Six tips for dealing with underachievers

By John McKee

April 21, 2011, 5:03 AM PDT

Takeaway: Many organizations have underachievers. Most, unfortunately don’t know how to deal with them proactively. Leadership coach John M McKee provides his favorite tips to get things moving forward.

“Dear Coach McKee, I’ve got a challenge:  One of my team members, Paul, is a chronic underachiever.  He’s not performing to standard and I know he’s capable of more. He’s a smart enough guy, and I know he’s capable of more.

I’ve talked to him about it but nothing changed. Should I face facts and just let him go?  We work in a small market and it could take a long time to replace him.  Any advice for how to get him motivated?” - Janice, Chicoutimi, Quebec.

Janice, although it’s small comfort, the problem you’re facing is a fairly common one and occurs in every country.  I recognize that it would be tempting to just dump Paul if you had a bigger talent pool up there; but the fact is you’re not alone with this hassle.  Less than 15% of senior managers say their organizations deal with under-performers effectively according to a US national survey.

Here are six of my favorite tips for helping motivate chronic underachievers. These work in almost any situation or job role:

1. Recognize that you, as supervisor, are in the best position to deal with your less-than-perfect performers. It’s tempting to call in HR or even an outsider to “fix” the issue when people are involved, but you know Paul, and the job requirements, best.

2. Deal with it head on. This is the time to flex your manager muscles. I’m not saying that you should lose your composure, but you need to tell Paul that he is not performing satisfactorily.  Find out if anything’s wrong, if there are problems you need to know about it.  That includes stuff outside of work.

3. Verify his perspective - Does he clearly know what his performance metrics are?   Use open-ended questions starting (with Who?, What?, Where?, When?, and How?) and drill down to ascertain he understands his role and what’s expected quantitatively.  How does he regard his performance?  You may find out he thinks he’s doing as much or more than others already.

4. Right tools in the tool chest? Poorly performing Paul may have problems with his tools of the trade.  This is a common issue for those working with computers.

5. Team players may not be playing well together. Every department head has seen how certain people simply rub each other the wrong way. Track performance history to see if new co-workers’ arrivals impacted the performance or productivity as far back as possible.

6. Leadership issue? This is often the issue. It’s possible that you’re the problem.  How often do you discuss goals, objectives, and results openly in a team environment?  The best leaders do and their team members recognize it. So, share successes and failures openly.  Salute the good performers and encourage everyone to up their game. Help weak players to understand that they need to improve because they’re holding the team back.

IT is best suited for the young? I don't think so

By Toni Bowers

April 20, 2011, 4:31 AM PDT

Takeaway: Toni Bowers addresses a controversial blog by Jack Wallen in which he says that IT is better suited for young people.

Last week, one of TechRepublic’s freelance writers, wrote a piece for the 10 Things blog called, “10 things you gotta have to succeed in IT.” This piece caused a mini-furor among its readers, as evidenced by the discussion following it. The part that most people objected to in Jack’s piece was his assertion that IT is better suited for younger professionals. Here’s what he said:

Although I like to think IT is a field not affected by age discrimination, it really is best suited for the younger professionals. There are numerous reasons for this. First, there are the hours. IT often requires far more hours than the usual 9-t0-5 job. When a company goes down, the administrator must respond - and this could easily mean any time of day, night, or week. Those hours add up and (generally speaking) only the younger workers can keep those types of hours up week after week. Add to that the energy required to keep systems and networks up, and it should be obvious the best IT workers tend to fall into that 25 to 45 age range. The good news? Even if you start at the age of 25, there’s a 20-year career waiting for you.

First, I would like to tell everyone what I told those people who wrote to me to take me to task for “letting” something like that get published on TechRepublic. I can see where many people would assume TR would have to approve of a message in order to publish it. That’s not true or else I’d be out of a job (ba dum dump!!). Blogs tend to, in general, carry the personal opinions of their writers. The internal editors may not always agree with the writer but we leave it to our excellent readers to point out issues with viewpoints they don’t agree with.

However, from a personal standpoint, I feel the need to have to a go at Jack’s logic in this particular instance. In my blog, I have long argued for the importance of experience in the job. IT is no exception. Here’s my point-by-point rebuttal:

Hours - Wouldn’t long hours actually be more of a burden on a younger IT person? Seems to me the 25-45 age group he cites would be somewhat busy starting their lives, e.g., getting married, raising kids, laying the groundwork for a lifetime of alcoholism. Speaking for my old, decrepit self, I’m more willing to work longer hours these days (now that my kid is 21 and embarrassed to be seen with me) than I was when he was little.

