Coffee Shoppes in Princeton -- Small World Coffee

I was asked recently about my preference of coffee shoppes in Princeton with the choices being Bucks County, Starbucks, and the local entry, Small World Coffee. I thought this a great opportunity to exercise a little investigative journalism relating to something that is very important to fuel the modern manager/leader -- coffee.

Saturday morning I had occasion to reacquaint with Small World Coffee after a long time away. I used to come here frequently when I worked in Princeton as it seemed to have the most character of the local choices. It was much as I remember especially for a typical weekend morning in the village of Princeton. Noisy, bustling, an eclectic crowd from the schizophrenic populous, but also very good cafe latte and the type of dynamic atmosphere that caffeine inducement craves.

Now if you are hoping for a more serene coffee shoppe experience I would steer clear of Small World. I do remember a previous colleague who used to spend hours in the place while he was writing applications for business school. Hunter Middleton need not have worried about getting into the best business school as he was a double major as an undergraduate, with degrees in Math and Physics, and then got his Doctorate in Physics from Princeton. Not only that, he walked into the GMAT's and almost aced the damned thing. Good old Hunter...

OK, there are other memories from Small World, but that is enough of a trip down that lane for this exercise. I have always liked the Small World paraphernalia including the mugs and t-shirts. The motto, "Sleep is for the Weak," particularly resonates with me. Also the one Small World, Big Coffee, it says it all...

The Guru is coming to New York

News alert, news alert -- Marcus Buckingham (photo left, yeah, don't I wish it were me?) the guru of great managing, great leading, and sustained individual success is coming to New York on Monday, March 5, kicking off a nationwide tour associated with the release of his new book.

If you are interested, and in my opinion you should be if you are striving for success in the three areas indicated above, check out the tour schedule and advertisement at http://www.buckinghamlive.com/.

I'll be at the New York City debut on Monday. If you wonder why you should be there, ask the question via comment or email me directly. I've already bought my copy of his new book through my Amazon link on the blog-site. You can acquire it anyway you want, but if you use this link I get a meager cut. Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com need not make all the money, right?

In a similar vein, take a look at the evolution of MB's work with Donald Clifton reprised by the Gallup organization and Tom Rath at the Strengths 2.0 website. My personality strengths for the first survey were Ideation, Strategic, Futuristic, Achiever, and Maximizer (I am Maximus!) I would be interested to hear about others.

I believe MB will be a rock-star in the future for helping people to be great (i.e. successful, happy, make a difference). If you can't see him in person, purchase the audio-book of 'The One Thing You Need to Know.' It may be the one thing to change your life. Either that or you can aspire to be the "man or woman of the match." The answer to that is contained within.

Survey #1 - My favorite business software

MindManager by Mindjet. Even though I have been using it for only a short time, it continues to rock my professional world and boosts my thoughtful productivity. Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Visio, Word and Project are all valuable tools in my professional's tool belt. MindManager is changing how I think including how I think over time.

I will give honorable mention to BaseCamp as one of the cooler systems for managing collaborative project work. I use it for software product development but having been a project manager most of my professional life, it could serve across many industries.

OK, I am now ready for Survey #2. Name your most favorite quality of life enhancing software or system. I will wait a few days to officially open that one for responses.

Columbia in Afternoon Sunlight

Low Library on the north end of the Columbia University plaza. This is a fairly light population for a sunny day but seeing how it is March 2nd after the soaking rain that went through hours before it is not a bad turn-out.

Is spring almost here? Tell me it is, even if you have to lie to me. Being a long time Texan, I get a bad case of spring-fever in March. I always have to deal with arrival of spring in April.

Hope remains.

Survey #1 - What is your favorite business software?

Please post a comment about your favorite software package or system that you use in your work. Try to be specific and give reasons. Rather than saying "email" describe which email system you like and why.

Also I would like a single entry per person rather than multiples. Think hard about your favorite and share with us only one.

