Create Better Ideas

Happy Thanksgiving!

Many thanks to the entire family of Phillips employees for their unyielding support of our program.  During this week when we pause to give thanks for our many blessings in life, we pause and extend our gratitude to all of you for helping us help others get a break from cancer.  Your generosity and commitment to our mission are inspiring and with your support, we are extending the reach of our program to your communities.

We continue to reach out to local regions to identify people who are best suited to participate in our program.   We are awaiting nominations from Greensboro and Maryland and next month, we will be doing an educational in-service for the ONS (Oncology Nursing Society) chapter President in Oakland, CA. Within the next thirty days, we expect to receive three nominations from patients in these three regions. 

And at home, we are busy with our program and in the past four months, have provided 67% more excursions than last year and 73% more people have traveled.  Eighty adults and sixty seven children have been given a respite vacation and made memories of a lifetime!  We are tremendously excited too for our new office space and especially for our Phillips’ children’s area that will be completed next week!  We will be sure to post pictures of this great addition to our office!

From our community to yours, we wish you and your family a very blessed and memorable Thanksgiving.  Thank you again for being a vital part of the FPS family! 

Sincerely,

Marci Schankweiler

FPS Founder/President

P.S. If you're looking for some inspiration, click here.

Projects and Process and Systems, Oh My!

It’s scary out there. I have been to conferences, read articles, and seen on-line discussion groups that have spent a lot of time chewing on such things as “What is the difference between a process and a project?”, “When is a project a process?”, “If you are process oriented, can you be a systems thinker?”, etc.

 Can’t we all just get along? Project management, process improvement and documentation, and systems thinking all have their places; and none of them – in actual practice – are mutually exclusive. Remember that our definition of “correct” is “what works”.

 Project management is a way of organizing the calendar and budget that guide a project and communicating that to project participants and stakeholders in such a way that stuff gets done. When we document process – no matter the form – we are writing a recipe for how to do something over and over again and get the same quality result. When we think of either projects or processes as systems, we are acknowledging that they are complicated and that they are non-linear: Sometimes when we follow the steps, different stuff happens and we need to adjust. Process improvement and systems thinking both lead us to look at root cause when we don’t get what we want. Process improvement tends to look at the sequence in the recipe to see how it can be fixed; systems thinking challenges us to look for causes based upon the relationships among the parts and players that are affecting the process.*

At Phillips Corporation, we also talk about “well crafted plans”. A well crafted plan supports an audacious objective. It is in place before we begin, anticipating obstacles to success (like a project plan), should be recorded and reported as we go along (like a process document), and takes into account the big picture: people, culture, environment, and potential drivers and constraints (systems thinking). Some of these ideas have some contradictions to one another, but having all of them in our toolbox helps us to be flexible.

And now reality:

We set our objective, sign up the stakeholders, and craft a plan. Then the unanticipated happens, we’re thrown off track, and our lovely well crafted plan needs re-crafting. Open your toolbox and examine: Was a step missed? Should the step have happened in a different order? Were the proper tools or skills not in place? (process), Was the plan not communicated? Were all not on board? Did something scheduled or agreed to fall through the cracks without being noticed or communicated? Did we guess wrong on scope, cost, or time needed? (project) Does everyone understand their roles? Is communication happening the way it should? Is the team or organization inadvertently working against success? Are we pushing against the culture? (systems)

There are, of course, many more questions that can be asked, and we all have our favorites. Try this: if your orientation is stronger in one of the three – project, process, or systems – learn about the others or invite someone with a different orientation to join your team.

When something interferes with the execution of your plan – and something will – the more kinds of questions you can ask, the better your correction will be.

 

*(This paragraph is intentionally oversimplified. Please comment if you have questions, additions, or arguments.)

 

 

Tom Huntley - Brand Ambassador

Excerpt taken from Tom Huntley's Brand Ambassador Form:

Our customer was screaming for help. His machine was down and his shop would be put out of business if we could not help him immediately. Of course this happens at the end of the day and our turnaround time would have killed him. Tom was the closest technician we had available. I called Tom and told him the problem we had. Tom jumped into his van drove about 2 hours to the office in Greensboro to pick up a part, then drove to the customer’s location and fixed his machine. Tom got this job done very late at night. Our problem was that the job we had already committed to the following day was for another hot machine and a very good customer. Tom not asking for anything made the sacrifice and showed up early the next day to other customer to get their machine back up and running.

In this case we were able to satisfy two customers and get them back into production with very little down time. Both customers were greatly appreciative for the sacrifice Tom had made. These types of small sacrifices we make will result in us winning machine orders in the future.

Ken Wawrzyniak - Brand Ambassador

Excerpt taken from Ken Wawrzyniak's Brand Ambassador Form:

Ken has much more than a business relationship with his customers, he has friendships. The most important piece of advice I received from Ken; "You will never sell a thing until you sell yourself." Ken lives this each and every day. During our return trip from the International Sales Meeting, a situation with a customer came to Ken's attention. Pulling in his driveway at 4:00 PM, after driving four hours home, he jumped back in his car and headed to the customer, an hour drive. "This is something I need to talk to him face to face," said Ken.

