Upcoming Engagements

I haven’t been speaking a lot lately as I’ve been busy working, planning SQLSaturday #49 – Orlando, and planning PASS SQLRally, but I do have some upcoming engagements that I hope to see some of you at.

Introduction to Triggers on Thursday, September 9th 6:30pm, Space Coast SQL Users Group.

This session will give a brief overview of the different types of triggers available in SQL Server (DDL & DML) and then go into more detail on how and when to use DML triggers. This session will cover misconceptions about how triggers work, when triggers shoul d and shouldn't be used (we will discuss options), common mistakes, and how to fix the most common mistakes. After attending this session a person will: 1. Identify different types of triggers and when to use them. 2. Be able to identify when a trigger is the right solution 3. Be able to write triggers that perform well

SQLSaturday #52 – Colorado on Saturday September 25th

I’m scheduled for 2 sessions at this event.  I’m attending this event for 2 reasons:

1. My wife has connected with Steve Jones’ wife, Tia, online and they both love horses.  Tia has horses, so my wife, Alice, will be spending the Saturday at the ranch with Tia and the horses.
2. An opportunity to go to a part of the country I haven’t been to and to connect with some new people.  There are several people I know from SQLServerCentral and Twitter that I have not meet in person yet, and this will be a great opportunity to do that.

Why I Use Stored Procedures

With the proliferation of ORM tools like Entity Framework, nHibernate, and Linq to SQL, many projects have decided that stored procedures are not needed and slow down development. While these tools have their place and have improved greatly, stored procedures still have their place, and, in this speaker's opinion, are the best way to do data access. In this session I'll discuss my reasons for using stored procedures and hopefully stimulate some discussion of other access methods.

Introduction to Triggers

This session will give a brief overview of the different types of triggers available in SQL Server (DDL & DML) and then go into more detail on how and when to use DML triggers. This session will cover misconceptions about how triggers work, when triggers shoul d and shouldn't be used (we will discuss options), common mistakes, and how to fix the most common mistakes. After attending this session a person will: 1. Identify different types of triggers and when to use them. 2. Be able to identify when a trigger is the right solution 3. Be able to write triggers that perform well

SQLSaturday #49 – Orlando on Saturday, October 16th

In addition to planning and and running this event I’ll be presenting one session.

Profiling: It's Okay in SQL Server

Learn how to use SQL Server Profiler/Trace to troubleshoot SQL Server performance and errors. This session will cover how to use Profiler to capture SQL Server events, creating server-side traces, creating custom templates, saving trace data, and interpreting trace data.

I hope to see you at one of these events.  Please come up and talk to me, share your business card, and ask questions.  My favorite part of these events is meeting new people and re-connecting with people I haven’t seen recently.

Book Review: Crunch Time

About a month ago I went to Barnes & Noble to pick up a copy of Seth Godin’s book, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us and, having some extra time, I was browsing the discount areas and I came upon Crunch Time: 8 Steps to Making the Right Life Decisions at the Right Times by Ken Lindner.  Since I’m in a time where I have some decisions to make and I’m also focusing on reading books about leadership I thought this might be an interesting read, especially at 50% off.

The book is broken down into 3 sections:

1. Exploring Your Decision-making Foundation

   The author uses this section to talk about the first 2 steps. Identifying when you need to make a decision and "clearly and concisely stating what the issue is". For instance, you are in the store and you pass an end aisle display with Double-stuff Oreos and there is a big sign that says, "Special Offer". Do you buy the cookies? Now there are many things that go into making the decision, but that is the core issue.

2. The Crunch Time Strategies

   Here the author uses most of the book to explain Step 3, Identify, Explore, and then Apply the Appropriate Crunch Time Strategies.  This has 24 sub-steps that I won’t list here.  To sum it up, be constructive, be disciplined, be objective, and evaluate decisions based on your long-term goals.

3. Completing the Process

   This breaks down the final 5 steps in about 30 pages. To sum it up, make sure your decisions are based on accurate information, what you value, and what you really want.

I honestly had a hard time getting into the book because it has a "touchy-feely" tone. The author talks a lot about making "self-enhancing" decisions and decisions that take you where you want to go in your "heart of hearts". That's not to say that the author doesn't give you some good ideas and a framework to build on, it's just that he worded it in a way that is more self-help than professional development. 

