I published my first post on this blog on January 29, 2010, eight months after we started full-time RVing. Almost fifteen years later, I am posting this 590th post. It is also my last. The End of Our Travels 2018, we sold our RV and settled at Viewpoint in Phoenix, Arizona. We continued traveling via other modes, so I changed the blog title but retained the domain rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspost.com.  These blog posts went viral (up to35,000 views) on this blog: Debating the Pros and Cons of the RV Cruising Lifestyle Operationalizing Phase 2 of RVing in North Carolina Finding Christmas ..read more

Last year, I turned 75 and joined the “elderly" demographic. I thought the next turning point would be when I turned 80. But here I am, just a few weeks after celebrating my 76th birthday. My life has more changes: a focus on health, no travel, being homebound, family visits, and new writing directions. More Attention on Health When I turned 65, I celebrated being a “sexygenarian" (being sexy in the 60s), in the middle of all our exciting travels. At 70, I began to feel older as digestive problems flared up. We changed to slower travel.     But now, health problems have becom ..read more

the first-ever transaction in MegaLink I do not have any project management certification, be it PMP, CAPM, or CSM. Still, I have ensured that the job gets done in every assignment. Here are some tried and tested principles I use in managing projects. Two have always guided me. The first is to clarify the project goal and pursue it doggedly as a team. The second is to take a long view to make project outcomes sustainable. Here are the practical implications. Getting the Job Done There are two parts to getting the job done. The first is clarifying the goal. The second is pursuing it ..read more

How do you manage time today? Is it even possible? In fact, with dizzying distractions trying to grab our attention every minute, it has become even more essential. Classic time management principles are still relevant, but new techniques are emerging. The best strategy is to combine them and see what works best for you. It is also wise to realize that managing time in the office differs from managing time in a remote location. The good news is that, with good time management, you can combine vacation with work. Classic and Emerging Time Management Approaches In the 1980s at the Institute o ..read more

  Relying only on gut feelings or opinions when making decisions is no longer wise. With all kinds of tools to mine the massive data available, anyone can make better decisions. Informed decision-making has always been challenging but has become much more manageable today. There are five steps to data-driven decision-making: 1) gathering relevant data, 2) organizing, cleaning, and formatting the collected data, 3) using statistical methods to analyze the data, 4) presenting the analysis in a clear and understandable format, and 5) using the insights gained to make informed decisions and ..read more

a meeting of the UPAA Board in Arizona Hard skills are the technical abilities and knowledge needed to perform a job. Driving a car is a complex skill, for example. On the other hand, soft skills are personal traits that are just as important. If you are not the driver, for example, be a polite, patient, and helpful passenger. Soft skills are becoming essential in the workplace. Together with good hard skills, you will have more skills than your colleagues and stand out. Three became extremely helpful when I sought to develop them. The Three Most Important Soft Skills Here are the ..read more

as Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Montgomery Last week’s article was about personal branding. This week, we look at company branding. The Chief storyteller position has emerged in recent years to connect companies with audiences, build brand loyalty, and drive business results. It is the secret to sustaining a company brand. It is a truly creative role, but it is also quite strategic. It shapes the narrative and ensures it aligns with the overall business strategy. If it had been available during my time, I would have preferred being a storyteller instead of a trailblazer. It wou ..read more

When I was filling out the Nomination Form for the UPAA Distinguished Alumnus Awards early this year, I had a chance to reflect on my career. A friend who won the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023 said, “You were a trailblazer. Your category should be for ‘Leadership in It Development.’” That was my brand! How I Got My Brand Without knowing it, I had developed a personal brand. After training with NCR and IBM, I applied with SGV&Co. I became the Marketing Manager of the Institute of Advanced Computer Technology, its computer training unit. That made my name synonymous with innovat ..read more

women leaders in IT   The average time I worked for companies in the Philippines was 2.3 years. US statistics show that the median stay has come down to 3.9 years, considered part of the Great Resignation phenomenon. I must have been way ahead of the times. But back then, I had a good excuse. Automation was being introduced in the country at the time. I was always invited to launch a pioneering IT project and when that finished, I was recruited for a new one. The availability of future leaders became a key requirement. Even in normal situations, organizations cannot afford downt ..read more

  Governance and management are terms we use interchangeably, but they are different. Both are essential but they serve distinct purposes. Understanding the differences is necessary for leaders of organizations big or small, simple or complex, for-profit or nonprofit. What Is Governance Governance sets the framework for an organization. It means establishing its strategic direction and accountability structures. It involves: 1.  Planning strategically and defining the organization's mission, vision, values, and goals. 2. Ensuring that the organization operates ethically and legall ..read more