Ken, in my opinion, is already a Brand Ambassador. He is the most honest, unselfish, and professional individual I have ever met. I am honored and privileged to have him as a Partner.

From India to the USA, My First Visit

My Visit to USA

My journey started with the VISA interview, where the only question I was asked was to differentiate between Phillips Electronics and Phillips Corporation. I was very surprised when I walked into my interview and noticed the officer was a replica of Nardo, so I knew how to deal with him! My VISA was held up for 1 month and 20 days but finally I got it just 2 days before my planned departure.

Ahhh the first achievement to get a VISA for 10 years - COMPLETE. Now I had just 2 days to pack up and also prepare for the meetings. It was a rush to get things ready but Do (Dorina) was with me so I felt more comfortable.

We had a direct flight to Newark and then took another flight to Baltimore where Amy came to pick up us with her cute little daughter -  Ailey. She tried every possible way to make us comfortable- many thanks to her!

Baltimore is a beautiful place it seems from the flight. It was a little cold for us but nice.



We checked in at Hampton Inn Maryland, a hotel close to the office. The best part of the place is- you have a shopping mall right beside the hotel! We were welcomed by a Maryland special gift pack by the CE! Team that we really appreciate, it made us feel so special. It was a beautiful and heart touching surprise.

Early October is the good time to visit Maryland as the weather is neither too cold nor too hot and the leaves change their color I mean it’s a transitional weather phase which adds on to the beauty of the place.



Amy took us out to a Mexican place for dinner. It was in Ellicott city of Maryland called “La Palapa” where her husband and daughter joined us, as well as Nardo and his girlfriend Stasia. We walked around downtown Ellicott City before dinner and we were astonished to find a place selling Hindu God’s Idols!


Monday: Day 1 of our CE! Team weekly meeting and my first visit to the Hanover office. We were greeted by the entire CE Team: Helene, Shelley, Kim, Nardo, Danny, Bill - Amy drove us to the office. Helene introduced us to all the partners at the Corporate and Federal division and showed the facility.


To me there was not much difference in the day to day activites versus India. However people in Maryland seemed to eat meals at different hours, usually a lot earlier than I was used too. I had no problem being hungry though because we fit so much into our schedule!

And thhhheeeee cars, I fell in love with the variety of models available. I clicked more than 200 pictures of only cars!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 days passed so fast with so many meetings and accomplishments. It was nice knowing and sharing each others cultures and ideas. Also thanks Kim and all other partners for ensuring we were comfortable!
 

  One day we went for a Team Lunch at Timbaktu- eating joint famous for crab cakes so Dorina was on top of the sky as she loves crab cakes. And during another dinner we got to have steamed crabs. Look at the picture it seems we were in a battle!

We also went for a Japanese restaurant where they flip food right into your mouth. I am serious, it was kind of fun. And the guy serving was amazingly good at his work. Amy had a good time in clicking pics and eating the flipped food. :)

We also had a ladies only special dinner night where we went to The Melting Pot. Here we cook our own food in small pots, it was a nice place and experience. And how can I forget Love Martinis- never had such a good one before. I am good in making Martinis but those guys were much better than me.

Weekend time!!!
Bill and Julia took us out to Washington DC, where went to the White House and saw lots of Museum, did shopping, had good food with loads of fun. The first place we visited was the India Embassy.

                 

The next day - Sunday - Do, Bill and me left for Philadelphia. I loved that place; I kind of relate it to Delhi or Mumbai. That night we had food at one of the Indian restaurant named Tiffin.

 

 

 

The next day we visited Lance- a learning experience indeed. Met everyone there and got a chance to spend some more time with Ed, Bill, MarK and Dana. Mark explained to us the service module of Lance and gave some mind blowing suggestions for the Demo Day and how to motivate the service team for utilizing the most efficient competency development tool available with us.

The next day was our train to Newark but before that we made a point to shop at Franklin Mall- Can you imagine a Reebok skirt at 1 dollar and a Kenneth Cole Bag at 20 dollars?????
Thanks to Bill and Julia for giving their time and directing us to right place for shopping.

We reached airport on time, moving around with bags up and down made us tired and by the time we boarded the flight we were dead, so I slept nicely and woke up few hours before the flight landed.

I had a nice trip, made good friends and leared a lot!!! Thanks all for making this trip so wonderful.

Till next time,
Samina

 

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My visit to Pune and Mumbai, India - Sept 2011

  Seriously......WOW!  I was like a kid in a candy store when in India for a week in September 2011.  In awe the whole time, constantly discovering something new.  It is sooo different from my home in Maryland, USA!  In every way possible!  

Planes, trains & automobiles - but not in that order!  I drove to the train station, took a 2.5 hour train to Newark NJ airport then a 15 hour flight to Mumbai, India!  When I landed it was 9pm India time (they are 9.5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time), so I basically lost a whole day, talk about a short weekend!

