Part 5 - Weighing Worldwide Heartbreaks

Sometimes it feels as if the world is in such disarray and disrepair.

There are revolutions, upheavals and bombings.  The economic downturn has been devastating, for sure. But even in the heyday of the economy, large sectors of the world population were mired in poverty and disease.  Industrial development and technology advancement are unrelenting, amazing, and profound, but what has happened to our environment - our land, oceans and skies?

Conceptually and practically, I’m working on algorithms to help us solve wide-sweeping problems, such as poverty, disease, conflict, and environment impact. But needless to say, this is an extraordinarily difficult effort, and I’m just in the early stages of this work.

Going forward, though, I simply hope to have a viable framework completed within whatever is left of my lifetime.

Still, just in talking with friends over the past two years, I have felt a sense of urgency to advance this work.

Abiding points, guiding posts

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Three abiding points to consider from The Core Algorithm and its conceptual framework - Theory of Algorithms:

1. Understanding these worldwide problems as best as we can is paramount. This may mean reviewing what we know about their nature - their underlying DNA, as I call it - and perhaps revising our assumptions and approaches to solving them.

2. I posit that once understood sufficiently and accurately, problems shed light on workable, effective solutions. It’s about letting a problem speak for itself.

3. Implementing a solution properly means that we do what actually works, in light of that problem. It’s a simple algorithm: Do only what works, and avoid doing what doesn’t work.

From Poverty, to Prosperity

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I had a really good exchange recently with Juliet Barbara, a writer with Forbes magazine. I offered the idea that resolving poverty may require relatively low or simple technology, which is affordable and accessible to impoverished villages.

Consider what Prof. Anil Gupta relates in his TED Talk, for example. Impoverished villagers in India have built washing and grinding machines by using the simple mechanics of a bicycle.  That kind of homegrown ingenuity and self-sufficiency, especially when it comes from the very heart of the problem itself, that is, from the circumstances and people within those villages, can go a long way, I think, of handling the heartbreak of poverty.

Tapping this homegrown ingenuity and self-sufficiency is an essential component of my Algorithm for Prosperity.

From Disease, to Health

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Serious efforts abound on treating people and curing diseases, for example, Doctors without Borders. Also, through their Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropist couple have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into eradicating diseases such as polio. Further, the World Health Organization (WHO) has worked tirelessly to provide education and resources to ensure worldwide health.

There is the vertical approach to curing diseases, which means drilling down on polio, for instance, and investing time, effort and resources to eliminating it.  There is also the horizontal approach, which means addressing the contextual factors that cause disease and other, broader ails in a village.

I propose that we avoid taking a premature approach (rf. Gates Rethinks his War on Polio). I propose à la The Core Algorithm and Theory of Algorithms that we first grasp the health issues within a given village, locale or region, before taking any approach.  Particular issues may be best served with a vertical approach, or perhaps a horizontal approach, or even an integrated, unique hybrid of both, which best serves the purpose and needs of a certain village.

Determine the best approach – vertical, horizontal or hybrid – vis-à-vis the unique challenges and wishes of a particular locale is an essence of my Algorithm for Health.

From Conflict, to Resolution

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I was talking to two friends, who were visiting me in Dubai. In the midst of uprisings in Bahrain, where they lived, they were frightened for their children’s safety.  Their idea was sensible:  Bring the protestors and the officials together for a dialogue.

However, I suggested that this is probably a second or third step in the process. It means reaching out, first, to King Hamad, the ruler of Bahrain, in an effort to grasp the situation in his country better and just as importantly to discern his views, ideas and concerns, some of which I anticipate would be very sensitive and very private. He is the ruler after all, and has the power and authority to make major decisions, so it makes better sense to begin with him first.

So before we bring the conflicting parties to the table, we may do what Japanese managers tend to do: Approach key stakeholders individually first, again to discern issues and interests and forge trusting relationships.  There is a Japanese phrase for this, which I'm afraid I cannot remember at the moment, but which means ‘tending to your garden’.

I advised my friends that it probably wouldn’t be I myself, who meets with King Hamad. I’m an unknown person, and he’s unlikely to agree to meet with me. So who is the best person? Well, it has to be someone whom the King trusts, who has authority and can speak frankly with him. Perhaps, then, it is that person whom I advise.

