2019 YEAR-END WRAP-UP

BRYCE ON EVERYTHING

- My most popular columns and audio segments this year.

Click for AUDIO VERSION.

To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

This is my last column for the year as I prepare to enjoy the holidays and rest up for 2020. As has become customary, I'm using this opportunity to review my top essays from the past year.

As you know, I write on a variety of subjects, such as management, systems, technology, social issues, politics, and observations of our changing world. Sometimes my work is instructional and informative, other times it is controversial or humorous. I certainly hope it isn't boring. By the number of subscribers I have, their comments, and the hits I have on my web sites, I do not believe this is the case.

This has been a fiery political year and, as such, my political columns did very well. Nonetheless, what follows is based on my "hits" by my readers.

My top columns for the year were:

1. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: DO WE REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM? - Jan 4th - I began the year with a report from Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who gave a border security briefing to ranking Congressional leaders. Unfortunately, the Democrats were not interested.

2. PRESIDENT TRUMP VS. THE SQUAD OF FOUR - July 17th - How four female freshmen Congressional Democrats are pushing the party left.

3. WHAT EXACTLY IS AN ASSAULT WEAPON? - Sep 19th - I found it necessary to write this column after I discovered how naive Americans are about guns.

4. CAPITALISM VERSUS SOCIALISM: REFERENCE GUIDE - Mar 6th - Another educational piece aimed at describing the differences between the two ideologies. Most young people haven't a clue as to the differences.

5. HOW I LOWERED MY CABLE BILL - Sep 24th - This was a non-political piece where I described how I brought my bill down. Hopefully, people found it handy.

6. RULES FOR DEPLORABLES – NEW BOOK - Oct 3rd - A review of a new book by Cathi Chamberlain describing the political tactics of community organizer Saul Alinsky and the Democrats.

7. IMPEACHMENT? WHO ARE THEY TRYING TO KID? - Oct 1st - The Democrats' movement to impeachment was predictable (and frivolous).

8. ANTIFA UPDATE - Aug 27th - The hate group is quickly becoming a terrorist organization. When they are finally declared as such, they will finally be stopped.

9. WHO IS CREATING THE CULTURE OF HATRED? - Aug 13th - It certainly isn't the Republicans.

10. TIME FOR A NATIONAL DEBATE ON SOCIALISM - Feb 13th - For a country so obsessed with Socialism, I'm surprised how many do not understand what it is.

HONORABLE MENTION

SOMETHING DOESN’T ADD UP - Apr 23rd - It's amazing how politically naive young Americans are.

THE WHISTLE-BLOWER RULE IS WRONG - Nov 12th - And may very well violate the Constitution.

REPUBLICAN WOMEN GET ACTIVE - Oct 17th - and are pushing back.

BRYCE LAUNCHES NEW BOOK, "Tim’s SENIOR MOMENTS" - May 6th - On how we celebrate aging. I've been pleased with the response.

AUDIO SEGMENTS ON YOUTUBE

I also provide an audio version of most of my columns for those people on the go, courtesy of YouTube. I would like to believe people listen to me at the gym or beach, but more realistically, people tend to tune in while they are traveling or at work. Interestingly, the popularity of my audio segments is not the same as my written columns.

1. WHY WE HAVE TO TAKE ALEXANDRIA ORTEGA-CORTEZ SERIOUSLY - Jan 25th - She may appear goofy to us, but young people are listening.

2. THE TRUMP CULTURAL REVOLUTION - Mar 1st - How society has changed under President Trump.

3. REDISCOVERING THE DEAN MARTIN SHOW - Jan 29th - This was a non-political piece where I remembered Dean Martin as an entertainer. A lot of people enjoyed this column.

4. THE WITCH HUNT CONTINUES - Mar 25th - and ultimately found nothing in the end. What a waste of time and money.

5. ANTIFA UPDATE - Aug 27th - See #8 above.

6. TRUMP'S TAX RETURNS, PART DEUX - Apr 16th - There is still no requirement for the President (or anyone) to release their tax records to the public.

