All posts by vica

Mid-month news: November 2015

November 18, 2015Newslettersvica

First month of the new business

Fun, scary, unforgettable experience.

I’ve learned a lot in this time. And of course I am still learning.

I discovered the hidden for me clichés from the cultures I’ve been raised and being exposed too.

I thought that I wouldn’t be able to find work as a business owner and a freelancer, if I haven’t applied for the smallest possible and least payable jobs. This does sound strange. But the phrase, “You have to start at the very beginning and work your way up.” did mean for me exactly this. I thought that I all I’ve learned and experienced before didn’t matter and I had to do everything from the very beginning.

But then, when I shared my experiences on various platforms, I noticed growing interest in what I can offer. They didn’t want me to type their hand-written notes, they wanted to hear about my experience as a writer of fiction based on a true story, they wanted to learn S1000D from me, they wanted to learn and hear more from me on business rules.

And they told me that I drew them into these topics, that they were glad to have met/discovered me, that they wanted to work with me on common projects and that they were ready to pay me for my work.

That was quite a revelation. It was an epiphany that I can earn money by doing what I love. And by discovering more and more things, which I fall in love with doing.

Of course, the in-security is there. Whether I am able to earn enough money for living with what I have to offer. But what helps is to realize that this in-security might have some value, if I notice and don’t judge it. In such a case it can show me that it is time to be active and do something.

I am very grateful to have discovered the brilliance of moment of now and the value of true listening. Listening to what other have to say, without judging what and how the say it, and without judging my inner reactions to these, helped me stop complaining (especially in my thoughts) and come up with some great ideas, and take concrete steps to bring them into life.

Through listening and seeing what people value and want, I discovered that both money and the sense of well-being, being centred, come when I concentrate and put my energy to bring value to others. When I turn the focus off from me and get interested in what is important for people around me, then everything else falls in place.

Listening and reading inspiring articles in this direction helped a lot as well.

“Shift your focus away from what you want (a billion dollars) and get deeply, intensely curious about what the world wants and needs.” Justine Musk on Quora

Words like this helped me turn my focus to what really matters in the world and matters to me. My worries don’t really matter to me. The well-being of others does. This was an interesting discovery.

Right now as I write this article I realize that this direction is completely in sync with the mission and vision I have defined for my business.

This is what have driven me in the last two weeks and brought most results in my business. And the most satisfaction.

Here is what this means concretely.

Consulting

I have developed several interactive courses, which would help professionals succeed in there endeavours.

Here they are:

Teaching/Coaching/Training

Two training courses this week.

One is introduction to S1000D. Experimenting to perform this course in a short time, and in a highly interactive way, was extremely fun and resulted in further collaboration with the customer.

The second course this week is course on “Creative Nonfiction and Fiction Based on True Stories”. I do it for the South Gate Society School of Creative Writing in Aalborg. I research and learn on these topics, discovering many exciting things about myself, the cultures I grew up in, and the culture I am fortunate to experience now.

Writing

It’s amazing how many exciting projects appear as soon as I stop worrying what to write next and just concentrate on what is needed and wanted by others.

There are quite a few works in progress.

My second book “A Spy’s Daughter” is with my editor and will come later this week. I am very excited to discover the editing results and see how it will shape the book.

The prequel the series “A Life Upside Down” (”A Spy’s Daughter” is the 1st book in the series) is ready written and typed and enjoys its well-earned 2 weeks break until I will self edit. The title is also to 99% decided. Here I reveal it. It will be named “Seven Broken Pieces” and will be a short story or novelette consisting of 7 chapters.

I had an idea that I would never write non-fiction. Now I write two books in non-fiction and just started the third one.

One of them is on Business Rules and making them understandable for everyone who might need to define them. I post on this topic every week and at the beginning of the next year, this material will be compiled into a book, edited and published.

The second is to inspire writers and give them a clue how they can discover pearls in their writing. We are all too critical about what we do, but all of us create brilliant things, which we often chose to avoid looking at. But these wonderful things are cherished by others and by appreciating them, we can create more wonderful and valuable treasures. The working title of this one is “Let me be your cheerleader”. The subtitle is still in work. The idea for this book was inspired by my personal cheerleader and dear friend Marcy, who discovered me through this blog and who became one of my dearest friends. She saw me through the writing of my first book and also reads most of my writing as I create it. This book is to give this gift further and also to help Marcy and me realize a big wish of ours, to meet one day in person.

