by Gary Mintchell | Oct 29, 2025 | Asset Performance Management, Data Management, Education, News
I find it sort of amazing that the head of product development at the manufacturing company where I was working in a position sort of like a combination of manufacturing engineering and materials management plucked me out of the factory to assume a role a manager of data.
That was 1976. The problems I attempted to solve 50 years ago are the same problems (albeit on a much larger scale) that executives face today. Multiple silos of proprietary data. Insufficient insight into the company’s operational health. Buried risks to enterprise decision-making.
Next week (Nov. 5-6), Texas A&M Department of Construction Science ADIF Working Group hosts its 2nd ADIF workshop.
ADIF (Asset Data Interoperability Framework) working group is a dedicated research group of industry experts and academia that is committed to fostering open, vendor-neutral, and standards-based solutions for achieving data and systems interoperability for assets intensive industries.
I will be in College Station next week to moderate a panel discussion on standards—perhaps discussing how so many standards can work together. The panel includes luminaries Markus Stumptner, University South Australia, Alan Johnston, MIMOSA, Micheal Wiedau and Reiner Meyer-Rossl, DEXPI, Peter Townson, CHIFOS, and Chris Monchinski, ISA 95.
There is still time to register and come. I will probably have some live reports for those who cannot make it.
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by Gary Mintchell | Oct 29, 2025 | Education, Leadership, Personal Development
Observing the growing diversity of genders and races at engineering conferences over the past 20 years has been gratifying. I’ve been a “perp” at times over the years. When I had leadership responsibilities, I promoted unlikely people into strategic roles looking at their skill sets and social maturity. I had a female project manager and a sales engineer in the 1980s when many men were uncomfortable with that. They were good.
Melinda French Gates (Bill’s ex) recently appeared on a podcast. While celebrating the advances women have made, she noted the importance of bringing men along. I applaud the setting aside of an “us vs. them” mentality. I’m with Martin Luther King, Jr. when he asked that we judge people by the strength of their character, not by external factors.
I have watched for years how some boys and men have not been brought along with the progress of women, people of color, and privileged white men. I would see the woman of the family driving the car, going into the bank to do business, running other errands, while the guy sits slumped in the car playing a video game.
Sometimes parents have not been a help. Sometimes no coach or teacher or neighbor has come forward to offer guidance. They’ve heard that if you don’t go to college, you’re nothing. And their talents are not in that direction.
My last podcast discussed building a workplace that respects people. We need to help bring everyone along for the ride. We cannot sit back and expect other to do this.
If not privileged or exceptionally bright, what next
Tim Ferriss writing about Scott Galloway on his blog discusses disturbing statistics about young (and a little older now) men. They need guidance. OK, maybe sometimes a metaphorical kick in the pants. Check out Tim’s post and the discussion about Galloway’s new book.
What can we do either individually or through business to help bring these disaffected people along—all the while not forgetting to enable everyone?
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by Gary Mintchell | May 20, 2025 | Education
Seth Godin asks more questions. He shares my passion for moving beyond the industrial organization of education into something more useful for the students—and also more inclusive of some who are ignored by the system that rewards memorizing and sitting quietly.
My grandkids go to a highly rated high school in the Chicago suburbs. My granddaughter showed creativity in projects (especially she and her brother during Covid) around middle school age. As a sophomore, I suggested she take the offered creative writing class for a semester. Turns out the teacher was terrible. They turned out no worthwhile work.
Most kids fail to be enthralled by science due to adherence to some far-off developed curriculum. When science is all about curiosity and discovery. And math and English should both be about learning to think. (One does not think to write, rather we write to think.)
From Seth’s blog:
Let’s get rid of science class in school.
Instead, beginning in kindergarten, we could devote a class to curiosity and explanation.
A class that persistently and consistently teaches kids to ask why and to answer how.
The unacceptable single-word answers are “because” and “magic.”
Curiosity is a skill, and it can be taught.
by Gary Mintchell | Dec 6, 2023 | Education, Personal Development
I was greatly blessed at work. For most of the positions I held, I was the first person to hold the position. I had the opportunity to forge new paths and ways of doing things. Yes, I had several terrible bosses that cost my health for a bit. But many more were the bosses who taught and provided opportunities for growth. Most of the time I did not feel like a functionary simply filling in my time—like the protagonist in Franz Kafka’s eerie story of the man who turned into a cockroach over night.
