Take your Child to Work Day

Until yesterday, we didn't know that today was Take Your Child to Work Day. It was a little late to pull the boys out of school and organize a day at work. Sybella is a bit young and has too short an attention span to spend the day at Dad's work [and she is with Mom at work every day :) ]
But, I decided that 10 minutes at work might be do-able. After running some errands, I took Sybella to David's office to see some of the people and to "play" with answering the phone.
I think that both her and David enjoyed it.

Whirlwind tour for the holidays

Colorado, Arizona, and back again...

It was not my intention...as a matter of fact it is an unspoken rule not to travel after the 15th of December up through the New Year. 

But there I was heading to Fort Collins, Colorado to visit one of my mentors and his friends at Timberline. I had a wonderful time. When I arrived on Saturday morning it was in the 50's and sunny...by the time I woke up on Sunday morning it was in the teens, dropping, and 6 inches of 

snow had arrived. Now I know why they ski so much in Colorado. 

To make the trip a little crazy I left the Denver Airport (after being delayed 4 hours) around 12:30am and arrived in Arizona at 3am. I never really went to sleep because I had to be out on the golf course for a 10am tee time. The sun came up and my body was not to happy to never have enough darkness to really get quality sleep. 

I hit the ball around a beautiful course, Starr Pass, in Tucson, AZ. This is a new and incredible resort in Arizona that is 20 minutes from the airport. As part of my day to day responsibilities at ATS, I stayed the rest 

of the week to attend meetings at the Intelligence Warfighter Summit. 

Thursday morning caught the plane to Phoenix and started my journey home to DC. 

ATS Christmas Party

While we did not grow in numbers there is a lot of excitement for us in DC. By the time 2009 rolls around ATS in DC will be in the process of hiring or may have already brought on board, 2 new employees and our work in the DC area is growing beyond that in 2009. Over all the company has had another solid year of growth throughout the country and everyone here sees what it takes to not just maintain but grow. 

I think a second reason for excitement is relationships. Sharon and I work very hard to get to know the employees of the company and this is one of those special points in the year where we feel particularly close to the team. It gets harder as the company grows but we like to get gifts that are specific and meaningful to those who get them. I won't tell you what they were but I am sure they all agree we were on target again this year. 

The final reason for excitement was the food. We reserved a table at Tysons Tower Club  which required Dave to pick a suit coat or tie. Either way, it was the first time I

 would see him in either one...so we had to capture the moment! Five courses, incredible appetizers, filets, bananas foster, the food kept coming and we stuffed ourselves all the way to the end. We laughed and had a 

blast during our 3 hours together. You know you have connected and are having fun when you can spend 3 hours with fellow employees and not talk about work the whole time. 

Anyways...it was a great way to kick off the holidays!

~David

Stop Doing IT!!!!

Recently I was fortunate to hear Jim Collins expound on several ideas from his book Good to Great. He also spent some time in a shorter but just as challenging book "Good to Great in the Social Sectors". He spent his time centered around the theme that greatness is not a function of our circumstances or the cards we are dealt but rather...greatness starts with a choice and then the discipline to carry out that decision.

In the follow-on study of great organizations and the differences between them, Collins made 2 statements/observations that I took to heart:

1. HUMILITY

2. STOP DOING

His point was there was one characteristic between Level 4 and 5 leaders that made all the difference. In the words of Rick Warren, "It's not about you." Humility was the game changer in taking good organizations to that next level. I have to admit that it made me stop and think about all the times I take credit for something when I could be passing it along to someone else in the organization.

The other MAJOR take away for me was the 'stop doing list'. We all have our 'To Do' lists and Collins said that great leaders take time to evaluate where and how they are being most and least effective. Based on that, they create a 'stop doing' list, These are things they will stop doing because they: can be delegated, are taking up too much time of the leadership and there by are creating inefficiency, or they are things that need to not be done at all by the organization.

Some quick thoughts...David

Email

Can I just say, "I hate email". Why can't we do all our work and communication through facebook? Am I crazy? I have spent the last three weeks since I came back from Myrtle Beach trying to get out from underneath all the email and today at 8:52am it happened!

There was no email in my Inbox for a whole 2 minutes!

My dream is to be able to communicate with everyone via one medium. You want to make a million dollars? Figure out how people can blog, email, and communicate about business, life, and family all in one spot. Obviously there are some security hurdles there but man it would be great to completely get rid of email! Someone would ask me, "What's your email?" and I would reply, "Don't have one....you'll have to catch me on the super duper million dollar idea sight."

You would think with all the technology out there: facebook, twitter, ovvoo, digg, etc.

Ok Ok Ok

Maybe a little far fetched and silly...but I can dream can't I?