After speaking with the King, I advise speaking with key figures in the conflict as well, and discerning their thoughts, experiences, and ideas.  Only when we can ascertain as best as possible that a good outcome can be gained, do we bring conflicting parties together.

When it comes to human affairs, we must expect the unexpected. We must prepare for a difficult, perhaps contentious discussion. We must be cognizant that resolving conflicts require time, patience and effort, and most likely large doses of kindness, caring and faith.

These are all elements of my Algorithm for Resolution.

From Plundering, to Replenishing the Environment

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There are doomsday-sayers that predict the collapse of the world. That population growth is outstripping resources for supplying our sustenance. That humankind has done little but plunder and pollute our earth, oceans and skies.

I am more optimistic and hopeful, in contrast, yet realistic and practical. I believe in the equilibrium that nature creates for life on earth. While population growth has slowed down in recent decades, the fact that it’s still on the rise suggests, at least to me, that resources are still more than sufficient to support humankind, at least on the whole.

How long will resources last, well, we don’t really know for sure, do we.

But if my belief in an equilibrium actually has merit, then, it requires us to consider a potentially dreadful but inevitably truthful notion:  That is, if the pace of population growth does at some point outstrip the earth’s abilities to replenish its resources, and thus provide for us, then that growth will slow down and perhaps even reverse itself.

In other words, more people around the world will die than are born at any given period. So not only will the population stop growing, but the curve will slide downward.

God forbid that something like that will happen. But in an air of optimism and hope, once the equilibrium has been re-established, that is, when earth can sustain humankind again, then the decline of world population will cease and turn toward growth again.

How well we keep (or regain) equilibrium for proper sustenance and growth depends on a host of weighty actions, such as:  (a) We halt our adverse impact on the environment.  (b) We reduce our consumption or alter our consumption pattern.  (c) We somehow assist Mother Earth in replenishing herself.

These are seeds of my Algorithm for Replenishment.

In summary

These are all tall tasks, profoundly difficult problems to solve. It will require literally all of us to solve. No one person, no simple clustering of organizations, and no one-off collaborative effort will be enough to solve these problems.

As I’ve said before, I’m still working on the proof for my seminal thesis that every problem has a solution. But I very much believe, and I am very confident, that indeed there are solutions for these and other problems I’ve addressed in these episodes.

This is Theory of Algorithms. This is The Core Algorithm.

Thank you.

© 2013 by Ron Villejo, PhD

Part 4 - Achieving Organizational Aims

Leaders across organizations and sectors face all kinds of challenges and pressures, in their efforts to serve their purpose and meet objectives. Some do rather well, and some frankly struggle.  If you're a leader, then you know what I'm talking about and can speak to your particular challenges.

What if you, as the CEO, had better means of hitting tough targets, overcoming business challenges, or resolving entrenched problems?

The Core Algorithm can be applied with these crucial, sometimes daunting organizational aims.

The Core Algorithm

Where do we begin? By now you know, we begin at the end.

Step 1 - Begin with the end in mind

What specifically are the key things you need to achieve? Which one do you most require feedback, assistance, and insight on?

Let’s say that during the recession the last four years, you’ve managed modest revenue growth (i.e., single digits). It’s taken a lot of deft management on your part and a lot of hard work on the part of your staff.  Looking at the rest of 2013, however, you see tough but notable prospects for breaking well into the double digits, say, 15% growth.

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Like many, you may have a tendency to begin with strategies and tactics, or with tools and systems, and consequently lose sight of what you need to achieve and how to achieve it.  So it's vital to really clarify what these ‘ends’ are, for yourself and your organization. Step 1 may mean reshaping your aims, or even dismissing one and formulating another.

Step 2 - Walk backwards to map pathways

The Immediate Impact Factor

What is the most immediate or direct thing you have to do to realize your aim?

We seem to engage in a lot of effort that doesn't always serve our purpose well. In the Middle East, for example, a lot of organizations engage training for their leaders and staff. That's a good thing. But sometimes they see it as the solution for staff issues, performance problems, and low motivation. If the staff issue is not about building knowledge and developing skills, then training is not going to help.