I remember asking this of my work team not long after I arrived in my present job. For myself it would have been Google searching. I have to quiet my mind and see if that answer still holds.

I am off now to give my own current answer some thought.

Manager Lesson of the Week

I should have listened more closely to not only the content of the manager-tools podcast about Peers in Conflict and the impact on Direct Reports (Part 1 and Part 2). I often rely on the mystical way I select books to read that provide a timely lesson. Why should I assume that podcasts wouldn't also be presented when I most need it?

As you can imagine I encountered the very situation this week that was the subject of the podcast. What were the main lessons of the podcast? The way to do it? The main suggestions are to 1) shut up about peer conflict, 2) filter out emotions, 3) focus on the work, 4) turn the other cheek, 5) instruct them to ask again, 6) help Directs with communication, 7) keep you tightly posted, 8) if cycle repeats then call, and 9) keep a record.

One of the funniest parts of the podcast was about a subordinate who wrote to the speaker's peer, "If you were an effective manager..." The Dilbertian response would likely be, "If you still worked here..." They also presented a great contrast of communication between High D and High S and vice versa, which is a good lead into the DISC assessment area (to be discussed in a future post).

The site www.manager-tools.com has a wealth of good and useful podcasts within the vein of manager and leader development. Each podcast is 10 to 20 minutes addressing specific topics. The podcasters Mark and Mike are also quite entertaining and engaging as well as have great suggestions and ideas.

To sum up my lesson of the week, here is a quote from the 'cast, "You don't want your boss involved in a conflict between you and your peer." Solid advice. Learn it, live it.

Keep on Chooglin'

Keep on Choogling' is a song my iPod shuffled my way this morning. It is a pretty kicking song with strong beat and interesting guitar riffs.

You can't tell me that shuffle is really random. I think there is a higher power trying to talk to me through my iPod. For some reason chapters of my Marcus Buckingham audiobook "The One Thing You Need to Know" keeps coming up. If only I am ready to understand and believe (MB or iPod?)

What is 'chooglin?' I hope I am not embarrassed by even wondering out loud.

Here is one result of my Google search for "the meaning of chooglin" http://www.creedence-online.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1790. I think that it means something like the early definition of rock and roll. Ya think? It is funny to read comments by some obviously young people. Ahh, the fresh scent of naivete.

I will continue with a little more research about this. If you have any comments or suggestions, be bold and comment.

Commuting Part 1 - The Train

This installment of 'tales from the train' is about commuting by train. For those that don't know, I commute by train daily from Hamilton Station in central New Jersey to Penn Station in New York City. The actual train time is between 50 and 90 minutes depending whether I get the super express or am forced to take a local. Mostly I try to time things so I can catch an express.

One of the positive things I can say is they have a good schedule between Princeton Junction and Newark Penn Station to deal with the horde of commuters. Normally there are 3-4 expresses running per hour to NYC in the morning and at least 2 per hour when I return in the evening.

OK, fairly boring stuff so far, hardly blog-worthy, hey, is that a term that has been used? I have to believe it has. With 30 million blogs out there I can imagine that not much is original. The thing that caused me to start putting thumbs to buttons on my Treo is that very horde of people on the 6:03 from Penn Station today. Standing room only for a normal train day. Not as bad as it has been when people are standing in the aisles up and down the train but certainly a day when all seats are taken including the ones at the front that face one another. Those are the ones I normally use as they are less claustrophobic than the rows.

Fortunately people get off at Newark and so the train thins out a bit by the long haul between Newark and Princeton Junction. If you are standing after Newark it is a long ride.
I don't seem to encounter that many rude people but there are certainly not many overtly friendly ones either. Mostly neutral is what you can expect. There are interesting stories about the extremes so I will have to chronicle some of those.

