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; […]
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 […]
Do Epidemiologists Play COVID-19 Computer Games After Work?
I’m guessing that during a pandemic most Epidemiologists will barely have time to sleep, so time in-front of the X-Box will be limited. But this is a serious question. Nobody will be surprised to hear that a bundle of COVID-19 related computer games have emerged in the last few months. Most of them ‘shovelware’. But […]
What do Amazon’s Business Model and a COVID-19 Rapid Learning Engine have in common?
This is not as tenuous as it sounds. Have a glance at the image above and ponder on this. It was originally drawn in the early 2000’s by Jeff Bezos, on a paper napkin. Described as the ‘virtuous cycle’ its been at the heart of Amazon’s approach, and part of them becoming one of the […]
Is anyone deploying ‘Innovation and Learning’ people alongside COVID-19 Response Teams?
This is a genuine question. I only ask because there’s something from Dave Snowden rattling around my head that seems particularly relevant at the moment. “In a crisis, you should always deploy an innovation team alongside the business recovery teams…to capture the novel practice” The point of this statement (for me) is that during a […]
Regulation is a Social Process. A Contact Sport… People Doing Things With Other People.
Audit is also a Social Process. When I got a job with the District Audit Service about 20 years ago my Father in Law (one of the wisest people I’ve ever known, just like his daughter) told me a joke. QUESTION: How do you know you’ve met an extrovert Auditor? ANSWER: When they were talking […]
Facilitation Sketchnotes
I’ve been experimenting with some drawings / sketchnotes of facilitation methods I’ve used a lot, or fall back on at various moments. I was planning to have done something a bit more structured with them, but that’s proving to be a challenge at the moment – so I’m just parking 4 of them here until […]
Project Learning Reviews are like a Cheese Fondue…
…basically you throw everything into a pot and mix it all together into a smooth consistency. Then you stick a piece of bread on a fork, pop it into the mixture, and see what comes out. That’s your project learning, driven by a thinking process called retrospective coherence. The Origins of Fondue and Project Reviews. […]
Over 50’s Social Entrepreneurs Bootcamp. Use voluntary early retirement payoffs for something different. #ChurchillFellowship Post10
This might be my daftest idea yet. If it’s as obvious as I think, why isn’t it already happening in Wales? Here’s the idea. An intensive University Degree Course, aimed at the over 50’s. On the course the participants will; create real businesses, with a strong social purpose (cooperatives if possible), and get a degree out […]
What's the PONT 