What did I learn from this book?  First, have goals, have a decision-making process (he provides his in this book), and evaluate every decision using the process and make decisions that lead to the fulfillment of your goals.

Would I recommend that you buy this book?  Not if you had to pay full –price, but for $5.00 it wasn’t a bad read once you get past the writing style.  I did learn some things and it dove tails pretty well with Tribes and the book I’m currently reading, Visioneering by Andy Stanley

Last Place? Doesn’t Matter.

As the debate rages on about the PASS election I want to share my thoughts about being a candidate that was eliminated and the fact that scores were released to the public.

First I want to thank everyone who has supported me both publicly and privately throughout the election process.  I had support and advice from many members of the community and it is appreciated and I hope to continue working with you.

This year’s election process is the first where the applicants’ scores and applications have been released to the public which I believe is the right thing to do.  Here are the links to the scores:

• Average Application & Interview Scores & NomCom Vote – the first set of scores on this page are the application scores and at the bottom of the page are the interview scores along with the results of the NomCom vote.
• Per-criteria breakdown of the applications (PDF)
• Per-criteria breakdown of the interviews (PDF)

Honestly, it stinks to see my scores at or near the bottom.  Obviously being one of two interviewees to not be recommended, I knew I didn’t have high scores or a bunch of votes, but it would have been nice to have had a yes vote.  In the not too distant past, I would have been crushed by these results, but today I can say that I see this as an opportunity for professional growth.  These scores are guidance by seven intelligent and experienced professionals about areas where I can become a better leader.  How many people can say that they have that opportunity?

I’m a Bible believing Christian and try to live by the wisdom in the Bible.  Here are a couple of verses I read BEFORE the results were known:

“If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise.”  Proverbs 15:31 NLT

“Valid criticism is as treasured by the one who heeds it as jewelry made from finest gold”  Proverbs 25:12 NLT

I think the scoring can be used constructively and is valid and I’d like to “at home among the wise” so I’m listening and trying to heed it.

So, in accordance with this attitude, I have reached out to members of the NomCom for advice about what I can do to improve my scores and make it through the next time (if there is one).  If you are a member of the NomCom and I did not contact you, feel free to contact me if you have anything you’d like to tell me.

When I consider who the other applicants were, I feel a bit like an Olympic athlete who trains hard and wants to win, but also realizes that it is an honor to be a part of the Olympics.  Two years ago, no one knew who I was and I had no desire to be a leader.  Now I’m disappointed because I didn’t make the cut to have a chance to be in a formal leadership position.  Fortunately as Seth Godin said in Tribes, (paraphrased by me) leadership isn’t about position, it’s about passion.  I didn’t get the position this year, but I still have the passion.  So I won’t be retreating, I’ll be advancing. 

Didn’t Make the Cut

So the slate has been announced, so now I feel like I can talk about not making the cut.  Based on the interview scores, bottom of this page, I clearly blew the interview.  I also want to clarify that I knew I hadn't made the cut when I posted, Reaction to Steve Jones Missing the Cut. I wanted to wait until PASS had made the announcement before commenting on my missing the cut, but I couldn't wait to make comments on Steve's situation.

I received my notification email this morning that the Nominating Committee did not recommend me to the PASS Board for inclusion on the slate of candidates presented to voting members.  Unlike my friend Steve Jones (his reaction), I was not really surprised by the decision.  Not because I don’t think I’m capable, but because the expectations about what makes an “ideal board member”.  I’ve always been a technologist and not a manager so I do lack some of the experience that you’d get in a management position.  Having said that, here’s the relevant part of the letter:

While your history as a volunteer within the organization has been relatively short, you have been in it "all they way."  Your commitment, enthusiasm and efforts are recognized within the organization.
Do not be disheartened, it is not unusual for someone to work through this process several times, before success. Let me re-assure you that you are definitely going down the right path, and seem to be doing all the right things to take increasingly responsible roles within this organization. Continue to volunteer, learn and work within PASS to develop your leadership skills. I look forward to speaking with you next year.
On behalf of the Nominations Committee, we thank you for your service to the organization, truly appreciate your volunteer spirit, and look forward to your continued involvement with the PASS organization over the next year.

