To help answer that question, I went to the PASS website to look for its mission statement. I couldn’t find it in the dropdown menus. I searched the site. No results found.

That’s disappointing.

And perhaps it explains why the organization is struggling as it is now.

The Mission of PASS

I served on the PASS Board of Directors from January of 2001 through December of 2007. I poured my heart and soul, not to mention thousands of volunteer hours, into the organization. I served in many capacities, including Executive Vice President of Finance, during some very trying times. In fact, I was in the EVP role when we decided the relationship with the former management company was unsalvageable and we needed to move in a different direction. But that’s another story.

Thinking back, I’m struggling to remember the official Mission Statement we had back then. I’m certain we had one.

But I remember well what my mission was. I know exactly why I served.

I served in appreciation for those who had gone before me in the SQL community, who had given freely of themselves so that I, and many others like me, could benefit from their experiences.

I served to create a place where we could connect with fellow SQL Server professionals and improve our craft.

I served to pay it forward to the up-and-coming SQL professionals who would undoubtedly surpass all I could do. I wanted to do for them what others had done for me.

I was but a small part of much larger effort. My role was tiny compared to those I served along side – both on the board and other volunteers. And that’s not false humility on my part. At times, I really was in over my head. But the team I served with was strong and we carried each other when needed.

Although I don’t want to speak for them, I suspect they served for the same reasons I did.

Connect. Share. Learn.

The reasons that I served those many years ago still exist today. I believe there are seasoned SQL Server veterans who still want to connect with those following in their footsteps. I believe that good data professionals still want to share with other good data professionals to sharpen their skills. And I believe still that our SQLFamily actively wants to help the next generation learn.

Connect. Share. Learn.

I did see that on the PASS website. Connect. Share. Learn.

That’s the closest thing that I could find on the PASS website that could be counted as a Mission Statement. I think those three words encapsulate why SQL professionals from around the globe are PASS members. Imagine, hundreds of thousands of people worldwide with a shared heart for the SQL Server community.

So, if we run with that. PASS has not outlived its usefulness or its purpose.

Are there other places to connect? Other places to share? To learn?

Absolutely. PASS has never had a monopoly on those things. It wouldn’t be healthy for the SQL Community if PASS did. But that doesn’t mean the community isn’t better for the organization’s efforts and presence.

I know I have benefited personally and professionally. The knowledge I’ve gained. The relationships I’ve made. The friendships that I cherish. I’ve certainly benefited from PASS.

An Organization on Life Support

But now, PASS is in dire straits. I don’t believe that’s been officially communicated, but we all know it’s true.

The pandemic has exposed and amplified every weakness in PASS’ operations and structure. From its complete dependence on in-person events for revenue to the way it relies on a for-profit company for senior leadership and staffing, every aspect of PASS that could be a liability has become a massive, potentially devastating death nail for the organization.

That grieves me.

I wish PASS was not in this predicament. I wish decisions had been made differently over the past 10 years. I wish there was a better revenue model. I wish there was a different arrangement with the management company. And, I wish the Board of Directors had a trusted advisor, one with sound business acumen, that could provide unbiased advice.

I don’t mean to cast stones. That’s not the point here.

I’m not second guessing any specific decisions or arrangements. Now is not the time for that. That time will come.

I hope.

But it’s not guaranteed.

Helping PASS

Let’s face it. Without support from the SQL Community that it helped nurture, PASS may not exist in 6 to 12 months.

It may not survive.

If you’ re like me, you don’t want to see that happen. You’d like for PASS to be around next year, and the year after that. Maybe not in its current form. Maybe not without significant changes. But at least still be around.

So, how can we help? How can we give back to an organization that’s benefited our careers and enriched our friendships? A few ways come to mind.

First, register for the PASS Virtual Summit. It’s 100% online so there are no travel costs. It’s reasonably priced, currently 599 USD for the 3-day event and 399 USD for a pre-conference seminar. Or you can opt for the bundle which provides 5 full days of training for 999 USD. That’s 200 USD per day, and you can access the content for 12 months.