7. TIME FOR A NATIONAL DEBATE ON SOCIALISM - Feb 13th - See #10 above.

8. WHO IS REALLY THE RACIST HERE? - Jan 30th - Democrats have been conditioned accordingly.

9. IMPEACHMENT? WHO ARE THEY TRYING TO KID? - Oct 1st - See #7 above.

10. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: DO WE REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM? - See #1 above.

HONORABLE MENTION

SOMETHING DOESN'T ADD UP - Apr 23rd - how politically naive young Americans are.

PRESIDENT TRUMP VS. THE SQUAD OF FOUR - Jul 17th - See #2 above.

WHY ARE DEMOCRATS ABANDONING RELIGION? - Apr 30th - A very good question. Gallup contends they are.
 

I will be on sabbatical for awhile until I am ready to get back in the saddle. Merry Christmas.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - Also do not forget my new books, "How to Run a Nonprofit" and "Tim's Senior Moments", both available in Printed and eBook form. Great holiday gifts!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2019 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

TRUMP IS BEATING THE SWAMP

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- Score another "win" for the president and the American people.

Click for AUDIO VERSION.

To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

Despite resistance from the Congress, President Trump has made considerable progress in his first term; he has reshaped the federal courts to enforce the Constitution, he has moved the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem (something other presidents promised to do, but failed to deliver), he has rebuilt our military and is assisting veterans, illegal immigration is being slashed, he made several key trade deals (particularly the recent USMCA to replace NAFTA), he crushed ISIS, and introduced policies and programs resulting in a booming economy of historic proportions. Despite all this, perhaps his biggest achievement is taking "The Swamp" to task and is beating them.

Let's be clear, the Washington establishment likes it better when one of their own serves as president. Mr. Trump is the first outsider to break the pattern and challenge the culture. As we know, the "Swamp" consists of Democrats, the Main Stream Media, RINOs, and the "Deep State" bureaucrats, all of whom have banded together to obstruct this president. However, President Trump is a quick study and has forced their hand, by branding the news media as "Fake News" (thereby causing them to lose the trust of the people), taking RINOs to task, unmasking and weeding out "Deep State" officials, and butting heads with the Democrats. He is being successful as it is simply no longer business as usual in Washington.

Indicative of the Congressional meltdown is the president's impeachment which is all part of the Swamp's coup d'état to rid the country of President Trump. More than anything, this coup denotes the presence of a cultural revolution. Such a revolution happens when an outsider enters a new culture; the person either adapts to the culture or the culture rejects the person, which is quite normal. However, when the culture grows to the point that it fails to serve its constituents, you need an outsider to change it, like President Trump. This is all about serving the needs of the people, not the political power brokers in Washington.

Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the UK drove his Conservative Party to an overwhelming victory over the Labour Party thereby opening the door for the British to finally exit the European Union (BREXIT). This victory is significant as it was viewed as the will of the people. This should be considered a harbinger of things to come in the 2020 U.S. elections. People are simply sick and tired of the political class going against the will of the people. Democrats are now in the unenviable position of facing angry voters in November. It is highly likely President Trump will experience the same landslide victory Boris Johnson did last week.

Thus far, the Democrats have failed in all their attempts to besmirch the character of the president; the Mueller Investigation produced nothing, and the impeachment is going nowhere fast. Shortly after the impeachment coup ends in defeat, the Democrats will continue to hound the president the best they can. It is conceivable they could do another impeachment inquiry, but this will not likely happen. I believe the next thing you will hear is the House trying to censure the president. A censure is a condemnation of an individual, but carries no penalty.

Perhaps the best known censure of an American president was that of Andrew Jackson in 1834. Believe it or not, Abraham Lincoln was censured during the Civil War (1864), and the last president to be censured was William Howard Taft in 1912. This didn't appear to hurt him politically as he was appointed the tenth chief justice of the Supreme Court in 1921. In all cases, censure was politically motivated, just as it will be with President Trump. Nonetheless, this will be the last desperate act of the Democrats before they are voted out of office.