Energy levels - The day I don’t have the energy to sit upright at a desk and look at a computer is the day I call it quits. I had a problem with his statement, “Add to that the energy required to keep systems and networks up, and it should be obvious the best IT workers tend to fall into that 25 to 45 age range.” First of all, it’s not like “keeping the systems running” requires you to manually generate electricity on a stationary bike. Again, when my son was little, I had to fix his meals, get him to day care/school, go to his games, help with homework, do the grocery shopping, work full-time, clean house and, at various times, take classes myself. With him being grown, it’s like semi-retirement. I have more energy (and more focus) now than I ever did.

And last, speaking from a strictly editorial viewpoint, one should avoid statements like “it should be obvious.” The implication is that if the reader does not agree then he or she is “missing the obvious” and is perhaps somehow deficient. And that tone may have been what put people off. My fear is also that Jack’s point of view might be adopted by osmosis by some hiring managers out there and that is WAY unfair (and illegal if said managers decide to state that viewpoint in an interview).

Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go. Matlock is on.

How to sell your manager on a raise

By Toni Bowers

April 7, 2011, 11:02 AM PDT

Takeaway: Before you approach your boss with a raise request, have your case built around more than how long you’ve been there.

I have worked with some very intelligent people who happen to believe they are entitled to raises on the basis of seniority alone. They would be wrong.

Managing to not get fired is not the same as doing a good job. And, as a matter of fact, doing a good job is not the same thing as doing a raise-worthy job.

Before you step into your boss’s office to have that all-important how-about-throwing some-more-money-my-way conversation, take a moment to answer these questions about yourself:

• How do you contribute to the workplace and the company?
• What problems have you solved for your department or the company lately?
• Can you be counted on to complete duties as asked of you?
• Do you have a good working attitude or would your colleagues rather undergo full-body dermabrasion than talk to you?

Once you get the answers, pack them up in your arsenal and lay them out for your manager.

Preparing for programming interviews at the top tech companies

By Toni Bowers

April 11, 2011, 4:11 AM PDT

Takeaway: Here are some interview tips for programmers who are trying to get a foot in the door at top tech companies from a former Google employee. 

In all software development job interviews, you will be asked to code. You won’t get a computer, just a whiteboard and a set of coding questions, according to Gayle Laakmann McDowell, who worked in Google engineering for three years and served on the hiring committee for over 120 candidates.

In her book, The Google Resume, McDowell breaks down programmer interviewing trends for the top tech companies:

Google: Tends to emphasize questions on scalability. Questions on bit manipulation are quite common.

Amazon: Loves object-oriented questions.

Microsoft: All over the map but, interestingly, if you don’t list C and C++ on your resume you don’t have anything to fear. But if you do note them, you’d better be comfortable in coding in them. And, McDowell notes, Microsoft tends to emphasize testing and design skills more than other companies.

Apple: Make sure you understand Apple’s products since they really want you to be a die-hard fan. If you offer suggestions for improving existing products, give a lot of thought to why those suggestions haven’t already been done.

Gamers make good employees

By Wally Bahny

April 7, 2011, 7:59 AM PDT

Takeaway: Gamers are often stereotyped as lazy, unmotivated slackers. However, a recent article suggests that gamers might actually be learning skills in their online worlds that make them great employees.

Scott F. Andrews suggested in his book The Guild Leader’s Handbook (which I reviewed for TechRepublic’s 2010 Geek Gift Guide) that lessons learned as an MMO guild leader or raid leader can improve performance in management roles in “real life.” This concept seems to be substantiated by claims and evidence in a recent GigaOM article by Jessica Stillman entitled Do the Best Web Workers Think Like Gamers? Research in the article indicates that employees who play multiplayer online games, especially those who work remotely, will do better in the 21st century workplace than non-gamers because of the skills they learn by participating in the games.

Stillman discusses a famous 2007 speech by FedEx CIO Rob Carter and a 2009 Time interview with Carter in which he says World of Warcraft requires players to solve problems and collaborate, which are valuable skills in the workplace. She also references a 2008 article by University of Southern California scholar John Seely Brown and professor Douglas Thomas in which they outline gamers’ attributes that make them attractive hires, such as interest in and comfort with diversity, change, learning, and innovation.