And the third one, some words of introduction of which I have written just this morning, has a working title “Everywhere at Home” and will be a collection of memoir essays about me being in various parts the world at various times of growing up and being adult, and what experiences I made.

I am very excited to discover what the next month will bring and I will share it with you.

Thank you for reading this. Have a wonderful end of the Fall and a beautiful winter start.

Picture: November bloom in our garden.

Management aspect of business rules

November 16, 2015Businessvica

Last week I’ve shared with you one possible way how to define different types of business rules. This week I would like to address the management aspect of business rules.

If all the other types of business rules are mostly about the product or service and its state inside its life-cycle, the management business rules are about people.

Q: Who is going to be involved into the project (project being anything targeted to bring our product/service into existence)? Please note: you need to answer this question both on organizational (company) and personal levels.

Q: What are the responsibilities of each organization/company/team/person? What do they have to deliver, in what state, when, how often, etc.?

Q: What do the partners in the project need to correspond to their responsibilities? What do you have to provide to them that your collaboration gives results? Are any delays expected? Should you plan for possible delays?

Q: Do you have a plan B if someone cannot keep the given promise? Do you know whom you could address on a short notice to fulfil the task of your initial partner?

Q: How often do you and your partners in the project have to exchange the data, parts of product, etc., to reach your goals? What are the criteria for these types of exchanges?

For example, in S1000D and other environments for technical data, the frequency of data updates differs for simple editorial changes and technical changes which might affect life and health of the user, or damage the product. This particular decision will link to another type of business rules where you would need to decide what editorial or minor changes are. That would be the Quality Assurance rules, and in our definition of business rules types this can be found in decisions made upon the production and sustainment process of the given product or service.

You might come up with more questions you need to answer when you think about building internal and external teams to partner in creating the product/service you have in mind.

The easiest way to identify those questions is when they relate to a human being and his or her role in your project.

I would strongly recommend that you find the vital members of your team before you start making any further decisions on your product or service. Ask them if they want to work with you and if they have time.

And before I say goodbye to you for today, let me remind you that the customer, the end-user of your product, or a person who will use your service, must be considered as a part of this team. You might also want to get this person, or a person who represents your customers, to look through your business rules, and give their good advice on the feasibility of your product or service. Or at the very least you should be willing to listen to your first customers and realize that they are the testers of your product (if you didn’t have any before the launch of your product or service). These testers will help you improve your product or service to the quality and having features strongly searched for and not always found.

Business rules types or types of various decisions you make about your products and services

November 10, 2015Businessvica

After the last week’s post on business rules you might say, “OK, so now I know that I have to be kind to my customer and know how to identify that gap between what my customer wants and what I have to offer. But what exactly do I have to decide upon? What types of decisions are there to　make　so that　my products　and services　are as desired, both by customer and by me?”

“Ah,” I answer. “We need to talk about various business rules types.”

There are many different ways how to categorize business rules. Probably as many as there are people on Earth. Or even more, because every one of us might define several of each type. Yes, there are probably no definitions of business rule types　carved in stone. Because you can group all those aspects on the product/service’s details simply as you like.

But I guess this answer　won’t help you.

S1000D® (International specification for technical publications), to which I will be referencing now and　again in these posts,　offers ten categories with specific titles and often specific for S1000D purposes.

Since you are my customer for this information and your main requirement is that I explain this using the simplest terms possible, I decided to search for a method that will give you a clue to the most important issues to be taken into account.

I like puzzles where in a word, each letter stands for another word. I searched for a word that would contain M for Management, U for Use and P for Produce. The first that came to my mind was MANIPULATE.

In the next moment I thought, “I don’t like this word. It has some negativity to it.” But then I realized that it was my personal perception of it, with some colouring of the cultures I grew up in and was exposed to.

Technically speaking, to manipulate means first and foremost “To move, arrange, operate, or control by the hands or another body part or by mechanical means, especially in a skilful manner” (The Free Dictionary). Only in its second meaning it has to do with influencing someone having bad intentions.

So, let’ use the first meaning of the word “manipulate”, that is, skilfully arrange and control the life-cycle of your product or services.

A short comment on the life-cycle. This term is used to denominate to whole process from the idea, to implementation, through production, use, over to termination of the production and elimination (or often also called re-cycling) of the old products.

Let’s see what activities emerge from each of the letters of the word manipulate, when we think about products and/or services.

M – Manage

A – Acquire

N – Navigate

I – Implement

P – Produce

U – Use

L – Legalize

A – Attract

T – Terminate

E – Execute

I will address each of these activities in a separate post. I intend to do it by offering you a set of questions,　which by answering them will give you an idea what you need to do so that your product or service is a success.