So far, President Trump has played this all quite shrewdly. He has rattled the cage of the Swamp who now face losing their jobs. By doing so, he has cracked the Washington establishment which is now beginning to crumble. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for this.

As to those who feel Mr. Trump doesn't act "presidential," I ask what acting "presidential" has gotten us over the last few decades, other than an erosion of our values and a lowering of the prestige of the country. He may not be politically correct, but he sure knows how to get things done.

Thank God for Donald J. Trump, the first American president with the strength and courage to take on "The Swamp," and win.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - Also do not forget my new books, "How to Run a Nonprofit" and "Tim's Senior Moments", both available in Printed and eBook form. Great holiday gifts!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2019 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

WHAT IF HILLARY JUMPS BACK IN?

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- Democrats may not like it.

Click for AUDIO VERSION.

To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

Secretary Hillary Clinton has been flirting with the idea of running for president again. If she does, this will be her third try, having lost to President Obama in 2008 and President Trump in 2016. She drops strong hints everywhere she goes, be it on the speaking circuit or on the radio with Howard Stern.

Mrs. Clinton has good reason to believe she could win the nomination; according to a recent Harvard-Harris Poll, she was rated above all of the current Democrat contenders.

When Democrats were asked who they would vote for if Hillary Clinton or John Kerry got in the race:

21% - Clinton
20% - Biden
12% - Sanders
09% - Warren
05% - Buttigieg & Kerry

Normally, this should be of concern to the other candidates, except for two things: her health is still in question, and; it is quickly becoming too late for her to file the necessary paperwork for the key primary states. If she were to jump in the race now, this could be construed as another admission the Democrats are sporting a weak lineup, which is also the same reason why Mayor Michael Bloomberg threw his hat in the ring. Her only hope is to have an open convention where she would be nominated as a dark horse candidate. This would be unfortunate as all the other Democrats have been trudging through the states working hard for votes. It would also damage the concept of primary voting.

Basically, Mrs. Clinton is a person who believes she should get the nomination by acclimation, that it is below her dignity to campaign for primaries. She is a woman who feels cheated of the prize and blames everyone but herself for her failure.

Some Democrats honestly believe Mrs. Clinton is the savior of the party. The reality though is that her time has passed. President Trump would love to have a re-match as he knows he would handily win. Democrats should consider another candidate. The problem is, the leading candidates are showing their age. Next year, Senator Bernie Sanders will be 79, and former VP Joe Biden will be 78, as well as Mayor Michael Bloomberg at 78, making them the oldest people to serve as president if elected.

President Ronald Reagan was considered the oldest to serve at ages 70 and 74. Interestingly, President Trump is following Reagan's path, also at ages 70 and 74.

The Democrats are badly in need of younger blood and new ideas. Unfortunately, Secretary Clinton is not it.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - Also do not forget my new books, "How to Run a Nonprofit" and "Tim's Senior Moments", both available in Printed and eBook form. Great holiday gifts!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2019 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

THE SWAMP WAR

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- It was inevitable.

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To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

When Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D CA-12) made a formal request for articles of impeachment against President Trump on December 5th, it was tantamount to a declaration of war with the Republicans. As if the division between Democrats and Republicans wasn't already bad enough, Speaker Pelosi drove a spike between the two sides that may never be repaired. Just about everyone understands this was politically motivated and certainly not a bipartisan effort. Of my liberal friends, I could only find three who honestly believed the Speaker did this as an unbiased move. Everyone else, including most Democrats grudgingly admit it was political in nature.

This was the same Nancy Pelosi who said in a Washington Post article from March 11, 2019, "I haven’t said this to any press person before. But since you asked, and I've been thinking about this, impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there's something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path because it divides the country. He's just not worth it."

This was echoed by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D NY-10) who now chairs the House Judiciary Committee and has the responsibility of producing the charges of impeachment. Back in 1998, during the impeachment of President Clinton, a younger Rep. Nadler said, "There must never be a narrowly voted impeachment or an impeachment substantially supported by one of our major political parties and largely opposed by the other." He added, "Such an impeachment would lack legitimacy, would produce divisiveness and bitterness in our politics for years to come and will call into question the very legitimacy of our political institutions."