Examining the issue more closely, and clarifying your aim vis-à-vis this issue, will guide you on what you need to do.  Moreover, The Core Algorithm helps to ensure that what you do actually works for you and your organization.

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Back to our example.

Go through 2013, and visualize your organization hitting 15% revenue growth by year end.  What is the most direct thing that has to happen?  Your customers have to buy more of your products and services throughout the year, and your salespeople have the most direct play in this.

Some organizations may implement costly systems to improve customer service and manage customer relationships. Alternatively, they may jump into competency-development programs or use so-called proven sales methods.

These may or may not help you hit your growth target.  But you won’t know, until you determine exactly what would prompt your customers to buy more and of course your salespeople to sell more.  This buying-and-selling is the crux of the matter - that is, Immediate Impact Factor - for hitting your target.

Your salespeople are literally the means by which your organization bridges itself onto the customers or the market at large. Of course staff from other functions may have customer-facing responsibilities as well, such as marketing, contracting, and support.  But in important respects, they all have a sales role in serving your customers.

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The Intermediate Impact Factor

You see, The Core Algorithm zeroes-in on salespeople, if it’s a revenue target you aim to hit.  So, next, walking backwards from the Immediate Impact Factor, what do they need to have and what do they need to do to sell more?

This refers to the Intermediate Impact, and below are some ideas^:

^First, they themselves must give you feedback on this.

You, other executives, partners, and suppliers may have fine insights on what salespeople need, but there’s a saying in the US:  Let’s hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.  It means that in order to find out what others are thinking, experiencing, or needing, you have to ask them directly.

Steve Jobs apparently eschewed market research or focus groups, and he was phenomenally successful in his seemingly don’t-ask approach. Here’s the reality, ladies and gentlemen:  We can learn from Steve Jobs, be inspired by him, and tap our intuition accordingly, but none of us will ever be him.

You have to ask your salespeople, and find out directly. Because of the relationships they’ve built with your key customers, they are best positioned, in turn, to ask them key questions:  for example, what would strengthen the relationship further, what their untapped needs may be, and what can raise their confidence in your products or services.

Depending on their feedback and insights:

^You as the CEO may need to take a more active role in mentoring them, challenging them, or rewarding them.

^You may have to mobilize resources or modify their environment, so they're in the best possible position to sell more, for example, by shoring up necessary tools, support and training.

On the one hand, they may be highly capable, motivated, and performing salespeople already, and they'll rise up to the challenge.  On the other hand, they may feel stretched and stressed already, and will curse you for raising their targets.

^Regardless, you have work with them (or through their managers) to reconcile their displeasure and leverage their enthusiasm.

These things that have to happen before the actual selling effort comprise the Intermediate Impact Factors.

The Catalyst Impact Factor

Continue to walk backwards, from where you want to be, until you get to where we are now.  Before you undertake particular intermediate actions, there has to be a Catalyst Impact to prepare, guide and inspire them.

Among a number of efforts, you must communicate with them, get their buy-in, and take concerted, collaborative actions with them.

To summarize, Step 2 is a ‘complete sweep’ of all factors necessary to hit that tough target of 15% growth:

1. from Immediate Impact Factors,
2. to Intermediate Impact Factors, 
3. and finally to Catalyst Impact Factors.

We work together to identify them in a time-sequenced way, beginning first with what you're trying to accomplish (future) and mapping pathways backward to where you are standing (present).

Step 3 - Walk these pathways

Step 2 is about creating the road map. Step 3 is systematic action-planning and committed action-taking, based on the outcomes from Step 2 and based on the target from Step 1.

We work together on:

• Creating and delivering on the action plan
• Undertaking a proper communications strategy
• Monitoring, evaluating, and adjusting efforts accordingly vis-à-vis the target 

The Organizational Algorithms

The algorithm I just walked you through, above, is what I call targeT² - a unique, proprietary and comprehensive meta-methodology for hitting tough targets or dealing with business challenges.  There is a lot more to this algorithm than I can cover in an article, so please contact me if you’d like to learn more. It’s leading-edge innovation, and it would be exciting and meaningful to utilize it for your organization!

fL²yer is an algorithm for identifying, developing and preparing high-potential leaders.  These are people in your organization, who may or may not be in leadership positions currently, but who have major capacity to develop greater knowledge and skills and assume complex responsibilities in the future.

