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A little over a month ago I gave you a glimpse at my auto-shifting 2006 Acura TSX fuel economy. After nearly 2.5 years of ownership I remain completely satisfied each time I complete a commute.
The same can be said for my fuel consumption. The owners manual for the TSX calls for no less than 91 octane. Beginning February 7, 2006, the only octane ratings guzzled up have been 92 or 93, depending on the fueling station.
After 133 fill-ups I have averaged 25.93 MPG, or 27.53 MPG per the multi informational display (MID) located in the gauge cluster. I arrived at the 25.93 number by dividing miles on the tank by gallons needed to top off the tank; a number I feel more confident in versus the MID.
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Give Me Initiative, Not Experience
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The Temperature of a Team
“If a team is like a living body, then each person is part of an intricate immune system.” – Behance Magazine
“Lego Mindstorms is a brilliantly simple combination of sensors, actuators, and logic control that can be made to do the most devious and delightful things.”
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How did you become you?
I often attempt to make dining out for lunch a common occurrence. Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Gavin Baker, CEO of Abunga.com.
We shared a lot of good stories pertaining to the past and present. I was, however, caught off-guard by a question from Gavin who asked, “how did the Casey who grew up in East Tennessee become the Casey Peters that we know today?”
I can’t say that I have ever given much thought to that question. As I fumbled around I left wondering if I really answered his question. So, here are a few short points that get at an answer.
- I’m not afraid of being wrong. Someone once asked me, “Casey, what would you say to a classroom full of high school students?” to which I replied, “Screw up and screw up often.” I don’t advise that you begin a search for mistakes; that would be like putting your car in reverse. However, I have learned more from being wrong than I have from being right. Furthermore, mistakes have forced me to become more innovative.
- You have to care about everything. If someone takes the time to create an application, write a book, carry out a favor, let that person know that you care. Send a note or e-mail stating that it changed you so it can in return, better the creator/writer/person or their work.
- I’m not afraid of ‘no’. Everyone puts their pants on the same way in the morning; maybe some are more graceful than others. If you want advice, feedback or have a favor request, don’t be afraid to climb the totem pole for an answer. I promise, hearing ‘no’ isn’t all that scary.
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My leadership departure from YPK
Well, I did it.
Effective June 1, 2008, I will become member and President Emeritus of Young Professionals of Knoxville (YPK). After agreeing to serve a second year, I have decided that it’s best for me to hand the torch to a more fitting individual and relinquish my leadership role.
In my e-mail to the executive committee I stated that it was hard to pin-point a single reason for my decision. But, that kind of reason never satisfies anyone. To cast a better light onto the situation, here are a few reasons for my departure:
- Vision: I’m a firm believer in that a founder should only lead for so long. Since 2005, I have worked on YPK to take it from idea to organization. I have always been an “insider” so I feel it’s time to bring on someone who has an “outside” view of the group to spark new energy.
- Pockets of Energy: Knoxville is sitting on the tipping point for a myriad of great ideas. I want to make some of those happen and keep my home life intact. So, my priorities received a much needed shift.
As I stated above, I will remain a member, focusing my efforts on becoming a technician rather than an entrepreneur. We have started work on a brand new website which I will manage until completion.
I still very much believe in what YPK stands for and know that it will thrive throughout the Knoxville community.
Many thanks go out to those who helped get YPK started, those who keep YPK running and to those that will come along and change the future.
This graph is a 2 year look at the gas mileage I’ve achieved in my 2006 Acura TSX. I’ll have more on the details in a later post.
In November 2006, I changed the course of my career. Curious to learn the inner-workings of the company, I took on a project management (PM) role in operations. Today, I’m still flexing my PM muscle but in a different industry.
One thing that has remained constant are 4 key ingredients that keep most of my projects organized. I have found success with these items in both a healthcare and media/news setting.
- Project Schedule – All projects should have a start and an end date. It’s the job of the project manager to make sure the project gets from point A to point B. A detailed schedule outlining tasks and milestones is crucial to overall project success.
- Decision Log – As the project progresses through the schedule, decisions, large and small, will be made. I have found recording decisions to be very helpful, noting what decision was made, who made it and when it was implemented. Project changes are inevitable but knowing why the project went down a certain path can be very helpful as the sails change direction.
- Issues Log – We all know that things don’t work as they should so we keep a Rolodex full of smart people to call for help. Projects can be loaded with unforeseen issues. Tracking these hurdles will keep a finger on the pulse of the project.
- Project Team Roles – As a project manager you can’t do it all. That’s why you have a team of individuals who specialize in focused areas. Team member roles broken down into a matrix can help shed light on which seat your people should be sitting in.
Talking is one thing but doing is another. Have a look at this sample Excel file which contains all 4 elements as listed above.
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Vintage Lahaina
