In February at the Nullify Capture the Flag I meet a professor Dr. Matt Hale. Dr. Hale teaches a mobile applications with emphasis on native mobile development in Android for IoT applications. During the event I inquired about interest doing a class room visit to talk about mobile development. He gave me his business card. We back and fourth on some dates landing on March 6th.
Day of Presentation
March 6th finally arrived. The class was a evening class on UNO campus at PKI. I had scheduled the visit to be right after another class room presentation being done the same evening.
I was given a 50 minute time block. The Students in the class were just getting into native mobile development in Android. They’ve just finished labs and other content focused on hybrid mobile apps written with Cordova and a few introductory labs on native app development in Android.
I decided the goal of my presentation should be on was to prototyping and application security.
Prototyping
I decided to talk about prototyping app I talked about a recent experience I had with prototyping new features to the Agdirect Mobile application using the https://marvelapp.com/. How prototyping reduced development time and costs. I was also able to share the prototype with our end users to improve quality, think of user experience and make these are the requirements needed. When I was done sharing and answering questions. Dr. Hale told the class that the discussion was not pre-arranged. I found out the class had just spent a few weeks prototyping their mobile application. I was basically re-enforcing what the professor had been spending time on.
The last 15 minutes I shared the the same securing mobile applications presentation I did at the Nullify student group. Dr. Hale like this because I was showing iOS which he does not cover in the class room.
The next day I followed up with a email.
Dr. Hale, said yes. Please reach out in the future for us to collaborate again. I plan to reach out for the Fall of 2019 this summer.
ISQA 8210 is a graduate level project management course at UNO taught by Dr. George Royce. I feel I have built a good relationship with Dr. Royce. We have attended Meetups together. Dr. Royce reached out in January before I did about having us talk to his class room.
We confirmed for February 19th but we were snowed out. We moved the date to March 6th
Looking back on this visit. This is the sixth time we have done a in class room visit. That means for three years since I meet Dr. Royce we have done a class room visit each semester.
In this class room presentation Nate Ryan and Stacey Fletcher presented on “Fries R UP” at PKI. Fries R Up is the software project methodology used by Team Mojo. Take any methodology and you will be asked questions such as timeline for project? How do you respond? How do you handle change? This is the process to help those conversations. They also updated images to reflect how things have changed in the past few months when the presentation was done in the fall of 2018. I did talk about Mob programming which was something we did the day of presentation.
We had good discussion from the participants who were engaged the whole time. Many of the students in the class I had meet at the
I was not able to to stay around to hear about questions since I had another class room presentation to get to. Which is the next blog post on my list.
Dr. Royce sent a thank you the next day. He asked if I would be able to discuss analysis and design. which of course I said yes.
I did do a internal post on giving praise to Nate and Stacey for such a great job.
This months AIM IT Leadership Academy session was on Servant Leadership & Communication Skills held at CSG International.
The schedule for the day was to work on Communications and Servant Leadership. The main concept behind Servant Leadership is a leader challenging teams to go farther, reach higher, innovate and have fun doing it. As we learn concepts of being a servant leader, different communication skills will be introduced to support the various leadership styles of individuals.
Communication
The morning started off with the concept of Communication is a simple thing. In a organization it is how you communicate up and down that maters.
On the table were Agile Transformations Workbook and work sheet. This is the first time through the AIM program that we had a workbook to guide us along with the day of learning.
Communicate by vision and strategy is Servant Leadership. The facilitator asked the question “What makes your investment today worthwhile?” “What is your focus today?”If we do “X” then we achieve “Y” The same level of tasks are communicated each direction in an organization just communication is different.
Why do Strategic Initiatives fail?
No buy-in from teams
Not well defined
Too large – not sized correctly
Acceptive to change
The goal of leadership in an organization is to communicate in a way:
Vision
Strategy
Execution
Conceptual Thinker are Dot Connectors. If you dig deeper in opportunities.
My Strategic Challenge/ opportunity: If I have someone to explain my problem then I understood my problems in the vision. The group did a exercise were we went to the hall way and told there people in 3 minutes our problem.
How do I become a strategic planner? A way to start a vision is doing a exercise called Force Field Analysis.
Force Field Analysis
Communicating Up
When you communicate up how much is said. Who has a leader that wants details? Summary Form. C Suite Communications is a thing. Communications across the peers:
Present with Confidence
Tone and Actions on how you would want to be presented with.