At first glance I read the letter as saying you need more experience, but as I thought more about it, I was left wondering why I didn’t get recommended, instead of knowing what I need to do to get recommended next time.  I’m probably right that more experience is what’s needed, but how much is enough?  What areas was I weakest?  That’s what a rejected candidate needs to know.

I think the 5 that made the cut are strong candidates.  Mark Ginnebaugh is the only one I don’t know much about so he’s who I’ll spend most of my time learning about before I vote. 

I want to thank everyone who supported my candidacy and encouraged me to make the attempt.  It has been a great learning experience. 

Will I do it again?  I can’t say, but nothing that happened to me in the process has turned me off from doing it again.

Reaction to Steve Jones Missing the Cut

If you read this blog I’m sure you read Steve Jones’ blog as well, so you know that the PASS Nominating Committee did not recommend that he be included on the slate for consideration by eligible voters.  You also know that this has caused a bit of a stir in the community, both in comments to his post, and on twitter.  I mean, Steve not making the cut to a community vote seems as unlikely as Tiger Woods missing the cut in a major championship.

Honestly, I’m shocked Steve didn’t make it as I think he has clearly shown that he is one of the forward thinkers and thought leaders in the SQL Server Community.  In my opinion, this is exactly what PASS needs.  In his career he has been involved in starting SQLServerCentral, probably the largest community of SQL Server professionals; the SQL Server Standard magazine which was given to PASS, scrapped, restarted, & scrapped again; and SQLSaturday which has also been given to PASS.  Of those three things, to my knowledge only SQLServerCentral has ever made him any money.  SQLSaturday, started by Steve with his partners Andy Warren and Brian Knight, actually probably cost him money.  Each of these things has had an impact on the community, and I’d argue that SQLServerCentral and SQLSaturday have had a greater impact than PASS.  As a matter of fact I’ve been a member of SQLServerCentral much longer than I’ve been a member of PASS and have gotten more value from it than PASS.  Actually this is one of the reasons I chose to run for the board, to try to be a part of making it more relevant to every day SQL Server Professionals.

Steve has not only shown vision, but the willingness to take risks to see his vision become reality.  This is what we need on the PASS board, people with vision and the fortitude to take calculated risks to see the vision happen.

This is not a post to criticize the Nominating Committee for not recommending Steve, more of an indictment of a process that removes someone who has shown a passion, vision, and commitment to the community that few can rival.  The Nominating Committee was provided with guidelines and voted based on those guidelines.  I applaud them for making a decision that they knew would be unpopular (see Stuart Ainsworth’s post), I call that leadership.  The easy way out would have been to push Steve through, but they chose to take the criticism that they knew they would receive.

What would I like to see?  First, even as I write this the official announcement hasn’t been made, so let’s get that our right after notifying the candidates and post the interview scores and the reason why candidates where not recommended.  As a candidate I don’t have a problem with that.  Second, I think we need to re-evaluate the process and requirements.  I understand that there need to be some minimum standards, but if your application is good enough, you should really have blow the interview to not make the slate.  It’s not like there are hundreds of people running, there were 9 applications for 3 spots, I’d like to think that professionals will be able to sort through and pick the best candidates.

Now the question is, how are we, as a community going to react?  Do you withdraw from interaction with PASS?  Jump off the bandwagon, or do you use your vote in the election to elect people who want to change the process?  Do you make that a litmus test for the one who made the slate?  Along with transparency and the location of the Summit.  I know that these are issues I care about and that I will vote on.  I encourage you to communicate with the folks on the slate and ask them these questions and others.  If you want to criticize the process do what YOU can do to change it.

Growing PASS Step Two: Value

In Growing PASS Step One: Communication I talked about how I think that PASS could grow by communicating the vision and goals of the organization clearly and in a place that is easy to find.  This post continues on the theme of communication by adding value. 

