It is also a time when Bank of America backed down on $5 charge to use your debit card. GoDaddy backed down on support for SOPA, and lost customers anyway. Verizon backed down on a $2 charge for using the phone to pay your bill.

The visible side of the news creates a picture of greed oozing from the executive suites of large corporations and the palaces of dictators, but with an historic difference. Now the power of corporations and dictators is being met with the power of their communities. The corporations and dictators are no longer the almost certain winners in the exercise of power.

Corporate power for executives originally flowed from the owners and investors. When enough people decided that that power was being used to abuse employees, the employees and their supporters found power in unions and legislation. As corporations became larger and had greater and greater impact on the lives of their customers, either directly as in the cases cited above or indirectly as in the mortgage crisis, customers began to express outrage at actions perceived as corporate greed.

A few bad apples can indeed spoil the entire barrel. A public outcry based on social networks can be directly targeted at the perceived misbehavior of a single corporation. But, the public will soon tire of outcries and turn to their only other tool, legislation and regulation. This will impact all corporations. The burden will fall on both the responsible and the irresponsible. And history suggests that the benefits of legislation written in response to public outrage will fall short of its goals.

I suggest a need for three broad types of changes.

• Executive suites must tune in to the needs of the communities they serve and the communities they impact and find ways to balance the needs of investors for returns that justify continued investment, employees for workplaces that inspire and reward performance, customers who buy their products and services, and the Global Village that is impacted by pollution and misuse of natural resources.
• Executive suites must find reasons for their corporate existence in addition to the creation of wealth. “For those who say business exists to make a profit, I suggest they think again. Business makes a profit to exist. Surely it must exist for some higher, nobler purpose than that.”* Ideally, a purpose that inspires investors, employees and customers and the broader community to lend their support to the corporation’s continued existence.
• Executive suites must find ways to tell stories about the good they are doing. The press and the public are getting very good at finding apparent greed and putting a spot light on it. And, a few bad apples are endangering the entire barrel. The public is skeptical. Good news is not as dramatic as bad. Telling the good stories won’t be easy. When one corporation does something that supports the public perception of greed, other corporations must publicly refuse to follow and demonstrate that not all corporations are deaf and blind.

All of this is by way background. I have just finished reading Screw Business as Usual, by Richard Branson. Example after example of corporations, executives and others who are using their talents, experience and resources to make the world a better place for all of us now and in the long run.

I follow business news rather closely. I was aware of some of the stories in his book but was not aware of others. I was not aware of the scope of the progress General Electric is making to reduce pollution, as one example. Or of alternative structures, largely funded by corporations, that have been developed to solve a wide range of problems including threats and wars, carbon based air pollution, and problems where the answers become apparent when reliable data is available to corporate decision makers. Stories based on advances in technology, better application of existing technology, and simply better ways of thinking about problems so they can be solved.

There will be continuing outcries for business to do a better job of meeting the needs of all of the communities they serve and impact. Like a splinter in your finger that demands your attention responsible action in response to the splinter or to public outcries can solve the problem. Refusal to act will simply lead to bigger problems.

Large corporations have led the way to a better life for all of us but it is clear that less and less of the improvement is being shared with employees, customers, and the community at large. That trend is putting the health of our corporations, and in turn the economic health of the United States, at risk.

Read Richard Branson’s book. Be inspired. Find your role in creating a better future for all of us.

* Ray Anderson, founder of Interface Inc. cite on page 99
Twitter #sbau
Virgin Unite http://virginunite.screwbusinessasusual.com/
Screw Business As Usual - Richard Branson, Portfolio/Penguin © 2011

Shortlink: http://wp.me/pzEdw-9p

I recently developed a set of flow charts that included small graphics to illustrate an electronic medical records system in the early planning stages. You do not have to be a doctor to understand it. Anyone who has been to a doctor can follow the illustration of who does what with whom and when. It has proven to be a useful place to begin the detailed discussion about the needs and benefits for a specific practice.

A similar illustration was used to document the “as is” and “to be” processes for an automotive client. It showed the flow from dealers to corporate sales to manufacturing to a vendor and back in response to complaints from new car buyers. The “as is” presented the problem; the “to be” presented the recommended solution. All that was required was two 11”x17” pages plus two pages of text support. Recommendation was approved.

