I was pleased, nay…overjoyed…to read one of the latest interviews that Modern Tire Dealer has published at their site. Evidently, the new head of the TIA is a former programmer, with a degree in Computer Science.
Wayne Croswell, (who has written, and supported software for various industries over the years) and serves as President of ASA Tire Systems, has been anointed to serve as the new head honcho.
I am literally giddy with excitement over this possibility. The choice of someone with a programming background, along with proven management skills is a combination that I believe spells success for the TIA.
Yes,I know the conventional view of a programmer is some guy with a pocket protector, locked in a back room, splitting his time between Star Trek reruns and a keyboard.
While that may hold true for a small portion of the CS population, the vast majority of programmers bring an eclectic skill set to the table. So, today, we’re going to veer off the beaten path for a bit, and take a look at the qualities of programmers. Afterwards, I’ll show you how this may apply to Mr. Croswell’s year of governing at the TIA.
So, without further adieu, let’s get into some of the thought processes and qualities that a programmer like Mr. Croswell brings to the table:
- They aren’t afraid to throw something to the wall, and see what sticks. While I don’t want to get too technical here, there are multiple ways that a programming language will allow you to accomplish a task. A programmer may try 2-3 ways to find a line of code that works. If an instruction you originally thought would work does not, no biggie. Small failures will eventually lead you to a method that will be successful.
- Programmers understand that in order for something to be considered a success, it must be measurable. ASA’s various software offerings measure everything…labor, service, inventory. In addition to these factors, they have to measure the software’s speed, reliability, memory usage, compatibility, usability, and a thousand other factors that no one even considers when they turn on a computer.
- A programmer is used to criticism. Whether it be peer criticism, or unsolicited advice from a client, the ego of a good programmer will eventually be beaten into submission. If the criticism is warranted, they have the good sense to change course. If the problem is something that just cannot be compromised on, they will be able to explain to the client, or their boss, in clear terms why this is an impossibility.
- Good programmers are self-teaching and have a love of learning. (I take this point, but not the explanation from How To Recognize a Good Programmer.) Programmer’s tend to be a naturally curious bunch. In this way, programmers are much like many auto mechanics I know (in fact, I know at least one mechanic who traded in his high-level programming job for an impact wrench.): They want to know what makes things move, tick, rebound and crash.Many of them have parallel interests in the sciences, economics, or history, in addition to absorbing one of the many new programming languages that make their advent each year. To illustrate the scope of what I am talking about, I have included a list of known programming languages.
- Programmers tend to be calm, approachable, and good with people. The average programmer has dealt with deadlines, programs that crash and burn unexpectedly(even after extensive testing), and are used to collaboration. The best programmers I have ever met have a great sense of humor, grace under pressure, the ability to accept responsibility for mistakes, and give credit to others when it is due. In contrast to the stereotypical view of a programmer, they are socially adept, and manage others in an empathic manner.
While Mr. Croswell doesn’t program software anymore (he admits to as much in the interview), I believe I can show a few ways his background will affect how he leads the TIA forward.
On the first page of the interview, he mentions an actual plan for social media(LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter, and the like). This has been a subject of active discussion in the Tire Review reader’s group over on LinkedIn. Allowing his members to voice their praise, concerns and criticism in a semi-open forum will go a long way in terms of insuring the constituency of the TIA has a voice in policy.
This is the first step in a direction that will allow for a more transparent, open relationship between the TIA, and their membership at-large. While there are sure to be a few hiccups, and the criticisms may be sharp at first, I believe that Mr. Croswell will handle these situations with genuine concern, and find an optimal solution to the problem.
In terms of measuring success, one of his more obvious stated goals is to increase the benefits of membership. By doing so, he will also be able to grow and retain membership in the TIA. While growing the membership is not a stated goal, you can be sure that it will be high on his agenda. This is an area where results are measurable and important.
Where he can, I also believe he will provide innovation in the way the TIA does business. If something doesn’t work, I believe he will admit it, and move on. That is the programmer’s way to sucess: Test, measure, and test some more. I wouldn’t be surprised to see live, online training rolled out to members, along with Q&A sessions.
After all, this a low-cost, high impact way to effectively educate consumers.They already mentioned a success with sales training with an affiliate, via Webinar during the interview. If this is the shape of things to come, then I am thrilled.
Of course, there will be the usual political wrangling, lobbying, and other areas that have to be taken care of. This is an area I can’t comment on, as I have no desire to interact with elected officials, at any level. Hopefully, he will be able to forge a way forward with minimal compromise on the political front. Perhaps he will make use of his voice to spur manufacturers towards tires that are made more profitably, through the use of recycled tires. We know from the interview that he has a “green” agenda up his sleeve. What that amounts to at this time, has yet to be defined.
As with all new Presidents, regardless of the organization, I may be making much ado about nothing. I hope not, as I believe Wayne Croswell will bring a fresh approach to governing the TIA, increasing the strength of its voice, and the visibility of its membership in the process.
That’s all for now. Stay tuned for the latest news affecting the mining and tire industries.
Until next time, we’ll be…
Signing off…
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