As a local chapter leader I do everything I can to “sell” PASS to my members, but what am I really selling?  Here is what PASS offers right now:

1. The PASS Summit – this is, in my opinion, THE best SQL Server conference in the world.  Yet, out of the membership in my local chapter three of us went to the 2009 Summit.  One of the three is a member of the PASS Board of Directors so he had to go, the other was a speaker, and I was the third, a chapter leader, and this was my first Summit.  I loved the Summit, I’m going back and, if I ever change jobs, negotiating the Summit as part of my employment contract.  Yet, even with all the love Andy Warren, Kendal Van Dyke, and I show for the Summit, we can’t get our group excited about it.
2. Local Chapters – I’ve had this discussion a few times, but really, wouldn’t there still be local user groups without PASS?  PASS does offer some minimal sponsorship and some resources, but I OPASS would continue if PASS didn’t exist.
3. Virtual Chapters – I think these are GREAT, but there are other options for online training (see my post, No Training Budget, No Excuse, for just a few).
4. SQLSaturday – PASS acquired this asset recently and that means it was started by someone else which means another similar option could come up at any time.
5. SQLRally – a new, less-expensive, regional PASS sponsored event, the first one will be held May 11-13 in Orlando, FL, that is being planned to bridge the gap between SQLSaturday and the Summit and provide another link the “farm system” of PASS.  I’m a bit biased as one of the SQLRally planners, but I think this event is a great idea for PASS, in its current form.
6. PASS web site – there is some good content in the form of top 10 lists and articles, but, in all honesty, SQLServerCentral and MSSQLTIPS do it better.

When you look at this list, you think (well, at least I do), “PASS offers a lot of stuff!”, but why isn’t affecting the day to day lives of the average SQL Server professional?  Here’s what I think?  Everything on that list, can be gotten elsewhere as well and I mentioned some other options.  What CAN PASS offer that professionals can’t get elsewhere?

1. Professional Development Standards – many professions require continuing education to maintain a certification or to show professional growth for example, health professionals and teachers.  While PASS is not a regulatory body, I think it should offer some type of recommended standards that a person can point to a say, “Here’s what my professional association says I need to do stay current and here’s what I’ve done”.
2. Certification – something between the Microsoft MCTS and MCITP certifications (in my opinion these are best used as study guides) and the MCM (not realistic for most professionals).  This really goes along with #1 and adds to it.  PASS also needs to marker this certification to businesses so that hiring managers can see the value of this certification.  For the current MCITP certifications I hear as much bad said about them as good.
3. Support for chapters.  I’d love to see more focus on providing support for chapters in handling funds, better tools, and guidance in getting setup and recruiting volunteers.  I think PASS has really done some work here in the last year, since Douglas McDowell has had the chapter portfolio, but there is a lot left to be done.  It may be that I have not used the resources available, but I know other chapter leaders have said the same thing.
4. Focused Training for non-Techinical topics – I’d love to see an effort to put together some curriculum’s for specific non-technical topics.  For example, Kevin Kline’s series of articles on Leadership would be a great place to start.  We get lots of technical training, but soft skills are becoming more and more important for technologists to have.  Almost every job posting I see talks about communication skill, both written and verbal.

These are some areas where I think PASS could and should lead the way.  I have seen progress in some of these areas, but there could be more done.

What are your thoughts?  What could PASS do that you would find value in?

PASS Nominating Committee Interview

As my regular readers know I applied to be part of the PASS Board of Directors.  The process starts with a written application which is evaluated by the Nominating Committee, you can see this years average scores here.  I was fortunate enough to make it through this first step to the interview process.

The interview takes place over the phone with as many of the Nominating Committee members who can make it.  In my case there were 2 members of the committee who couldn’t make it.  I thought the actual process for the interview was well-done.  One member of the committee went through the standard questions and, then, after I had answered the floor was opened up for follow-up questions.  I was prepared for questions about my vision for PASS and what I wanted to accomplish as part of the board, and while some of those questions were asked, there were more questions about how I handled situations in the past, like:  Tell us about a time when you persuaded someone to come to your point of view.  I was not as well-prepared for those types of questions. 

The hardest part of the interview was that is was on the phone.  I have no idea how I did.  I thrive on interaction and reading body language and you can’t do that on the phone.  It’s not that I would have changed my answers, but I might have extended some or shortened some based on those visual cues that are missing on the phone.  It was very much like presenting remotely, there isn’t much feedback to see how you are being received.

I’m hopeful that I will make the final cut so that the community can have the opportunity to vote for (or against) me.

The announcement is scheduled for August 18th.  It feels like a long way to wait.