A focus on improvement- in self, in business, in life
January 6, 2011 Leave a comment
It’s good to know that at least some of the things in which I vehemently believe (process refinement, full leverage of business applications, IT department inclusion) are echoed by others in the Accounting world. I read this article, shared with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Network on LinkedIn by Yelena Z. It’s a great read.
January 6, 2011 Leave a comment
People tell me all the time that I’m motivated and dedicated. They allege that they are impressed with my drive and commitment to reaching my goals. But I’ve never thought of it- a focus on improving every day- as anything spectacular. Because I think we all have it inside of us. We just need tools to help bring it out. Maybe I know better what those tools are, but I hope to help others find their own equivalents.
First of all, like what I imagine is true for most other self-driven people, I am at the same time driven and haunted by one thing. No matter where I am in the “success percentile” for any given attribute, I compare myself with those above (to the right of) my line in the bell curve. (Sorry for the statistics reference). I’ll go into more detail on this in another post, but here’s a simple explanation and example. If I think I’m at the 80th percentile in terms of athletic ability, I compare myself to the 20% that are better than me. I have an MBA from Santa Clara, but compare myself not to people with undergraduate degrees or none at all (those to the left on the bell curve), but instead to those with MBAs from what some might consider more prestigious schools. Or maybe to someone with an MBA and a CPA license. The point is, I’m driven, in part, because there is always someone out there who is doing more and working harder. I’m learning that this viewpoint is not always good; but in reality, it is part of the reason for my drive and commitment. Read more of this post
January 5, 2011 Leave a comment
Never one to shy away from a new (and hopefully) crazy exercise to add to my toolbox, I am excited to try some of the new abdominal exercises in this morning’s serving of Men’s Health Lists. People who know me know that I live by one mantra when I work out: To be what others can’t be, you have to be willing to do what others won’t do. I think some of these exercises fit the bill.
January 5, 2011 Leave a comment
As business leaders, we are always looking at and analyzing data. Some of the most common activities involve looking at a range of data or values and calculating the total or average. Examples might include wanting to know the total sales for a specific store in 2009. Or the average sales in the last quarter. Or perhaps we want to know the best selling day (or the worst, for that matter) for a specific store, within a specific date range.
To answer questions like this, most of us use Microsoft Excel to create a fixed table. We then add a fixed formula into a cell to calculate one of the pieces of information (average or max value, for example) we are looking for. The problem with this approach is that you often want to change the range you are looking at. When I’m looking at data, for example, and trying to identify trends and make realistic forecasts, I often find it a better predictor to look at the most recent months versus, say, the last twelve. You’ll hear me say this time and time again- that I like to take the approach of making things quick and simpler in the long run. This often takes more time initially, in the short run- to think about, to set up, to develop the appropriate “tool”.
In addressing a situation like this, I’d take the approach of developing a tool that allowed as much flexibility as possible.
If you look at the attached spreadsheet (Excel 2007 or Earlier Versions), you’ll see a lot of stuff going on. Please do not be alarmed. It’s really not that difficult. Below, I’ve provided a few notes, in case you have trouble navigating. Also, feel free to comment if you have questions. Read more of this post
January 4, 2011 Leave a comment
I overheard two gentlemen talking this morning. One was giving the other a hard time about all the coffee he drinks. The recipient of these jabs quipped that at least it had one benefit. “It’s good for the liver.” I found that hard to believe, but like always, decided to look into it. Ah, the beauty of the Internet: in less than five minutes, I’d confirmed what he’d stated. According to WebMD, coffee is, in fact, good for the liver. It also offers benefits in several other areas, including reduced chances for Type 2 Diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, strokes, and certain cancers. Read more of this post
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