It will most probably make you wonder. I recommend after you guessed what the poem is all about to read it again. It will make much more sense afterwards, it made a strong impression on me.
I am your constant companion,
I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am at your command.
Half of the tasks you do you might just as well
Turn over to me and I will do them quickly and correctly.
I am easily managed; you must merely be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done.
After a few lessons, I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of all great people
And the regret of all failures as well.
Those who are great , I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine but I will work with all its precision
Plus the intelligence of a person.
Now you may run me for profit or you may run me for ruin.
It makes no difference to me.
Take me, train me, be firm with me and
I will lay the world at your feet.
Be easy with me and I will DESTROY YOU. I am called…
Went home on a mini-vacation this week. No blogging, no rss, no work, no school. Putting aside the parents, it was pretty relaxing. BUT the whole trip was worth while for this little encountering: (short story)
A bunch of friends and I went clubbing were trying to rekindle old high school times and went to a full-house club in the city only to feel much older thank we actually are (I mean I saw girls partying which had been in diapers the last time I checked). The bad feelings faded away after a few drinks… and we danced and danced.
While on the dance floor with my brackets shining prettily because of the club’s lights and lasers , who do I see acting like the hamster/guinea pig in those Blockbuster ads right on the club’s bar with the animators?
An old colleague of mine and also old heavy-metal maniac. In high school he wouldn’t have set foot in a club if you threatened to cut his hair and now here he is dancing on house music like crazy! Naturally I asked…
“What the f*** happened? Remember? clubs are evil and stupid, people who dance in clubs don’t really have fun but are mediocre machines of this mediocre society bla bla bla ?!? ” (In my mind: how can your beliefs just shift like that after 6 years of heavy-metal “life-style” and by the way… none of your life-long rocker friends are here, you know? )
He gave me the coolest answer ever!
“You know Dee … we (meaning himself and all his rocker friends) have been going out all these years, drinking ’till we passed out and those of us who were still able to complete a logical sentence would stay until dawn to argue if God exists or not. I got sick of it. It has bored me to death and I realized I want to start living this crappy life.”
And he climbed back on the bar… and I feel good because that means I HAVE been living my life! Of course, I’m hoping this little story will make you think a little deeper than “having fun”.
I looove this rocker cat:
I just have to show you the terrific ads I mentioned of “hamster and rabbit”:
Like I said, I read blogs. A lot. One of my favourites is a Romanian entrepreneur’s blog , Dragos Manac (Romanian only). He writes rarely, but when he does, it’s “starred” in my reader . Re recently made a 5 step guide for all those new in management which I think is simply a must-know! Therefore I’m summarizing it for all who don’t speak Romanian.
He states that this guide should help you tonot horribly fail or at least to wake up before you ruin all around you.
“1: Lean to be humble.” The minute one(most) is in charge of one office, three people and a dog becomes all of a sudden a BOSS. All you over-night managers keep in mind this is not a life-time guaranteed position. You’re not any smarter, prettier or more interesting. You’re the same and the people you work with are the same. Be humble, don’t be a smart-ass or they’ll remember and your reputation will evolve accordingly.
“2: Learn to be responsible.”
EVERYTHING is your responsibility when the line is drawn: the people you manage, their results, the problems your organization faces. Any and every failure has one cause: bad management. So forget about excuses, motivations or anything like that. Nobody cares or wants that from you. What they do want is: “whit, results and responsibility”.
“3: Learn to delegate.”
If you think that by being the company hero, working 24/7, always saving the day, always helping out you are a good manager than you are wrong. You are in fact a “good-worker–bad-manager”. That’s all. Your team should be able to function and get the job done all by itself, without you. And it’s your job to organize your people in such a manner. If you are always under pressure, never have enough time and are the only one who can solve certain problems than you have failed as a manager.
4: Tell the truth in more than 50% of your conversations.”
Managers lie: common fact. But if this ball of yarn gets too big you will certainly tangle in it at some point. So keep your feet on the ground, your head in reality and a good control on your “story telling”.
“5: Do not enter in competition or conflict with your own team.”
You don’t have to prove you’re better or smarter than your colleagues. If you feel you have to than maybe you should give the person you are competing with a chance at your job. “A good manager recognizes value and exploits it”. On the other hand, what you can’t control, remove.
I’m not sweeter, more feminine, appealing or interesting by smoking. I’m at most bitchy or stressed… or “independent” as some might say. I’m not 16 anymore. It’s not cool [period]
Many “voices” have preached the peak and fall of blogs and blogging. More adequately, as forums have evolved into blogs, blogs must evolve into something. Well they haven’t yet!
BBC News 24 have just started today a LIVEBLOG from the newsroom. Last week 2 major romanian advertising companies have totally closed down their site and practically moved everything into a blog. How cool is that?
I’m desperately trying to convince my genius little sister to start a blog she’s 16
, who do I see acting like the hamster/guinea pig in those Blockbuster ads right on the club’s bar with the animators?
because that means I HAVE been living my life! Of course, I’m hoping this little story will make you think a little deeper than “having fun”.
. Re recently made a 5 step guide for all those new in management which I think is simply a must-know! Therefore I’m summarizing it for all who don’t speak Romanian.