While all of this is great news for gamers, what does it mean for businesses? It might be a challenge for hiring managers to determine an interviewee’s affinity for multiplayer online games. I like TechRepublic contributor Justin James’s tongue-and-cheek suggested interview questions for making a geeky hire, but I think most Human Resource and recruiting managers would frown upon using them. Another option, though it’s a tricky one, is to simply guess. TechRepublic contributor Nicole Bremer Nash suggested a method of Identify[ing] the geeks in a crowd by how they communicate, which I am itching to test out. Regardless of how you potentially search for gamers to fill the ranks at your company, the findings referenced in Stillman’s article is at least worth considering the next time you have a position to fill.

What do you think about choosing gamers to fill technology or other roles at your company? Would you ever consider saying that you playWorld of Warcraft or some other game if asked during an interview about your hobbies? Let us know in the comments.

More gaming resources

• The Gamification of Work (GigaOM)
• The Gamer Disposition (Harvard Business Review)
• Tom Chatfield: 7 ways video games engage the brain (TEDTalk video)
• Research indicates gaming is good for the brain (TechRepublic)
• Do video games really make you fat, depressed? (TechRepublic)
• Hot U.S. jobs in game development: Week of March 21, 2011 (TechRepublic)

Signs you're about to be fired

By Toni Bowers

March 21, 2011, 4:25 AM PDT

Takeaway: Here are a few behaviors to look for in your boss that may indicate your job is in danger.

Having been through a multitude of corporate reorgs and buyouts, I will admit to being a little gun-shy.

Unfortunately, I am the type to preemptively panic at an email announcing a company-wide meeting or if the folks from our parent office drop in for a visit. It would not be out of the ordinary to hear me, or one of my equally paranoid colleagues, say, “I know the VP said we were doing a great job but did you notice how his voice trailed off?” Yeah, we’re that annoying.

Therefore, I’m always a little surprised when people say they didn’t see it coming when they were fired. (I’m not talking about layoffs — those things are almost always done in triple-secret stealth mode and hit you like a silent freight train.) I’m talking about being let go due to performance problems. So I’ve created a few tips for what to watch for that may be a sign that your job is in jeopardy (if your boss hasn’t directly told you).

Subtle changes in your boss’s behavior

Be sensitive to these changes, but not obsessed with them. After all, there could be something else weighing on your boss’s mind. In other words, don’t throw yourself on the boss’s desk and cry, “You don’t like me anymore!” However, if it seems like he or she isn’t being as friendly as usual, something might be up.

• If he doesn’t drop by your cubicle to shoot the breeze but spends a lot of time with your co-workers, it might mean he’s pulling away a little.
• If you find that several of your meetings with him are being canceled, it could be an avoidance tactic on his part.
• If he is asking for constant feedback as to your progress on particular projects, it could mean that you’ve shown him you can’t be completely trusted with a project, or he might be building a case in regards to your performance. Pay attention if the boss has suddenly become a micromanager, but only when it comes to you.
• If your boss and you used to have a fairly informal relationship where you could gripe about some parts of your job, but suddenly he has begun to agree with your complaints and suggest that you might find another job more conducive, your present job could in danger.

Sinclair ZX81 Teardown

Cracking open the Sinclair ZX81

In 1981, Sinclair Research released the ZX81 as a follow-up to their earlier ZX80. The ZX81 was manufactured by the Timex Corporation and sold as a kit (£49.95) or fully assembled (£69.95). In 1982, Timex started selling the ZX81 in the US for $99.95 as the Timex Sinclair 1000.

Follow along as we take a peak at the hardware inside one of the first low-cost home computers.

In the original box

We purchased this Sinclair ZX81 from an online auction. The unit came in the original box and shipped with power adapter, 16kB external memory module, cables, and product documentation.

ZX81 and box hardware

Sinclair ZX 81 manual and program book

Along with the actual Sinclair ZX81 manual, the sell of this machine

 included a book of game programs.

Top

The Sinclair ZX81 weighs 12 oz. and measures 6.6 in. long by 1.6 in. high. It has a 3.25 MHz processor, 1kB of memory (expandable to 16kB), and could store data to an external cassette tape.

Bottom

The Sinclair ZX81 does not have a power button. A channel selection switch is located on the bottom of this model. The ZX81 was designed to output video to standard UHF and VHF television sets, but not all models have this switch.

