Category: Decision making

Going crazy (in a good way)

Every once in a while, I'll start thinking random thoughts. For whatever reason this morning, on the last day of 2021, my brain randomly started thinking about one of my favorite movies, Field Of Dreams. At the beginning of the movie, Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) said this: "And until I heard the Voice, … Continue reading Going crazy (in a good way)

You don’t have to be in a management position to be a leader

For years, I used to think that in order for me to become a leader, I would need to land a management position of some type. Indeed, for a long time, our culture taught us that you needed to obtain some kind of leadership or management position in order to be a leader. So I … Continue reading You don’t have to be in a management position to be a leader

What the NCAA tournament teaches us about decision bias

It's that time of year again -- when die-hard sports fans (and even some non-sports fans) start filling out their bracket picks as they make their predictions for the NCAA tournament, a.k.a. "March Madness." I am an alumnus of a major NCAA Division I basketball school -- Syracuse University. Syracuse alumni are well-known for their … Continue reading What the NCAA tournament teaches us about decision bias

Whaddaya got to lose? #JobHunt

This morning, one of my LinkedIn contacts (a recruiter for a consulting firm) contacted me about a potential job opportunity. She sent me the description. The position in question is for a senior programmer analyst for a local firm. They're seeking someone knowledgeable about .NET, XML, and SQL. I gave her a call, and we … Continue reading Whaddaya got to lose? #JobHunt

Communication lessons from air disasters

I've always had a morbid fascination for air disasters.  (Don't ask me why; I have no idea.)  I'm fascinated by shows such as Air Disasters, Why Planes Crash,  and Mayday: Air Disasters.  Whenever I hear about a plane going down, I'll start thinking about what happened, clues, what might have caused it, and so on.  … Continue reading Communication lessons from air disasters

What goes into organizing a #SQLSaturday? From the words of #SQLFamily

As my friends and regular 'blog readers are likely aware, I am a frequent speaker at SQL Saturday. SQL Saturday has shaped my professional life in ways I couldn't have imagined. I've traveled to many events, learned about data topics and professional development, gained public speaking experience, become more prolific with my writing (this very … Continue reading What goes into organizing a #SQLSaturday? From the words of #SQLFamily

Leaping before you look

(Image courtesy of The Telegraph) Not long ago (I don't remember how long -- I'll say a couple of weeks), I stumbled across a 'blog post that someone had written. Apparently, this person was a new SQL Saturday speaker. I don't remember his name, and from what you're about to read, it's probably just as … Continue reading Leaping before you look

What do you do for an encore?

"The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more."Jonas Salk As a Syracuse alumnus and sports fan, I'm looking forward to this upcoming football season. Orange fans are excited for this season after last season's 10-3 breakthrough, the first time that Syracuse has won ten football games in a season since 2001. … Continue reading What do you do for an encore?

The evolution of statistics

During my lunch break, I was perusing the ESPN website and stumbled across this article. It contemplates whether or not a .300 hitter (in baseball, for those of you who are sports-challenged) is meaningful anymore. As a baseball fan, the article caught my attention. I didn't read through the entire article (it ended up being … Continue reading The evolution of statistics