And so I’m buggered

28 Sunday Jun 2015

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Temporary setback….let me just state that upfront. Mostly to convince myself that it’s not so bad.

But it is pretty hectic.

I finally opened DUT’s reference guide (style guide), and their prescribed version of Harvard has page numbers with each in-text reference. So irony of irony, it resembles the Watkins style guide very closely – and everyone at DISE (the new folk) gawks about my Prof Watkins. In my mind’s eye I can actually see him smiling..knowingly. And I can even imagine him saying something like “Kan jy sien Liefie, jy moes maar net gemaak het soos wat ek vir jou geleer het“.

Anyhooooooo, it’s one of those situation where there is jack-sh*t I can do but go back and fix it. What this means is that for the 37 pages that I have written so far, I must go back to each reference, go find the original PDF (Thank Goodness and thanking my lucky stars that I’m in the habit of saving PDFs of everything I reference!), and find the page number of the section that I used. This wont be a quick simple task……but so it goes.

Without a style guide to start with I used the most commonly accepted version of Harvard, as prescribed by AOSIS journals. It was a calculated risk. And this time it didnt work out. But moving on. Aluta Continua

Business meetings at the the Organic Market

18 Thursday Jun 2015

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I haven’t touched my own proposal in three weeks, but I have been busy. The good news is since my last entry I’m an officially registered doctoral student at DUT! Hippity Hip Hooray, Student Number: 21557219

and then the great news is I take up a permanent academic post at CPUT from the 1st August! God is good. And this all means, I’m raising the bar. After doctorate, it’s aiming for Professor status

goals

“Si guarda al fine”

02 Tuesday Jun 2015

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Thank you Bertrand van der Heyden. One thing I clearly remember from my Christian Brother College days. Machiavelli said “the end justifies the means” I think it was history class, but I think it had nothing to do with history. Bert was just really good with words and languages, part of his charm, and about a half dozen other stuff.

But for whatever reason I remember Si guarda al fine…and that was enough motivation for me to make a plan. It’s vrek cold. Winter has invaded Cape Town with unrelenting vengeance, and I had no choice but to turn my cupboard inside out, chucked all the clothes in it onto the floor – my room looks like a mess! All in search of my finger-less gloves.

Finger-less gloves are a winter essential for a student. Heck for everyone! I need to feel the keys on my keyboard (non-negotiable) and I need to work (another non-negotiable). My hands do not need to get cold while I’m working, so after my unsuccessful attempt mission to find any one of the pairs of three pairs of finger-less gloves I had in winter last year, I eventually settled for a new shower glove and a old solo navy blue woolen glove that I found stranded in the laundry basket with all the single socks. I snipped off the finger tips and Bob’s your Uncle! I have a trendy new pair of finger-less gloves! Pink and Blue, Loving it! The end justifies the means.

finger-less gloves

The day is saved. My work can continue…

The only thing that’s certain is that nothing is certain

23 Saturday May 2015

Posted by in Purely Academic, Quality Stuff

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1:30 AM on Saturday morning I’m up working. Marking stats projects actually, feeling so so about it. I really would like to be finishing up my proposal, but need to complete this admin task first so I can upload a progress mark for my students. But admin is Oh So Boring, so I’m blogging instead.

So an update on the proposal is yet another change has come about. Prof told me that I need to substantiate why I want to study the Impact of Quality Culture on Quality Management Practice in the four pre-selected areas that I had in mind, namely Productivity, Compliance, Risk Management and IT (he also told me to refer to IT as systems). So he suggests, “just find a way to tie it together, google the terms in one line and see what comes up” and so I did.

And a repetitive concept that came up was GRC, or Governance, Risk and Compliance. Now that’s something! It’s something because those are buzz words that I’ve heard bandied around at company that I consult for. And I have an inkling that industry is jumping onto that band wagon. I could be wrong…but I’m gonna go with my gut instinct on this one. I’m modifying my focus areas to Governance, Risk, Compliance and Systems… The only thing that’s certain is that nothing is certain.