Here is a short overview.

M – Manage

This is often neglected, but you need know who is involved in your project and who is doing what.

For example, if you are a writer, will you have an external editor and cover designer? If you are a technical publication manager, will your department manage creation of the whole documentation or will you have some suppliers? And what are the roles within your department?

Both internally and externally, the management is very important. You need to know if your editor, cover designer, data (or　any other goods)　supplier would have time　to work for you when you need it. And you need to know if they are willing to work with you at all.

You also need to know how,　how often and according to which criteria you have to interact with your partners and your customers in respect to your products and services. This is especially important about information updates, renewals of parts,　etc.

Don’t take this task too easily. It can fire back. Define your project management team and who is going to do what and when. This needs to be clarified both　 internally and externally.

As soon as you know your team, you would need to know their requirements to fulfill the task they are responsible for.

Remember, it is your product, so you are fully responsible for it. Even if your supplier is fully responsible for his or her part, you can’t outsource responsibility. And you wouldn’t want to. If you outsource responsibility, you outsource control.

A – Acquire

This is related to the Management category, but not completely. You need to know what you have to purchase for your product or service. Both in terms of other services, but of course also of material. Even in case of non-tangible materials (like files or information), you need to decide what it is, and how you can provide for their continuous flow.

But remember: business rules are also in a way plans how you are going to do something. And plans never go exactly as they are set up. So you need to be resourceful if your initial idea of the source doesn’t work. You have to be ready to find a substitute quick. Otherwise, no chance of your product to be on demand.

N – Navigate

How easy it is to find a way to use your product? Did you provide all the accompanying information necessary? Or does the customer stay in front of your fancy vacuum cleaner and searches for a button to start it, whereas she just has to shout out　“Start vacuuming!”?

I – Implement

What do you need to implement all your great ideas? You might have all the materials in place, the team is ready and keen to start, but nobody knows were to start. For example, in an S1000D project, before starting any coding in XML and filling all those tags with sophisticated technical terms about your product, you need to draw a tree. Yes, a tree, a structure of your product. Of the technical publication you want to produce. Each leaf being a bundle of reusable data, also named a data module.

And this would be true for any product or service.

In other words, here you define a mind map of how to start the　fabrication or creation process for your product or how you roll out your service.

P – Produce

These rules are about the production process and/or how your service functions. You can think here of flow charts. This is different from the implementation mind maps above. Because those are meant to ignite and roll out the process. As soon as you went through those procedures, you forget about them, unless you introduce a new product or service, or a new aspect to the current product.

The production business rules are about repeatable processes as long as the product is on sale. And they include the quality assurance procedures.

U – Use

This is about the rules that the customer, the end-user of your product needs to follow in order it to function correctly and for as long as possible.

Do you remember that commercial I mentioned in the last post, when a gentleman used an smart tablet for chopping vegetables? Well, it worked wonderfully as a chopping board, but I doubt it would work as a TV afterwards.

So, you need to define the purpose of the product use. In other words, what it is good for and also the terms or conditions of its use. Including the caution not to drop your tablet too many times on a tiled floor and not to use it under a pouring rain.

L – Legalize

There are two aspects to this type of business rules. First is　connected directly to your product. Such as copyright, patents and other.

And then it is about legalization of the business rules themselves. It can be either in form of a contract between the producing companies and also the users (the contract is　one of integral parts of your business rules!)　or simple agreement between you and your spouse, who reads and edits your novel, like in case of some renowned writers. You need to be sure that he or she doesn’t concentrate solely on changing the character names while reading and critiquing your novel.

A – Attract

However much we try to say, “Only the inside matters”, your product or service needs to be attractive to your customer　and easy to use. I doubt that your motivational app will find many affected fans, if its background is all black and each new screen has a skull glaring at you.

T – Terminate

Nothing is eternal. Except eternity itself.

And so your product or service will have to go one day and be replaced with a fresh and radiant successor. You have to set up criteria, when this will be the case. And you have to decide (sooner or later) how you want to let your customers know about it. You have to warn them in advance and make sure that they don’t suffer tremendous challenges because of you giving up on a certain product or service.

Another question here is how do you re-cycle your old products or services? Yes, your services needs re-cycling too. There are too many empty sites on the web, which lead to nowhere. And if you still want to be in business that you are (or at all), you want to make sure that none of the sites you offer have a dead end.