Great Companies = Great Teams = Great Leaders
Reflection Time: What are the traits of influential change leaders?
Attitude
Positive Energy
Listen to Understand the response
Appreciate of what you are told
Story of doing it for themselves
Am I influential person?
Organizations are changing: Does Big Eat Small? No, Fast beats Slow. Which really mean Innovation plus Creativity will equal Fast!
What is Inspiring for the Team you could lead. Is it a leader who get in the trenches? People want to know what Impact they have on company. For what I am doing, does matter?
Does my communication strategy builds better relationships with the team? There are verbal, visual boards, and communication strategy for peers. Should a person give Specific Feedback or as a group. How does a leader talk non technical to technical and not feel bad.
When you receive new information. Learn how to listen. Recap Conversation to confirm discussion. Verbal into information in some kind of document. If you got something wrong in a conversation then we have something to agree with what’s wrong.
There is always a story that not everyone one is part of or know about. Is your engagement authentic? Is there something else I can help manage?
Saying “Thank you for telling me, but it help me understand” start the process of how to ask questions without Assumptions? Keep asking questions to find out what people are thinking? The reason being is building trust with someone:
Speed to Trust
Trust is a business enabler
Faster Efficiency is base on TrustWhen we trust our team or other people, it is actually acknowledging that we know what’s wrong and working on it. Trust is earned through actions of those conversations. Always value trust over command and control.
Toward the end of the communication section we watched this video Conscious Leadership Group
Also doing the break one of the students talked about a book he is reading called Radical Candor.
Servant Leadership
Unhealthy Leader vs Healthy Leader Exercise
This exercise was breaking out into groups. One group did Unhealthy and the the other did healthy.
A term used during this time was plant seeds to grow. If you plant weeds then you are spread out to thin.
Influencer
Best Leaders say ” I have so much more to learn!”
Focus on Value
Recognize Others
Foster Teamwork
Feedback
Learning to give feedback takes time and is a skill. When ever giving feedback identify 3 things going well, and 1 not going well.
A person is hired to be a talented team member. Leaders provide guidance to those team members and let team do what is best. This is when our leadership style matter?
How do you go from solving problems to facilitator coach. How do you break cycle to be a coach? Are you a great contributor or Coach/Facilitator?
What does success look like this week?
Outcome vs Output of a team or person.
Success is to measure!
What does Done look like?
What do we do well?
Learn to Listen genuinely
Create a safe environment
Give team credit before yourself in this coaching
Stories are filled in what makes sense at a point of time.
Focus on Growth of People
This was a mentally challenging session. I believe I learned the most of this session in regards on what I need to work on for my leadership style.
Today, along with the Innovation Managers Kody Schrader and Heidi Couch we did a class room visit at UNO. The professor Dr. Miles teacher the class 4480 CORPORATE AND BUSINESS STRATEGY. This is a senior level class which the student compete in the Capstone Cup. The goal of the visit was to share how Farm Credit Services of America invests in Innovation and Strategy.
Highlights of things shared:
What is a Innovation Manger?
How does Innovation support Strategy?
Strategic Planning with leaders
Internal Idea submission
Innovation Time
Experiments
Intrapreneurial Program
Internal Events
Ag Innovation Pitch Event
Innovation Process
I concluded the talk about the upcoming career fair. I also shared my personal story of strategy and innovation on the “Works Here” events. After wards Dr. Miles said the talk perfectly aligned with the class room discussion. Plus students listen better when content comes the professionals, not the professor.
The Fall Career & Internship Fair (All University) at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) hosted by the Academic and Career Development Center (ACDC) was on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 from 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. at Baxtor Arena, Omaha, NE.
The Scott Conference Center was recently remodeled and attached the Maverick Landing.
Making the Most of the Fair
The most important part before a fair is to be active on social media. Leading up to the event, I engage with the ACDC office on Twitter at @UNOACDC using #HireAMav. Being creative and helps spread the news about your presence. I sent this the day of the fair.
Fair
I arrived about 9:30 a.m. to Baxtor to set up. The career service has helpers to move what ever needed inside. Once everything is inside this is what my table looks like for the fair.
For swag we brought FCSAmerica branded cups that say “Technology Works Here”. Besides that we had some materials which don’t move very well such as pamphlets.
In terms of open positions we do not offer internships for the summer at a spring career fair. At this fair we did try having a common theme in talking to everyone that came by.
