Donated to Veterans – $5.6MM

Veterans For Trump Al Balderasaro retired USMC speaks in support of Mr. Trump’s donations for veterans. Al Balderasaro states, “I have been involved in many veteran fund raisers, Mr. Trump did the right thing vetting the veteran organizations. Mr. Trump gave 100% and is doing this from his heart. Look at Mr. Trump’s plan to help veterans how to fix the Veterans Administration. The media needs to focus on the real issues”.

 

LEADERSHIP IS INFLUENCE | Decision Making and Group Influence

LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT INFLUENCE | My recent Reading and analytical response on the Topic of Negotiation in Organizational Leadership.

Everyday people are faced with situations in life that demands us to make choices. Leadership of a Delegation is one of the ideas that got developed by Raymond Saner in his book Expert Negotiator.  He illustrated how leadership gets exhibited in different situations and the influence that it has to people.  Various leadership styles that get used differ from one cultural background to the other as explained by Saner.  According to Saner, group functions is closely related to leadership as a group of team members can get directly involved in developing leadership systems hence make crucial decisions.  The purpose of a team gets related to the subject at hand which accrues from the identified problem, information that needs to be collected and disseminated.  Leadership and groups go hand in hand with each other, and the two are inseparable where the personal interest of each of the member in a group needs to be satisfied.  Leadership gets characterized by the ability to involve negotiation skills, effective communication and decision making that is ethical.

In making decisions, the involvement of a team is crucial where members of a team get involved in reaching a consensus on matters about issues at hand.  Leadership is essential in making decisions where the leader direct other members of a group on what need to get done.  It is, therefore, that we ensure there is effective leadership with the aim of reaching for quality decisions that will lead to development.  The applicability of leadership is evident in the real world and revolves around day to day operations. For example, a close friend once worked as a team leader for a group that was involved in community mobilization activities targeting in educating local population on hygiene and proper sanitation.  As a team leader, one gets entitled with providing leadership to the other members of the group which at times is not an easy task.  He faced challenges concerning negotiation skills where some of the members felt that they could stand out and oppose what the leader decided.  He, however, ensured that he undertook all communication initiatives to inform them what gets expected of them depending on what needed to get done at any level.  In making successful negotiation skills, it is important to employ good leadership qualities to ensure that as a leader you have the significant influence towards other people.

Negotiation skills and effective communication are vital in the ethical decision-making process.  Our daily routines demand that we make decisions that are healthy to our well-being which is unavoidable as they are part and parcel of our life.  Various researchers have built their work on identifying how negotiations vary from rationality. (Raiffa, 1982) developed a decision analytic approach to negotiations which dictated how we should behave.  Raiffa focused on offering prescriptions to negotiators but called for descriptive research to assess the behavior of their counterparts who are impacted by the decision that gets made.  His ideas got based on the argument that as a negotiator, one should get to understand the likely behavior of the other people.

Studies have revealed that because people egocentrically interpret what is fair in negotiations, they can adopt different standards, which get based on whether they introduce a certain decision or they are a victim of the same (Babcock and Loewenstein, 1997).  People tend to develop these different standards and qualities without their conscious awareness (Banaji, 2003).  These varying perceptions have been viewed as a way of initiating conflicts between parties.  If one party views a certain action as ethical and the other sees it as unethical, there tends to exist a barrier which gets to continually develop a significant barrier hindering the development of a relationship.  From this statement, we can conclude that decisions will always affect one party or the other either negatively or positively.  Failure is never welcome to people and thus when such result affect one negatively; it gets viewed as failures which can results to more barriers between the parties involved.

According to Forgas (1998), emotions get connected with how negotiators select certain strategy to implement in certain decision making processes.  Those who exhibit anger were found to be less competent compared to those who were jovial.  According to Loewenstein et al., (1989), anger makes negotiators more self-centered and this affects their preferences hence making them decline offers that would assist in the development of ventures.  Research has also focused on the role of emotions and how they affect the ability to judge and behave.  It also aimed at examining cognition and the distinguishing element between good and bad moods and how they lead to different information strategies (Forgas and George, 2001).

More so, emotions influence decision making in negotiation processes.  Some of the regulatory processes may be expressed through emotions control efficient decision making through both implicit and explicit knowledge (Damasio, 1994).  The connection between emotional intelligence skills and negotiation outcomes got laid down by Barsade and Gibson (2007) where they sought to find the effects of generalized versus discrete emotions on decision making.  This means that the mental condition of an individual gets to influence his ability to engage in decision-making and the quality of decisions that he makes.