Keyboard

The Sinclair ZX81 uses a touch-sensitive membrane for a keyboard.

Back

Using this edge connector slot, you could attach the external 16kB memory module or a printer.

Right side

Left side

Along the left side are the TV output socket, EAR and MIC input/output sockets, and 9V DC power socket. The EAR and MIC sockets allowed you to connect a cassette tape recorder to the Sinclair ZX81 for storage. The ZX81 had no sound capabilities.

16kB External Memory Module - Front

The Sinclair ZX81 has only 1kB of memory--a small amount even in 1981. Luckily, this external module let's you expand the unit's memory to 16kB.

16kB External Memory Module - Back

Sinclair Research case markings

This particular machine has the model number ZX81 USA. There's also a reminder that there are no "user serviceable" parts inside. Guess we'll have to open the case and find out.

External case screws

Luckily, the Sinclair ZX81 uses standard Phillips screws to hold the external case in place

Removing the external case screws

The first step in cracking open the Sinclair ZX81 is to remove the external Phillips case screws.

Screws hidden under rubber feet

In addition to the visible case screws, there are several screws hidden under three of the rubber feet mounted to the base of the Sinclair ZX81. The first hidden screw is under one of the feet near the back of the unit.

Remvoing the second hidden case screw

The second hidden screw is under the foot near left, front corner of the Sinclair ZX81's base.

Removing the third hidden case screw

A third case screw is hidden under the foot near the right, front corner of the Sinclair ZX81's base.

Remvoing the base

With all the case screws removed, we can lift the base of the Sinclair ZX81's case away from the rest of the unit.

First look inside the Sinclair ZX81

With the base removed, we get our first look inside the Sinclair ZX81. At this point, much of the internal hardware is still out of view. All we can really see is the underside of the main PCB.

The inside surfaces of both the top and bottom halves of the ZX81's case are covered with a silver, metalic coating.

Sinclair ZX81

The underside of main PCB in the Sinclair ZX81 is bright red.

A pair of Phillips screws hold the main PCB to the upper section of the Sinclair ZX81's case.

Lifting the main PCB away from the case

With the two Phillips screws remove, you can left the main PCB away from the upper half of the Sinclair ZX81's case.

Two extremely thin ribbon cables connect the touch-sensitive keyboard membrane to the main PCB. You can detach the pair by gripping them close to the PCB-mounted connectors and gently pulling them free.

Main PCB removed

With the main PCB removed, the only component left in the upper half of the Sinclair ZX81's case is the keyboard membrane.

Keyboard membrane ribbon cables

These two ribbon cables connect the Sinclair ZX81's touch-sensitive keyboard membrane to the main PCB. They are probably the thinnest ribbon cables I have ever seen. I thought they might rip as I pulled them from their PCB connectors. Luckily, no such damage occured.

Keyboard membrane

Using a touch-sentive membrane instead of a typwriter-style keyboard was one way Sinclair kept the cost of the ZX81 low.

As the membrane is glued to the case, I'm going to leave it in place.

Main PCB - Bottom

There aren't any chips located on the underside of the Sinclair ZX81's main PCB, but there are a few interesting components.

Metal strip

I'm not exactly sure what purpose this large metal strip serves. Both ends are soldered to the main PCB and there's a cardboard strip positioned under it--to prevent it from touching any of the other solder pionts. Judging from the strip's shape, it appears to touch the inside of the case's lower half.

I've seen photos of other ZX81 PCBs that lack both this metal strip and the silver-colored coating inside the case.

Metal square

As with the thin metal strip running along the bottom of the PCB, I'm not exactly sure about the purpose of this large metal fin. On the other side, it's attached to the same point on the PCB as a positive voltage regulator.

And the metal strip, shown in the previous photo, is bent over it.

Edge connector contacts - Bottom

Sinclair markings on the underside of the Sinclair ZX81 PCB

Main PCB - Top

Even when compared to computers from its time, the Sinclair ZX81 has a remarkably simple PCB. There are either one or two memory chips (one on this unit), the 3.5MHz processor, an 8kB ROM, and an uncommitted logic array (ULA) chip.

Mostek MK4801 / MK4118 DRAM chip

The Sinclair ZX81 had 1kB of integrated RAM. The memory was provided by either one 4118 chip or two 2118 chips. This ZX81 has a single Mostek MK4801 / MK4118 chip.