 The traffic in Mumbai (at 10pm on a SUNDAY night) makes NY City traffic look childish!   Sitting in traffic I was surrounded by a mix of cars, motorcycles, scooters (with 1-4 people on ONE scooter - no kidding), rickshaws and people walking.  There was NO room in between all this perceived chaos!  Yet somehow they all get to where they are going and in an organized chaotic manner, if that makes sense.

common rickshaw

  They also drive on the "other side" of the road too.  And the driver of the car sits on the right side of the car.   But perhaps one of the most interesting things was that it was a regular occurrence to see cows in the road, even in rush hour traffic! 

 

  I received the Puja, or pooja ceremony, which is a relgious based ritual done on a varitey of occasions.  It can be done daily or on special occasions and in different settings as well, such as in the home, temple ceremonies or festivals.  I was the recipient of puja before I entered our office for the first time when I arrived in Pune.  Puja is modeled on the idea of giving a gift or offering to a deity or important person and receiving their blessing. Tulsi stood in front of me with a small round tray.  First she placed the bindi on my forehead, then sprinkled rice on my head, sprinkled small flowers on my head, then with a small candle on the tray she waved the tray in front of me in a circular pattern.  Then I was given a lovely bouquet of flowers.  It was a very warm and special welcome!

Amy after Puja ritual, with bindi on forehead

Samina receiving puja ritual in Pune office

The flowers given to me for puja ritual

  India is so rich with culture, celebration and traditions!  To my delight I was able to get henna tattoos on my hands while I was there, which lasted for several days after I got home.  I was thrilled anytime someone in the US commented on my "hand art" from India!  The Indian woman completed this design in about 5 mintues, using a small tube of liquid (like a baker's frosting decorating tube).  The liquid dries, hardens and peels off, leaving a dark amber colored, temporary tattoo underneath.  It lasted about 9 days (not long enough)! Indian women will get very elaborate designs on their hands and feet for their wedding day!

And I was excited to see elephant delivery on my way to the hotel one day after work.  Not the best pic since there was a lot of traffic.  AND I saw (didn't have camera ready) camel delivery (2 pulling a flatbed) and an OX with huge horns pulling a cart for delivery as well!  Watch out FEDEX!!

 

A lot of things were very different from home (see photos below), such as this auto care stop  called "Royal Car Care", copy center, and hand run printing press still in operation!

 

Interesting sign I saw in India!  What do you think Alan?  :)

HFO in Pune

There is so much more to tell, the r was so very interesting!  The people were great, the food was interesting, the clothes were beautiful, the countryside was green and waterfalls were seen, the traditions full of celebration!  And all of this in only one visit - imagine what I can learn next time!

Halloween - a very scary ocassion!

On October 31st we celebrate the holiday Halloween in the United States!  I really have no idea as to how or why this holiday exists, without typing it into Google or another search engine.  But I can tell you what people do to have fun and celebrate Halloween and add some pictures to help out too.

Even though many people consider this a holiday for kids, it has grown in popularity among adults each year as well.  On October 31st every year, kids will dress up in costumes of all kinds (super heros, ghosts, witches, princesses, animals, and just about anything you can think of!  The more different the costume, the more fun!  Around 6pm or so (after work hours but before it starts to get dark outside) kids will put on their costumes and grab a bag (to hold candy) and the parents will walk with the child around to the homes in their neighborhood (the houses with a light on outside - this signifies the house is participating in Halloween).  The child walks up to the door and yells out "TRICK OR TREAT" and holds their bag open.  The home owner will then give the child a piece of candy.  

My daughter Ailey Yasneski (pink dress) and her friends trick-or-treating.

As mentioned, adults have really been enjoying Halloween as much as kids and often participate in many of the other Halloween events including-carving faces or designs into pumpkins.  You cut the top off the pumpkin, scoop out all the gooey insides then carve a face or design on the front side and put a candle inside of it.  The pumpkin is set outside and when it gets dark you light the candle to create a spooky glow!  Here are pumpkins my family carved:

People often have Halloween parties (can be adults only, kids only or families).  Dressing up in a costume is a must at all Halloween parties and there are scary decorations and Halloween themed treats and food.  Here are some photos from the Halloween celebration at the Hanover office for Phillips.

Decorations around the office included skeletons, hanging bats from the ceiling, a mad scientists' lab, spider webs and spiders all over, a giant rat, and vultures!

 Fake brain and fake fingers in a jar - a fake scientists' laboratory in our kitchen, along with mice and bugs!  Ewwwwwww!

Our Partners in costumes:

From left to right:  Connie Leppert as a Mime; Bryan Pax as a doctor and Tim McClanahan as a monk.

Bill Withers as a jester and Danny Kelly as the devil!

Here is the graveyard cake that I made for the office, complete with edible tombstones, edible skeleton and bones, chocolate tree and edible pumpkins and ghosts!  The cake flavor is "red velvet" which is a dark red color - spooky!

Other fun Halloween activities include watching scary movies or going to a haunted house (not a real one, just one created for entertainment).  Although it is not the most popular holiday in the US, it is probably one of the top 4 holidays here and widely celebrated.