ISE Magazine, August 2019

I S E I C T S O L U T I O N S E D U C AT I O N 6 Thinking Outside the Box Recently we decided to simplify our life This idealistic objective warranted its own task force The project was to downsize from a 1 acre home with too many bedrooms to 25 acres and just enough space to not feel claustrophobic I was the task force Work during the day sort donate and pack at night See Figure 1 It was fun Still I learned a fair amount during this arduous process 1 While we thought we were minimalistic in terms of home gear we were not 2 While we thought we were relatively organized we were not 3 While we thought we were somewhat skilled in assessing the best way to create efficiencies we got stuck in the ways we had always done things Sound familiar The obvious lesson it gets messy before it gets simplified Secondary takeaway being open to change is harder than it looks I cant tell you how many times I placed an item in the Donate pile only to wake up the next morning and move it to the Come With Us pile After several long work days I often thought of abandoning the entire simplifying project and deal with it later after we moved Another learning this process did not bring out the best in me It amplified my impatience stubbornness and heel dragging tendencies It wasnt pretty Still I did it After what seemed like ages I assembled a pile of overpacked boxes See Figure 2 Today I stand staring at the same cardboard nemeses in a new location It seems they multiplied like rabbits in this new smaller space When unpacked their contents will reveal whether my simplifying exercise worked I have a sneaking suspicion it did not But before I take the next step in this stupid self induced simplifying snafu I must come clean For years Ive urged you to be open to change and approach network evolution transformation and simplification with a positive attitude I apologize for my Pollyanna ish preaching I am an utter failure at walking my talk This simplifying thing kicked me in the ego Even self induced it is far more difficult than it appears Sharon Vollman Editorial Director P S Please see my attempt at making amends with this extra apology PR2019C code for complimentary attendance to ISE EXPO 2019 September 24 26 2019 in Fort Worth Texas svollman@ isemag com @ svollman @ SharonVollman Follow Sharon on Twitter and LinkedIn for further conversation and insights Visit www isemag com contribute for more information on submitting an article to ISE magazine in print digital and online EDITORS NOTE NEXT ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS PRINT ISE EXPO 2019 Show Issue Executive Insights With Tony Thomas President CEO Windstream Exclusive 5G Networks Demand Rigorous Testing The Amazing OTDR Part 4 Innovation Meets The Last Mile Get Ready for 200 Micron Fiber Dont Leave It Up in the Air Hey Robot Welcome to Telecom Youre Hired Disruptive Fiber Troubleshooting A Speck Can Make a Huge Mess Web Only A Symbiotic Relationship 25G PON Really On an API Hunt Fiber Expert Column Fiber Wisdom From 1989 People on the Move 1 2