Sean Eric Watson – TechEffect

Today was a reminder of why I’m doing what I’m doing. The countless days and nights of fear are worth one day of creating true effectiveness. I’m working with a client on a Salesforce.com implementation, and we are hours away from completion. I should be sleeping right now, but I just couldn’t until I get it off my mind.

The project has been a long and bumpy ride, but the client is amazing, and they are creating amazing things in the world. The support families with children with special needs in creating a loving, supportive, and empowering space in which all members of the family can thrive. Like all nonprofits, they need to demonstrate their value to the public and their funders. The new system will allow them to report on the work they do to meet that need. But even cooler, is that they will be able to match experienced support parents with new parents, in a fraction of the time that used to be required. Plus, we are looking at ways for them to open up their resource directory to the public while still ensuring the public speaks with someone to get headed in the right direction. And we’re also discussing how the use of Google Analytics and Vertical Response (free email management sytem for nonprofits) can help them learn more about the needs of their constituents and provide tailored services and workshops based on those needs, AUTOMATICALLY!

I love the power that tech can bring to the changemakers in our world.

I’m still stressing about how to pay the bills….debating for-profit versus nonprofit structure, wondering if I should do suggested donations or actually require a fee, and trying to figure out if people will really pay me, or if in the bueracracy of the organization I will get taken advantage of.

At the end of the day, I want to use my skills, knowledge, and experience, to support nonprofits in creating change. So in part, I’ve decided to just start doing that and see what happens. Which is what led to my new mindset that TechEffect is a movement, not a company, and that I am a facilitator of that movement, not an owner. Not sure how I’ll explain that to the IRS yet, but I’m working on it!

So as to the subject of this post, that is my new driving force. I was trying to think of what it is that I’m really good at, that I love doing, and that people actually need. Of all the phrases I came up with using the formulas from the amazing book “Is your genius at work?”, these three stuck:

- Finding heroes
- Inspiring Hope
- Innovating Change

I’ve spent my life searching for heroes in the world that I could learn from, and I have found many. From the great leaders we all recognize, to the teacher in a small town that is creating a local revolution; every one of us has a hero inside.

I’ve also spent most of my life coming to the realizations encompassed within positive psychology and strengths based solution focused approaches to therapy. In particular, that if I want to learn how to do something, I need to study what’s working and examples of success, not what isn’t working and examples of failure. If I want to know how to build a computer, I don’t spend a bunch of time learning about, analyzing, and discussing how NOT to build a computer. Rather, I look at cases where people were successful in building a computer and try to find the principles that are present. It’s pretty simple when I say it that way, but I often have trouble remembering that when it comes to more complex things like creating change.

I’m also tired of drowning in bad news and hearing about how terrible the world is and that we are all going to die…yada yada yada…. I DON’T CARE! I’m alive in this moment, and I don’t want to spend my precious life that I have been given living in fear of what might happen. I want to hear about the successes people are having, how I can replicate them, and share that with others as well. I want to connect the heroes of the world with each other so that we can all learn together and work together on common goals.

And I want to use those stories to inspire hope in us all, so that we remember what is possible, and why we are doing what we are doing. Finally, through the use of technology and communications I want to be of assistance in innovating change. By coming up with new ideas that don’t just settle conflict, but actually eliminate the conflict. Turning a choice of A or B into choice 7, which meets the needs that BOTH A AND B would meet.

I guess that was a rant, but for not I just needed to get it out. I’ll try to bring it some real structure soon.

In the mean time, I would LOVE to hear any ideas or suggestions on the challenges I’m facing, and from people who have tried similar things and succeeded in all or part.

Peace be with you.

Ubuntu continues to delight me. I did some printing today and found out that PDF printing is simple to get and install. No large bill to pay, no special software. I found this great article that explains how to do it. I didn’t do exactly what was in the article, but figured out what I needed, which is basically:

1> Go to Applications –> Accessories –> Terminal

2> Install cups-pdf by using:  $sudo apt-get install cups-pdf

3> Done!

The article talks about doing some other stuff, but I didn’t have to. I think that is because the article is for a more specific setup than what I was trying to do, but I’m not sure. Moral of the story, I can print to PDF with a single click of the mouse now!

On a low note, I had some trouble getting my Rackspace.com Exchange account set up in Evolution Mail (the email client that came with Ubuntu), but that wasn’t a huge suprise. And I can use the Outlook Web Access (light) to get to my email, so it’s not the end of the world. However, if I was only able to use Linux, and not able to use my desktop to use Outlook (and some of the spiffy add-ins for it like Xobni), I might have a problem. I’ll continue to work on the email situation and report back.

Cheers!