Great company
Great culture
Great place to start
For the computer science related attendees I told them about Farm Credit Services of America sponsoring free entry to https://connectaha.com/ for selected UNO Students. If they fill out my office 365 form. I can put your name in a drawing for a free ticket. Reply to this follow up career fair email with a phone number so I can get hold of you if you are selected.
The following team mate Chelsea Kaufman helped out which I recognized internally with a post.
Follow up
In all 36 students filled out the form. I did find out the number of total students attending this specific career fair was under 300. All students who filled out the office 365 form I followed up with this email.
In the fall of 2018 I had reached out to the UNO Nullify group. I started with contacting the faculty advisor Dr. Bill Mahoney. Based on Dr. Mahoney response is the student don’t meet regularly as a student group. They focus mostly on the Capture the Flag Event, but they have a new student president. He forward my information on to the student president.
There was a delay in responses for a few months. Then later in the semester I received a response from the student president. Since the time was close to Thanksgiving break and end the semester. I recommended I would follow up in early 2019.
In January, I sent a email about a spring event.
“I am following up about sponsoring a meeting in February for Nullify. A dates that would work for me is the February 22nd.
I will talk about securing mobile applications. I can sponsor pizza and bring swag/prizes.”
Planning
In early January I meet with Security eam mates to talk about upcoming events with the Nullify group. One of the upcoming meetings was the Nullify Student meeting on Friday February 22nd at 6:30 p.m. on UNO.
I shared that I would be talking securing mobile applications. I would be sharing what I learned from SANS training on mobile applications. Jerry Pope volunteered to talk about Protecting Mobile Applications. What he could show is the incidents that we get from our 3rd party vendor. It would probably be 10 – 15 minutes. He also said showing what the vendor finds and why we don’t want the imposter trademarked apps.
Meeting
Here is my list of things I need to remember to bring.
QDOBA ( 3-Cheese Queso Pan and Bag of Chips)
Chicken from Hy-Vee
M&M’s and Popcorn (Vics)
Pop cans so I don’t need cups.
Plates, Forks, Napkins
Box of Swag
I was told via email that there would be around 50 students attending the meeting. I was skeptical because of Friday night and it was snowing. I was proven wrong. The was packed with more then 50 students.
We set up food first for the students.
As the students ate I showed the Technology Works Here (TWH) video. One of the attendees at the meeting was a student who came to TWH and was hired as a intern for the summer of 2019.
I then passed around my Office 365 Form. I told them I would follow up with a email. I also said I would be sharing information on how they could get a free ticket to a upcoming conference that Farm Credit was Sponsoring, Connectaha. I also talked about being at the upcoming Spring Career Fair at Baxtor Arena.
Protecting Mobile Applications
Jerry Pope started the first part of the meeting talking about Protecting our brand.
During his presentation when a student answered his question. Jerry gave out Starbucks gift cards.
Securing Mobile Applications
I spoke about securing mobile applications. I used the my training material from SANS Mobile Security to show different security vulnerabilities on the iOS platform.
Follow up email
The next day I exported the data from the Office 365 form and sent a follow up email to each student. This is a great way to give a contact point. Plus I had instructions on how to get the ConnectaHa pass.
Hello [Student],
I’m Anthony Carlson, a Lead Application Developer with Farm Credit Services of America. This past Friday, February 22nd, I spoke about mobile application security vulnerabilities in iOS at the NULLify student meeting. It was awesome to spend my Friday night with 50 plus students. I hope to build relationships with the group, so I can be invited back in the Fall of 2019.
I mentioned a few items of interest before I started presenting:
Farm Credit Services of America is sponsoring free entry to https://connectaha.com/ for selected UNO Students. If you can commit to attending the conference on March 8th. I can put your name in a drawing for a free ticket. Reply to this email with a phone number so I can get hold of you if you are selected.
This Wednesday February 27th from 11:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. I will be at the ACDC Spring 2019 Career & Internship Fair at Baxtor Arena. This is a great opportunity to network with employers and learn about career options. Make sure to stop by my booth!
The session was in the Aksarben room. The room had pictures of when Aksarben had horse racing.
The topic was Self Management & Empowerment. The facilitator of the session was Randy Roberts. She talked about how this day would be packed with information.
Do you believe you are a extraordinary person outside of work?
Some people can’t just turn it one and be Amazing. A person has to have standards to who they want to be in life.
