damondnollan.com

If you know me then you know I'm always looking for ways to do things better. Sometimes, that search allows me to go forward and then other times it's a step backwards. At work, it's no different. Although, I wonder if the people around me ever get tired of my incremental changes.

What am I talking about today? you ask. Today, I'd like to share my latest plan. First, a little context.

Historical Context About The Job
During the day, I serve an institution of higher learning as their IT Manager for Web Services. I have a team of three developers for the entire campus. Yes, you read that correctly.

For much of my career in web development, the amount of resources always seems less than what is actually needed to achieve maximum results. Although, that doesn't stop me from trying. I just make do with that we have and keep things moving.

To the disappointment of many, especially those with caviar dreams, living on a shoestring budget allows for very few luxuries. One has to carefully consider where, and how, to invest the resources in order to get things done. Frivolous requests often fall on deaf ears.

In higher education, my team constantly manages the fine balance between wants and needs. If departments could have their way, each one would have an entirely different web page design with beautiful glossy pictures, custom video, flash, and millions of visitors. Unfortunately, the reality is far less glamorous. Without resources (people, time, money, etc.), difficult decisions are required and concessions made. It comes with the job and I love the challenge.

Problems With The Current Process
At present, I'm finding a slight problem with how we're handling new web projects and happy-to-glad changes. Currently, all requests come to us in the form of a ticket. As a result, my team often reviews the help desk for requests to build new applications, update content, improve designs, and everything in between. At the end of each request, we close the ticket and move on to the next item in the list.

While it sounds easy enough, closing a ticket is often a multi-step process that can easily spiral out of control. Let me explain.

With each new ticket, someone has to review the request and determine if it can, or should, be done. Assuming the task is approved, resources are then aligned to execute the assignment. Once complete, the developer reviews the finished product with the client and closes the ticket. However, we find that many tickets are not clear or lack enough information to complete the request, which can lead to a game of cat and mouse. "Where's my website? Where's my content?"

Additionally, during the review session, either the developer failed to complete the task according to instructions or the client realized what they received is not what they wanted. That leads to a spiraling process of "moving furniture." That's where you move it an inch to realize it's not right. Then, in an effort to fix the problem, you move it to another place. Rinse and repeat as many times as necessary.

At the end of it all, you realize that no two tickets are the same and it's extremely difficult to estimate how long one ticket will stay open. We do our best.

As manager of the team, I find myself focused on enhancing quality of work, timeliness of tasks, relevance to the university's mission, and effectiveness of suggested solutions. It's important to fulfill the request but it's equally important to do it right.

As of this post, we probably have around 40 something tickets in our queue. In the past, we've had as many as 200+ tickets awaiting our attention. While I don't like having our customers waiting, we can only do what we can with what we have.

Changing The Help Desk Process 
As I look at the growing number of tickets, I'm asking myself how might I improve the process? How can I balance quality, efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, and still be on top of it all?

My latest plan is to adjust our current strategy to include more delegation and client vetting. It also involves separating new creative projects from the happy-to-glad content changes.

As manager, I don't need to sit in on every request. Some of the happy-to-glad tickets can be vetted by the client. A job's not done until they're happy with it and for simple content changes and updates, I'm fine with that. However, for the more creative and solution based projects, my attention is required. At least during the early strategy planning stages.

So, during our last few hours at work, the team and I adjusted our current production strategy to include the following:

• Management will review all incoming help desk tickets and project requests.
• Depending upon the nature of the request, management will either schedule a meeting to discuss the project or assign happy-to-glad changes to the team.
• For projects, management will stay engaged until the plan of action has been established and executed.
• For happy to glad changes, management will yield control over ticket and allow team and client to work it out until closed.
• Management will schedule initial workload of project tasks and happy-to-glad requests, but the team will manage their own calendars to determine review sessions with client.

We believe this small change will allow me to navigate the more variable projects and tasks by applying best practices with relevant strategies. At the same time, the team can be more timely and effective with the day-to-day, run of the mill, tasks.

As with most changes, I don't know how effective it will be, but I'm willing to give it a try. If you are currently doing this, or have done something like this in the past, I'd love to hear about your experiences. If you get the chance, leave me a comment below.

Tonight, C3 Church continues its Hot Nights series with our special guest, Pastor Jonathan Wilson. Stay tuned during the 7:00 service (EST) for a live blog of the sermon. Refresh this page during the hour for a regularly updated post.