No bipartisanship has surfaced, yet the Speaker and Rep. Nadler persevere with impeachment, meaning they are hypocrites and are pushing forward for political gain. Rep. Al Green (D TX-9) confirms this by stating in an interview, "I'm concerned that if we don't impeach this president, he will get reelected." Let us not forget Rep. Green has been calling for the President to be impeached since May 20, 2017, more than two years before any alleged whistle blower surfaced.

As Republicans have known for a long time, this is all being orchestrated to negate the President's election in 2016 and his re-election in 2020. Deep down, Democrats admit this as well.

All of this was predictable the moment the Democrats took back the House of Representatives in 2018. It has become glaringly obvious they have no evidence of any impeachable offense, no smoking gun, but they have painted themselves into a corner and must move forward with it. If they drop impeachment now, they lose face among their left-wing constituents and the news media. However, when the case is turned over to the Senate, their allegations will be overturned, the charges dismissed, and the House's method of jurisprudence will be severely criticized. In other words, they will lose face with the American public who will likely vote them out of office in 2020.

I call this the "Swamp War" for there is more to it than just the Democrats at work here. Because he is an outsider, the President has been impeded by the Democrats, the Main Stream Media, Republicans In Name Only (RINO), and government bureaucrats (the "Deep State"). Plain and simple, President Trump represents a genuine threat to "The Swamp," and naturally, they are fighting back. As such, we are witnessing a cultural revolution of huge proportions.

There has always been a political divide in this country, but not as pronounced as it is today as the underpinnings of America are being undermined, e.g., The Constitution, Capitalism, Christianity, and Conservative values (4-C's).

Perhaps the best book I have read predicting this state of affairs was "This Town" (2013) by Mark Leibovich, the Chief National Correspondent for “The New York Times Magazine.” In the book, Leibovich describes an incestual relationship between the news media, journalists, and politicians. This was well before the expression "Fake News" was ever coined.

The reality is the Democrats have dug themselves into a hole, which will be impossible to crawl out of after the Senate trial. When it is over, they will not have destroyed the President's political chances, but their own. Rep. Al Green (D TX-9) is correct, this will only serve to provide President Trump with a landslide win, and re-taking the House of Representatives.

One last thought, ever wonder why Speaker Pelosi made her announcement on December 5th? She knew the government's jobs report was coming out the next day and wanted to give a big splash to her announcement in order to cloud the remarkable jobs report which indicates the economy is booming under President Trump. The announcement was all about misdirection. In a way, it was like the end of the movie "The Wizard of Oz" - "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."

Today it is, "Pay no attention to the booming economy."

The impeachment is nothing more than a clever subterfuge to keep people's attention away from the President's biggest achievement; the economy. Fortunately, it will backfire and likely cost the Democrats the Congress.

Make no mistake, this is war.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - Also do not forget my new books, "How to Run a Nonprofit" and "Tim's Senior Moments", both available in Printed and eBook form. Great holiday gifts!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2019 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

A PROPOSED NEW COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SYSTEM

BRYCE ON SPORTS

- Creating conference competition.

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To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

I have always had a problem with the way the college football national championships are formulated, whereby no more than four teams are selected for a playoff system involving just three games (the semi-finals and national championship). Other college sports, particularly basketball, have a more inclusive system of brackets involving many teams. So, why not football? Even state high school championships include more teams.

Currently, the final four is based on a selection committee which is greatly influenced by newspaper polls. Further, it is possible that a single conference can have more than one team in the playoffs, such as Alabama and Georgia of the SEC in 2017. It doesn't sound very fair does it, and discourages inclusion by many other fine teams.

Part of the problem is scheduling. I've watched the Ohio State Buckeyes for fifty years now. Back in the 1960's, they would play a nine game schedule, and a visit to the Rose Bowl if they won the Big 10. Today, all Big 10 teams play a 12 game schedule, followed by a conference championship (pitting East vs. West), a bowl game, and possibly the final four playoffs. This year, OSU is likely to play 15 games, assuming they make it to the championship.