I like the comment which sometimes appears under the 404 Error when as page is not found on the Internet, “Somewhat embarrassing, isn’t it?”

Well, yes, this can happen to anyone.

In Russian the words for embarrassing are “ne udobno”, which also means uncomfortable. Which is true, we are never comfortable when being embarrassed.　A friend of mine in Moldova　used to say, “The only embarrassing (uncomfortable) thing is to sleep on a ceiling. The duvet keeps falling down.”

Yes, you don’t need to feel embarrassed for what might seem in retrospect not exactly right.　But you better　offer your customer a stapler to make that duvet stay in place.

E – Execute

The business rules types in this guide are defined in such a way that you can define them sequentially, from M to E in the word “MANIPULATE”. From Management to Execute. Of course you need to verify and adjust the documents on the preceding types as you move to the next.

This last business rules type is where you tie it all up together. You verify whether you can start your production or service, or introduce the new branch to your company.

Here you decide whether you have the necessary minimum to start a reliable implementation and production processes. Of course, you don’t have to and you can’t define everything before you start production or launch your service. But you have to have minimum at hand. And you need a plan (including the time table) of how you will achieve both reliable production/service and further development of business rules in parallel to it. Remember that the update of the business rules must be a part of your normal product’s/service’s fabrication/creation and sustainment routine.

And as soon as you think that you are ready, you go out there in your town, or on Internet, and push the button of your production line or cut the red ribbon of your shop front.

Wishes and preferences

November 9, 2015A mother's diary, Contemplations, Writingvica

Last Saturday, I had my own personal epiphany about wishes and preferences.

When I am at my low, as it was past Saturday morning, then I happen to have an idea that none of my wishes come true.

But this is of course not true at all. Now, that I think of it, many of my wishes I had so far did come true. Especially big ones, like having a family. We did wait (and fret) six years (especially the last several of those) for our first child to be born. Then Niklas was born.

Yes, my wishes do come true. Although not often according to my preferences.

Um, if I am honest, never according to my preferences. This is, I guess, the nature of preferences. They are too multiple to fit them all. Something is always amiss, according to my brain. And probably to yours as well.

Let me illustrate a few of my wishes.

My husband’s and my second biggest dream was to own a house. But when I became pregnant with Niklas we said, “No, not with the first child in my belly and not right after his birth. That would be too much.”

So, a few years after his birth and no other child coming (we thought, “That was it, one time wonder.”) we bought a place for our house to stay on.

And about a month or even less after signing the contract of land purchase, yes, you guessed it correctly, I found out that I was pregnant for the second time.

Technically, our second big wish came exactly as we wished. To buy and build a house but not around our first child’s birth. We didn’t make any exact wishes about the time for our second child to be born.

Next wish. Early last year I kept thinking, “That would be really great to write during daytime and not only in the evenings.”

And there I was, I could write during the daytime. With my work contract about to finish and a fast growing belly, but I had a month or two before my maternity leave on which I could write during the daytime. Again, not as my preferences would be, but still, the wish came true.

During the last year I got more and more curious about being an author entrepreneur. First, I thought, “I’ll be a full time writer and own a writing business when I retire.” Then I changed my mind. “No, I want it to happen earlier, but when my books are doing better and we paid off the mortgage.”

And guess what happened. You probably know if you follow this blog. The life was again full of surprises. Being an author entrepreneur and freelancer seems like the best solution in the current circumstances. In order for us to earn enough for living, I needed to jump into quite cold water. This new and unknown for me waters are somewhat freezing, but I must admit, the work I do now as a writer and freelancer, writing on one side and figuring out what is my next move on another, is fun.

Then this past Saturday I have received another illustration of wishes versus preferences.

As I said above, I was on one of my lows. Physically because of a not so pleasant cold (right after reading what it means for a freelancer to be ill and that you can’t just stay in bed if you have a headache and a badly sore throat). And psychologically, because there is always this financial pressure and as a newly baked freelancer I am simply fretting about the money, especially when such a low comes.

Plus on this morning my son Niklas refused to help me to put on breakfast table. He wanted to watch his favourite films on YouTube.

“Nothing unusual here,” you might say. We all know such reactions, also from our own childhoods.

But somehow, on that morning, I exploded. I got angry and told Niklas so. And the fact that I got angry put me further down still. For me this was a certificate of my failure. Not only my business doesn’t run as I would prefer, and I don’t manage the household as I should (according to my slightly unrealistic standards), my child doesn’t listen to me, and I can’t keep my tempter at bay!