Monarchy Decision Making | Square Puzzle Round Puzzle

Monarchy Decision Making | Square Puzzle Round Puzzle

Negotiation is closely related to intuitions, and as much as we tend to think that the ability to negotiate is a natural occurrence, we cannot assume that the gut feeling plays a greater role in this process. Keith ( 2000) developed two systems of thought that characterize emotions which influence how we negotiate.  One of the systems got viewed as being automatic and effortless while the other as deliberate and systematic situations.  As much as we have control over how we think about situations, when it concerns complex decisions and negotiations, the effort shifts to the thought that is automatic and effortless.   According to Dijksterhuis and Nordgren (2006),  what we strongly feel may indeed allow us to make better decisions especially when it has to do with decisions that get to be complex. According to research, some negotiators are better than others and as Thompson (2005) stated, successful negotiation can get primarily attributed to natural skill or talent.  However, arguments against this have gotten developed with the ideas that we all learn to become better negotiators.  Research has also shown that the ability to negotiate can increase with training and boost the level of interactive agreements too (Thompson, 2005).  The benefits of training may also be transferred over time although there are suggestions that the type of training may affect the optimal levels that can get reached.

Despite the existing knowledge about the positive impact of training on negotiation performance, implicit beliefs concerning skills and performance may not necessarily match explicit knowledge (Brown, 2009).  The idea of whether we are born with certain levels of negotiation skills or whether we learn them remains a matter of discussion to most researchers.  This ability is a determinant of the communication levels and strategies to engage in when making decisions.

Developing a key communication strategy is vital in ethical decision-making procedures.  Leaders need cross-cultural negotiation skills to maintain their competitiveness (Okoro, 2012).  They need to develop a system that is easy to inform as well as enquire if anything is not clear so that it reduces cases of misunderstanding.  Tones and words that are chosen to deliver information should be friendly so that a good and friendly relationship gets maintained.  It is recommended that leaders undergo training related to interpersonal development so that group success (Okoro, 2012).  As the saying goes that “Actions speak louder than words”, leaders should get to recognize their nonverbal communication methods and be aware of acceptable behavior as well as restrict the same depending on cultural variations.  Open communication can lead to a well-developed relationship between the leader and the followers thus leading to trust and respect in the leadership system.  The presence of effective communication develops the leader’s credibility and increases the royalty of the followers towards their leader (Choan, 2003).  In this regard, every communication opportunity should get treated as a way of building a relationship between the leader and the group members.  A leader should have the ability to understand his team so that he can detect how to involve negotiation processes with them and make vital decisions that are crucial to everyone.

Leadership cuts across all spheres of life and all the leaders are expected to portray certain traits that are relevant in the world today.  As a leader, one is mandated with the powers to lead others into developing courses of actions which are applicable depending on the situation at hand.  When we talk of leadership, we cannot leave out the negotiation element since it acts as a backbone to any decision maker.  A good leader should have the necessary negotiation skills and use them to source for appropriate strategies.  Communication goes hand in hand which is a vital part in the success of any agenda.  When there is no appropriate communication between different parties, there develop loopholes which lead to communication shortcomings.

In making decisions, leaders should ensure that there is an ethical standard which meets the criteria that get set.  Group dynamics should be observed and ensure that all the members are directly involved in all of the decision-making procedures.  A consensus is necessary so that the decisions made are acceptable among all the team members.  Great delegations have fallen apart without this observation.

Watching current organizational leadership grow in the world of Political Science I have seen first hand how this lack of decision making hierarchy leads to further dissension and disorganization.  Cultural differences and the lack of proper communication style can lead to disenfranchised spirits and further ether is brought between team members.  By breaking down the separation between interconnected groups more efficient decision making was seen in a local Volunteer group that I organized.  Through team building exercises built around a local campaign for Veterans Initiatives I watched this unfold in a real time situation.  The results of this leadership style built influence, organization, partnership through the divide which lead to productivity completing the needed missions in hand.  Furthermore although the Gut cannot be scientifically proven it’s influence in the outcome of every negotiation or decision cannot be negated either.

Self driving Cars | Future or Gimmick?

The future of self-driving cars is very bright, with predictions that nearly 10 million driverless cars will be on the road by 2020. The growth potential of this new technology, via the adaption of this technology by organizations and companies that have a need for self-driving cars, is beyond question. Studies have shown that the potential numbers of lives that will be saved due to the prevention of human error accidents will increase dramatically. This is one of the major factors driving the success of these cars to date and it previews the corporate impact that this technology will have in the commercial marketplace.

