AN EGGS-CELLENT WAY TO PLAN? WELL...UMM...ERR...NOT EGGS-ACTLY!!!

Before I get all into this post, I just want to mention a few things:

1. Congrats to those peeps in the first row that got those 10pts. Definitely well deserved. I saw their egg contraption and said, "Sh*t! I knew I should've sat in the first row."

2. Honorable mention goes out to the group that was disqualified. Their egg contraption was cool. Their egg device made me say, "Why the f#ck didn't I think of that s^it?"

3. Kurpis said that this would be one of the most memorable moments in our class histories. All I have to say about that is, "He ain't neva lied."

Now into the meat of the post...

Let me delve into the failure of my group and relive the horror...

Kurpis asks: Which of the steps did your team actually go through?
A: Well, we kind of had step one going a little bit but not completely. We understood our deadline and that was about it. We didn't know where we were going and were definitely not specific enough.Well, as far as step two goes, we identified skills/talents/and resources to get the job done. We actually had two people in our group that had participated in the egg safety operation program before. "So why didn't you get the extra points?" I don't know...

Kurpis asks: Which did you bypass?
A: Do I really have to answer this question? Oh, I do. Right. So...as far as step 3 is concerned, we didn't generate any alternative ideas...we assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the model we chose and used in anyway. We had that, "F*ck it, it's gonna crack either way." We didn't analyze alternatives and make a tactical plan that step 4 mentions. In fact, we switched up our design at the last minute. Trust me, it didn't matter, that design was doomed to fail too...As far as step 5 goes, we didn't get to take corrective actions and revise the plan because time was up and we were only given one egg to kill...Rest In Peace to Crackhead D. Egg.

Kurpis asks: How do you evaluate your team's ultimate performance given the effectiveness of your planning?
A: Well, considering that we didn't follow the rules of the planning process to a T, I guess I can say that my team's ultimate performance wasn't so damn bad. I'm sure that if we knew better, we'd do better...umm...maybe not!

Kurpis asks: How could you have been more effective in the planning of your task?
A: Well for one, we could've consulted with the group in the first row and skyped a engineering/physics major.  But in all seriousness, we could've probably discussed many more alternatives and communicated a little more.

Question to self: Would you change a thing?
A: Hell no. I think that me and our group did the best we could do and it's all good. You win some and lose some.

DISCLAIMER: EGGS WERE DEFINITELY HURT DURING THIS PLANNING EXERCISE

Try Not to Give "The Thumb" to Your Italian Chef Before Tipping the Waitress from Iceland...

Did you know that giving the thumbs up to an Italian native is the equivalent to saying, "Up Yours!'

Did you know that tipping a waiter/waitress in Iceland is extremely disrespectful?

Well, if you attended class this past Wednesday, you do know that. However, I'd bet money that you didn't know that before class (um, not really, I like my money). In the future, we may have to travel internationally and if the culture of your destination was not researched, you can commit a serious faux-pas. Potientally, a faux-pas that may lead to refusal of services from the company you are trying to pitch to.

Well, as a New York resident, I have encountered situations in which I encountered a culture that was different from mine. Being from Brooklyn, one of my earliest was my first exposure to the Hasidic Jewish community. It was a visible cultural difference.

It was in Crown Heights Brooklyn and I remembered seeing women in these long skirts and turbans and men wearing these black hats with curls on the side of their heads.  They pretty much seemed to stay to themselves but they maintained doing so even amongst the other members of the community that were primarily of African or Hispanic descent.  I asked my mom who they were and she told me that they were Hasidic Jews and that it was their culture to dress modestly and keep to themselves.

Whoa...Can you say culture shock? In my culture, women wear mini skirts and pants if they want to. Women don't wear turbans and headscarves unless they are doing household chores or making some type of fashion statement. Men either have haircuts or long hair if they choose.

That experience of mine falls into the visible culture difference that was displayed. I've never been privy to experience any of the invisible culture differences they may have, as I have never interacted with a Hasidic Jew on a personal level, but hey, the world is small. And, anything is possible. I'd be welcoming of the opportunity.

--- The Rambling MMIT