improve or be fixed, take actions to improve the process. Use the plan/do/check/act cycle to implement the improvement action(s).
•Each action should have a responsible person and a due date
•Once the actions are taken, paint a before and after picture of the process. What did it look like before the improvement and what does it look like after the improvements? Use data as much as possible.

5. Control
•Once you make the improvements, make sure the improvements work and that they stay in place.
•Techniques:
–Change standard operating procedures
–Audit the process (periodically check on it)
–Measure and track the key outputs to make sure their performance stays in control
–Go through a lessons learned process. What went right in this project? What went wrong?
-Implement statistical process control, if applicable

Are You In the Wilderness?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:10:00 +0000

Many people are in the wilderness right now. Jobs have been lost and incomes cut off with no optimism in site. When you read about and listen to the country as a whole, the weight of the world can pile drive you deep into despair.

So what is the answer? Do we wait on the government to fix our problems and restore America to its hallowed position in the world? Certainly, the President and Congress need to address many system problems but the long term solution must come from American citizens. This means looking at how we have been living. What has been our focus? Have we been living according to God's standards or the world's standards? I fear the latter.

I have struggled in the wilderness and at times agonize over what to do and when to do it. Through prayer and talks with others, I left with a simple thought-Go back to the Bible for guidance. I did and was reminded of the following. I hope this helps you. Please forward this post to friends or colleagues wandering aimlessly in the wilderness.

It is the story of Moses and the deliverance of God's chosen people from captivity. It is all about wilderness living and making changes to exit the wilderness.

Through Moses, God informs the Israelis that he will free them from captivity and deliver them to a promised land. We all know the story of Moses' interactions with Pharaoh and the resulting plagues. As the plagues progressed, Pharaoh turned up the heat on the Israelis. He made them work harder. Their working conditions worsened. What they had grown accustomed to was being significantly altered and they became, at times, frustrated with Moses for upsetting their lives.

Well, God won and the people were freed from captivity and entered a whole new arena-the wilderness. Their lives were radically altered and they were frustrated and afraid. They were hungry not just for food but for answers to what would happen next. God was constantly speaking to them through Moses but often to no avail as many began to act according to their will and not God's.

God was clear. They were freed from bondage in order to live in a land of milk and honey. What an incredible gift and extraordinary change of events for a group that only knew hard work and the expectations of task masters. To enter the promised land, God only asked that they live according to his standards without fail.

As a whole, the people failed to live to God's standards. Thus, God kept them in the wilderness for forty years. Even Moses failed to steadfastly follow God's commands and was not allowed to cross the river into the new land. It was not until a new generation arose did God take the people to the outskirts of the promised land. Moses dies and God transfers leadership to Joshua.

In the first part of the book of Joshua, God commissions Joshua to lead the people into the promised land. It is here where we can take away much for our lives.

The entire nation was camped at the banks of the Jordan river and they could see across to the beautiful land that awaited their occupation. God tells Joshua several key words of encouragement:
1. Be strong
2. Be of good courage
3. Know that God never forsakes us
4. Follow God's written word. Do not turn to the right or left as you follow the words of the Bible.

I had coffee with a friend the other day and we talked about what this story teaches us. He brilliantly stated that we must spend time in the wilderness to build our internal strength. God knows how much strength we need and he will not let us linger longer than we need to. We need to be strong for as we exit the wilderness, strong forces will seek to defeat and discourage us just as they did to God's people as they entered the promised land.

So the take aways I offer to you are:
1. Be strong and of good courage
2. Pray diligently and read the Bible often
3. Know that God never forsakes you. He is always by your side and his love for you is unconditional
4. Our time in the wilderness makes us stronger and more prepared to handle where God places us next.

2009 Lowcountry Quality Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 03:01:00 +0000

I am thrilled to be Chairperson for this year's Lowcountry Quality Conference. The annual event will take place May 1, 2009 at Trident Technical College in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina.

The theme for this year's conference is The Necessity of Quality Improvement in Today's Economic Environment. The format will be two keynote speakers and six breakout, training sessions. Breakfast and lunch will be served.

Here is an overview of the speakers and breakout sessions-

Keynote Address One: A Quality Approach to Delivering World Class Quality at The Sanctuary, Kiawah Island

Bill Lacey, Assistant Executive Manager, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort

Mr. Lacey will discuss how quality principles and practices have created the world class resort hotel at the Sanctuary of Kiawah Island. This hotel achieved the coveted AAA Five Diamond Award two years after opening and Mobil Five Star Award after just three years.

Keynote Address Two: Trident Technical College: Our Quality Story-The How, The Why

Dr. Mary Thornley, President of Trident Technical College

Dr. Thornley will recount the reasons for embarking on Trident Technical College’s quality journey in 1992 and discuss how the path to continuous improvement continues to this day. Learn how an education organization applies quality tools and principles to meet the growing and ever changing needs of its customer base.

There will three breakout sessions in the morning and three in the afternoon. The sessions and presenters are as follows:

Workshop 1(AM): Measurement Systems Analysis
Stephen Deas CSSBB, President of Quality Minds Inc.
www.qualitymindsinc.com

Workshop 2(AM): Quality Management and Leadership
Bridget Dewees, Director of Institutional Quality, Trident Technical College

Workshop 3(AM): Six Sigma
David Stamps, Q-DAS Inc.

Workshop 4(PM): ISO 9001:2008
Cathy Fisher, Quality Improvement Strategies

Workshop 5(PM): Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma
David Stamps, Q-DAS Inc.

Workshop 6(PM): Supplier Management
Shawn Sullivan, Team Leader Supplier Quality Group, Robert Bosch Corporation

Registration: $99 before April 17, 2009, $125 after. Call Trident Technical College at 843-574-6152 or www.tridenttech.edu

Please tell friends and colleagues.