Self-driving autonomous cars provide the ability to change and improve the way public and private transportation is managed and the options that people have within cities. Self-driving cars are created with an artificial intelligence that does not get distracted, fall asleep while driving, or make minor mistakes that cause collisions with other cars, pedestrians or objects like humans can. Human error is virtually eliminated in the use of a driverless car. The passenger no longer has to be concerned with traffic patterns and routes, construction obstacles, speed limits, weather, or quick maneuvering to avoid an accident. In a recent CNN interview in 2015 with the current CEO of the Autonomous Cars project for Google, John Krafcik stated that “Self-driving cars could save thousand of lives, give people greater mobility, and free us from things we find frustrating about driving today.”

Google X, their exclusive research incubator for its self-driving cars, has partnered with Ford and other automobile manufacturers in a joint venture that could usher in the technology of self-driving vehicles for hire in addition to providing the cars to the general public. It is hoped that the self-driving cars in and of themselves and the implementation of this technology in the commercial sector will allow Google and car manufacturers to compete with companies such as Uber and regular taxi services located throughout the country.

In addition, self-driving cars are expected to do well in fulfilling the needs of all employers to transport their own employees, whether it is moving people from meeting to meeting, moving goods across town, or sending groups of workers out to various job sites. This could make a huge financial and strategic impact on corporations that is favorable to companies, such as Google, that pay to transport their employees.

Having autonomous cars available for company managers is paramount.  No long will they have to arrange for and coordinate rides for groups of employees. This will save the company an enormous amount of managerial time and the related expenses associated with moving employees. (Personally, I feel that one of my biggest frustrations within my current organizations) It is very difficult to find the time to look for outside transportation and to plan the pick up and drop off schedules for employees needing transportation. In my current organization it is often necessary to transport a team of workers from job to job several times per day. With the emerging technology of self-driving cars it will no longer be necessary to pay Uber drivers or traditional taxi drivers to transport our employees. I would also no longer have the cost of maintaining any corporate vehicles!

Google has successfully implemented this new technology in the cities of Mountain View, California, Kirkland, Washington and Austin, Texas. In 2009 Google first began testing its self-driving car technology in California. Later in 2014 they started testing the cars on public roads. By July 2015 their cars were in being tested in the city of Austin, Texas and Kirkland, Washington. The main focus of these tests are to collect data regarding weather and traffic patterns, road conditions, and the differences that the separate communities may have in their driving techniques.

Google now expects to expand into four additional cities within the next year, although Google and car manufacturers have not announced which cities have made the cut. They are striving to have these cars ready for use in several sectors by 2020.

This coming year holds great promise for the expanding use of autonomous cars with the expansion into these cities and the continued testing of the cars. New style designs such as the Lexus SUV model are currently on the road for tests, while Google studies how people interact and use the new technology. According to the January 2016 report on the Google car website, there are a total of 55 cars on the streets at this very moment.

As the technology expands and improves, individuals can look forward to improved safety on the roads and corporations can project major cost savings in the form of cheaper insurance and less management and labor costs.  Stay Tuned to more updates!

See more in the links provided below

For those who still believe that Self Driving Cars are a Gimmick check out the following links :
G. (2015). Google Self Driving Car Project.
Retrieved January 30, 2016, from https://www.google.com/selfdrivingcar/where/

Gitlin, J. M. (2016, January 11). Ars talks self driving car technology with Ford at CES.
Retrieved January 23, 2016, from http://arstechnica.com/cars/2016/01/arstalksselfdrivingtechnologywithfordatces/

Korosec, K. (2016, January 05). Ford Hits the Gas On Self Driving Cars.
Retrieved January 27, 2016, from http://fortune.com/2016/01/05/fordselfdrivingcarfleet/

Krafcik, J. (2015, September 14). Google hires a car guy.
Retrieved January 29, 2016, from http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/14/technology/googleselfdrivingcar/

Shepardson, D. (2015, December 22). Google, Ford in talks on self driving car.
Retrieved January 25, 2016, from http://www.reuters.com/article/usalphabetautosautonomousidUSKBN0U600U20151223

Oremus, Will ((2015, January 14) Google Is In Talks With Big Automakers to Build Self-Driving Cars
Retrieved February 22, 2016 from
http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2015/01/14/google_self_driving_cars_may_be_built_by_gm_ford_toyota_or_mercedes.html

Mearian, Lucas, (2015, December 22) Google and Ford To Build Self Driving Car Company
Retrieved February 25, 2016 from
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3017796/car-tech/google-and-ford-to-build-self-driving-car-company-report-claims.html

Google Self Driving Car Project (Website)
Retrieved February 25, 2016 from https://www.google.com/selfdrivingcar/