Some organizations refer to this capacity as ‘headroom,’ that is, for getting higher (i.e., 'taller') in the organization.

We begin with organizational purpose. One major client I worked with realized that in 5 – 15 years’ time, hordes of key leaders across the enterprise would be retiring. Many executives, managers, and supervisors were about the same age, and the prospects of them leaving en masse must have made the CEO shudder.  So his priority was to ensure capable replacements for these retirees and ensure the successful continuity of the business for the long-term.

They engaged the consulting firm I worked for previously to identify high-potential talent, prepare them for higher level responsibilities, and altogether create proper bench strength of talented leaders for the near-term and for the distant future.

fL²yer draws on rigorous but economical methods for assessing potential, such as psychometric tests, structured interviews, and management feedback.

As its name indicate, R²oi helps to ensure an ROI on your organizational initiatives.  We begin with the end in mind, that is, an issue to resolve, a priority to fulfill, or an improvement to make.

There are hosts of enduring management programs, models, and methodology, from Six Sigma to Balance Scorecard. No matter how successful these have been in other organizations, you need to let your issue, priority, or improvement guide you on what project to engage in and what benefits-against-costs (i.e., ROI) you can expect.

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I hear people ask ‘What is the ROI?’ ‘How do we measure ROI?’ I argue that the presence of these questions suggests that the end in mind wasn’t clarified well and that the project wasn’t identified or laid-out properly.

The expectations around the ROI must be established and clarified at the outset:  for example, an uptick in sales revenue, exceeding costs of improving your product delivery. In this light, it isn’t really difficult to measure ROI, is it? At any point in the project implementation, you can track revenues-against-costs.

R²oi - the algorithm - optimizes your end-to-end process for selected projects, in light of your target ROI.

Above is a graphic on what R²oi optimizes and balances:  

• minimize ‘negative peak’
• maximize ‘positive peak’ 
• while optimizing project impact and hitting ROI target.

targeT², fL²yer and R²oi are the initial set of algorithms I’ve innovated for top leaders and their organizations. In the future, I will develop more for their purpose, for example, realizing their vision and innovating with purpose.

So stay tuned, and stay in contact!

Walking backward, to go forward better

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The work of top leaders is never ideal or perfect. So it’s important to remain vigilant about your efforts, evaluate them vis-à-vis your aims or expectations, and adjust your efforts accordingly. Also, anticipate possible obstacles or problems, and perhaps have a contingency plan to handle these.

Apply The Core Algorithm by making sure you are clear first on what you’d like to accomplish. There are solutions, processes and methods for virtually anything you want to accomplish, but unless any of these actually serve your purpose, they’re not useful.

A lot of what leaders have to do are complex things. I invite you to contact me, if you’d like to address more of your specific challenges or if you have particular questions about what we covered here. So please don’t hesitate to message me!

In summary, The Core Algorithm helps organizational leaders clarify their aims, ensure that what they do actually works, and optimize practical efforts to achieve these aims.

© 2013 by Ron Villejo, PhD

Part 3 - Dealing with Everyday Exigencies

From the frazzled homemaker, to the stressed-out executive, we never seem to have enough time, do we?

There must hundreds of time management books, programs and pages, and I wonder how well these ideas and techniques work in everyday life or at the office.

A Walk with Albert Einstein

Kurt Gödel and Albert Einstein

Imagine this.

I am walking with Herr Professor on the lovely campus of Princeton, and we have quite a lengthy, intriguing conversation. I come to realize our reflections on the cosmos and on humanity have practical implications for that homemaker and executive.

I study Einstein, and try to get a grip on his notion of space and time, for example, as bound up together. In fact he referred to it as one word ‘spacetime.’  There is quite a lot about physics that I am very much working to grasp, but practically speaking I could see how space and time were essentially one.

Think about where you are now.

Let’s suppose you’re in the family room sitting by your PC, or perhaps you're on-the-go with your smartphone, reading this article.  Now walk around, and you see that it takes time.  Moving about, wherever you may be, always takes time.  So space affects time.

That’s one key point.

