Blog of Mark Champion

It was awesome !! I had met a couple of new friends that really wanted to learn to climb, and finally, schedules gelled and was able to go on Saturday. I went with a guy named Brian, and just started teaching him right away. He had climbed before, and was actually quite good at the basic techniques of climbing rock. Unfortunately, the people he had gone with before taught him nothing about what goes on before, during, and after. So, I started throwing the book at him - and he soaked up every bit of it. Hell, I think if we had enough time, he could have learned more!

So...we're going again this weekend, and I think I have a few other things to show him before we can move on to Trad climbing - where it's really at for me. I think it's where it's gonna be at for him as well. He's an intellectual, and I think he likes the more technical aspects of the sport. This is refreshing to me, as it is hard to find someone that is "right" to climb with on a higher level than simple top-roping. I am going to try to upload pics of our first climb out.

It was a beautiful day, and then out of nowhere we got hit with a monsoon. It was awesome. If nothing else, he got to see first hand what a little pressure feels like. I gotta say, I am still reeling from the buzz!

Now....if I can only get him to monitor his hydration and body temps...not like you get to bring bottles of water and gatorade with you on extended, pumpy climbs. But hey, one step at a time, you know?

Stay tuned for further updates to the adventures of our climbing. We also have to get one other guy out there as well, so be looking forward to those adventures in the coming posts.

I am a contractor, and am quite familiar with the site dice.com. It's a great resource for contractors, always has informative articles and a great wealth of knowledge concerning the contracting and consulting arenas.

Recently this article caught my attention, and I think the reason it caught my attention was because it brings to light a very real situation concerning the relationship between contractor and company. Of course, the article highlights and emphasizes the responsibility of the contractor, and is written in a light that serves to guide the contractor in dealing with clients. But I would like to expand the article to include a little more reality on the subject.

For example, the article focuses on and is written toward the contractor, but a successful project first involves the relationship between client and contractor. This is the first area that must be nurtured and failure to do so leads to "gig jumping" each and every time. Think about it: the last time you left a job, why did you leave? Did you lose your passion for the company's direction? Politics bog you down and squash your morale? Lose belief in the company's core mission? Got bored? Felt like you were being under utilized? The life of a contractor is much the same as that of an employee - except that a contractor is generally pretty good at what they do, and want to focus on their strengths and see the greatest impact of their work. This can tend to conflict with the clients objectives in a deceptive way. The client wants the best thing for their company, too....but they want it on time, in budget, and very seldom step in to ensure "business" doesn't get in the way of business. The contractor can take steps toward a mutually beneficial relationship by clearly outlining factors that may be detrimental to their commitment - such as those factors stated above. The client must work to remain in constant harmony with the objectives of the project the contractor is to deliver - regardless of the level of "ownership" the contractor has over the project.

Another interesting thing the article points out is that contractors are reporting that very few projects are being finished on time and within budget. This is an area where I like to get my soap box out and yell to the world. While it seems simple, I would just like to point out that if a project is over budget and out of time, maybe some thought should be given to the budget and the schedule. Just a thought. Far too often, projects are handled or directed by individuals who have little idea how to properly approach a project at all, or who may not be personally vested in the cause. I can't imagine a worse way to approach a project that doing so without the express involvement of the PM or the contractor responsible for execution. This happens far too often, and afterwards, you end up with a scramble to the finish line, complete with sloppy end work, finger pointing, and compromised quality standards. The end game is the game that suffers, yet is most impacting to the overall success of the project. It is estimated that roughly 10% of all projects have contractors who leave before the end of the project. Sounds to me to be more of a crunch time dilemma. And, in my experience that's what it almost always is.

Go here to learn about my new book! Check it out!

Well, I finally followed my own advice and started a blog. Actually, I had been working on it for a while, here and there, and never really decided to push it, or as they say in "regular speak", publish it. So, after seeing that my brother-in-law (himself quite the technologist) started a blog, I thought I'd go ahead and eat my Wheaties and do a blog, too. And, what better way to do so than to announce the release of my book, "Working Your Network, Vol.1: Managing Technology - From Survival to Success.

I wrote my book after some pains about my career path. I had grown a little bored, perhaps. Perhaps I had grown tired of seeing perfectly good business models struggle, year after year, only to find themselves with the same market share. Perhaps I just wanted to do something that mattered and would help people find their own way with a little less discomfort, and a lot more success.

Business is tough, there is no doubt about that. But for some reason, we all get out of bed, and go about chasing the dream in our own manner. But to what end? To make a living, for the love of the game, to promote our ideals, to achieve goals, to make an impact? Regardless of our motivations, we all share one common denominator: We are constantly thrust toward improvement. And there is another little morsel of similarity: We all ultimately end up using technology as the facilitator of our improvement.

Think about it - regardless of our industry or profession, the use of the tools of your trade has the greatest impact on our success (assuming that we already know our profession). There isn't a profession on the planet that doesn't use or need to use technology in some form or fashion in order to facilitate progress and deliver some sort of competitive edge. Once we understand that, it becomes clear to the most successful companies that if they improve the use and implementation of their tools, they improve competitive edge. A look at any of the more successful companies reveals this simple truth.

But, how do we approach this challenge - and a challenge it is to most businesses in an age where most of us were never taught the implications of proper technology management and implementation when learning our core skills?

In my book, Working Your Network, Vol.1: Managing Technology - From Survival to Success, I outline simple approaches to some of the most overlooked aspects of technology management, and give the reader easy to follow ideas and instruction for approaching the technology component of their business - any business. Written in easy to understand English, this information is easily digested by any employee, manager, or business owner - regardless of technological background.

I hope you enjoy the book, and that it helps you along your jouney. Please feel free to contact me any time, and as always, I look forward to seeing you all - at the top!

Mark Champion, MCSE CCCT