A quote from Dave Snowden, but first I want to talk about the Husky. For a while the Husky has been attending hydrotherapy sessions (all part of her rehabilitation after knee ligament replacement surgery). The Husky quite enjoys the hydrotherapy sessions, so do I, but for different reasons. One of us because of getting a […]
Liminality. Two inevitabilities and one prediction.
Liminality at the Dentist. I’ve a (possibly strange) observation to make. I quite like sitting in the Dentist’s waiting room. The Doctors Surgery waiting room isn’t bad either, as are the foyers and reception areas of some big municipal buildings, Newport Civic Centre is a good one. It doesn’t work in the waiting area of […]
Rip up your Culture Change Road Map and learn to use a Compass
Road Map Fatigue. One of my (many) failings is getting irritated by the ‘change road maps’ you see on office walls. You know what I mean. I’m particularly triggered by those proclaiming a ‘road to a better culture’. Please can we rip up the road maps and start learning to use a compass – because […]
Measurement is a Smorgasbord.
Buffet v Smorgasbord. A ‘buffet’ is a cornerstone of society round these parts. From the most ‘interesting’ of family gatherings through to the most soul draining of organisational morale boosters; there’s always a buffet. Basically a mixture of foodstuffs, something that will more or less please everyone. The range and randomness can vary a lot, […]
The Tell of Captain Walker… Mad Max, ‘Poxyclips’ and Tribal Stories
You’ve gotta watch this. ‘The TELL of Captain Walker’… https://youtu.be/23SVHUPrUJ4 Not just because it’s from Mad Max 3, and a vision of life in a post nuclear apocalyptic future (the poxyclips). But, for me, it’s the best way of getting my head around some complicated stuff. What people mean when they talk about things like; […]
Failure to Account for Jars of Raspberry Jam (in a Sandstorm)
Clerks and Copy-Boys or Winning the War? You can’t have both. A friend recently sent me a copy of a letter from the Duke to Wellington, August 1812, to the British Foreign Office, London. Just to put the letter in context. At the time, Wellington was on the way to Madrid, ‘dragging an army over […]
The Ministry of the Predictable. Eliminating Uncertainty, Risk, and Resilience.
For every complex human problem, there is an answer that is simple, obvious and WRONG!* But it is the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the Ministry of the Predictable (MOP). The MOP work by; developing universal policies, providing conditional funding, linking funding to milestones in a project plan/programme and measuring your progress against the targets […]
Luke… ‘Root Cause Analysis 5 Whys’ is not the method you are looking for…
The (over) Enthusiasm of Youth. A long time ago (over quarter of a century), in a Galaxy far, far away (St. Mellons, East Cardiff) I learnt all about Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and my life was enriched. I was freshly equipped with a science degree, doing science based things at work and RCA fitted perfectly. […]
Scaffolding: Temporary, Lightweight and a Utilitarian Metaphor.
I’m a bit of a sucker for metaphors. Which one of these descriptions works best for you? Option A. “To make this project something that will be a success for many years we need to put up the right sort of ‘scaffold’ to help it develop…” Option B. “To ensure the successful delivery of the […]
Crowdsourcing Covid Recovery Ideas. Do I Panic and Scream or Do I Rejoice?
Is it just me… or are there an overwhelming number of ‘bright idea schemes’ floating around at the moment? All of them searching for the big idea that will make life better after COVID. A lot of what I’m seeing are versions of ‘crowdsourcing’. Ask lots of people a question, and they will eventually come […]
What's the PONT 