Then just on a consulting note, I love my job – I really do. I completely love going to work in the Quality Department. And the scope of the work I do is stimulating and fascinating. It’s a thrilling experience to see how the Quality Management System comes to life before my eyes. There’s just lots of work we still need to do, but the real bonus is I am part of an amazing team. My only issue is I sometimes really feel I waste time when I battle to find something because of my limited experience. That is the downside of working on a system that still needs a great deal of development. I find myself being asked to do tasks, and work on systems where nothing existed before. Many times it’s a critical requirement, eg. Supplier Approval, and it is not anyone’s job yet. Another two looming in the pipeline is Risk Management and Self Inspections. Daunting and challenging, I feel incredibly stupid and excited at the same time. In the land of the blind I guess the guy with one eye is king. I guess that’s what systems engineering is all about.

#superproudmom

20 Wednesday May 2015

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Joshua AwardSo like remember two weeks back when I told you about Josh and I that were working on his Science Project and we didn’t see eye to eye?, Well…My Boy got an Award for that project tonight. Super, Awesome Rocking Cool!!!!!

I can’t explain how happy I am for him. And for me, this is a huge victory. The look on his face. Proud moment for mom. Kachow

Then on the topic of my own research, I am rather pleased, uh uh I am stoked that my Prof gave me the go ahead to tweak my sample. Well, proposed sample, that is. Proposal almost due (tick tock tick tock tick tock) and with this latest permission that I was granted, I believe I have robust framework. I must just put all the pieces together now, and properly.

Prof agreed to let me do an in-depth study, as opposed to the wider superficial study we originally thought of. Instead scanning over 12 organisations in a more general way, I am now aiming to drill down deep and look at how the quality culture of 3 organisations will impact the quality management practices of those organisations.

Because of this reduced number of samples, he is now allowing me to select one industry….drum roll…da da da da dum, and the lucky recipient is the Pharma Industry! Yeah baby Yeah. I am genuinely feeling so excited. Part of me wants to rush out and start doing the ethnography already!

But I must be patient, finish my proposal properly, do my groundwork. I wanna nail this. I wanna do this well, I wanna make a mark. yeah sounds about right

The End

12 Tuesday May 2015

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Look… it’s not you, It’s me. You are really amazing, you are. You so special, you completely caught my eyes and captured my heart.

But I just can’t see it working.

If I’m brutally honest with myself, you just can’t offer me what I want. This is heartbreaking for me. I wish it was different, but I cant force it. I really am shattered.

I had this conversation with my research design. It sucked. Anyone who spoke to me recently would know how completely enthralled I was with Design Based Research (DBR). Gosh I was trying to convince everyone who I knew was doing research that DBR was the only way to go for their research too. For an in-depth true understanding, a satisfying research method experience that will uncover the true answer to your research question or (for my stats friends…) to prove your alternate hypothesis without a doubt!

But alas, DBR is not my answer. Ethnography is the surprise victor, the dark horse that appeared from nowhere, the research methodology that I will use to conduct research. Just googling the word ethnography it becomes clear, it’s a research method to study culture – which is what my research is about.

That being said, at present, I don’t quite know how on earth to conduct an Ethnography. In fact, I have only just learned to properly pronounce the word. But never mind that, never mind…we’ll figure that out later. I bought a motorbike before I could ride. I got this.

So what’s poetry anyway?

09 Saturday May 2015

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Hands raised waving a white flag, with sincerity I apologise with genuine child-like humility if the title line annoys or even infuriates anyone.  And I’m the first to admit, that I am most probably just not cultured enough to appreciate the beauty of poetry. One day when I’m big, then maybe I’ll be cultured…

My very question stems from me quizzing myself and I am wondering, What is it that I’m missing? More than that, Why am I missing it?