A flow chart with small graphics provides a good generalized illustration that is useful for almost any process or computer system. It answers the high level questions of who and what and when and, perhaps the most important question: How will it impact me and my organization? It provides a solid base for the level of detail required for the successful design, development and testing of a new process or system.

Sample flowchart with graphics.

This is a story of one man’s determination to stop drug dealing and killing on the streets of America’s inner cities, how he enrolled others in that possibility, and how they invented a strategy and then refined it over and over until it works in cities large and small, east and west, and everywhere in between.

It is a story of expanding the definition of the problem until it is large enough to lead to a lasting solution and, at the same time, struggling to keep the definition narrow enough that the necessary resources are available and the timeframe to implement is short enough to capture and hold people’s interest until results become self sustaining.

It is a story about an apparently complex problem and a strategy so simple, so inexpensive, so easy to implement, and so well structured that it seemed to be too good to be true. Grizzled cops, calloused social workers, resigned community leaders, and others critical to success had to be convinced over and over that the strategy works and would work in their city.

It is a story of persistence, failures, disappointments and successes. Of murders that didn’t happen, drugs that weren’t sold, arrests that weren’t made. Of young black men without guns, without police records, who now have opportunities to be part of communities that no longer live in fear.

This is not about being “soft on crime.” A limited number of really bad guys go to jail.

• If stories of children killed in drive-by shootings bring pain to your heart and you are almost certain nothing can be done, read this book.
• If it looks like inner-city drug dealing, shootings and the cycle of black men moving from the streets to prisons and back again and again is just the way it is, read this.
• If you see a need for change—anywhere—but the changes that are being made don’t lead to solutions, read this
• If you are inspired by people who see an opportunity to make life better, commit their lives to that opportunity and win, read this
• If you are dealing with what appears to be a complex problem with multiple moving parts and need new ways of defining the problem and then finding a solution, read this.
• If you’re a manager of change, either formally as in Change Management or informally because you are committed to a change and are struggling with defining the real problem, the objectives, the organization you will need, and the measures of success, read this.

Be inspired. I am.

Short link: http://wp.me/pzEdw-8d

For one of the largest soft drink distributors in the United States, managed the design and production of user training programs and documentation to support implementation of a reengineered soft drink distribution management system. The system used handheld computers to assist route salesmen document orders and assist delivery drivers in truck loading, routing, delivery and real-time customer invoicing. Approximately 4,000 route salesmen and delivery drivers were trained to use the new processes and handheld computers. The training was developed and implemented nationwide in 18 months to support regional implementation of the new distribution management system.

For the Far East Division of a major U.S. bank, participated in the consolidation of 36 local branch computer systems into just two regional online centers. Developed policies and procedures for systems management and change requests. Developed and delivered executive level training in eight far eastern countries.

For a for-profit educational corporation developed and implemented a computer systems project management methodology tailored to changes in their system development and acquisition strategy. Managed implementation including training for executives and project managers. Modified the methodology for use by other departments including marketing and physical facilities and tailored the training to their specific requirements.

For a major California bank, rewrote the computer systems project management training manual and then conducted their computer systems project management courses for a year.

For a major Texas savings and loan, developed computer system change control procedures and then trained senior systems and banking managers throughout the state.

Short link: http://wp.me/zEdw

I hope it inspires you as it has me.

short link: http://wp.me/pzEdw-7Y

I figured that if recruiters were working this hard to check me out on the Internet I ought to do a little checking myself. Hal Amens is a pretty unique name so I figured it should be easy. It was. Just one other person showed up on Google: Hal Amen (no “s”). Like me a writer and a traveler: http://matadortrips.com/. There are enough photos of each of us on my site and his that no recruiter should ever be confused about who was who.

But just to be sure, I searched on “Hal Amens” — quotes added — and a quick review of the top 95 were all mine except a couple for my dad who has the same name with a different middle initial. Google says it found “about 2,240 for ‘hal amens’” I didn’t bother to check all of them.

What happens if you have a common name? Google reports, “about 50,000,000 (that’s 50 million) for bob smith” Pity the recruiter looking for information about Bob. And, there is bound to be some bad stuff in there about “bob.” Putting your photo on any of your sites on the Net may be a good idea.

Google is probably your best place to search. One Web post suggested also checking http://pipl.com One of their sources cited 13 references for me. Eleven were for me. One noted that my father, also Harold Amens but with a different middle initial, is on the phone bill for the condo were we live. He passed away long before we used his name. Another noted that Harold R. Amens, (my grandfather) was in attendance at the founding of the Masonic lodge in Henderson Nevada in 1931. Wow! That’s in-depth research.