As always, our move has been far more difficult than expected. This time we have the added fun of moving into a house we have purchased, which means dealing with many issues we haven’t had to before. Still, I must admit I’m greatful for the situation in some ways. For the first time in my life I have an actual place to call “home”.

The money is flying out the door for tools, parts, and contractors completing repairs. Mind you, these are projects to make the house liveable, not fancy. I am getting to do some of the work myself, but it’s a stressor currently, because things are so crazy at work. But when I make some time to work on the house, it’s very soothing.

And even things not related to the new house are taking up my time. For example, I had to remove the carpeting from the nearby house we had been renting before we bought this one. That wasn’t so bad at first, just a razor knife and pulling up the carpeting. That was actually kind of fun. Especially considering that I kept the carpteting that was in decent shape so we can cut carpet square for Evie to use with the kids she works with in a classroom setting. No, the real fun came with the padding. It was stapled to the flooring, and I had to pull the staples out by hand using a pair of pliers. I must have pulled out at least 500 staples, if not more!

On the new home front, I’ve been working on unpacking my office so I can get some work done. I’ve also been securing the out-building with new door locks and boarding up a busted window. The dryer vent was SUPER loaded, so I had to get a kit and clean that out. We have the new energy effecient washer and dryers, which are great for the environment, but so far I’m not impressed with their actual function. Especially the dryer, it seems to take forever to dry clothes. Jessica tells me that is normal for an energy efficient system, I’m hoping she is correct. We’ll see…

Buying several new tools and parts for the various work I’m doing to repair the house. It’s cool having an older house with character, but lots of work fixing it up. I’m enjoying the whole process, but the timing is a little off as I’m majorly backed up at work and have a conference to go to this week.

Oh well, I guess there is a reason it’s all happening at once. I suppose I’ll just embrace the momentum and keeping moving forward as best I can!

I am grateful that I have a place to live, and the opportunity to create a real home. I konw that not everyone has that opportunity, and I truely appreciate it. And while work is really stressing me out, I am grateful that I have clients that are willing to support me in sustaining myself in exchange for access to my knowledge, training, and experience.

So I guess as usual I’m left realizing that, while things are really difficult right now at times, it’s only because I have so many great things in my life!

As time has moved on, my current laptop (an HP/compaq nc4010) has become slower and slower. I believe this is may be related to Microsoft Windows XP Professional, the operating system I’m currently running. As a nonprofit technology consultant, I need a fast reliable laptop for work, especially when I’m on the road. So today, I decided to quit flirting with free and open source software, and take our relationship to the next level.

I’ve decided I’m going to install Ubuntu Linux on my laptop and experiment with using a completely free and open source software setup. I’m excited about sharing the journey in the hopes of hearing from others that have tried such an experiment, and providing a resource for nonprofits and other social minded groups and individuals, that will support their transition as well.

The Social Media Agreement (Extending the Social Contract)

The Players

Creators – People that provide Systems for the public’s use whether free or paid

System – The tool or tools a Creator makes available for Users

Users – Us, the public, the consumers/constituents/clients/friends/people

User Community – A group of Users that form a community interested in a System

Facilitators – Those of us that help System Creators understand the needs of Users, and vice versa

The Agreement

Note: This is a social agreement that is a list of principles, and not a contract, or a list of rules.

1. Creators make Systems that create potential value for Users
2. Users create value for themselves and others using the Creator’s Systems
3. Useful, Fun, and Effective Systems are marketed by Users through viral marketing (evolutionary style, best systems win)
   1. Facilitators work to build a community of Users that feel a sense of ownership of, and responsibility for, the Creator’s system – This ensures that Creators are supported in continuing their work, as well as improving and expanding their System
   2. Facilitators work to support Creators in taking ownership of the welfare of their Users and the User Community that forms around their System
4. Users provide honest feedback to other Users about Systems (good, bad, or otherwise)
5. Users allow Creators a reasonable amount of time to make reasonable adjustments to their Systems
6. If Creators are non-responsive, Users move on to other options (again, market evolution)
7. Users are open (though not required) to allowing Creators to understand and admit their mistakes, and take action to correct them
8. Creators openly admit mistakes and omissions, ask Users for input, and then take corrective actions
9. Users will create value for Creators if they get value from the Creator’s Systems (through trade, money, appreciation, and other means)
10. Loyalty is not based on control, but rather responsiveness to needs and social connections between Creators and Users
    1. Facilitators build and support the connections between Creators and Users
11. Transparency is inherent in the system, because communications are publicly available
12. Users and Creators work together to meet each others needs, mainly to Create, Be Of Value, and Sustain Themselves

What Do You Think?

What do you like about this contract? What’s missing or not working?