One commuting horror story I can recall is when there was a delay on the coldest day this winter. I had my normal face-to-face seat when the twice the normal horde got on at Petticoat Junction (as I call it). A woman insisted on squeezing into the little space next to me and a bout of claustrophobia ensued. I got up and offered my seat to a young woman who was standing and I took a position standing near the door. When we got to Newark I had the bright idea to ride the rest of the way in the vestibule which although enclosed is open to the frigid air. This normal 15-minute leg took about 30 that day as the train crawled along, seeming to laugh at my predicament. I arrived at New York almost frozen and rethinking the whole claustrophobia issue.

And then there was the occasion of sitting next to a show model working the NYC Toy Show. But that, of course, is another story... End of Part 1

Lost in the Technology - Part 1

Is it my age? Is it the fact that I entered the workforce before personal computers came onto the scene? How about my fundamental intelligence? Maybe it is some kind of wiring that I lack? Whatever the cause, the effect is that sometimes I feel lost in the technology. Strange to admit for whom some would term a technologist. Not me, I am a tool user. A technology-enabled business guy.

Doesn't everyone except a very few feel the same regarding the explosion of technology in our modern world? I have to believe that some experience it much worse than I do. I suppose they are not so much lost in technology as never having ventured into that dark forest.

Would it be more appropo to refer to it as uncharted waters? No, on the ocean there is nothing more than the expanse of water, unceetain winds, unfavorable currents, storm and sun. The forest or jungle may have beasts, lions and tigers and bears, oh my. Also plants, insects and microbes, all ready to heal or to kill. Yes, a technology jungle, that works.

OK, back to being lost. Back to being a tool user. Hammers and wrenches are easy. The function is pretty obvious as is the method of use. What about technology? I guess people create tools from technologythat have recognizable form and use.

Maybe it's the raw materials itself that I lament. What specific technologies you may ask? RSS, Feeds, XML, Apache/Tomcat, and that is just from this afternoon. I am certain I can learn, but do I really need to know metalurgy, physics, and physiological biomechanics to use a hammer to drive a nail? I guess it wouldn't hurt. I need some downtime for a little while. I will be back to continue this later... (attribution for photo, Kevin MacDowell from http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinmacdowell/108419729/)

To be continued...

Ski Trip to Camelback

This is a cell phone camera chronicle of a recent ski trip to Camelback Mountain in the Pennsylvania Poconos mountains (or is that Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvannia?) I went on the ski trip with 4 teen-agers, including my son Dan, his girl-friend Courtney, my son Steve, and his best friend Danny.

We went to Camelback at a great time since it was several days after a big snow fall that dumped about 12 inches of new snow on the mountain. It was also on Monday of President's Day holiday so while school was out for the teen-agers, many people were at work so the mountain was not overly crowded. It was also quite cold, with temps around the teens and so that scared some people away but as you can see from the photos the day was sunny and bright.
Picture #2 is the Nile Mile ski run that goes along the left shoulder of the mountain. We didn't ski this run this year as it had pretty much terrified me the last time I tried it. The switch-back that you see coming in from the upper right and then moving back appears to want to launch you into outer space. Not being one who likes heights, I decided to go on different trails this time.

I also remember this run from last time where most of the snow was machine made. The steep part just below the switch-back was very icy near the mountain (where I like to be) and the only thin snow was near the ledge on the outer side. I couldn't get myself to go too near that so I ended up pointing the skis straight down the slope and hurtling down the mountain, hoping to stop before the next open air plummet. It was a true hair-raising experience.

This photo shows the steeple over the Chalet. I am a big fan of steeples, and lighthouses and skyscrapers (OK you Freud wanna-be's, keep your psychoanalysis to yourselves). As you can see if you look closely the time on the clock is 3:20 PM as Steve and I were sitting it out waiting for Dan, Courtney, and Danny to finish their final run. We ended up leaving the slopes by 4:00 to turn in the equipment prior to the 5:00 rush hour. We were on the road by 4:30 and pulled into Princeton a little after 6 PM. While I took the scenic route on the way up, I took the speedy route coming home as Dan had to work and everyone was tired and sore. Steve was especially sore since he was the only snowboarder and fell quite a few times.