So, when Niklas finally showed up at the kitchen table, I had my face in my hands and I cried. The chair opposite of mine screeched the floor and I looked up. Niklas looked surprised. Then he smiled and gave a little giggle. He seemed not to know what to do in such a situation.

“Oh, mouse,” I sniffed. “You don’t know how it looks when Mama cries.” I wiped my tears away with my fingers. “I simply have a feeling that nothing is working.” I gave out a big sigh.

“Me too!” Niklas smiled and loudly breathed in an out. “I also think that nothing is working.”

My thought generation machine spitted out into my consciousness, “Oh great! I wanted him to say ‘Everything will be OK.’ And what does he do instead?”

But there was something in Niklas that made me listen to him attentively. His smile. Pure, childish and honest.

What he said right after, simply made my day. Without blink of an eye, Niklas kept his gaze into my eyes and said, “I want to be agreeable with you, Mama. Always!”

And that was when I had this epiphany about wishes and preferences. I realized that I always wanted to be supported in my ideas. This is what my son did, right then. He said, that he supports me and agrees with me.

He couldn’t have known that I said something I didn’t mean. I never made it clear to him, which of my ideas I wanted to be supported and which not.

The fact is, my son supported me and wanted to stay supportive. “Always” as he proudly said.

His face and this light bulb realization made me understand that wishes do come true and quite often.

Even if they don’t come true exactly as preferred, and even if there is always something still to wish for.

Well, then there is always room for another wish.

And there is always a way for it to come true.

Isn’t it wonderful to know, that as for anything else, this world is endless, including our ability to wish and realize those wishes?

Picture: Niklas and one of his fulfilled wishes, the day when he was officially named a Ninja in his favourite toy store in Aalborg.

“Nothing is As it Seems” Chapter 5

November 3, 2015Books I write, Free books and stories, Writing, Writing exercisesvica

Elizabeth hid behind the giant tree she surprised herself climbing up two days ago.

Now think. Think! How shall I get in there unnoticed?

She heard a door opening and peeked out of her hiding place.

The angry man, who’d sent her away, went down the stairs and disappeared around the corner. He made a lot of noise with what must have been a very old and screechy door.

Then he appeared again, with a bicycle.

Elizabeth bypassed her gladness about him living. If he was taking a bike, he would be back any moment.

As soon as he was out of site, she stepped out of her hiding space.

She needed to work out something fast, otherwise she would never get inside.

Elizabeth crossed the narrow road and stepped onto the broad brick way leading to the house.

She was stopped by the house door opening. Alice went out and froze. She gazed at Elizabeth. A large flower pot in her hands.

“Oh, let me help you with this.” Elizabeth hurried up the eleven steps with almost unexpected easiness, and supported the pot Alice was holding.

“Thanks.” Alice woke up from her surprised stare and tilted her head to point where she wanted to put the pot. To her right.

As they both unbent their backs, Elizabeth rushed to say. “Alice.” She stopped, suddenly conscious that she revealed herself sneaking after her first visit, then said, “Sorry, I overheard your name the other day. May I talk to you? May I … maybe … come in?”

“Um.” Alice took a long moment to gaze into Elizabeth’s eyes. This felt both confusing and comforting. Then she nodded. “Yes, you may come in. But you better talk to Patrick when he comes back. Not to me.”

Elizabeth frowned. Patrick? Was this the man’s name? Did she hear it before?

She was interrupted by the floorboards squeaking below Alice’s feet. Alice held the door open for Elizabeth.

They entered a large entrance hall with a wide staircase winding from the right side to the upper left corner of the hall. Elizabeth followed the stairs with her gaze and saw the balconies of two more floors arching above the opposite side of the hall.

A small head with short and densely packed brown curls appeared above the white plastered baluster of the first floor, topped with dark wooden railing.

Elizabeth recognized the girl she saw running out of a car into Alice’s arms two days before.

“Hi,” said Elizabeth with a wave to her.

“Hi,” said the girl. She looked at Alice. “You told me another girl was coming to take my room. But she is not a girl.” Then she turned her head to Elizabeth, her curls dancing in all directions on top of her head. “Are you also dying?”

Picture: Looking up helps discovering the sky and its limitlessness anew. This time through branches of a Rowan tree.

P.S. Chapter 6 will be written and posted in two weeks time.

P.P.S. You can find the complete story written so far at the page “Free Online Books”.

P.P.P.S. If you think you have　friends who could like this story, feel free to forward it to them.