How about this instead; there are many Division I college conferences; for example:

ACC
BIG 10
BIG 12
BIG EAST
BIG SKY
BIG WEST
CONFERENCE USA
MAC
MOUNTAIN WEST
PAC 12
SEC
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
SUN BELT
WAC
WEST COAST
INDEPENDENTS

There are, of course, many more, but let's stay with these 16 for the purpose of example, and to give us a round playoff number. Let's assume each team in the conference plays a regular season of ten games, followed by a conference championship game (which could be played in a "bowl" setting; giving us 16 bowls).

The winner of each conference would then be seeded based on press polls and put in eight match-ups (Round 1 bracket). Again, these could be played in a bowl setting, giving us eight more bowl games.

The winners of Round 1 would then play in four quarter-final games with eight teams (Round 2), and four more bowls.

The winners of the quarter-finals would then play in the semi-finals (Round 3) with four teams, and two more bowls. And, of course, the final national championship game with two teams (Round 4), and one last bowl.

This would give us a total of 29 bowl games. Currently, there are 40 bowl games played. The surplus bowls could be used for matches between conference runner-ups. Isn't this why the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) was created in basketball?

So, going back to the Ohio State example mentioned earlier, where they may play 15 games this year, here is how it would work under this system for any of the teams depending on their performance:

10 - Regular season games
1 - Conference championship game
1 - Round 1 playoff game
1 - Round 2, quarter-final game
1 - Round 3, Semi-final game
1 - Round 4, National Championship game
15 games - TOTAL

In other words, there is no difference in terms of games. Under this scenario though, there would be no excessive regular season games. If a team did poorly, their season would mercifully come to an end.

This system avoids the problem of having two teams from the same conference participate in the national championship. Critics would argue, "What if the best teams come from one conference?" Let them slug it out in their conference championship instead.

Better yet, this playoff approach establishes rivalries between whole conferences as opposed to team versus team. Conceivably, this would stimulate attendance and media participation. Imagine, "BIG 10 vs. SEC" or "ACC vs. PAC 12," etc.

Basically, it takes the playoff system out of the hands of a selection committee and the sports media, and opens the door for more teams to be given a chance.

Better yet, it makes the conference championships and playoffs more meaningful.

What do you think?

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - Also do not forget my new books, "How to Run a Nonprofit" and "Tim's Senior Moments", both available in Printed and eBook form. Great holiday gifts!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2019 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

"I SCREWED UP"

BRYCE ON MANAGEMENT

- "The longer you delay admitting a mistake, the more expensive it will be to correct." - Bryce's Law

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To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

Nobody likes to admit making a mistake. We tend to believe it makes us look bad in the eyes of our coworkers, friends and particularly the boss. It's a real test of our integrity. Some people like to cover-up mistakes so they go undetected or, even worse, let someone else take the blame for them. I find mistakes tend to fester and grow if left unchecked, thereby causing bigger headaches and costing a lot more money if we don't catch them in time.

Every once in awhile you have to look your boss straight in the eye and say, "I screwed up." It's kind of like having a priest listen to your confession. Although the boss may be disappointed, he will be appreciative of the fact you came clean with him early on and brought the problem to his attention where it can be caught and corrected with minimal damage.

In this day and age of micromanagement you don't see too many people willing to admit a mistake. They take on an assignment, get in over their head, and fail to yell for help in time. This does a disservice to the assignment, the people depending on you, and yourself. In business, it is not uncommon to see people rising above their level of competency (aka, "The Peter Principle"). In other words, they have been placed in a position where they are incapable of performing their job effectively. Keeping them in this position is a disservice to the company as well as to the person. Frankly, I think we have too many people in over their heads who refuse to ask for help, which I consider a pretty scary operating scenario.