I absolutely love words, make no mistake. I love playing with words, I love the sound of different words and different word combinations. I’ve always loved reading and it’s somewhat sad for me that I never read for the pleasure of just reading anymore. Nowadays, whenever I read, (and I still read a lot), it is always related to work or studies. I am fortunate though, because due to the fact that I love reading, by implication I love my work.

So could the reason why I’m anti-poetry…(holly har did I say “anti-poetry”?) be because of a boy who once invited me to a poetry reading? I completely fell for the idea and for him! But by the end of my getting to know him, it left me feeling it was a just a mere facade that some guys will use to win girls over. Far-fetched maybe?..possibly?, Maybe. On many other occasions I have tried getting into poetry, but I just don’t get it.

So yesterday my friend tells me he writes poetry and I start thinking about this whole situation. Me thinks, I love listening to the lyrics of songs, and isn’t that a form of poetry? Probably right hey… Maybe I need a musical backdrop to appreciate poetry? Naaah, I think more likely the truth is probably I’m a lost cause.

Then I remember, that funny enough there is just one poem that absolutely love

 Krisis — deur Elizabeth Eybers:

Dis hier waar ons twee skei
— jy hart en ek,
albei tot afskeid so onvoorbereid.

Die weg was lieflik waarlangs jy gelei‘t maar dis verby,
al staar jy terug.
Nou strek die pad langs klowe, afgrond en moeras.

Voortvarend en ’n lafaard soos altyd
en nooit in staat tot enige besluit,
en siek daarby, is jy nou net ’n las

Jy was die gas en gasheer by die fees,
die seremoniemeester en die nar:
jou dwase raad kan net die hoof verwar
waar elke tree die laaste tree mag wees
kyk, dit word laat, die kermis is verby,
kan jy dit nie begryp? Hier moet ons skei.

So when I read the words now again after so many years, I still remember exactly why I just love this poem! I love it because I relate to it completely. I know how the author feels. I think I know EXACTLY how this lady felt. I’ve been there before, and at a point where I literally wanted a surgical heart removal, because I allowed my stupid heart to dictate my actions when the should have let my head dictate the way. We live and we learn, literally.

So I suppose that’s the key. I also suppose that’s why I love music. The melody catches my attention, the it’s the words that keeps my attention and affection. Maybe it’s just a simple matter of me not yet finding the right poetry bundle, or the certain author that I relate to. But enough, maybe some day, one day……when I’m big, I’ll be cultured. Moving along.

So this morning I met with my M. Tech students for a work session. Those two ladies inspire me. Such a pleasure to work with them…and on that thought I think I should start working on my own proposal again.

Till then, later alligator

The Misrepresentation of Quality

05 Tuesday May 2015

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I fell in love in 2009, and it was unlike any other time I’ve ever fallen in love before or after that. He wasn’t tall and he wasn’t handsome and he didn’t have sparkling blue eyes or a strong jaw line… in fact it wasn’t even a ‘he’. See, I feel in love with Quality.

The idea, the concept of Quality. When designed properly, Quality makes things better. What’s more, Quality is not only Compliance, and Compliance is certainly not necessarily Quality at all.

Compliance means we all dance in the same line (or to the same tune), ticking a checklist to meet a regulatory standard, such as cGMP. But there are several other standards available depending on any company’s need. ISO 9001, SANNAS or ISO 17025 (Laboratories), ISO 14001 (Environment Management Systems) or ISO 18000 (Occupational Health and Safety) – the list goes on and on and on. A different flavour for every different preference – For every industry and every workplace there is a standard or set of regulations that apply. We don’t give thought to our customer requirements. I mean, who needs customers anyway… right?

To my despair in all the places where I have worked in the past, I have observed organisations conform to the Standard for the sake of pure compliance. Quality is just an after-thought, or perhaps just a label consisting of 7 letters, used to brand compliance. Incredibly sad…, incredibly sad indeed.