If you would like to view the service online, please click here.

Pastor Wilson, from Newport Church, walks on stage and talks about a number of books written by his wife, Dianne Wilson.

Living A Significant Life
In 2 Kings, Jonathan talks about Elisha. He tells the story about how Elisha stayed at a woman's house in a town. Elisha asked the woman what he could do for her. She said that he couldn't do anything for her. A servant told Elisha that she never had a son. Elisha said to the woman that by this time next year she would have a son. Sure enough, she had a child.

Years later, the son died in his mothers arms. She took her son to the room she once built for Elisha and called for the servant to fetch the horse. She rode to where Elisha was and asked him to come and lay hands on her child. When Elisha came, he laid hands on his hands and eyes. The child came alive and sneezed seven times. This was a notable and significant miracle.

Tonight, the message will be about how to live a significant life.

In our story, the woman was significant.

In the garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. God wants you to be significant so that we can partner with him.

We have an opportunity to live a significant life. There are a few points in the story that helps to explain this point.

Elisha, of the Bible, was the most significant man on the planet. The woman in our story believed that she could make a difference in his life. This woman, who was wealthy and had everything, didn't think she needed anything else. Elisha believed he could make a difference in her life.

The enemy wants us to believe that we don't make a difference. How many of our young people believed his lies? How many ended their lives because of this? God wants you to know that you were born to make a difference.

Maybe you believe that you are too small to make a difference. Think about a mosquito that flies around your head at night. [The crowd laughs]

Having A Generous Eye
In 2 Kings 4:9-10, Pastor talks about how this woman has a generous eye. She looks for how she can make a difference in someone's life.

Elisha, after staying in the room for some time, he asked her what he could do for her. This is the beginning of living a significant life. It begins with looking for opportunities to be generous. He who has a generous eye will be blessed.

Pastor Wilson tells a story about a tennis player who won a number of championships in the Australian Open. During one of his games, the player noticed a man in a wheel chair. During one his most important games, he thought about what life must be life for the man. He made a decision to seek out the man after the game. When he did, he gave the man a court side seat and jersey.

Another tennis player, not from America, flew into Australia and said that tennis players don't make enough money. Andre Aggesey said that he needed to take his money and buy some perspective.

While the first tennis player may not be the most popular or successful, he was probably the most significant. Why? Because he was generous. He gave half of his earnings ($600,000) to charity. He knew the difference between success and significance.

Significant miracles happen to those who have a generous eye. It's not about what's happening in OUR lives but what happens in OTHERS lives.

Living Life On The Edge
People who live a significant life live on the edge. In 2 Kings 4:16-17, Elisha tells the woman that she will have a son this time next year. His saying this to the woman was living on the edge. Why? Because prophets who lie get stoned with real rocks.

People who live significant lives learned how to live on the edge.

In another story, Larry wanted to fulfill his boyhood dreams of flying a plane. Unfortunately, he had bad eyes and couldn't fly. This guy wanted to fly so bad that he bought a number of helium weather balloons and attached them to a chair. He thought that he would only hover about 30 feet high. When Larry cut himself from the Earth, he shot up to 16,000 feet.

An airline pilot reported to LAX that they just saw a man in a chair with a gun. When they successfully rescued Larry from the sky, they arrested him. When they asked him why he did it, he said that "Man can't just sit around." Larry lived on the edge.

Like Larry, God doesn't want us to live mediocre lives. Jesus came so that we could live life abundantly. In reality, life is going to be risky, edgy, unpredictive, unfamiliar, and scary. We are called to live life on the edge and do something significant with our lives.

Pastor Wilson talks about leaving a very successful church at God's direction. It was scary. It's ok, he said to his wife, our move to California to build a church was God's plan. Secretly, he was scared but God told him to trust him.

Jonathan didn't want to die wondering how life would have been if he followed God's plan. He faced his fears and trusted the Lord.

For every person there is an edge. It is on the edge that significance lays.

Building Houses For Others Is Where Miracles Reside
The amazing thing about the story in 2 Kings is that the very place that she built for someone else is the room where her miracle happened. The miracle is where you build for someone else.

In talking about building a house, Pastor Wilson talks about C3 Church. Addressing the congregation, he says that this house is a place for others to be encouraged. When we build a house for others, that is where our miracle lies.