Here’s the other key point. Time affects space, too.

Imagine doing a time-lapse photography of your family room, say, over the course of a week, and that space changes. In that period, you and your family do all kinds of things in there and that room looks different from one moment to another.

What if you go on a long vacation or, worse yet, simply abandon your house?  Recall the film ‘The Time Machine,’ based on the book by HG Wells.  Over centuries and millennia, that wonderful family room will erode, decay, and completely disappear.

So, just as space affects time, time affects space. The two are intricately woven together like delicate embroidery.

Algorithm for Efficiency

So what does this mean for managing time and being more efficient?

It means, simply, that if we are going to manage time truly effectively, we must take into account space.  We must account for (a) the layout of the space around us and the various objects in it, and (b) our movement about that space.

So technically we ought to call it Space-Time Management à la Einstein, do lots of workshops and videos on this, and make boatloads of money! Because, no doubt, everyone will literally go for it, and it will be viral phenomenon on the internet.

Apologies, I digress!

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Me, I prefer to call it Algorithm for Efficiency.

The Core Algorithm

The Core Algorithm is the platform for this algorithm. Here are some crucial questions to weigh, as we go through the three steps: 

1. Begin with the end in the mind.  How badly do you want to be more efficient?  How much you want something determines, in part, whether you will actually get it.  If you’re already efficient, and you’re honestly not interested in more ideas, then that’s fine. No need to bother with this.  It's not a good idea to pursue a goal that you feel half-hearted about, as this is a recipe for failure.
2. Walk backwards to map the pathways.  That is, from where you want to be, back to where you are now.  What do you need to do to be more efficient? What things can have an immediate impact on your efficiency? Are there things you have to prepare for, or look into, in order to have such an immediate impact?
3. Walk these pathways.  Will you actually do what you need to do?  That is, once you’ve clarified what you want and need to do. There is no magic formula, no free lunch, as far as accomplishing your goal is concerned. You actually have to walk those pathways, that is, take action, between where you are now and where you want to be in the future.

Much as we may like to be constantly ‘on,’ the reality is we have cycles in our motivation, where our interests, productivity and efficiency wax and wane. We have our up moments, we have our down moments.

But regardless of where your motivation is on the cycle, are you fundamentally committed to doing things more efficiently? If this is indeed an important objective for you, then explore how you can raise your personal commitment and optimize your motivation cycle.

If this isn’t really important to you, then don’t bother. There are a lot of things, I’m sure, that are more important for you to deal with.

Desk Efficiencies

My desk in Dubai

First of all, it is important to me to be efficient. There’s only so much time and space to do what I need to do for my business and projects. I need to be really smart and efficient with my planning, resources and actions.

I didn’t have a separate study in my apartment in Dubai, so I worked in the dining room and used the dining table. I set up my laptop, printer, papers and other paraphernalia here and there. I didn’t have a shelf or file cabinet, but used a bookcase behind me for keeping little tools, like stapler and scissors, tucked away.

After a while I realized that I often had to get up to get these things. I often had to stand and reach for tissue, because I had placed the box three feet away from me on the table.

It was a simple matter of moving things closer to me, where I sat, so I didn’t have to get up or reach too far for them. The most important things to me were now closer, from my smartphone (BlackBerry, back in Dubai) to reams of paper for the printer.

Now, on any given day, the amount of time and energy I saved by applying my Algorithm for Efficiency were admittedly small. Over time and across situations, however, the efficiency gains become greater. Imagine people in your office implementing ways to be more efficient, and the savings in time, effort and costs can be huge.

Kitchen Efficiencies

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I lived alone in Dubai, and hated washing the dishes. My dishwasher broke, and I decided not to get it fixed because it was a hassle and it was costly. Dishes would accumulate and sit there for two weeks. Eww, you can imagine how nasty my sink looked and smelled.

How did I apply the Algorithm for Efficiency?

I picked one large plate, one small plate; one fork, spoon and knife; and one glass; and put everything in a drying rack next to the sink.

My rules were:  (a) Use only these, and not the other plates, glasses, utensils etc. in the cabinet and drawer. (b) After a meal, wash each piece. (c) Leave them on the rack (don’t put them away) and keep them ready for the next meal.

