Progress, change and all its variants are inevitable, but that does not mean it is without risk. Times of transition disrupt social norms. All organizations are faced with the choice of adapting or fading away (or collapsing suddenly). Many people within organizations either long for the ‘good old days’ or look forward to the new opportunities transition brings. But there is… Continue reading The Barbarians at the Gates
Category: Plus ça Change, Plus c’est la Même Chose
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Overcoming Quackery and Other Tails, er, Tales
In my early days, someone once remarked to me that you really did not have to worry about someone stealing your ideas. Odds were, you would have to metaphorically shove it down someone’s throat to get them to use it. The introduction of change always starts with a new idea. So what is the life… Continue reading Overcoming Quackery and Other Tails, er, Tales
Duck!
No matter how hard we prepare, something unexpected can happen. No matter how good a job we do, it can be undone easily. As Yeats said, “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold”. One of the great myths of command and control is that one actually has control. The true test of the leadership of… Continue reading Duck!
Harold the Angel
No matter how well we communicate, a message may not always be understood as expected. I remember as a child the following discussion regarding Christmas and Angels. “Gabriel is the Angel that is associated with Christmas.”, said the teacher. “What about Harold the Angel?”, my friend asked. “Who?” “Harold. You know. Hark Harold, the Angel sings….”,… Continue reading Harold the Angel
Silent Anarchy
When one is engaged with a new Client, you sometimes must ask; “How did they end up doing things this way?” I usually attribute it to bureaucratic inertia. Once something starts in an organization, inertia takes over and it does not stop. Obviously that is not true all the time. Errors are corrected, inertia halted,… Continue reading Silent Anarchy
Brrraaiiiins! Daaataaa!
For reasons not relevant here, I have been doing a lot of reading on “Big Data”. In essence, Big Data is an umbrella term that deals with the question ‘What to do with all this data we are creating/collecting?’. During my research what struck me is how much information concerning Big Data is just recycled… Continue reading Brrraaiiiins! Daaataaa!
Once more unto the breach
In the 15th century, the heavily armored knights and men-at-arms were the masters of the battlefield. Years of training and expensive equipment were required to be an effective soldier. As such, it was the domain of the nobility only. Ordinary people could not compete against their might nor did they have the resources acquire the… Continue reading Once more unto the breach
