Rothacker Reviews

You Can't Touch Him

Some say he lives on the edge. One more step and he would leave the world of conventionalism, the world of status-quo, the world of 9 to 5, which in reality is 6 to 6. But although he does live in this world, his heart and mind do not. As the great poet MC Hammer once said, "you can't touch this!"

Oh but they do try. With mind-numbing policies designed to break the will and spirit of his and the other middle managers along with his company's general inability to attract and keep hungry and passionate coworkers, they try to penetrate his psyche, strangle desire and render hope useless. 

By light of his coworker's eyes and body movement, they have succeeded. Knowledge and decision work have been reduced to placing a widget in the next box as it comes down the belt. 6 to 6 robots and it takes 6 drinks after 6 to uncover their humanness.

But not him...

He places them, his company, in a tiny compartment and labels the door fuel. Their mindless mission and its incessant hunger to take other people's money, fuels his life. It fuels his children's education, his new Dodge Challenger and his wife's Beemer, his photography and writing habits and his wife's gym membership. It even fuels the pet's boarding house fees when he takes time off and they go away on vacation.

There is no meaning and fulfillment to be found at work. And that's okay because he isn't looking to find any there. He figures that that's his coworkers' main problem.

There was only one Babe Ruth and it is possible to punch out one's mind and heart at the door as one punches in to work. But the incredible power that it takes to keep the hounds at bay while at the same time sacrificing twelve hours of one's day, twelve hours devoid of meaning and fulfillment, is not worth it.

It is true, the Man cannot touch him. But are those twelve hours worth the price of freedom?

Recently Lost Your Job?

What does a creative person do when they lose their job? Why make lemonade, of course! As I am still experimenting with a concoction that I can live with, you can bet I will take glassfills of inspiration from these guys!

Lemonade Movie Site

Dan Pink: Intrinsic Motivation & Management

Dan Pink gives the following presentation at TED this past July. He starts off by making a case supported by scientific studies, that rewards and incentives used by managers no longer work. He goes on to name three elements that compromise a new operating system necessary for successful, Twenty First century businesses. Of the three, he concentrates on Autonomy - the urge to self-direct our lives. Dan then explains how management works in one setting and how it isn't working in another setting - the one where we need to use our brains at work.

I believe way back, when God was but a blur in His lab, slinging beakers atop His Bunsen Burner and concocting people who would one day be most excellent managers, I was not one of them. Actually I ended up in the experimental batch: what happens to the minds of people who were placed in management positions, for a very, very long time, who were not wired to be managers. Results are not conclusive, but now that He has removed me from the lab's hamster wheel and placed me in the decompression chamber, we should all know soon.

Donna Byrne: 21st Century Cowgirl

Donna Byrne: "I'm worn down.  But I know cowgirls don't cry.  Ride, baby, ride.  But with Jay's death, it really took a toll on me.  I'm just tired."  From reporter Lindsay Peterson's article today in the Tampa Tribune.

Donna lost her job in Arcadia, Florida, back in February and was on her way to Amarillo, Texas, in search of work.  No big deal, right?  Many people are losing their jobs these days.  And they are moving to where ever they can find work.  The problem is that Donna's mode of transportation, Jay, died.  Jay was her horse.  Donna was making her way to Texas from Florida via horseback.  Here are some pictures of Donna and her horses.

The local media here in Tampa, has done a great job of chronicling Donna's progress and these folks have as well.

Donna is such an inspiration.  Her trip has nothing to do with publicity.  She is doing what she is doing because she must do it.  It's like a code that has been burned on the hard drive of her soul.  Donna is about grit, determination and the American way.  I think we can all learn something from this 21st Century American Cowgirl.

The Technician Shop

The Technician Shop is a career, work, education and life resource for technicians.  A technician is a person who works in a residential or commercial setting to repair, replace, maintain or install various things.  From an A/C technician to a window cleaner to a landscaper with a million professions in between.

I created The Technician Shop to help technicians grab hold of their career, work, education and life.  So often I would hear, "my manager doesn't appreciate and recognize me for what I do."  While management should be held accountable for their inadequacies, I must ask, "are you doing everything necessary to be appreciated and recognized?"  Most likely, on this two way street, both parties are at fault.

My message is: Perform your work with passion, care and quality.  Design both a career and educational plan and follow them.  Do it to the point that you can hardly not be appreciated and recognized.  Take care of your health, family and life. 

I'll be reflecting more about this endeavor here at Rothacker Reviews. 

Stop over for a visit and let me know what you think.

Escape From Cubicle Nation

Escape From Cubicle Nation is your personal key to freedom!  Like a weary soul who scraped, clawed and crawled his way across the desert in search of water, I smoked Pamela Slim's most excellent book in search of liberation.  From the tiny molecule in my soul who is standing atop the mountain screaming "no more bosses!" to my entire and collective soul who is getting dry heaves even thinking about Monday mornings, I simply cannot make a more heart felt and direct recommendation: Buy Pam's book today!

Escape From Cubicle Nation is a treasure and as such, I will dip in and review parts of this book with care and reverence.  I will treat it like a fine wine or a seminal Clint Eastwood classic, to be sipped and reveled upon.

Visit Pam's new format at Escape From Cubicle Nation for more info.

A Smokin' Hot Piece of Brain Candy

Egads!  If this doesn't elicit a hot smokin' visual, I'm not sure anything else could.

Although this artwork is breathtaking, I'm talkin' bout the artwork of Scott Ginsberg.  Go here for that artwork.  I'm thinking if Dale Carnegie were still around today, this is the kind of stuff that he would be writing about.