Greenbough, John (2016, July 29) 10 Million Self-Driving Cars Will Be On the Roads by 2020
Retrieved February 23, 2016 from
http://www.businessinsider.com/report-10-million-self-driving-cars-will-be-on-the-road-by-2020-2015-5-6

(2016, February 22) What’s Next for Self-Driving Cars?
Retrieved February 24, 2016 from http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/02/22/467724324/whats-next-for-self-driving-cars

(2016, January 29) Google Preparing to Expand Self Driving Car into Four Cities
Retrieved February 25, 2016 from
Google Preparing to Expand Self-Driving Car Program to Four More Cities

VETERAN | REFLECTIONS | BUSINESS QUARTER

How many times Have you spent countless hours preparing, then to watch it end so quickly?

For me as I reflect on the past 90 days for certain it would be my most recent speech on a Veterans perspective of our SOTU. As I was opening in Manassas, Virginia for a rally in front of five thousand people. I was able to share all my passion revolving Veteran Service needs and it’s definition and correlation to why I was there. For those who have messaged me for this speech this post is one of three which will highlight my speech that night.

“Right now times are tough and we need to be encouraged I look at the dollar Bill and read In God We Trust along with the Photo of our First President General George Washington. Just 45mins from here, above his tomb. It reads the “remains of General George Washington.” He wanted history to recall him as a General, a military leader and with it the epitome of sacrifice. At this time of year; along with his wife, they endured bitter, cold, hardship, and shortages of food as, they braved the elements. It was a hard; hard, difficult life. Today, the service members of our country face their challenges, perhaps not with the same degree of hardship, as George Washington, but by all means, with the same emotional strain.” – Joshua Macias 12/4/2015RALLY_MANASSAS_POV

Ending Veteran HomelessnessReal Estate for Veterans | Flash back to remember the victories that motivate us to the future! Joshua Macias checking in and sharing the front page announcement on Veterans Day last year. Excited about another year to Serve our Veteran Community!

By
The Virginian-Pilot
© November 12, 2014
VIRGINIA BEACH
The two men arrived in a black car, stepping out into the driveway of a row of brick townhouses. They were headed for the one with the flagpole, where the Stars and Stripes waved in the breeze.
Instead of walking in the unlocked front door, the pair, both wearing sport coats and dress shirts, waited sheepishly outside. After years of having nothing but hard times, the new home almost didn’t seem real, and they kept waiting for something to get in the way. Frank Tolbert, who also wore a dress hat, shuffled his feet. Sandy Williams Jr. used an incoming call on his cellphone as an opportunity to pace nearby.
If all went as planned, the two veterans would share the home within a few weeks – the last step on a journey that included years of homelessness and time in shelters and transitional housing. They’ve lost their way and found it again, and the home represented a fresh start. This ribbon-cutting on Veterans Day made it official.
The home would stand for something else, too, though the pair didn’t know it yet.
More cars pulled up, and out spilled caseworkers, contractors and members of four organizations who helped rehab the house for the men. Then Justina Glover arrived, with her two granddaughters and her sister.
“Would you like to take a tour?” one of the builders asked her.
She walked into a room with freshly plastered walls. She gazed at the fireplace, then up at the skylight.
“This home is for Jamel?” she asked.
Earlier this year, her son, Navy veteran Jamel Glover, committed suicide. The home was dedicated to him and featured a plaque commemorating his struggle.
———
Previous: Suicide note criticizes Veterans Affairs

———
Justina Glover walked through to the kitchen, with sparkling new countertops, appliances and dark-stained floor.
“Wow,” she said.
Williams made his way inside and warily eyed the growing crowd of guests.
“We better be careful, or they’ll try to take it from us,” he said.
But when he found out about Glover and her son, his eyes grew wide:
“Wow, I didn’t know that.”
The 75-year-old served in the Air Force from 1956 until 1962. He didn’t get married until decades later, when he was 54. He and his wife moved to Virginia Beach and had a son. Then he “caught a bad break.” He got involved with drugs, which led to his marriage splitting up. He became homeless and got in trouble with the law. He hasn’t seen his son in 20 years.
Williams thought his life was over, but hope arrived. He found help from the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center and got a spot in their veterans supportive housing. He is grateful for this home, as is Tolbert, a Navy veteran. They know it’s a big part of what’s keeping them from the streets.
They picked out their bedrooms on previous visits – Williams will get the one in the back. He needs a bigger closet because he has a lot of clothes, he said. Plus, Tolbert works as a chef, so he won’t wake Williams if he comes and goes at odd hours.
The roommates are growing closer.
“I’m learning more about him; he’s learning more about me,” Williams said.
And he’s excited that his son might visit from North Carolina. He was the one Williams was talking to on his cellphone outside.
The group gathered around the flagpole. More of Glover’s family and friends had arrived, and people spilled into the neighbor’s driveway.
Organizers unveiled Jamel Glover’s plaque, with words from the letter to Veterans Affairs he had in his pocket when he died. The last line read, “I refuse to live the rest of my life an addict and homeless.”
Though the flag was already flying, organizers pulled it down and raised it again. Some faintly sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Then they handed Williams and Tolbert their keys. Cellphone camera shutters clicked away.
Glover wiped her eyes. Williams started putting his key on his key chain.