It’s sad for me because I have bought into the process approach. Process approach can be diagrammatic represented by: INPUT →PROCESS → OUTPUT

I believe that everything, absolutely everything we all do at work (and even home) can be simplified and explained as simple process. Making a cup of coffee is a process – let’s see…

Step 1 – fill the kettle with water

Step 2 – plug kettle in and switch on

Step 3 – take your mug out etc etc etc

The first day I had too much sugar, the second day I realised I could have brushed my teeth in the time the water was boiling. By evaluating process steps, and sticking to the process steps… I slowly improved the process, until by the end of the week I was making best morning cuppa in the shortest period of time – All because I put some thought into it! Mornings are crazy, we just don’t have extra time for anything in the morning. And little quality improvements do not have to be difficult. I systematically approached it and just ensured I followed through with application.

The process approach is just one element of Quality. But it’s in the foundation of a strong Quality Culture. That being said I want to highlight that I could have the most amazing process in place to manufacture life jackets (as an example)…if you have cement as a input, I could not care how good your process is, I certainly wont be buying my life jacket from you!

Ok so enough for now, I’ve just scratched the surface of what I would call Quality Culture…. we’ll explore a little about Compliance next time I blog about Quality Matters

later alligator

Painting, Plants, Proposal and Parenting

03 Sunday May 2015

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The 4 P’s that made up my weekend. I’ll start from the last and work my way to the first.

On the Parenting front had a fantastic weekend with my minions. Tonight ended on a “growing pain” kinda note, because Josh and I need to finalise his science project and we were not happy with each other at all! It’s not a major calamity in the greater scheme of things, but as I go through the motions of trying to explain how he must write the results of his project in scientific style, I can see that light just did not go on. He just does not YET understand it. He will – sooner or later. But until then we just have to persevere. At the same time, I relate to my little (not so little anymore actually) boy. I’m also a student. Having been a student for many years now, I’ve come to realise that that is part of the journey, the “not-knowing” stage. It’s horrible, because how are you supposed to know something if you just don’t know! And there is just no way to learn anything new without “putting yourself out there”. You need to expose yourself in order to learn something new, and ultimately become a master at what you are doing. Being a master is great, but that whole process is Painful. So while at that very instant when I know I have to be stern, therefore I speak harshly to my son, silently in my heart I salute him because he didn’t give up.

Regarding the Proposal, some progress has been made. Focusing on research design now. This part I’ll call the fiction writing, because heck I have no idea what I am doing (see, I genuinely relate to Josh!). I know my Prof is gonna blast me on this latest literary composition, but at least this time unlike Masters, my skin is hopefully just a little bit thicker…hopefully – famous last words before the waterworks follow. But look, we’ll see. In the meantime, I’ll continue writing a lovely fantasy novel about Design Based Research and trying to figure out how on earth am I gonna find the answers to the questions that I put to myself as the research questions using this Design Based Research Stuff. Maybe if I don’t get a degree for my work, possibly, maybe I could get an Ingrid Jonker Prize for Fiction Writing.

And so my Plant collection has also grown this weekend, bought a few more pots for the floral paradise called my patio. Oh Heavens, I just love my pretty flowers. They make me sooooo happy:) Also went to Kirstenbosch the weekend, did the Skywalk Boomslang thing, more flowers and plants….Absolutely Beaureeful!!

And then finally Painting. One of my amazing brothers gave me a wooden herb box that he made. Not a normal square or rectangular box – a beautiful piece of hand-crafted carpentry. See picture. I’m probably going to use it for flowers and not herbs. Because it will live outside, I thought it needed a lick of varnish, which is how I passed some time today. The result was immensely gratifying. But now for the difficult task of deciding herbs… or flowers or both, or something else completely. And Thank you Robin for adding to my indecisiveness with your wonderful suggestion of strawberries even possibly…oh decisions decisions

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