For an explanation of my post's title, please go to point 6 on Scott, the Name Tag Guy's post.

Do you know what at times, I am uncontrollably guilty of?  Picture Number Five, the robot from Short Circuit:

 

Need input.  Need input.  Need input.

I blast around to every little corner of the Universe looking for more.  More information, more knowledge, more wisdom.

I have some advice for you David.  Take a deep breath, and then exhale.  Relax.  Scott Ginsberg has just what you need...well, except for that mountain retreat with that huge window that overlooks the valley where you could take a journal and quietly address this bright and articulate young man's thirty points.  Seriously David, this isn't rocket science.  Scott tells you what you need to do. 

Listen man, I have an idea for you.  This will require discretion, courage and valor.  Perhaps you could work for folks like Scott and Dan Schwabel?  We both know how much you admire this generation! Perhaps you could infiltrate organizations over run with old coots like youself and teach them about folks like Scott and Dan?

Brain Candy photo from ruk777 on Flickr

Number Five from ygnacioduran on Flickr

Pam Slim: Are You Considering Self-Employment?

Destination: Dave Rothacker, Inc.  Do you need help getting there Dave? 

Uh?  Do the New York Yankees play ball in New York?  Yes I need help!

All righty then, do I have a resource for you, TODAY: Pam Slim

Pam is conducting a free conference call TODAY to help get you started in the right direction.  Do you know when you go to park at a large public event?  There usually are several people who flag you towards a parking space.  This is what Pam is doing today.  And this is her parking space.

Based upon the coaching call that I have already participated in with Pam, the decision to take advantage of her offer is a no-brainer. 

Definition of a guy who gets it: Jonathan Fields.  Jonathan sent out a Tweet a few minutes ago giving everyone a heads up on Pam's call.  For perspective, this is like Wal-Mart sending out an e-mail newsletter announcing K-Mart's Blue Light special.  This is how you do business today folks!  It doesn't get any better than that.

The Red Rubber Ball At Work

The Red Rubber Ball At Work by Kevin Carroll.

Kevin: 

"The red rubber ball represents play to me. It's an activity, topic or purpose that makes you excited about the day.

Your red rubber ball is what grabs you by the soul. It's what captures your imagination.  It's what you do when no one tells you what to do, when you're alone in your room, on the playground or in your head. It's what you daydream, and that dream can become your life's work...if you let it."

Kevin must have had a blast writing this book! I picture him in a sandbox with small plastic people, popsicle sticks, magic markers, poster board and Legos.

OK (Old Kevin) knows that playtime dominated most of our childhood.  He figures that that play could be the origin of the skills, talents and competencies that we employ at work today.  As with any good postulation, one must come up with concrete evidence to help support his case.  So YK (Young Kevin) goes to the playground.  He kicks his soccer ball off of the school wall and thinks, maybe I could get some people to help tell my story.  We could build the story around work disciplines that readers are familiar with.  Then we could equate how childhood play helped to form these disciplines later in life.

So YK takes some popsicle sticks and builds five structures in his sandbox.  He names these disciplines using magic markers: Innovation, Results, Teamwork, Leadership and Curiosity.  He gathers all of his plastic people figures into the town's community center and tells them of his plans.  He meets individually with each and everyone.  He asks them what play meant to them as children, what they do for a living today and how play influences them at work.  Then he matches their stories and experiences to the appropriate discipline.  OK knows that us readers love information and resources.  So at the end of each chapter he provides stuff for us to Look at, stuff for us to Read and stuff for us to Do.

YK knows that best results are often obtained when we play with others.  So he calls for YA (Young Ann) to come out to play.  YK and YA play. Together they build a most memorable and gorgeous sand castle.

The Red Rubber Ball at Work will delight your senses and stimulate your intellect.  OK's plastic people figures are a seriously interesting group of characters.  Seth Godin, Tom Kelly, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Malcolm Gladwell are just a few of the folks in OK's sandbox. 

Napoleon Hill, a member of Od's (Old dave), imaginary council, once said, "The imagination is literally the workshop wherein are fashioned all plans created by man."  Od thinks that imagination will always keep OK a YK and if he continues to hang around YA he will be Okay.

You gotta get this book today, OK?

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: Synopsis

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood.

Are you doing something meaningful with your life?  Do you work for the Man?  Do you love books?  Do you love to read?  Do you love to learn?   Do you understand the value of education?  If so, walk down the path with us towards the lake.  One word of advice: watch out for the starshine...

Sit down next to our roaring campfire on the edge of a crystal blue mountain lake on a cool autumn evening with the smell of dampened leaves and smoke whispering about.  Would you like to hear a good story?  The story that is, of a guy who leaves corporate America for an adventure?  The corporation that is, Microsoft no less?  The adventure that is a cause.  A cause that is, of educating the children of the developing world.  John Wood leaves Microsoft that is, to change the world.

"Perhaps, sir, you will someday come back with books."

While visiting a remote mountainous area in Nepal, John, founder of Room to Read, came upon a school in horrific condition.  It did however, have a library.  The problem - it contained fewer than twenty books. 

John did go back...with books.  Leaving Microsoft to Change the World is a story that chronicles John's life-journey.   It is very well written, lubricated with succinct humor and sprinkled with lessons in business.

Note to future dave:  When you first began to read this book, you randomly pulled out a bookmarker to use.  It is a Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat character, sponsored by Kellogs.  The first words written on it say, "Reading is fun..."  Nothing is random davie, you know that...