We have all made mistakes we wish we could take back and correct, some small, others real beauts, but there is nobody out there without a blemish on their record, which is why we are all willing to forgive, provided the person comes clean with it early on.

There's an old axiom in business that says, "If you make 51% of your decisions correctly, you will be a success." I'm not suggesting we don't strive for perfection, but we should all realize it is an impossibility. After all, the last guy who was perfect, they hung on a cross.

Originally published: July 15, 2008

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - Also do not forget my new books, "How to Run a Nonprofit" and "Tim's Senior Moments", both available in Printed and eBook form. Great holiday gifts!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2019 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

THE USE OF TIME

BRYCE ON LIFE

- As opposed to what we produce.

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To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

I'm seeing a strange perspective emerging in business as it applies to productivity. Instead of considering the amount of output produced, people now seem only concerned with the amount of time served at work. I see this in I.T. organizations where programmers have said to me, "Wow, I spent twelve hours at work today." I heard this same exact expression from a guy who was laying sod on my lawn. I answered them both the same way, "That's nice, but what did you produce in that time?" Interestingly, they both were at a loss for words and vague in terms of what they produced. It appeared to me, they thought they were being productive simply by the number of hours attending work.

I contend it is not the hours in the day that is important, but rather what we produce. In a way, counting hours reminds me of how the military viewed performance during the Viet Nam War, whereby they counted bodies as opposed to geography won. Let us also not forget, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is measured by output, not hours worked.

Years ago in business, employees were taught to do what was necessary to get a job done. If it meant working evenings and weekends, so be it, and you didn't complain as you knew the importance of the assignment and genuinely liked your work. Even if you didn't, you possessed personal pride to see the job through to completion. Today though, there is more emphasis on personal time and vacations, so employees have become mindful of how much time they serve and how much they can relax, hence the emphasis on time.

When it comes to the nature of time, we have long promoted the concept of "Effectiveness Rate," (ER) in Project Management. Unlike "Man Hours" which falsely assumes a person is 100% productive, ER considers time in terms of the amount spent on "Direct" assignments versus "Indirect" interferences. "Direct" means real work, it is what you were hired to do. "Indirect" represents those interruptions keeping us from doing our "Direct" assignments, such as breaks, bathroom visits, meetings, telephone calls, casual reading, social media, etc. The ratio between Directs and Indirects is what we refer to as "Effectiveness Rate."

In the average office setting, the ER is typically 70%, e.g., in an eight hour business day, 5.6 hours are used for direct work, and 2.4 hours for indirect activities. Studies have shown construction workers are typically 25%. The point is, nobody can be 100% effective, there will be interferences which is a much more realistic perspective of time. Further, employees will have different rates based on their capabilities and experience. Also, please understand ER is NOT a measure of performance; it is simply an analysis of the use of time by workers. Just because one employee has a higher ER as opposed to another, simply means the person has fewer interferences. Whereas "Direct" time is the responsibility for the individual to manage, "Indirect" time is the responsibility for the manager to manage. If a manager observes an employee is experiencing too many interferences, he/she may take measures to minimize them.

To illustrate how ER is used in scheduling, let's assume we have a person who has made an estimate of 100 "direct" hours (who also averages a 70% effectiveness rate), and there are eight (8) available hours in the business day. Under this scenario, 100 Direct Hours divided by .70 (ER) equals 142.85 elapsed hours. In turn, the 142.85 would be divided by 8 (available hours per day) to equal 17.85 elapsed days. The "man hour" approach mentioned earlier does not take the environmental influences into consideration and assumes an effectiveness rate of 100%. Under this approach, the sample schedule would be completed in 12.5 business day. In other words, ER is a more realistic and reliable approach for producing schedules.

So, going back to the programmers and sod layer mentioned in the beginning, when they claimed, "Wow, I spent twelve hours at work today." I should have asked what their Effectiveness Rate was. I suspect 10%.

For more information on Effectiveness Rate, click HERE.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - Also do not forget my new books, "How to Run a Nonprofit" and "Tim's Senior Moments", both available in Printed and eBook form. Great holiday gifts!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2019 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.