In closing, Pastor Wilson tells a story about how he took everything out of the Hillsong Church and put it in the new church. As he was leaving Hillsong, someone asked if he could give $1,000 for a project that would benefit someone else. Secretly, he thought about the church he was building. He knew that he didn't have much money in his banking account, but he immediately said, "Yes!"

A year later, in the same building, a pastor gave Jonathan a check for $10,000 to help build his church. When asked why, the pastor reminded him about that $1,000 he gave the year before. This money was a gift for helping him build a church. Pastor Wilson said that he didn't do it to get anything back, he did it to help others build.

If you help God build His house, He will help you build your house. Remember, God has a purpose for your life. Reach out to Him and find out what that purpose is.

Do You Need A Fresh Start?
If you would like to make a fresh start in your life and receive God's love, pray this prayer:

Dear God, I realize I've sinned and I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross and rising from the grave. Come in to my heart and save me. Thank you for giving me eternal and abundant life. Help me to live for you, for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

It should be no surprise that I like movies. So, when I tell you that I saw a double feature of Underworld Awakening and Red Tails it should sound normal, right? Right.

Going into the weekend, I didn't think I'd find the time to catch any movies, let alone two, but coming home from West Virginia late Saturday evening allowed my Sunday to remain open. I apologize to my friends Tim and Ryan for not waiting until next week but the flicks kept calling to me like Pookie in New Jack City.

Underworld: Awakening
Heading into the theater, I was extremely excited about the possibilities of this movie. Having enjoyed both the first and third installments, with a major disappointment in the second, I had high expectations for what lay ahead.

In short, the story picks up after the second episode where Selene and Michael kill one of the most powerful vampire elders.

As the fourth installment begins, we learn that humans discovered the existence of vampires and werewolves, which lead to a new war. Using high-tech weapons, many of which we've seen in previous episodes, the humans nearly eradicate both vampires and lycans from existence. Those that have escaped spend most of their time in hiding.

For Selene and Michael, they are eventually captured and put on ice.

Twelve years go by and Selene is awakened (or thawed) by another subject in a research facility. We are led to believe it is Michael, whom Selene shares a strong connection, but we later learn it is her daughter, Eve. At this point, I have questions about her birth and the apparent British accent. For a kid who has never left the research facility and raised by English speaking American's how does one speak with an accent? I didn't realize language was passed along in one's DNA. Anyway, I digress.

We later learn that Eve is a hybrid. My assumption is that she came from Selene and Michael, but I don't recall that being spelled out exactly. I wasn't impressed until I realized Eve had some useful talents, mainly ripping lycan heads apart.

For much of the movie, Selene and Eve are seen running from the lycans, who desperately want something from Eve. Again, not clear on what that something is exactly, but it supposedly protects the werewolves from silver.

The villain in this movie is again a lycan. However, this evil werewolf is probably 20 feet tall and extremely muscular. Think rabid dog made famous in the first Hulk movie and voila, you have our bad lycan.

In review, Underworld wasn't terrible but it wasn't great, either. I knew early on that the movie would disappoint. For starters, Selene's make-up and clothes looked a bit off. The overuse of CGI werewolves, that looked nothing like the original movie, practically made me want to give up and go home. Additionally, the producers used many of the same gimmicks (i.e. shooting holes in the floor to escape a perilous situation)   in this movie. Not good!

The story was shallow and lacked the spark found in both the first and third films. However, if you're really into action for the sake of action, then you will definitely get your fill.

Out of 5 stars I would give it a 3.

Based on the ending, we are to assume there will be a part 5. If history has a say (First and third = good movies; second and fourth = not so good movies) then the fifth installment should be excellent.

Red Tails
After a disappointing Underworld, I thought long and hard about watching another film. While ticket sales showed a strong weekend for movies, I needed to know if Red Tails was worth the price of admission.

Searching Twitter, I found a number of people singing Red Tails' praise. I found so many positive reviews online, minus Rotten Tomatoes' report, that I decided to check it out.

For those that don't know, the movie is about African-American pilots that served during World War II. While the military didn't recognize Negros as capable or courageous, the Tuskegee Airmen proved them wrong.

