weidemannia one

Once again, the music has stopped and there aren’t enough chairs to go around. As a result, the number of troops has been reduced by one more. Leaner and meaner, fighting machinery being developed. Fat-free and high performance only.

The last real issue to be faced is purging the old blood from the system. Transfusions have been put on the calendar, but time will tell if they take place. If they do, some serious concerns will be put to rest.

Result: Improved positioning within the company, and promises of even greater rewards.

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”

Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

German physicist, Nobel Prize winner

Here’s a mockup of the commercial we are thinking of running in order to draw more people to our company, and let us refinance their homes. What do you think?

You know how to control line weights by rolling your pencil.
You know that a French curve isn’t a grade change on a language exam.
You remember when blueprints were blue.
You’ve erased sepias with chemicals.
You know a scumbag isn’t just a derogatory comment about someone.
You know what drafting dots are and how to use them.
You know that a Leroy Lettering Set is not an ACAD font.
You’ve had a roll of toilet paper on your drafting board.
You remember when templates were plastic and not a type of electronic file.
You know what sandpaper on a stick is for.
You know that a compass draws circles and not used to find the North Pole.
You remember the head rush from the smell of ammonia.
You own a roll of masking tape so dried out, it will never be tape again.
You’ve played with a drafting dot ball.
You know what the phrase “asses and elbows” means.
You’ve done cut and paste with scissors and sticky back.
You’ve etched your initials into your tools.
You have had a brush tied to your drafting board.
You’ve come home with black sleeves.
You’ve made hooks out of paper clips to attach to your lamp.
You know an eraser shield isn’t a Norton program.
You’ve used “fixative” spray.
You’ve had a middle-finger callous harder than bone.
The words “sepia changes” still gives you a headache.
You’ve used Pounce.
You’ve used a “ships curve”.
You’ve used a “Folding-Bone” before.
Having an Ames lettering guide and never using it.
You’ve worn out the bristles of your drafting brush.
You made a rubber-band ball that is now quite hairy.
You resisted moving from linen to mylar.
Chiselpoint was the sign of experience and craftsmanship.

And finally…

You have a permanent spine curvature from bending over your table.

Thanks to Leonard Eastwood for helping remember the simple days…

NORTH AMERICA’S MOST ADMIRED KNOWLEDGE ENTERPRISES ANNOUNCED Date Added 7/12/2005

The winners of the 2005 North American Most Admired Knowledge Enterprises (MAKE) study, conducted by Teleos in association with The KNOW Network, are (in alphabetical order): Buckman Laboratories, Dell, Fluor, General Electric, Google, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft, Raytheon, SAIC, Southwest Airlines and 3M.

A panel of North American Fortune Global 500 senior executives and internationally-recognized knowledge management and intellectual capital experts chose the 2005 North American MAKE Winners. The panel rated organizations founded and headquartered in North America against a framework of eight key knowledge performance dimensions which are the visible drivers of competitive advantage. The 2005 North American MAKE Winners have been recognized as leaders in:

- creating a corporate knowledge-driven culture
- developing knowledge workers through senior management leadership
- delivering knowledge-based products/solutions
- maximizing enterprise intellectual capital
- creating an environment for collaborative knowledge sharing
- creating a learning organization
- delivering value based on customer knowledge
- transforming enterprise knowledge into shareholder value

Wow! What an achievement!

I’m sure the rest of us involved in the conception, development and deployment of this system are proud. In spite of the career-limiting challenges and confrontations with senior management to actually embrace and support change in the corporation, the knowledge management system prevailed. Phil Carroll, regardless of all the crap that came down from the other executives while he was leading this organization and after he left, planted a seed from which Fluor’s success is based. Lets give the man some well-deserved credit for changing this organization.

Thanks to one of my close colleagues for sending me a copy of this:

Dear Employees,

Alan Boeckmann

Let’s see. Shall I offer some biased, personal observations?

- It appears that the corporate headquarters is not only moving to Texas, but that it is reducing its size by 65%! Currently at 490 employees; 170 anticipated at the new location. Just how much corporate fat is being liposuctioned out of its operations and being left to blanche itself in the Southern California sun?

- 210 people will be reassigned or relocated locally. Now, you tell me just what possible jobs would these people be assigned to when every organization is being held accountable for its budgets. If they’ve been doing the job with this year’s staff, who the hell would bring on more survivors to its at-capacity lifeboat. (Maybe they’ll be put into the Sales organization!)

- It is interesting that the philanthropic foundation (read: Bob Fluor Jr.) refuses to make the move. The company has distanced itself from its heritage and roots.

- I also love the phrase “continue on our path toward preeminence” which means Dallas. Look for the bumperstickers: Dallas - The Center of Preeminence!

Watch the FLR message boards to see the anger from the displaced…

US News Article | Reuters.com:

TEXAS CITY, Texas (Reuters) - An explosion rocked BP’s huge refinery in Texas City, Texas, on Wednesday, the company said, and local television reported that four people were killed in the blast.

BP’s Bill Stephens said the explosion was on the west end of the complex but could not confirm what units were affected.

You know when a report like this hits the wires, the salesman pack their bags and head for the scene of the crime. While this may be somewhat morbid, that’s how certain types of business become successful.

Just a thought.

Interesting observation by one of the enlightened posters on the Fluor message board.

“Fluor ceased being an engineering and construction company with a sales and marketing department a long time ago. They have become a sales and marketing company that happens to sell and market engineering and construction.”

I tend to agree… in case you care.

Inadequate armored protection for military vehicles in Iraq is a festering problem that has contributed to many U.S. deaths and casualties.

One soldier standing up with a question for the boss has spurred the government into action on the festering problem of inadequate armor protection in Iraq. Army Spec. Thomas Wilson did thousands of soldiers a big favor by having the gumption to put his complaint directly to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Think anything would have happened had the press not been in the room? From my perspective, it reinforces the importance of having witnesses around when you go up against the big dogs.

Say, what?