You know that it takes more time, effort, soap and water to wash off dried-up, caked-in food on the plate, if dirty dishes have been sitting for several days in the sink. However, washing it immediately after using it, and it takes literally seconds of time to wash, with minimal use of energy and resources. I don’t even have to use hot water.

After just one month of applying these techniques, and experimenting personally with my algorithm, I saved about 10% on my water and electricity bill. I estimated saving well over 25% of time and effort washing dishes. I am a simple, economic guy already, so these cost and time savings were worthwhile for me.

Laundry Efficiencies

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I often used the dryer while home in Chicago, as that was my norm. My wife preferred to hang-dry her clothes, because she didn’t want them to fade or wear down too quickly.

But in Dubai, the dryer I bought simply didn’t work as effectively. It would take four hours to dry two bed sheets, for example.

I learned, however, to use a clothing rack. In fact, putting it outside on my balcony meant it would dry in a handful of hours, due to the everyday sun and heat. All free, as it’s natural resources.

What’s more, just as with my dishes, I sometimes left clothes on the rack, and pull them off when I wanted to wear them. That is, instead of folding them, and putting them away in the cabinet.

I had a stack of bath towels in the closet, that I would cycle through each one. What I did via my algorithm, instead, was cycle between two main towels.  As one towel dried, I would replace the one in the bathroom, which would then go in the laundry basket for washing and hanging.

I’d wash bed sheets in the morning or afternoon, and by evening time, they were fully dry and I can replace them back on the bed. I didn’t need to fold them, or retrieve other linen in the closet.

What is your Algorithm for Efficiency?

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These ideas are simply that: examples, from my everyday life and my self-experimentation.

The most important thing is that you come up with whatever ideas, techniques or strategies that work best for you, in relation to your purpose, goal or problem.

In a way The Core Algorithm is a set of meta­-rules, that is, rules that help you come up with your own rules for getting things done in your day-to-day life.

So let me ask you, then: How much of a challenge is managing time and tasks for you? What techniques or strategies work best for you, and which ones don’t work as well?  Please share your experiences and ideas!

Finally I’m planning to write a book on The Core Algorithm. But depending on your interests and responses, I can write a book entirely on handling these everyday exigencies.  Let me know what you think.

Depending on your ideas, I can include them in my book. With your permission, giving you clear credit for them, of course.

© 2013 by Ron Villejo, PhD

Part 2 - Making the Future

Claudius Ptolemy

Ptolemy was an all-around smart guy, who lived in 1st and 2nd century Egypt. He offered a comprehensive treatise of our cosmos. One of the long-held, sacredly-defended views of his, and his successors, was that of a geocentric universe. That is, the universe, including the sun, revolved around the earth. More specifically, we were the center of the universe.

It took Copernicus and Galileo in the 16th and 17th centuries to dispel the notion that everything revolved around us. Instead, our cosmos was a heliocentric one, revolving around the sun. We were not the center of the universe, after all.

In one respect, however, I argue that Ptolemy’s geocentric view persists in modern-day. That many of us think and act as if world still revolved around us, somehow.

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The Dilemma of Self-Centeredness:  The Persistence of Ptolemy

For many people, there is clearly a focus on their own point of view and their own interests and needs. I don’t think that the vast majority of us are outright egotists or narcissists, but this kind of self-focus seems rather common.

One of the often-referenced psychologists is Maslow, and his hierarchy of needs prompts us to aspire to self-actualization, after our basic needs are met. This, along with personal independence, autonomy, and freedom, are ideals in Western, democratic culture.

Some Asian philosophy emphasizes self-discipline and self-awareness, for example, in martial arts. The notion of the self and the purpose of self-focus differ significantly, however, between Western and Asian ideology.

Still, this emphasis on the self is inculcated in many of us.

Fundamentally speaking, we have no other choice but to look at ourselves and the things around us from our own point of view. In a literal, physical sense, for example, I can see these trees around me only with my own eyes. Not yours, not anyone else’s.

So is this bad, and why is it a dilemma?

No, it’s not necessarily bad. Our attention to ourselves, and our view on things, help us make sure we’re safe and comfortable and help us understand what goes on around us.

