Kevin Pashuk Blog

My father passed on recently. · He celebrated his 90th birthday this summer, and had recently moved down closer to his kids. In early December, he fell and broke a hip, and didn't recover. · While it was difficult to say goodbye, we had lots of time to be with him and share memor ...

My wife and I recently sat down and began to discuss our extended family. Now they are generally nice people, and we all get along swimmingly, but if you knew them the way we do, you would agree that they are, how should I put this… nuts. · And by nuts, I mean that none of them ...

I'm a nice guy. · Or at least I've been told. · I do have things that make me unique. · I'm musical. · I shoot things (with a camera). I refuse to act my age (just because there is a 'senior discount' for someone over 55 doesn't mean you have to take it). · But even with the un ...

There's a lot of confusion out there. · By "there", I mean where you are... and I am... · ... and the confusion is about service - what it is and what it isn't. · The reason this is relevant to IT leadership is that we are (or should be) working to transform our department or div ...

I have a problem. · It is most pronounced when I look in the mirror. · I think the damn thing is haunted. · Framed in the mirror, is the face of an old guy looking back at me. · The problem is, I don't feel anywhere near as old inside as the person looking back at me. · While the ...

I've often shared the story of one of most productive meetings I've ever been part of. · Early in my time in my current role, my development team met with the people responsible for curriculum and · pedagogy · at our school. · I know what you are thinking... "Sounds like a snooz ...

Contrary to popular belief, effective implementation of educational technology (or EdTech for short) actually has very little to do with technology. · The problem is, we keep acting like it does... and it will be our demise. · In my career I've had the blessing (or the curse) to ...

You could hear him coming down the hall. · “Ricken, Fracken, Diggun, Ramda, etc., etc., etc. · “… · … except that’s not really what he was saying. · I’ll spare your sensitive ears. · Let’s just say he was not happy. · I was on assignment as a consultant at a major medical un ...

Some days I get up, look in the mirror and say "You sir, are a closet Luddite!" · It's not that I don't like progress, as some mistakenly think Luddites do... · Please indulge me as I take a bit of a side track. · I'll come back on topic. · I usually do. · According to Wikipedi ...

In preparing for my recent post: Innovation starts with your users... I got distracted.   · Not that getting distracted is uncommon for me. · Some of my best ideas have come when I was really supposed to be focusing on something else. · In public school I was labelled a 'day drea ...

The best advice I ever received when I was looking to start a consulting business was this: · “To guarantee success, find a need and fill it.” · There is no value in creating products or services for which there is no need. On occasion, an organization will come up with a game-ch ...

John Chambers says to me: · ‘Your job · is to think of what I think · before I think of it, · and have it · ready to go · when I think of it.’ · — Rebecca Jacoby - · CIO, Cisco Systems If you are a Chief Information Officer and are only dealing with operational issues and nex ...

Sometimes you hear a story and you really want it to be true. · Even if there is no evidence to support it. · The thing is... the story is so good, you can use the principle without needing the facts. · This is one of those. · I can't verify whether or not this is true... but let ...

I was searching for some old files on a backup drive, and came across this collection of things that make you go Hmmmm.... · I don't know where I got them originally, but after all this time they are still funny (to me). · Enjoy. · ________________________________________________ ...

[NOTE TO READER: Every so often I feel compelled to rant. Today is one of those times. And since I was sitting down to write today's blog post, I felt it might be a very good time to let loose. So while this is lightly connected to my normal blogging style, I will feel much bette ...

At some point in your career as CIO, you will need explain the services that are provided by the IT department to those granting next year's budget dollar, in a way that makes sense to the them. Let me share how I do it. · Your skill in doing so can have a tremendous impact on yo ...

This graphic was found on Reddit and came to my attention through Col. Chris Hadfield - one of Canada's preeminent astronauts and generally cool guy. · Given it's Canada's 150th birthday this year, I thought I'd share it with my global beBee Community. · This map shows our countr ...