~David

Extreme Makeover - CIA Style

For all my friends in the technology and or intel community...there is a really good article from CIO Magazine on how the CIO of the CIA is doing business today as compared to the 'good old days'.

I found his choice of reading material interesting: The Big Switch, The New CIO Leader, and Enterprise Architecture As Strategy. The whole article gives as good a glimpse as one could hope for at an unclassified level as to the 'extreme makeover' that has been going on.

This is Part 1 of a 4 part series they are featuring. A friend of mine in the community, Lewis Shepherd the CTO for Microsoft's Government Division, has done a nice job of providing a quick overview and his thoughts on the whole series.

Victory!

We finally have renters in our Seattle home!

Now you can quote scripture all day and tell me how spiritually grounded you are but I think in these moments your faith can be tested. A year ago (June 2007) the door opened to immediately move to DC as the Director of Business Development at ATS. Little did we know that the move would happen right as the real estate market began to crash. So in April of 2008 we decided to try the rental approach. We had lots of interest, several applications, and none of them worked out.

Now don't forget that during this whole time we are paying to rent a home in DC (can I say costly $$$) and we are paying are mortgage in Seattle...can I say major burden?

This is when you start questioning scripture like: 1 John 5:14-15 that says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him."

Is God really hearing me? We were running an extremely tight budget.

Now lest you think the home had something wrong or we did not do something right...we hired a great realtor in the Northwest (Chuck Bills), we staged the home professionally, held open houses, priced the home below the appraised value, we even had half a dozen realtors walk through and criticize EVERYTHING they thought was wrong or could be improved (and we changed EVERYTHING they recommended). And to top it all off, here is the view in the private, gated community:

But God is clear when he says in John 15:7 says, If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

It's just not on our time line!!!

This is where the test begins...do you remain faithful? Here is what we learned, God's provision was with us the whole time. He provided a job, a partnership, and the money to pay for everything and we did not fall victim to mortgage crisis. And in looking back I CLEARLY see how if the home had sold, where we would have made decisions in the moment that would have altered and deviated from the path we had been placed on. Funny, how I didn't see those in the moment but looking back there is no doubt that God knew what he was doing. It's his money, his house, his family and if he provides for the birds of the air...HOW MUCH MORE DOES HE PROVIDE FOR ME?

We are 'blessed and highly favored'...and on July 25th of 2008..God brought us a renter!

~David

Yikes! Twitter too...

Yikes, it has been a week since we have been on here. It is amazing how fast a week will zip by. Work has been really busy and the Colin is at Camp for the week. You would think our schedule would slow down but it hasn't. We went to dinner with a couple that we recently met and have become good friends with...Chad & Lindsey are great people! Love meeting new friends and building relationships.

Most of my adult life I was a firm believer in isolationism and liked my privacy. But over the years there were several close friends in the Pacific Northwest that we got to know and when we came to DC it became obvious how important and key those relationships were. Now we are rebuilding that network and close circle with people here in the DC and Northern Virginia area.

By the way...I signed up for a 'Twitter' account. For lack of a better description, it is where Blogging and Instant Messaging come together. The deal is you post shorter comments more frequently. I think I am going to use it to remind me of key events that I want to blog in more detail about and to let people know where we are and what we are up to.

Have a great rest of the week.

~David

Seattle Ferry

I took the Washington State Ferry system from Bremerton to Seattle this morning. I love riding the ferry. Unlike most public transportation there is more privacy or the ability to have a quiet moment. Whether you stay in your car or go up on deck. I love to sit right up front on the top deck and feel the cool air coming off the water. My other favorite is to walk down where the cars enter and exit and stand down there close to water.

I have meetings all day in Seattle so it was nice to have an hour to sit and think through all that has to be accomplished today. The 'to do' list is a little longer than I wanted but that's part of life. As the ferry was getting ready to dock I saw the old Coast Guard vessel below. Kinda cool to see it up close sitting in the harbor. I then was told that the Tall Ships are in town for the 4th of July and most of them are down in Commencement Bay south of Seattle.


~David

Project Management

Took a course this past week in the fundamentals of project management. Now I have managed projects and programs for a long time but lately there has been a trend towards certifying / accrediting those who can effectively do this work. 'PMP' - Project Management Professionals is much like the title of 'CPA' only now applied to those who meet the standards of the PMI. The class was excellent and Didex provided a great instructor (Stuart Tozier).

It was no surprise that so many projects have missed the target, been canceled, or gone over budget. It seems like every city has their own 'Big Dig' nightmare. Every company and organization has a story on some level about over run costs and how to take a $2.8 Billion project and turn it into a $14.6 Billion project.

I was reminded that we should lead people and manage things.