But here’s an important point in The Core Algorithm:  To achieve our goal, to solve a problem, to fulfill our purpose, we must step outside of ourselves. Moreover, we have to leave the present and go into the future.

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Some meditation practices train our mind to the here-and-now. There is a lot of truth in zen, for example, that there is only the present moment, and nothing else. The past is past, and it cannot be changed. The future is the future, and it’s full of exciting and unknown possibilities.

But self-centeredness and here-and-now are dilemmas, because to accomplish even the simplest of goals and to solve even the simplest of problems require us to weigh, and go to, there-and-then.

How do we deal with this dilemma?

The resolution is balance.

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I argue that our self-centeredness is a good thing, but that it is crucial to balance it with an outside- or other-focus. Here-and-now, alternately with there-and-then. Me, myself, and I, coupled with him, her, and them, and ultimately us.

Can we really make our future?

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Sports analysts and fans alike love a prediction. In professional basketball in the US, for example, the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder battled for the NBA championship in June 2012.

From what I recall, experts on ESPN sports were split on which team would win the series and in how many games. Regardless, though, the predictions were that it would be a tough, competitive series, maybe going the full seven games, to determine the champion. After all, they were both superb, evenly matched teams.

However, not many of those experts, or we fans ourselves, would have predicted how dominant the Miami Heat would be. After losing the first game, they won four-in-a-row to clinch the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Predicting the future is not an easy thing. Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his amazingly thoughtful book ‘The Black Swan,' argued that predicting the future is so complicated, and perhaps so random, that both experts and laypeople are just as equally to be right (or wrong) about it.

My reason for bringing this up is, The Core Algorithm is about making the future, not predicting the future. This is an important distinction.

Remember, Step 1 is ‘Begin with the end in mind.’ It’s about a vision, realized. It’s about a target or objective, achieved. It’s about a problem, solved. All of these ‘sit’ in the future.

Then, Step 2 'Walk backwards to map the pathways' and Step 3 'Walk the pathways' aim to help you make that future a reality by offering practical, effective methods for doing so.

A simple example

We have an image in our mind of how we need to look for work or school.

When we get out of bed, that image is obviously in the future. We go through the paces of getting ready, then, and we do so in a particular sequence of steps that suit us best. So by the time we head out the door, we have made that particular future a reality:  hair, brushed; makeup, applied;  and business suit, looking good.

We have literally fashioned ourselves into that future image we had in our mind minutes before.

Again, it's just a simple example. But because this is essentially an algorithm, it can be applied in a wider array of situations, with far more complex issues than getting dressed in the morning. Over the next three parts, we tackle those situations and issues.

The Core Algorithm makes the future a real possibility.

© 2013 by Ron Villejo, PhD

Part 1 - Are You a Crazy One?

Getting inspired is easy

There are plenty of quotes or photos we can feel inspired by, every day. Here are examples that I love from Facebook.

Getting inspired is important, for sure, but it’s not enough. It’s one half of the equation. We must act on our inspiration to be effective at achieving goals, improving ourselves, and helping others.  But not just any action. Rather, actions that actually work to serve our purpose.

Put more formally, Inspiration is a necessary but insufficient condition for success.

Who am I?

I was born in Manila, grew up in Chicago, and lived in Dubai. I have traveled the US, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Africa. So ask me where home is, and I’ll tell you, “the world.”

I love to tinker with ideas. I love to solve problems. I love helping people. I do a good job of grasping things, seeing below the surface, and looking at the big picture. They say everything is linked. I draw on these links to get a good sense for people and the world around us.”

That’s how I begin my profile statement on LinkedIn. Please feel free connect with me!

What is The Core Algorithm?

Is it a Math formula?  (image credit)

Is it one of Albert Einstein's theories?  (image credit)

Is it an exercise for the core?  (image credit)

In a way, it can be all of the above!

Simply put, an algorithm is a method for solving a problem or steps for accomplishing a task. Yes, it is often a math formula or codes for computer programming. When you search for information on ‘apple,’ for example, sophisticated Google algorithms can determine whether you mean the fruit ‘apple’ or the company ‘Apple.’

But in my use of the term, an algorithm is mathematical and non-mathematical (i.e., conceptual and practical).  Of course, you may call it whatever makes sense to you:  for example, rules, steps or directions.