Given an Irish and Welsh ancestry and vast eclectic reading habits, I don’t know how I missed John O’Donohue. Jerry Colonna introduced us in his book Reunion: Leadership and the Longing to Belong.
O’Donohue seems (although I haven’t found the document to study) to be the closest to my interpretation to the German philosopher GWFHegel, The Phenomenology of Spirit. That enough was enough of an enticement. But it his capture of the Celtic spirit that captivated me.
In the fourth chapter of Anam Cara (soul friend), he discusses work. And how modern work can be soulless robbing us of imagination and creativity. (He also references an early essay of Karl Marx about the alienation of the worker in modern industrial work. One of my favorites.)
With that long introduction, I will leave you with O’Donohue’s blessing for work.
May the light of your soul guide you.
May the light of your soul bless the work you do with the secret love and warmth of your heart.
May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul.
May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light, and renewal to those who work with you and to those who see and receive your work.
John O’Donohue
by Gary Mintchell | Aug 9, 2023 | Education
The publicist sent an early copy of a book for me to review– Wisdom Factory: AI, Games, and the Education of a Modern Worker by Tim Dasey, Ph.D. He is an MIT professor (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) thinking about the future of work.
Let’s consider some what if statements regarding current and future workers education requirements in order to contribute and thrive in the new workplace. I think both factory work and so-called knowledge work (there is no reason factory work shouldn’t also be called knowledge work, but that may be another argument for another time).
- What if teaching detail knowledge isn’t the right objective?
- What if student mental health problems are partly a symptom of school pressure and classroom mismatches with the real world?
- What if students were set up to collaborate with AI rather than compete?
- What if schools were wisdom factories rather than expertise factories?
Two underlying premises:
- Wisdom is learned through experience.
- The foundation of prosperity is education
In the genre of criticizing our education system and then suggesting alternatives, this book complements some other of my current reading such as from Seth Godin (see his blog and latest book The Song of Significance) and Range by David Epstein who discusses the success of generalists relative to specialists.
Considering the media hype about AI and Dasey’s background working in AI, and that the book’s subtitle includes AI, you might think this is a book about AI. You would be wrong. Yet, he ties his work in artificial intelligence, role-playing games for strategic thinking, and studies in psychology to throw some ideas for improving how we train the next generation of workers.
He seemed almost apologetic about using term factory in his title (I’d bet that was a publisher decision) as well he should be. He’s definitely not talking about a traditional factory/assembly line model for future schools.
If you want some ideas to further your thinking about educating your next generation of team members, check out this book. I’ll be referring to it at times in my future writing.
by Gary Mintchell | Jun 8, 2023 | Education
Publisher Awarded Exclusive Google Ad Grant; Appeals for Donations to Reach Distribution Goals
This press release appeared in today’s email deluge. I’ve checked it out as much as I can. It appears to be worthy of consideration. Check it out and consider if you’d like to donate.
beanz, the award-winning magazine bringing educational and inspirational content about science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) to children, adults and teachers, is expanding its distribution to reach more children in at-risk communities.
Published by Kids Code & Computer Science, Inc, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, beanz is a community of teachers, technologists, and writers who love the challenge of exploring technology in ways kids enjoy and understand.
Beanz has received an exclusive ad grant from Google which is given to a select group of non-profit organizations who demonstrate a high level of value and integrity. In order to get a full year of beanz into the hands of more children, requests are being made for donations. Donors play a pivotal role in broadening kids’ access to STEAM education and digital literacy, regardless of their life circumstances. The magazine is also currently sent directly to schools and through MagLiteracy.org which distributes free magazines throughout North America.
“We’re excited to expand beanz magazine distribution to kids in at-risk communities around the country, but can’t do it alone,” said Tim Slavin, Publisher. “In order to get beanz into the hands of more children, we need more support. Exposure to STEAM is proven to help kids develop problem-solving skills, encourages creativity and collaboration, and teaches technologies like coding,” he added.
For more information and to make a donation. If you’d like to apply to have your organization added to the distribution list, please send an email to [email protected].
About beanz
beanz is an award-winning magazine published by Kids Code & Computer Science, Inc, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit dedicated to inspiring kids with the endless opportunities of science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). beanz is a quirky, fun and thoughtful way to expose readers to STEAM concepts, programming, and issues around technology use. beanz follows many of the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) curriculum guidelines and makes technology fun and easy to learn for kids ages 8+.
There are no ads on beanz. We rely on subscriptions and donations.
