Author: vienna (Page 5 of 7)

March 25, 2024

I started my re-read of this book this morning. I read the 1st and last chapters. The last chapter, Final Thoughts, and the 13th week, because this is week 13 of 2024.

I have to credit Alex from Alex and Books with this format – it’s not exactly what he does, but it is close and certainly inspired by what he does. For each chapter, I’ll try to outline the key takeaway(s) and at least 1 action I plan to or want to, or could take.

Chapter 1 Key Takeaways & Actions

Takeaways – Chapter 1

4 times your results by using what you already know.

Actions – Chapter 1

I downloaded an OKR template for Notion. While in the past I’ve used several different OKR software programs I don’t want to take the time to work thru the learning curve and I don’t want to spend the money. So instead I downloaded a simple OKR template for Notion where I plan to outline and measure my Objectives and Key Results for this next 12 Weeks.

Chapter 2 Key Takeaways & Actions

Takeaways – Chapter 2

Discard annualized planning.

Apply the concept of periodization to my business plans

Actions – Chapter 2

1. I revived my 12 Week Trello Board
2. Identify no more than 3 Objectives for this “12 Week Year” i.e. quarter less would probably be more effective.

Chapter 3 Key Takeaways & Actions

Takeaways – Chapter 3

Create a compelling vision for the future to enable you to stay the course when things get uncomfortable.

The most important actions are usually the most uncomfortable actions.

Your business objectives are not the means

Actions – Chapter 3

I’ve done these vision exercises many times and honestly I’m not 30 years old or 40, or even 50 – I’m no longer looking to the future. I’m looking for today – for making today great and productive.

1. Work on OKR’s for the next 12 weeks

Chapter 4 Key Takeaways & Actions

March 26, 2024

Takeaways – Chapter 4

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else

Yogi Berra

Plan the next 12 weeks – this chapter was somewhat redundant but mercifully short.

Actions – Chapter 4

Nothing new

Chapter 5 Key Takeaways & Actions

Again mercifully short and more of the same. Primary takeaway create a weekly plan. Assess daily.

Chapter 6 Key Takeaways & Actions

“In God we trust: all other must bring data.”

W. Edwards demming

Takeaways – Chapter 6

Measure Your Results

Actions – Chapter 6

I said I wasn’t going to do it, but I did. I found a fantastic OKR program. It’s called Cascade. They have a free version for up to 4 users. I’m still in a free trial so I don’t know what features I’ll lose when that ends. We’ll see, I’ll post about it.

Chapter 7 Key Takeaways & Actions

Takeaways – Chapter 7

Accountability is not consequences it’s ownership

Actions – Chapter 7

Nothing new, I embraced this many years ago

Chapter 8 Key Takeaways & Actions

Takeaways – Chapter 8

Actions – Chapter 8

Author John Doerr

“When dealing with numerical data, approximately right is better than precisely wrong.”
– Carl G. Thor

Natural resources management gateway

March 24, 2024

Published in April 2018, I purchased Measure What Matters in December 2018, but didn’t read it – geez. I bought it because wanted to be certain I measured what mattered.

I really don’t know how or why I didn’t finish reading it. There are 9049 reviews on Amazon, 66% of which are 5-star reviews, that’s 66%. There are another 32,179 ratings on Goodreads (as reported by Amazon). That’s a lot of reviews.

As always, I looked at the one-star and two-star reviews. The top one-star review found the book “dry, uninspired and a little creepy.” I disagreed and found the review annoying, but the thing I like about critical reviews is that they frequently recommend other books on the same subject, and sometimes, they are worth reading.

In this case, the recommendation is “High Output Management by Andy Grove – who is considered to be the author of OKRs. I have this book and, again, haven’t read it – so I’m going to add it to this themed read.

This is one of now 4 books in my current themed read about measurement and forecasting.

You can find the Amazon reviews of Measure What Matters here.

May 3rd, 2024

I’m still trying to figure out how to document this project – in the blog – in each book post? I really don’t know YET. I’ll figure it out.

I’ve just finished chapter 20 of this book – I’m going to have to read it again. Reading is great, but doing something with what you read is another ball game altogether, and that’s the point of the project.

My takeaways so far:

1. My goals are very small – MINUSCULE really
2. My thinking is foggy

The Art and Science of prediction Copyright 2015

This is one of three books in my themed read about measuring and forecasting. Again I’m only 60 pages into the book today March 23, 2024, so I can’t say much about it, other than, good forecasting is possible and apparently useful – two concepts I’ve never bought into.

You can read the Amazon reviews here – there are 4213 reviews with an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5 – so 60%.

I often find the critical reviews of a book to be more helpful – though some are absurd. One 1 star review complains about the paper quality -and another recommends a different book which is actually about the Vietnam war – really?

Reading the reviews, however brings to me to the subject of todays Day 3 blog post which you can read here – should you be so inclined:)

A book about finding the value of intangibles in business by Douglas W. Hubbard

“When dealing with numerical data, approximately right is better than precisely wrong.”

Carl G Thor

My rating of this book is not based on the quality of its writing or content but rather on how practical and valuable it has been in my life. Not an easy read.

It’s a great book, but it may not be worth the time if you aren’t struggling with the problem it addresses.

March 22, 2024

Reflections and Random Thoughts

One of the first things that came up for me was that not only do “big companies” not know how to measure, but they don’t even try! And here I thought it was just me that couldn’t figure things out.

Insights

Key Take-Aways

Measurements inform decisions. Decisions always have some level of uncertainty. Reducing the amount of uncertainty is the point.

Value of Measurement Matters. If you don’t compute the value of measurements, you are probably measuring the wrong things the wrong way.

Step one: Determine what you already know … even when you think you know nothing

Something Actionable

Review what I’m measuring, i.e., KPI, and consider the value of the measurement. Stop measuring the low-value measurements.

Keep a list of the decisions I’m trying to make.

What Everyone Else Thinks

In any case, I’m reading the 3rd Edition. It was initially published in 1962. It has 563 reviews on Amazon (in Jan of 2025) and a rating of 4.5 but only 3.9 on Good Reads with over 3600 ratings and 257 reviews. You can read the Amazon reviews here, and the Goodread reviews here.

Many of the poor reviews complain about the difficulty of reading the book and too much repetition. And, as usual, the folks who complain about the physical quality of the book they received.