What are my standards vs Accomplishments? Who do I need to be at work vs life? Is my life better than before? As a person I need to find Source of what makes life better?
Self-Awareness: Environmental to live life.
Responsibility of Leader is dual for self and others.
Any result in life is based on actions. As individuals we go straight to actions. Should we look at more. Organization entrenches the culture of action, but else is there besides action in a organization.
Reality
Convinced of a belief is the truth to most of us. How to agree something is Real? Reality exists and persists without us. To find the difference between something real? A person needs to find secondary Decisions: Collect data to be right? That is real.
Opinion, Assessment comes from speaking?
Language over belief. Powerful Reality will cause results to go up.
A adult only has to hear 3 things to be influenced. We have behaviors to act certain way. Don’t stand a chance unless we resist of lure to full fill a role
There is a time in our life that something was said that shaped our life: Mine is “When you are tired you have to work the hardest”
When a person makes stuff up: Everything goes wrong, things you do will go wrong. You see this in opinion vs reality. A opinion is that “Technology People are not good at working with people” People say crazy things if you let them. People make things up to force a story. The Behavior allows people to get stuck.
People take extraordinary when given option. There is a capability
you can be right, but both are not right
When you lead with a story and believe you are right it leads
Behavior Address
top person who give permission to act this way are they broken and not acceptable.
The Line
Randy talked about a line. It is how much are you above something vs how low will you keep yourself.
In an conversation with someone. How long can you stay above or below line? How long to be relevant?
90% Awareness: Where you are at the moment. Recognize are you above or below the line. When Awareness is below the line 10% of are not aware.
Get focus and take a minute to get back
Adults lead better before than after a conversation.
People need to recover when things don’t go their way. Leaders forgive people fast. How do I recover personally? I breath, stand and shake head.
Promises
In life you don’t generate promise of who you will be.
Well meaning, promise. Life by Design
Who am I committed to be in the future?
My bold statement: “Who am I in this world. I am a confident person who is committed to encourage the people closest to my heart.”
Hero’s are everywhere. Be a hero to others. Listen powerfully to others. Listen with heart. Let them know you are there.
Creativity = listening
Don’t hijack conversation to interject your thoughts.
Emails are for information not communication. Don’t hide behind your computer. Who do I have to be to make this happen. Fear is a good thing. Over promise is growth. Deepest fear is that we are powerful. Liberate fear.
Saying right thing, but not acting a certain way is not the way to live. Can’t speak powerfully but have behavior.
Love your people so they can become fierce.
When you give people a choice they become extraordinary. People want to be amazing. Love shows up in Reality.
What registers for people to respond? Contribution of someone letting you in. Hire Expert People. Relate to powerful people. That is leadership.
The Cybersecurity (Nullify) student group hosts a Capture the Flag (CTF) competition for regional High Schools. I decided to sponsor this event as a great chance to network and get the Farm Credit Services of America name out to this group. I received information about being a sponsor back in November of 2018.
Planning
Working with Information Technology leaders Russ Wagner and Rex Earl. We decided to sponsor the Bronze for $500.00.
Leading up to the event I coordinated with the Security Team for volunteers to help at the event. I also secured a table by working with the
Christie Smith, the Academic Program Coordinator at PKI. School of Interdisciplinary Informatics. She told me that they have never had a sponsor at the event before and was thrilled that I would show up.
Day of Event
The event was at the Scott Conference Center on UNO Campus. I arrived about 8:45 a.m. I met Christie who helped get my table set up in the far corner of the room.
The event kicked off at 9:00 a.m. I was happy to hear Farm Credit Services of America was given a mention as a sponsor of the event. After looking over the T-Shirt that everyone at the event received our Bio Star Logo was on the back of the shirt.
The room was set up that each high school had 4 to 6 members that worked as a team trying to earn points for finding vulnerabilities in a website.
Through out the event I meet the following Professors
Dr. Matthew L. Hale (He teaches mobile application development. Mostly in Android. We exchanged emails for a potential class room visit in the future).
On Thursday January 31, 2019 I visited the University of Nebraska-Omaha CBA student organization DELTA SIGMA PI. I was extending a invitation by the faculty advisor Dr. Erin Miles to speak to the group about professional development.
I arrived about 7:00 p.m. at Mammel Hall. From 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. the group was finishing up with New Pledges.