In all, I was very proud of how well he did. He looked quite elegant and athletic carving down the mountain and switching front to back. There are so many occasions for me to be a proud father. That's it for now. Nothing particularly businessy about this posting, just experiencing some of life between the work. Lord knows I have earned it. Be well and have fun.

The Bubble in Tom's River, NJ

This is an indoor multi-purpose athletic facility in Tom's River, New Jersey. I will henceforth refer to this as "the Bubble." The Mercer County Indoor Track Championship was held inside the Bubble on Sunday, Feb. 12. As to why the Mercer County event was held in Tom's River is a complete mystery and not central to this article. This article is about a pretty amazing and adaptable structure - the Bubble.

Here is a view from inside the Bubble toward one end. The Bubble is entered through rotating doors which form air-locks for the air that holds the ceiling up. There didn't seem to be air movement inside the bubble and there was no blower noise so I think most of the structural support for the Bubble came from the sandwiched dome of the structure itself. The internal air must have moved to support normal air changes within the interior but not having to provide the inflative power from the inside alone. The engineer in me was impressed.

This is the view to the opposite end which was where a large U.S. flag was hung. Very nice to see this image of patriotism. This end of the Bubble was where the judges stand and start-finish line was positioned.

More to come about the event and it's reason for being here in the HomeFieldAdvantage blog. Anyone that knows me knows that most of my spare brain cycles is used for A25. What is A25, you ask? Ahhh, I have piqued your interest. Good, very good.
More to follow...

Tales from the train - Treo vs Blackberry

Last Friday I had the opportunity to switch from the Blackberry I called 'the Waffle' to a Treo that I inherited from a departing staff member. This train tale is not really a tale but rather an experiment in comparison of using this device as opposed to the Waffle.'

At first glance this is much sexier and seems to be moving closer to a palm-sized PC. The look and features are certainly a step up from the utilitarian functions and plain features of the Blackberry. Form versus features? Appearance versus true value? Is it that age-old question again?

Well, this article installment will have to continue, Two things of immediate note: the Treo sucks juice and is tiring to type on. Right now the battery indicator is worrying me.

More later, Have fun, go Colts!

OK, back again. The Treo ran out of juice but I was able to send the email that brought the above article to the blog. I then added the photos to spiff things up a bit and am now completing the article on my laptop heading the reverse commute from this morning. To continue...

I see from looking at the various products that Blackberry comes in a sexier and more streamlined version and the Treo comes in a wider, more waffle like and probably easier to type on version. Are there any real differences between the two product lines? I suppose the technophile would be able to come up with a few, or perhaps many.

One thing I notice is the scroll-and-select wheel of the Blackberry versus the stylus or screen touch for the Palm Treo. I imagine that is a fundamental difference and probably well protected by patents. Using the Blackberry, you get used to the scroll-select and backout buttons allowing you to do most things with one securing hand and one operating hand. The Treo seems to need another hand and it would be especially helpful if that hand terminated in a rubber-tipped stylus. Maybe a nose-like proboscus that is structured like that would be the right morphological adaptation for natural selection to build a better Treo user.

I suppose the other side would say that development of a Blackberry user with diminished expectations would be the right direction of evolution in that user species. A de-evolution if you will. Treo does seem to have more capabilities and features. I particularly like not having to cable synchronize it for the email, calendar, notes, and other features that synch with Outlook Express in my case. Non-Outlook Express users, you are on your own as you have already chosen a different path. You probably use Mac's, too. Good for you.

As far as other differences, I encourage anyone needing to select a smart phone to do some investigation with online literature and colleagues. You should definitely do a test drive to see how your own anatomy is supported by either device. Have fun being more productive but remember, turn the damn thing off whenever you can. Enjoy real life!