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The Cutoff

by Terrance Malkinson

A Thought to Chew On

In careers, as in sports, there are no guarantees. Sometimes you don’t make it to the finish line, and it happened to me recently. Triathlon is a one-day sports event consisting of swimming, cycling and running. You plan, setting your pace appropriately to end each of the three components prior to its mandatory cutoff time. After many months of preparation, the clock loomed and the event ended for me. This early exit was personally devastating. I made it through the 3.8 km swim, but after 180 km of cycling finished five minutes past cutoff. The day was over.

All of us have had experiences where we did not realize the goal. However, the real story is not in the unachieved goal, but in how you react to it. The easy path is to blame something or someone else; the weather, the pavement, the boss, a co-worker — perhaps even blame the birds singing in the trees! The better path is to thank yourself for having the courage to seek a challenging goal, consider this failure a good learning experience, and try again.

Everyone who has had a meaningful journey through life has experienced disappointments and often multiple disappointments. Career-savvy individuals learn from their mistakes and disappointments, and through persistence and believing in themselves, achieve their goals. Many now-famous people rose from the ashes of defeat to achieve success. This story can be yours as well. I can guarantee I'll be on the shores of the lake to try again next year.

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part. The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.

— Baron DeCoubertin

Further Reading on Triathlons

Dallam, G.M., S. Jonas, and T.K. Miller. Medical Considerations in Triathlon Competition. Sports Medicine. 35(2): 143-161, 2005. www.ingenta.com

Jeukendrup, A.E., R.L.P.G. Jentjens and L. Moseley. Nutritional Considerations in Triathlon. Sports Medicine. 35(2): 163-181, 2005. www.ingenta.com

Other Bytes

Here are some of the things going on in and around the engineering community:

• Unethical practices have damaged the trust required for local, national and international business. Recently, many organizations have developed or revised an ethical code of conduct. Ethics codes are good business practice, and in some cases, required by legislation. In “The Methods Used to Implement an Ethical Code of Conduct and Employee Attitudes” (Journal of Business Ethics; 54(3): 225-244, 2004; www.kluwreonline.nl ), Auishalom Adam and Dalia Rachman-Moore discuss the results of their research on the best methods to be used in implementing an ethical code of conduct. They found, among other things, that informal methods are likely to yield a greater commitment to practicing good business ethics than formal methods. One example of an effective method for fostering compliance to an ethical code of conduct is the influence exerted by the organization's social norms. Supervisors and leaders of the organization set another example. The authors believe that informal methods, implemented through daily interactions with peers and organization leaders performing as role modes, were the most successful.

• Organizational downsizing is often used as a cost-saving mechanism. It is important to distinguish between downsizing, which is a short-term measure, and the more effective development and implementation of well thought-out strategic plans that improve both short and long-term business performance. In ”Age Discrimination in Layoffs: Factors of Injustice” (Journal of Business Ethics; 54(3): 217-224, 2004; www.kluweronline.nl), Eleanor Henry and James Jennings consider a company's ethical obligation's to stockholders and employees with respect to layoffs. Specifically, the authors consider age discrimination in layoffs of workers in the over-50 age category. Social contract theory establishes an organizations ethical obligation to its employees and shareholders. A discussion of common law agency standards for expected conduct of obligations follows. Henry and Jennings provide four arguments to explain why age discrimination in layoffs is unjust.

• International business piracy (“the unauthorized use of reproduction of another’s work”) is spreading quickly and perniciously throughout the world as a destructive business practice. Bogus products are appearing for a wide range of goods. In “Intellectual Property Abuses: How Should Multinationals Respond?” (Long Range Planning; 37(5): 459-475, 2004), Deli Yang, Mahmut Sonmez and Derek Bosworth discuss their research on piracy problems, provide an analysis of strategic solutions to these problems, and conclude with a discussion on how the implications from the study can be applied strategically. The authors provide 10 specific strategies as effective actions for multinational organizations to counter current and future piracy. On a similar theme, Frederik Balfour's article entitled “Fakes” (BusinessWeek; #3919; 7 February 2005; www.businessweek.com) discusses the global counterfeit business that targets everything from computer chips to life-saving medicines.