Flesh and Blood (I wrote this when my children were younger)

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:13:00 +0000

Every day, I try to impose the ways of past generations on my children; often in vain, seldom with success. Hey, there is a reason why old school music is in vogue. It had substance and style. Why can’t the customs, ethics, and morality of my formative years apply to the youth of today? But I digress. I’ll leave this for another day’s debate.

Sports is a neat, simple microcosm of this opinion. Today, children can participate in a myriad of sports before they are fully potty trained, can tie their own shoes, or ride a bike without training wheels. There is soccer in the fall. Basketball in the winter. Soccer again in the spring. Swimming and T-ball in the summer. We complain as parents about the non-stop carpooling but honestly love every minute of it. You could argue that the sit down, family dinner has been superceded by the drive through window as early evening games await. Well, that’s the way it is now. Talk to any peers in any other state and you’ll get the same story.

I had basketball for breakfast on Saturday as my daughter’s team continued their winning ways. Lunch was spent watching my five year old sprinting aimlessly around a basket ball court in a non-competitive game. Later, I traveled to McClelanville to see my oldest compete and fall short of victory.

Like many families, we are immersed in a sport-in our case, basketball. The little one is simply emulating his siblings. Just to don the jersey and sneakers is fulfillment for him. Everything else is gravy. There is nothing more pure that watching a five year old score a basket. First, he stares in wonderment as if the rim talked to him. Next, his eyes look for mom and dad making sure that the event was noticed. The middle child is learning how to compete while having fun. At her age, sports is as genuine as it gets. Good hustle. Great desire. A thirst for winning. All spiced with sportsmanship. The oldest is being introduced to pure, unbridled competition. Young man against young man. Who can jump the highest. Who can block whose shot. Can I take him to the hole? The swaggers are noticeable.

There is something eerie about watching flesh and blood, of the same sex, play a sport. Sitting in the stands at my teenage son’s basketball game, I constantly follow him down the court in a symbiotic trance willing him to go left when needed or to shoot when the defense allows. This wonderful young body that only yesterday seemed five years old is now exerting itself so beautifully in pressure packed situations. And I helped create him!

It’s as if my love for the game was downloaded to him at birth. He walks the house tossing a ball from hand to hand. Just like me. He walks from the den to the kitchen shifting his feet side to side to evade an invisible opponent. Just like me. The daily sports page is devoured and statistics memorized. Just like me. It all seems to be part of his genetic code.

As I watch him transition from defense to offense, I catch my breath and glance at the scoreboard. Though we are up by seven points, we need a good, insurance basket and I want him to want the ball. I can stand up and scream for him to take it but that would not be prudent. No, it must occur naturally. He sets up on the foul line and extends his arms above his head. Unrewarded with a pass, he cuts to the right side to make himself a better target for the point guard. He catches it, and I feel as if the ball is in my hands. Ok son, what are we to do now, I ask us both. In the triple threat position, I knew what I would do but could only sit and await his move. He raises his arms to shoot a high percentage, ten foot set shot. Somewhere in my consciousness, I think good of his choice. His acting is superb as it draws the nearest defender into a frantic lunge at the ball. But just as the opposite’s arm reaches to block the shot, my boy pulls the ball down, completing the fake. Genius, I thought as the defender flies by, turning his head in disbelief as number four explodes to the basket for a right handed lay-up and a foul by a recovering center.

So now we find ourselves at the foul line. He’s tired. I’m not. I know that he probably sees two goals as his vision is blurred with exhaustion. “Aim for the left rim”, I beam to him in telepathic hope. He bounces the ball three times. Good. He tosses it forward with backspin so it returns as if tied to string. He quick pumps the ball two times. Aah! He normally pumps three times. Bends his knees and shoots. The arc of the ball is measured by my gaze and deemed to be good…yet it clangs off the side of the rim. Five more years of this. I’ll never make it!

The game ends with his team on the short side of the score. He hangs his head. If I could only be there to help him. To set a pick when he needs it. To run a fast break with him, just us against a helpless defender. Alas, my support now is in words. I speak to a blank stare; a look that in part cries for help and does not want my help.

The ride home is lengthy and we’ll have time to talk. I collect my thoughts and pray that the words stem from my heart and not my head. As I ignite the car, he taps the window to tell me that he wants to go home with a friend. “Of course you can”, I say. He walks off for us to talk another day. Another day where we both will get a little older, a little wiser, and much closer as father and son.

We Learn from Others

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:15:00 +0000

More from my journal. This was posted 3/20/91. Place this in the category of counting your blessings and being thankful for what you have.

There is a gentleman at our plant whose disposition is pleasant and infectious. He greets you always with a smile and a salutation which includes your name. He is enthusiastic in everything he attempts from saying hello in the morning to mopping the canteen floor after the day's activity.

He works very hard to remember names, priding himself on the fact that he knows all but one name on first shift. However, he planned to acquaint himself the very day.

To engage him in conversation instills one with envy. How can he be so happy with recessions, war, and the ever present threat of layoff? Why he accentuates the positives in life mystifies his every listener for you see, he has no right arm only an artificial appendage with a hook.

When you marvel at this man, you do not notice his "deficiency". We perceive it as a deficiency while his opposite viewpoint allows him to be upbeat. He had two choices to make after his accident. He could have followed the path to self pity or taken the route to recovery and self accomplishment. He chose the latter.

I sometimes hate getting up and plodding to work. He is lucky to be working and looks forward to each work day. People often annoy me. People interest him. He talks to them, smiles at them, and shows genuine interest in their feelings.

I plan to learn from this man. He has made me realize that I am blessed with much. I am thankful to God and to him for lifting the film from my eyes.