Second consider buying a PASS Pro Membership. I know. You get almost nothing for that membership. It was a kneejerk reaction to try to bring in a bit of revenue. That’s OK. Just consider your PASS Pro Membership a vehicle to donate approximately 100 USD to an organization you support in principle.

Third, assuming PASS comes through this, scathed or not, consider running for the Board of Directors. Be the change you’d like to see. Applications are open until 9 October, 2020.

Objections

But wouldn’t giving money to PASS simply enable them to continue making bad decisions, decisions that I disagree with? Wouldn’t the money just go into the pockets of the for-profit the management company, C&C? Isn’t supporting PASS now the same as endorsing every decision they’ve made to this point? Besides, haven’t they lost their way and don’t they treat the SQL Community they claim to love poorly these days?

Those are tough questions, ones I’ve wrestled with myself. This has been a difficult post for me to write because there is an element of truth in each of those questions.

But I can tell you that I believe we are past the point of enabling, past the point of disagreeing on principle.

For PASS to be around to reform, it must first survive. And frankly I’m doubtful it can without substantial help. If we can help it survive, we can change it and make it better.

Has PASS Outlived Its Purpose?

I don’t think PASS has outlived its purpose. I think it’s just as relevant today as when founded twenty-plus years ago.

The question is: will it have a future?

I, for one, hope so.

[Edit – 10/2/2020] After this post was originally published, Chris Yates (@YatesSQL), the current Vice President of Marketing for PASS, reached out to me. The PASS Mission Statement may be found here. It reads: “Empower data professionals who leverage Microsoft technologies to connect, share, and learn through networking, knowledge sharing, and peer-based learning.”

The post Has PASS Outlived Its Purpose? appeared first on The SERO Group.

For years, Music City Code has been recognized as one of the premier events in Nashville’s technology scene. It has consistently drawn attendees and speakers from around country. Primarily focused on software and website development, the event has been attracting a growing number of data professionals who work closely with software developers.

This year, Gaines Kergosien (@gainesk) and the team that is the driving force behind the event have officially expanded the conference to include a data track called Music City Data. The conference runs from May 31, 2018, through June 2, 2018, and is located in the heart of Nashville on the Vanderbilt University campus. Kevin Kline (@kekline), Louis Davidson (@drsql), and I are helping out with the planning and steering of the event.

The Call for Speakers ends at 11:59 PM on March 1, 2018. So, if you’d like to speak on anything data-related, from administering Microsoft SQL Server to using Python for data analysis, from creating a dashboard using Tableau to optimizing MySQL for websites, find something you’re passionate about and share your experiences with others in the community. Submit your abstract to speak.

The post Music City Data Call for Speakers appeared first on The SERO Group.

If Branson is to be believed, and his track record at The Virgin Group suggests that he knows what he’s doing, we’re left with the question: how do you take care of your employees? What do employees want and value in their role in an organization?

According to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, once the basic and most physiological needs of food, shelter, safety, etc., are met, people long for a sense of belonging, esteem, and ultimately self-actualization.

What that means in practical terms is that employees who feel that they work in a stable environment and are fairly compensated within the organization and within the broader context of their industry, look to factors beyond salary for contentment. Employees want to belong to a team where they feel like they can contribute effectively, where they have some say-so in the work that they do, and where they feel that their work is meaningful.

So how do we create an environment like that – an environment where employees want to do their best work?

That was the question that Jeff Sutherland researched and contemplated extensively during the 80s and 90s. He experimented with countless technical teams.

Until that point, the standard approach to software development was the waterfall method. Waterfall has a terrible track record for producing quality products, in a timely manner, within budget, and that fulfills the customer’s needs at the time of delivery. Additionally, Sutherland observed that the traditional waterfall approach meets almost none of the higher level needs described by Maslow.

He looked for a new approach and identified some philosophies that addressed the shortcomings of the waterfall methodology. He eventually created a set of principles that he later called Scrum.