The movie stars both popular African-American actors (i.e. Cuba Gooding, Jr and Terrence Howard) and musicians (i.e. Ne-yo and Method Man); however, the movie never really got off the ground for me. I see where the director tried to create emotion, but it all seemed too rushed and forced. Knowing George Lucas had something to do with this film, I'm reminded of the awkward relationships between Anakin Skywalker and Princess Amidala. Add that and premature scene transitions, I never had a chance to fall in love with the movie. I wanted too, I really did.

As far as the action scenes go, the air-to-air dogfights were good. Although, I still think I like Top Gun better.

I understand the challenges George faced in making this movie. It's a movie about black men flying planes in the 1940's. According to them, it wouldn't do well.

When you put it like that, who wouldn't want the movie to succeed. If for nothing else, then to at least provide other minority movie makers the opportunity to create movies.

Unfortunately, and I'm sad to say this, the movie wasn't a blockbuster for me. It has nothing to do with the Tuskegee Airmen, which I think are great men to highlight, but this particular story didn't do it for me.

Out of 5 stars, I would give this movie a 3.

Last night, I returned home after a full day in the mountains of West Virginia. The Middle Eastern Province of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. held its Winter Board Meeting at the McKeever Lodge in Pipestem Resort State Park.

The drive, which was close to 5 hours, wasn't all that bad. Equipped with a power converter, laptop, and numerous Red Box movies, I was ready for the trip. On the way up, I had to deal with rain, darkness, and, at certain times, fog. Thankfully, the family and I made it there safe.

In preparation for the meeting Saturday morning, I stayed up late Friday to review reports sent in by the various committees. Some had nothing more than a status update, while a few requested funds and procedural changes. As an elected board member for the province, I'm responsible for presenting reports on behalf of the Membership Service Committees.

Little known secret: I'm always a little nervous before speaking in front of people.

The meeting started around 8 o'clock in the morning after much of the board finished eating breakfast. We ran through the preliminary greetings, roll call, and other salutations before diving into the meaty topics. The first topic dealt with finances followed by the Province Polemarch's report.

Throughout the day, we moved from topic to topic and voted on issues when asked.

There was something about this meeting that caused me to speak up more often than in previous gatherings. Maybe it's because I felt more included in the operations of the Province. As the manager of Membership Services, the Province Polemarch asked me to work with chairmen who make up a huge portion of the active committees. Whatever it was, I liked it.

Despite what many people may think, the Board works. At times, there are arguments (heated debates) over issues and how best to solve them. People will disagree but there is a process for dealing with it. In the end, we come out better than when we started and that's one of my favorite lessons.

As I get ready to close, let me tell you that I had fun. It was great getting the kids out of the house and also hanging with the boys. Next stop: Spring Intake and Province Council Meeting.

For those interested in getting a glance at my weekend, check out the photo gallery below.

Something interesting happened yesterday. While trying to schedule a meeting for an upcoming web project, a faculty member in the School of Education asked me how I was doing with my dissertation. I told him that I was struggling through the second chapter, but making progress.

Dr. Osler, that's the faculty member's name, continued to ask probing questions. He asked me what the study was on, when I planned to finish, and what my motivation was. He seemed genuinely interested in my research.

The more he asked questions, the more excited I became.

Finally, he told me that he could help me finish the dissertation and that it would be as easy as....[he goes into a spiraling list of items that I simply glossed over]. However, to get started we should talk over lunch.

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time for lunch, but a brief conversation would work. Yes?

The Talk
We both agreed to take 45-minutes and chat further. The meeting took place this afternoon.

Dr. Osler is a middle aged man with lots of experience under his belt. From the moment we met, he led our conversation through a series of questions. I wasn't sure how it would all end up, but I liked where it was going.

He talked about the history of African Americans, the city of Durham, and the importance of my study. He expressed a genuine interest in helping me and reading the final results.

I couldn't be more pleased.

Similar to our conversation the night before, his analysis left me feeling inspired. Listening to him talk, I believed that the process was navigable and within my reach.

It only took a few waves from his pen to outline my entire first step. Let me tell you, there is HOPE for me yet.

All in all, the meeting was a good one. I left his office energized and ready to tackle the work ahead.

Although, I do have a few questions. Can I add him to my committee? Does he have to be a faculty member at the University of Phoenix? I seriously hope not because he is the kind of guy I need on my team.

I'll find out more later. Until next time...