Category Archives: Management

Stories from the gray side of life.

Inserting Images into Excel Comments Using VBA

Posted on 14-November-2013 by mathscinotes

I use Excel for basic statistical analysis of manufacturing and field return data as part of daily routine. I also use Excel for department budgeting. During these tasks, I frequently need to add information to my spreadsheets about my information … Continue reading →

Posted in Management, software | 27 Comments

A Management Generation Gap

Posted on 7-September-2013 by mathscinotes

A management mentor of mine (let's call him Gary) contacted me the other day. This contact brought back many memories. Most of what I know about managing people I learned from him. Gary is near retirement now and he is … Continue reading →

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GPAs and Work Performance

Posted on 5-July-2013 by mathscinotes

I have spent a lot of time interviewing engineers. In my current job, the first employee in the hardware department was me and I have hired every hardware person at this site. I have spent a lot time thinking about … Continue reading →

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Balancing Leadership and Management

Posted on 23-June-2013 by mathscinotes

A major topic of discussion in management circles today is leadership. Many people struggle to draw a distinction between leadership and management. I heard another manager draw the following reasonable distinction between management and leadership. I am sure they go … Continue reading →

Posted in Management | 3 Comments

Superman, Chicken Little, and Knowable Unknowables

Posted on 15-May-2013 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day Who does not grow, declines. — Rabbi Hillel. This statement is true for almost any human activity. If you are not improving, you are declining. I was having a discussion with other managers about the difficulty … Continue reading →

Posted in Management | 2 Comments

Goldilocks Problems

Posted on 9-May-2013 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day Take calculated risks. That is quite different than being rash. — General George S. Patton I have been working on a simple optical deployment problem that is all too common. A customer has put together an … Continue reading →

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TSA Has No Sense of Humor

Posted on 13-April-2013 by mathscinotes

I was having a discussion with some other engineering managers when I heard the following travel horror story. Engineering managers are always talking about Bills of Materials (BOMs), which we pronounce as "bombs". An engineer was on his phone at an airport and was discussing part problems with a contract manufacturer. He used the term "bomb" many times during that conversation. Another passenger heard his use of the term "bomb" and turned him in to TSA, who promptly apprehended him. He then spent the next several hours explaining to the nice TSA people what a bill of materials is. While the TSA folks were very nice, he did miss his plane and got to spend an enjoyable evening in Little Rock, Arkansas. Did you know many things there are named after Bill and Hillary Clinton? This engineer got to visit a number of these places. Continue reading →

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What Does It Mean to be an Expert?

Posted on 19-October-2012 by mathscinotes

As an engineering director, I must annually review my employees for performance relative to the standards of their assigned job categories. If an employee is performing above or below their assigned standards, their job category may need to be changed. … Continue reading →

Posted in Management | 1 Comment

Not Every Scientist Starts Out a Prodigy

Posted on 10-October-2012 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day A father is only as happy as his least happy child. - Dr. Phil. This is something a dad understands. I have to share this news story about John Gurdon, who is one of the 2012 … Continue reading →

Posted in General Science, Management | 2 Comments

Product Feature Presentations Using Excel's AutoFilter and VBA

Posted on 5-June-2012 by mathscinotes

I have to present a lot of data to people, but I find PowerPoint, a corporate workhorse, to be a poor vehicle for presenting data. I am not an acolyte of Tufte -- a famous PowerPoint critic -- I just … Continue reading →

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