These principles include:

1. Process control – being mindful of the process and continually looking for ways to improve.
2. Self-organization – those doing the work have the best awareness of the effort it will take to complete it. Teams will have more commitment when they can contribute to how and what gets done.
3. Collaboration – The team works together to accomplish a goal. Teams of 3 to 9 people who have all of the requisite skills to complete the project are preferred.
4. Value-based priorities – Teams should strive to create value early in the project, knowing that 80% of the value is derived from 20% of the effort.
5. Timeboxing – Break work into discrete units that can be completed in a relatively short amount of time.
6. Iterative development – repeat the development process frequently, always looking for ways to improve the process.

Since it’s creation, scrum has been adopted by a wide variety of teams. It’s been used in education, home remodeling, engineering, and medicine.

In his book Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time, Sutherland explains “the how”, but much more importantly “the why” of the Scrum methodology.

I borrowed the e-book from my local library. It’s good enough that I’m buying a paper version for reference. I’d certainly recommend reading a copy. Even if you don’t use Scrum at work, you’ll gain a greater appreciation for the factors that motivate your team.

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As a regular speaker at conferences, SQLSaturdays, and other organizations, I’m often asked about public speaking. Some ask about preparation. Others ask about getting started. The most common question is about selecting a topic. That’s one question I can’t answer; I can only share how I do it.

Sharing Your Experiences

Let’s start with the mindset. The way I approach selecting a topic is to first remind myself that I’m not claiming to be an expert in the topic. In fact, I don’t claim to be an expert in anything, really. I don’t pretend to know everything about a subject.

When I speak, my goal is simple – to share my experiences and hopefully help someone else who’s about to go through something similar. Whether it’s troubleshooting a poorly performing server or helping to coach a new technical manager, I want to give them the benefit of my trials and observations. This takes the pressure off of me.

Selecting Potential Topics

As I think about potential topics, I usually consider a few things. First, I look for topics that I’m already pretty familiar with but would like to learn even more. Most every session I give requires me to do research. Preparing to teach something is the best way to really learn it. So, if you’re going to have to do some research, it may as well be in something that interests you, something you’d like to learn more about.

I also look for topics that are underserved in the community. Or put another way, I seek topics that have broad appeal but haven’t been done over and over again by other speakers. These topics aren’t necessarily obvious at first, but if you persist you can usually identify a few.

Finally, I tend to favor entry-level to mid-level topics. Sure, there’s a lot of glory in providing the very high end sessions, but the vast majority of attendees will not be ready for that depth of content. There’s a great need for entry-level to mid-level sessions. This goes back to the prior point: if other speakers tend to gravitate toward the high-end sessions, the mid-level sessions may be underserved in the community.

Creating An Abstract

Once you’ve selected a topic, the next step is to write the abstract.

Creating an abstract is an art. You’ve got to give people a reason to come to your session (or the program committee a reason to select your session for the conference). Stating just the facts about the session in a dry way won’t do that. Make it catchy. Make it compelling.

The title is the first impression they’ll get so you’ll want to put some thought into crafting a good title for your session. Consider titles like:

• From Zero to Replication in 30 Minutes
• The Four Pillars of Performance Tuning
• Manage Your Calendar Or Someone Else Will

The body of the abstract supports and clarifies the title. I usually start with a description of the problem and then talk about the information I’ll convey in the session to help solve the problem.

A Sample Abstract

Consider this real-world abstract that I’ve delivered many times at conferences and Lunch & Learns.

Say Goodbye to Boring Meetings
Ever been in a meeting that drones on and on? It starts late, runs long, and doesn’t really accomplish anything. It’s a complete waste of everyone’s time. Worse yet, since nothing was resolved you’ll have to have a follow up meeting. Argh!

In this session you’ll learn some of the keys to conducting an effective meeting. You’ll gain practical tips for making your meetings more productive and dramatically improving one of the most inefficient parts of your day. You’ll also learn how to help improve meetings your don’t run.

Submitting the Abstract

Once you’ve created the abstract, share it was a few people that you trust to provide candid feedback. Ask them for help with refining your draft to a polished and professional form. Then you can submit it to the local user group, SQLSaturday, Lunch & Learn, or conference.

For More Information

A couple of years ago, I shared my experiences with and techniques for creating presentations in an article I wrote for Simple-Talk.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start speaking.

Got any other tips that I’ve missed? I’d love to hear from you with your tips for selecting a topic.

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