 

 

Date: November 12, 2014
Appearance: Two homeless veterans find a new home
Outlet: Virginia Pilot
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Format: Newspaper

Ending veteran homelessness one at a time!

Published on Feb 10, 2015

The inventors of the Puzzlebox orbit believe they are on the cutting edge of biosensor technology. But can their brain-computer interface actually control this flying toy? | For more, visit http://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-show…

Catch ALL-AMERICAN MAKERS Wednesdays at 10/9c on Science!

Watch full episodes:
http://bit.ly/AllAmericanMakersFullEps

Subscribe to Science Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c…

Category

 

 

Appearance: Syfy | All American Makers | BCI
Outlet: Science Channel
Location: New York City, NY
Format: Television

Meet our Robotic Brain Controlled Flower https://puzzlebox.io/bloom/

The New Detroit! Tech Leap Frogging.

Detroit is one of those cities that America has left behind socially and a great exodus of influence and support left a generation ago.  I have many close friends who are deeply rooted in the Detroit Region that continue to thrive today working and laboring to improve or enrich their community in new ways.  I appreciate the TrueGrit which continues to play through in todays society and business circles.  I have looked at supporting businesses in and around the Region to  secure ties to a proud city I have much respect for.  Ever impressed by the tech innovations and growth within Ann Arbor I am excited how my professional career has rooted me more into the Region.

A great article which bears the need to amplify is written by re/code writer Liz Gannes where she shares in her own words her personal connection to Detroit both past, present and future.  As a man of faith and science I see all the potential that Detroit has to leap frog other cities in the realm of tech start-ups and companies looking to expand.  With the infrastructure that Detroit has for pulling in major steel and manufacturing it has all that is needed to be the new mecca of tech companies.  Lets not forget it’s strong support of business growth and diverse college graduate population along with it’s low barrier of entry.  Detroit is setup to explode within my generation and I just hope that I will be on the right side of the wave supporting it’s rise into the future I know it belongs in.

I encourage any REIT or Online Storage companies to setup shop in Detroit by purchasing these old manufacturing plants.  Convert them into server farms, tech-incubators, or MAKER spaces.  With the inexpensive cost of overhead and infrastructure Detroit is a solid long term investment within the technology world.

I am sending a shout out to all my friends in Detroit holding down the bunker for future generations.  You epitomize the definition of TrueGrit and continue to inspire America with your resilience!

Check out the series from Liz Gannes for more in depth review HERE.

Mashable | All-American Makers | Puzzlebox Orbit

Thank You Mashable for your recent article about Puzzlebox Orbit encapsulating our recent exposure with The Science Channel’s All-American Maker Show.

SANDRA GONZALEZ stated 2 DAYS AGO on MASHABLE
“Just weeks into its freshman run on the Science Channel, the network’s new series All-American Makers has highlighted some pretty fun tech, but Wednesday’s episode might have some of the coolest yet.

In case you’re not familiar, the idea of the show is to give innovators and entrepreneurs a chance to turn their ideas into big money. It’s kinda of like Shark Tank for the tech savvy.

In the episode, airing at 10 p.m. ET, the show’s panelists — including Printrbot founder Brook Drumm, robotics expert Brian Roe, and venture capitalist Marc Portney — are presented with the Puzzlebox Orbit — a mind-controlled helicopter.

WATCH VIDEO HERE

In the clip above, exclusive to Mashable, the very cool toy is taken for a test run that will probably leave you wanting to try it yourself.”

 

 

The Puzzlebox Orbit Pitch :

The first step is the pitch, and the panel pulls no punches if they aren’t sold on an idea right out of the gate. But, they will rely on the tests to form their final opinion- Science Channel

Date: February 4, 2015
Time: 10:00 PM EST
Appearance: Puzzlebox Orbit | “All-American Makers”
Outlet: Science Channel | SyFy
Location: NYV, NY
Format: Television

For what it's worth, we just released a robotic flower that blossoms and lights up when you meditate or or focus. It's less... violent (c: [http://puzzlebox.io]