I have a set of links on the bottom of my resume; the usual: Linkedin, Twitter, etc. Just to minimize the risk that some recruiter will confuse me with the other traveler, I have added a Google link with quotes to my list of links. Maybe if I help recruiters with their job, they will be more inclined to help me find a job.

For those of you who have common names that have millions of Google links …? Good luck.

Related links: Google yourself? You betcha; Have you googled yourself lately?; Google Yourself

Other tracking tools: socialmention

Short link: http://wp.me/pzEdw-7g

There are opportunities barely visible on the horizon that can only be realized by rising to the next level of creativity and management. Many of these opportunities are being driven by a combination of advancing technologies, changing consumer expectations, and the economy. 

These are challenging times or exciting times or both depending on whether you are being forced to respond or are pursuing new opportunities. The content is yet to be defined, but the processes to plan, develop, manage and implement solutions will be draw from the success of earlier creative projects.

I have been there.

Examples of successful first-of-their kind projects from my personal experience include:

•System design and blogging about electronic medical records and their impact on health care quality and costs and the need for comprehensive data sharing.

•Participated in the design and management of the largest bank merger of its time including coordination of planning and reporting across geographically dispersed diverse organizations and integration of project communication.

• Explored a series of infrastructure changes for a client and found a combination that cost justified the evolution from physical to electronic distribution of time sensitive financial instruments and documents.
• Guided private sector implementation of Federal health care regulations as the regulations were being developed to assure compliance and minimize the time to realize benefits.
• Designed and managed the training for 1,800 route salesmen and delivery drivers on the use of hand held computers that utilized street maps based on satellite imagery to improve service and reduce costs.
• Managed requirements analysis for Customs clearance of international airfreight for the first integrated air freight system; implemented at London Heathrow.
• Developed project plan for first online regional banking system in Asia and delivered executive and user training in eight countries.
• Created and managed communication strategy to build credibility for decentralization and outsourcing of critical infrastructure services; business units agreed to budget reductions of $100 million as a result of expected cost savings.

If you are working on a significant new opportunity or considering one, I would be interested in discussing ways we may be able to work together on the processes to plan the project and manage it to a successful conclusion.

If I had been convicted of a felony 8 years ago–I haven’t, but …–I would have to answer yes to the part of the question: “Have you ever been convicted …” and no to the part of the question “within the last 7 years.”  Some companies would have added insult to injury by asking me to swear that all answers are true under risk of termination; this company didn’t do that.

If you expect to hire intelligent employees, ask intelligent questions during your screening process.

Did a Google search on, “los angeles traffic by time of day.” The first option was:

Traffic Predict.com - Los Angeles Traffic Map

The past weeks freeway traffic reports - Los Angeles Freeway Traffic Data … Click on the Historical Timeslices then choose the day/time of the week that … [http://www.trafficpredict.com/]

There it is. Traffic by day of week and time of day for the last week. All the freeways with little dots along both sides to show traffic speed. Skip through the morning or evening or all day long. Step from Monday through Friday and back again.

Great news. Slowing in a few spots–this is Los Angeles–but mostly green—60+mph—at the hours I would be commuting and in the direction I would be going. Most of the way it would be a reverse commute.

The commute is a little long but traffic is reasonable. Now back to the job …

She now works in a store that is closing and there is a Borders store just across the street. There are three other Borders stores between that store and where she lives. Borders uses Kronos. It took about 35 minutes for her to enter answers to all the questions and take a psychological test. You know the kind: “Do you always like everybody?” Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree. OK, once, but … To apply for jobs in all four stores she has to go through the same process three more times. Is this a test of endurance – how hard will an applicant work to get a job at a terrific store like us? Or a test of memory. Answer one question differently in the psych part of the application and we label you as either stupid or forgetful and rule you out. Heaven forbid Kronos’ computer would simply make that information available to the store managers in any store closer to where the applicant lives then the store where they applied.

I suspect Borders pays Kronos more than B&N pay HotJobs. B&N is certainly getter more value and creating a much better image of themselves as a good place to work, a place that cares about the people who want to work there and probably the ones who do.

Fast forward to 2011: Borders (what was left of it) is now part of B&N.