Mostek 8kB ROM (MK36809N-IRL)

This Mostek 8kB ROM (MK36809N-IRL) was used to store the Sinclair ZX81's  BASIC interpreter.

Zilog 3.5MHz Z80 processor (Z8400A PS Z80A CPU 8229)

This Sinclair ZX81 has a Zilog 3.5MHz Z80 processor (Z8400A PS Z80A CPU 8229). Nippon Electric Company (now more commoly known as NEC) also made Z80A CPUs for the ZX81.

Ferranti ULA chip (ULA2C184E 8226)

The Ferranti uncommitted logic array (ULA) chip (ULA2C184E 8226) handled several functions for the Sinclair ZX81, such as detecting keyboard activity, synchronizing the display, and processing the audio signals used for saving and retrieving data from the cassette tape.

ASTEC (UM 1082 LA2/3) RF Modulator

The Sinclair ZX81's ASTEC (UM 1082 LA2/3) RF Modulator can generate signals for both UHF and VHF televisions. Being manufactured for sale in the United States, this unit is likely set for VHF.

Power, EAR, and MIC sockets

Keyboard ribbon cable connectors

Metal strip and metal square

On top of the Sinclair ZX81's PCB, the thin metal strip and larger metal square meet. The metal strip is bent in such a way that when the ZX81's case is closed, the strip should touch both the square and the plastic case's inner wall.

An MC7805 positive voltage regulator is also mounted to the same contact point as the metal square.

Edge connector contacts - Top

Sinclair ZX81 markings on the PCB

Along with the four main chips, the Sinclair ZX81's main PCB is filled with resistors and capasitors.

That about does it for the ZX81, let's look at the 16kB external memory module.

Removing the front case screws on the ZX 16K RAM module

As I noted earlier, the Sinclair ZX81 has 1kB of integrated RAM. You could expand the unit's memory to 16kB with this ZX 16K RAM module, which connected to the unit via the edge connector.

Like the ZX81, the RAM module's case is held in place with standard Phillips screws. There are two screws on the front.

Removing the back case screws on the ZX 16K RAM module

There are also two screws on the back of the Sinclair ZX81's ZX 16K RAM module.

Inside the ZX 16K RAM module

With the four case screws removed, you can remove the back half of the ZX 16K RAM module's case.

Cardboard inside the ZX 16K RAM module

A custom-cut piece of cardboard protects the solder points on the PCBs inside the ZX 16K RAM module. You don't see this on modern-day computers.

Removing the ZX 16K RAM module PCBs

The Sinclair ZX81's ZX 16K RAM module conains two PCBs folded on top of each other. The PCBs are attached to each other with a short, bendable ribbon cable. You can lift both PCBs away from the front half of the plastic case as a single unit.

ZX 16K RAM module PCBs removed

More cardboard is located inside the front half of the ZX 16K RAM module's plastic case.

ZX 16K RAM module PCBs removed

ZX 16K RAM module PCBs unfolded

Unfolding the PCBs inside the ZX 16K RAM module, we can see the actual memory chips.

Chips with markings ITT 8225 4116 4NS

The Sinclair ZX81's ZX 16K RAM module contains eight chips with the markings ITT 8225 4116 4NS.

Motorola (SN74LS157N I8222) chips

On the other PCB inside the Sinclair ZX81's ZX 16K RAM module are six Motorola chips with the markings SN74LS157N I8222.

Motorola (SN74LS157N I8222) chip - close up

Chip with the markings 74LS393N 8223 SA

In addition to the other two chips types, the Sinclair ZX81 ZX 16K RAM module contians a single chip with the markings 74LS393N 8223 SA.

Other components in the ZX 16K RAM module

Along with the three types of chips, the Sinclair ZX81 ZX 16K RAM module has several resistors, capacitors, and other electronic components.

Sinclair markings on the ZX 16K RAM module PCB

Completely disassembled

With a price under $100, the Sinclair ZX81 was less than half the cost of other home computers of the time, such as the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A and Radio Shack TRS-80 Model III. And, you can clearly see that emphasis on low-price design features, such as the membrane keyboard and 1kB internal memory. But despite the ZX81's meager price tag, the device doesn't feel "cheap" and was very easy to disassemble.

For more information on the Sinclair ZX81, check out the following links:

• ZX81 - Wikipedia
• ZX81 - Oldcomputers.net
• Sinclair ZX81 - Vintage-Computer.com