Celtics and more

Just getting back from my trip to Boston. I had a long 2 days in conference meetings and discussion of text analytics. Three great recommendations/comments I heard from end users (customers) were:

1. Win big and win early...when winning big is not an option, still win early
2. Show - Don't tell
3. Don't follow the shiny object

I think the first one is self explanatory; the second one has to do with making people feel valued. How many times do you ask a hotel staff member where something is and they say something like, "down the hall up the first set of stairs and make a right". What would happen if they introduced themselves, asked you your name, and then walked you to the place you are looking for? This methodology and insight from Gaylord Hotels International is applicable in more than the service industry...it is a key nugget in life (more action and less words). The last comment about shiny objects was from Alessandro Zanasi of Italy who is a member of ESRIF. His point was know your mission, understand what capabilities/skills are required to meet your mission, and then identify what technology fits into that paradigm. To often people get off course and impressed by irrelevant items and forget what the mission is.I had two hours to get in a little sight seeing but this town is so rich with history, how can you get a taste in such a short time? I grabbed the nearest tour bus and did the whirl wind tour and take in everything from the Boston Massacre and Paul Revere's home to The Garden (Celtics) and the ever famous Cheers. I took tons of photos and tried to soak it all in but two hours just scratches the surface. Stories of the Boston Harbor and Old Ironside to all of the things going on academically (there are 67 colleges/universities in Boston) ...the most famous of course MIT and Harvard.

After the conference I found a local pub and cheered the Celtics onto victory along with several hundred other die hard fans. The food was good the atmosphere was incredible. With 4 minutes left they started singing "Na na na na...hey hey hey...good bye" with a minute left the high fives and noise level was amazing and when it was all over they started playing "We are the Champions" and the whole place joined in. It is one thing to watch the game on TV but to be around all of that energy was pretty wild.

Boston or Bust!

It was a little crazy getting out of DC this afternoon. Part of the problem could have been that I went to the wrong airport! That's right...I showed up at Dulles and realized my flight was out of Reagan National - ooops. Sharon is such a great wife, she drove me into the District and I was there 90 minutes early. The only problem was - NO PLANE! After waiting 5 hours I decided to jump on US Airway and get to Boston despite American Airline's missing plane (the plane wasn't missing...a bird flew into the exhaust and the delayed the flight). The fact is that flight never departed.

Leadership lesson - when the dream is big enough...the facts don't count! I could have gone back home and given up but I wasn't going to let the airline stand in my way and deny me the goal.

I arrived late into Boston and forgot what it is like to ride in a taxi between East Boston (Logan International Airport) and the city. Tunnels, tunnels, tunnels....got to get under that water to get there. Boston is such a great city and the spirits are high as the town is buzzing with NBA Finals excitement. After getting checked in, I headed over to the local steak house to grab some food and hang out with the locals to cheer on the Celtics!

There is nothing like hanging out with die hard, committed fans! I love that people get so excited and passionate (not much for the face or body painting) but despite the loss I think everyone was still in a really good mood since that means the Celtics come back here to Boston on Tuesday night for the big game.

Who are you cheering for?

~David

Biz Developer or Relationship Builder

Around 5pm I met up with Jamil Evans of Evans & Chambers Technology at Chima in Tysons Corner. I think that sometimes people in the business community get so caught up in the networking and business angles that they forget some basic things like stopping long enough to get to know people and build relationships. It was refreshing to sit and engage with a fellow entrepreneur and 'get history' with one another. Jamil and his partner have a great business (certified 8a small business too) that is growing, doing quality work, and provides top notch IT services.

On a different note...Jamil is just a genuine guy who is honest and sincere. Besides talking about what opportunities are out there to be chasing, we had a chance to talk about our families, travel, and the future. It always nice to hear successful people talk about wanting to do more than just make money. We spent time talking about the idea shared by Linda Ellis in 1996...'The Dash'. It is great to make money, it's exciting to have a growing and thriving business...but at the end of the day, I can't imagine saying to myself or those around me..."I wish I worked 3 more hours or I wish I stayed late more often." I am all about working hard and focus, but every once in a while it is important to sit with friends and other businessmen in the community and remember what things of significance we plan to accomplish.

After we hung out for several hours...I raced off to Car Max to join Sharon in our exciting Friday adventure involving the truck (see Sharon's post on being a single car family).

~David

What time is it?

Tuesday morning I roll out of bed around 4am and finish packing...really I was just double checking everything before I jumped on the plane. It is now a day and half later but my clock says its Thursday!

Wait a minute...no wait a day...that's right, I have crossed the IDL (International Date Line) and my body is all out of whack. It is 6pm at home and I just finished my morning workout (yes Sharon I decided to go workout :-) Actually, studies show the best way to avoid jet lag is by working out. I also find that a glass of wine or two helps.

So I awoke this morning and here is the view from my hotel window at the Hilton Millennium in Seoul, South Korea. I know...way too nice...I assure you I am working long days and trying to get everything done in short order so that I can get back home. Seoul isn't as much fun when you can't bring your family.