• As health care plan costs continue to rise, employers are finding it increasingly difficult to cover the costs, compromising their ability to provide coverage as an employee benefit. In “Exams for Health Plans” (HR Magazine; 50(1): 61-65, 2004; www.shrm.org/hrmagazine), Carolyn Hirschman suggests that design reviews and eligibility audits are two cost-containment tools that organizations can use. A design review examines a health care plan's overall structure to assess how cost effectively it serves the organization's workforce. Eligibility audits identify participants who should be purged from the plan because they no longer qualify for benefits. Hirschman explains that regularly reviewing all aspects of a health care plan may result in not only considerable cost saving for the employer, but also the employee.

• In “The New Road to the Top” (Harvard Business Review; 83(1): 25-32, 2005; www.hbr.com), Peter Cappelli and Monika Hamori quantify a transformation that has, until now, been anecdotal. Cappelli and Hamori report on how top managers of Fortune 100 companies are fundamentally different than they were 20 years ago: they are younger, fewer are educated at elite institutions, and an increasing proportion is female. These findings represent on a few discussed in their report. Interesting reading for those seeking advancement in their company or seeking a position in another company.

• The journey to becoming a chief executive officer (CEO) has many challenges. And even after an individual has obtained the position, it has been estimated that 40 percent of new CEOs fail in their first 18 months. In “Almost Ready: How Leaders Move Up” (Harvard Business Review; 83(1):46-53, 2005; www.hbr.com), Dan Ciampa discusses how qualities that help an individual advance to the “number two” position are not enough for the final step to “number one.” Ciampa describes skills and abilities that will help potential CEOs be successful in their quest. He concludes that candidates “must learn to conduct themselves with the maturity and wisdom that demonstrate to those making the decision that he is indeed, ready.”

• On 6 April 2005, a new European directive gave all employees working in organizations with 150 or more employees the right to be informed and consulted in business issues that affect them. This legislation formalizes the process of continuous dialogue between the employer and employees that currently exists in many companies worldwide. In ”Developing an Employee Consultation Process” (Strategic Communication Management; 9(1): 30-33, 2005; www.melcrum.com), David Ferrabee discusses the implications of this directive in Europe, and how consultation is a good business practice. Ferrabee summarizes the directive's key legal points and explains how consultation is a critical feature. Ferrabee suggests that such a dialogue is much more than simple communication, requiring specific content, a process, and considerable consultation skills. Research confirms that companies that implement robust and effective employee communications programs fare extremely well.

• Today’s busy business environment is presenting serious physical and mental challenges to our well-being, as our bodies and minds become overloaded. In "Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Underperform” (Harvard Business Review; 83(1): 55-62, 2005; www.hbr.com), Edward Hallowell discusses how modern office life and an increasingly common neurological phenomenon called “attention deficit trait” (ADT) is affecting our ability to perform effectively. This neurological event occurs when we have to deal with more input than the brain is able to deal with — the brain and body react by shifting into a disturbed state of being. The author provides strategies on how to avoid ADT and how to manage it should you become its victim. As the author concludes “our understanding and recognizing ADT is a critical step in our vigilance and foster more productive, well-balanced and intelligent work environments.”

Terrance Malkinson is a proposal manager/documentation specialist; an elected Senator of the University of Calgary; an elected Governor of the Engineering Management Society; international correspondent for IEEE-USA Today's Engineer online; editor-in-chief of IEEE-USA Today's Engineer quarterly print digest; editor of the IEEE Engineering Management Society Newsletter; and editor of IEEE Canadian Review. He can be reached at todaysengineer@ieee.org. Opinions expressed are the author's.