My aim is to draw on a wide range of knowledge, ideas and experience - from Math and Physics, to sports and fitness, plus much more - to help us deal better with the smaller to larger issues we face:  from managing time and conserving resources; to hitting tough targets and realizing an ROI; to coming to grips with poverty and conflict.

I call it The 'Core' Algorithm, because it is applicable across a wide range of issues.

Easy as A-B-C and 1-2-3

The Core Algorithm involves three steps.

Step 1 - Begin with the end in mind

If you haven’t read the book ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,’ now is the time to do so. Stephen Covey wrote it in the 1980s, and I virtually ate it up, reading it back then. I love to read, and I’ve read a lot in my life. This is one of the few books that has had a lasting impact on me.

‘Begin with the end in mind’ is one of those seven habits, and it means having a clear sense of purpose from the outset. Before you take action on something, be clear first on what you’re trying accomplish.  Be clear as best as you can on what your goal, objective or purpose may be.

Step 2 - Walk backwards to map the pathways

Now that you have your ‘end’ firmly and clearly in mind, map the pathway - backward - from there to where you are now.

If you aim to lose 25 lbs., for example, the most important thing you have to do is a very simple algorithm: Burn more calories than you consume. That’s the most immediate, most direct impact to the goal of losing 25 lbs. Apply this algorithm, and you will lose weight.

(image credit)

Next is the intermediate impact, and it has to do with techniques or programs that work best for your purpose and for your body and lifestyle.

You have two basic choices:  be more active or eat less. Exercise more, or eat smaller portions. Probably the best option is some balance of both. We’ll talk more about ideas like these in Episode 3, but to emphasize for now: Whatever you do must serve your purpose and it must work for you.

It could be walking the dog regularly and playing with your children more, activities which are usually cost-free. It could mean working out more in the gym, where you can concentrate and have trainers working with you, which require an investment of time and money.

Keep walking backward until you get to where you are, here and now, so you know how to get to your goal and what you need to do at this moment. Do you need to write some motivational notes to yourself, or perhaps talk with a friend for support and accountability?

'Why do we have to walk backward, Dr. Ron?' you might ask.  I believe we often lose track of how to get to where we want to be, and we get caught up in efforts that do not quite work vis-à-vis our end.

For example, How many of you have been enticed to sign up for an expensive membership to a cool, spacious gym?  Then, you realize that your work schedule is so busy and the gym is a little too far from home.  So you end up going to the gym infrequently.

(image credit)

So mapping the pathway backward ensures that we know what the most immediate, direct steps are, to reaching our 'end.'

Step 3 - Walk those pathways

Again the algorithm is simple: Do what you need to do. Take action on your working plan. They say, If you don’t take a step, you’ll just stay where you are and go nowhere.

A simple example of how it works

I arrange to meet a friend for coffee at Lavazza café, and it’s in the Chicago Loop on 27 W. Washington St.

The Chicago street system was designed very well, so it’s easy to follow and I’m very familiar with it. Still, I needed to picture in my mind where the café is.  I know that by virtue of its address, it’s just west of State St., and it’s on the south side of Washington St.

This is Step 1 - ‘Begin with the end in mind.’

For Step 2 - ‘Walk backwards to map the pathways’ happens very quickly. I arrive at the Loop by train at the Union Station, off Adams St., so I have to trace back in my mind the route from the café to the train station.

Step 3 - ‘Walk the pathways’ is an easy, pleasant walk in the Loop. I simply need to keep walking eastward and northward, until I reach the café.

Are you a crazy one?

I’m talking not just about losing weight or finding our way around places, but also about dealing with corporate challenges and resolving poverty, disease, conflict and environment impact.

So what I aim to do, on the whole, may come across as exciting and motivating, or perhaps as ambitious, foolhardy and crazy.  Maybe both.  

It may even seem like an impossibility to tackle such complicated, pervasive problems. But I assure you that it’s possible to do, and to do so more effectively than before.  What’s more, I will show you how it’s possible via The Core Algorithm.

I already know I’m one of them. The question is, Are you one of crazy ones, too?

© 2013 by Ron Villejo, PhD