I am off to work and several meetings. Just wanted to stop and say hello to everyone from Korea. By the way, it was a 5-hour flight from DC to California and then 13 hours from Cali on to Korea. Did you know you can read an entire book watch 2 movies, eat dinner, and read another book when you are trapped in a confined space with no email or phone for an entire day?

~David

Travel

On the road this week in Suffolk, VA. I arrived at Double Tree last night and got that infamous warm cookie! You can usually find me at a Hilton or one of the affiliates...I think the warm cookie as a welcome is always a nice touch.

Napping

I am the first to admit that since I entered the work force a while ago that there have been occasions where after lunch I was dragging and wanted to take a nap. Today around 11am I was walking by an office and the guy was face planted on his desk! The door was wide open and he wasn't hiding his sleep issue from anyone. This is not his picture...I did not have a camera with me and secondly I would not post his face on the internet and create a difficult situation for the guy.

It's been another busy day and I am getting ready to leave the office and head off to one more meeting before driving home. Napping is great (on the weekends) as a matter of fact I love to nap! But, I have this fundamental problem with napping on the job. Just struck me a funny and kind of crazy so I thought I would post something on the blog.

Where did it go?

Where did the 11th week of 2008 go?


I just looked up at 1:40pm and realized I am just coming up for air. I didn't even stop for lunch today which is why I am stopping in the work day to blog...I NEEDED A BREAK. I think one of the most effective ways to be more productive is to PAUSE. It use to freak me out and I wanted to go, go, go...but all that did was lead to burn out, frustration, and often times strained relationships at home and work.

I am blown away at ALL of the areas God is challenging me to grown in (work, vision, faith, family, mission, finances, mentorship, relationship...just to name a few). I feel really good about the 'margins' I have and my choices of when to pause...even with the overwhelming stress I feel day to day in the market place. I firmly believe that my ability to close my eyes at night and know that I AM RIGHT WHERE GOD wants me is because:

1. Of a choice to rest - The single biggest one is my recent choice to really place emphasis on 'remembering the Sabbath' and having that day of rest (this one guidepost is a critical element to maintaining my margins)

2. An amazing women in my life (Sharon) who encourages me and loves me despite my bone-headed decisions sometimes

3. A mentor who is reminds me of what I am called to and keeps me grounded

4. Some amazing friends and leaders at NCC who I don't think realize how big a part they are playing in God's vision for the Simon's...

Just some quick FRIDAY REFLECTIONS!

~ David

Back from Seattle

Got in around 10pm last night from my week back in Seattle. Had a number of very productive meetings and had the opportunity to have dinner with several friends. Great to see everyone and to sneak in a game of soccer on Tuesday night! The hamstring still isn't fully recovered but it was good to get out and run around the field with all my co-workers from ATS. ~ David

Hard Times

No we aren't having 'hard times' at the Simon's...just eating there:

I went to the Hard Times Cafe for a lunch meeting with a friend. This place has awesome chilli and is one of the top 3 places to hang out in Alexandria, VA. It is one of my favorite meeting places (of course any meeting of food is a favorite place fore me). It really hit the spot with the wind blowing and making it a little colder than usual. Over lunch we talked about a number of things to include FOCUS.

Looking back on many personal adventures as well as the business ventures of friends around me, we talked about how your focus determines your direction and ultimately your destiny. Whether you are an owner, employee, or leader, it is critical to remind yourself of why you are doing what your doing. I watch way too many people here in DC thinking about being at home while they are at work and thinking about work while they are at home. And then they wonder why they are not achieving the success that others around them are having. Their focus is off.

Here's a hint...don't take the laptop home one night and turn off the blackberry and see what happens around the house. I am just as guilty as the next guy but sometimes that stuff has to be put aside and the focus needs to be on family. Now I would comment on the opposite of this but far more people struggle to make home and family the priority than the other way around.

The other thing I will mention is that my life goals and dreams are written down and saved on my desktop so that I can look at them daily. I don't dwell on them or stare at them for minutes on end but glancing at them keeps me in focus as to why I am doing what I am doing.

~David

Soccer

After refereeing at the highest levels of soccer (MLS) it is quite humbling to go play indoor soccer last night. I joined my friends from ATS to play with the "Burn'o'nators" ... which describes exactly how my legs felt! They were buring baby!

It was a blast playing with all the guys from ATS at the Olympic indoor sports arena in Bremerton. The team had thier first 'non-loss' of the season. AKA...we tied. Win or lose it was loads of fun and a great workout.

Playing sports is so great because it draws out the competitive nature, gets the blood flowing, changes my focus from work, and teaches us all that life isn't always fair (you know the comment, "that's a foul ref!"). Yes I did say it once.