I waited in the commons area for the pledge ceremony to get over. The president came out to get me about 7:20 p.m.
The meeting was in Mammel Hall 113 which is the Auditorium. When I walked in I estimate there were about 30 students.
I started the meeting off showing the students the Technology Works Here video. When the video was over I invited the students to “Innovation Works Here” on February 15th. Every student was given a physical invite. I took information with a Office 365 From. 16 students gave me information.
Besides my role of Lead Application Developer I also serve the role of being a College Ambassador for FCsamerica to strengthen relationships with the University of Nebraska – Omaha (UNO).
I spent the next 15 to 20 minutes talking about Career Development and answering questions.
I talked about various forms of Leadership
· Self-Awareness
· Self-Management
· Relationship-Management
The meeting ended with group picture.
When I got home I used word mail merge to send a personalized message to each student.
Friday January 4th was the third session of the AIM IT Leadership Academy on Creativity and Innovation. The session was TD Ameritrade Headquarters.
Started with ice Breaker trying to have each table get as many of the same color candy.
What is Innovation
Innovation is about scope. Before you start tackling a task. Do you ask questions? Remember you will always need help to make something happen.
When it comes to communicating:
Talker says about 130
Good Listener hears 400 to 600
Distracted Listener misses %45 of words
How to put Value on Something? Someone has to want the product or idea.
Is value Subjective? What determines something value or cost?
Types of thinking:
Boundary
Lateral
Backward-Forward
Types of Value:
Sentimental
Monetary
Cultural
Define what Innovations is to you or the company?
Understanding the value of a innovation idea? Do you have the mindset for Innovation. Does you company have the mindset? Do you have the Tools and space have innovation.
You can spin anything from innovation to iterations. Step back and ask someone to be innovative? What’s there response. A better person should make the team better? What is a person motivation to Innovate. A person may be a visionary but not at executing that vision.
The team may be more innovative then the company. I truly believe that, but is this a team that gets more done for the team or causes change in the company because of what they do.
When you think a well established company and innovation:
Change is Incremental
Less disruptive
Less Risky
Moving Forward
Enticing
Business Life Cycle
Birth
Growth
Maturity
Delcline or Rebirth
Quote: Everything arises and everything falls: Buddhism
Customer Naturally migrate away from a product. Something about a product needs to change. Do you take a Defensive Strategy? Innovate to be successful for a Offensive Strategy. In a offensive strategy
Incremental Strategy
Feature Improvements
Business Transformations
Profound or radical Change is an entirely different level of change. Strive for a basic change of character has no resemblance with past configuration or structure
Transcendent Brands
• Innovation
• Lifestyle
• Emotion
• Differentiation
People Perspective
There is a cost of Innovation: Does it equal monetary cost? Is there a change mindset when doing Innovation? Change Management deals with people in most business.
Most people have skill set to get something done. Most people problems happen when a person is not to sure of the process to get something done. How can I show my value to helping people? How can I make people better Do people connect to innovation? What keeps people from being innovative?
Agile is about communication and collaboration. The tenants of Agile deal with all discuss of innovating.
Thinking
Vertical thinking is using obvious choices Select & reject versus Lateral thinking which is as many solutions and different perspectives.
Write down initial statement
Underline keywords in problem
Throw out words
Backward and Forward Planning
Visual Desired Result
List task & times
Plan supporting Tasks the same
Assign Responsibilities
LATERAL + BOUNDARY + backward forward thinking are building blocks of innovation. The follow are some characteristics of a company that embraces innovation.
Top Leadership supports innovation
Diverse set of Personalties and skills
The workforce & culture with innovation connect
Failure is expected and OK
Employees have time to innovate
What this session taught me is Innovation without value is a gimmick. If the correct influence is not done. Then passionate thoughts are really just opinions on what should be done.
We did an exercise on what is a Innovative space. The outcome of exercise didn’t set well. It should have been what is the ideal work space a person needs to work.
No one wants to fail at something, but we don’t innovate because it is a time issue. Is it a time issue or really a focus issue. That you don’t want to focus on things that you might fail at.
The last exercise and part of the class was our table was to think of a innovative way to save a dying company. We grabbed Napster and our idea was passionate, but no next steps to do anything.
Overall this was a good session. The facilitators were excellent. My take away is in some area of Information technology the work we do is really innovative. Innovation happens every day. We don’t call it that, but that what I got our of this session.
