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Flea Research
There was once this eminent scientist conducting research into how fleas jump. After carefully selecting a candidate flea, the scientist instructed the flea to jump and it jumped. Next the scientist pulled a leg off the flea and again instructed it to jump, and the flea dutifully jumped. The scientist pulled another leg off the hapless flea and again the flea jumped on command. The scientist repeated this bizarre experiment another three times until only one leg was left. The scientist pulled...
The Ambiguities of Experience
“Experience may possibly be the best teacher, but it is not a particularly good teacher.” The Ambiguities of Experience, 2010 James G. March
The Purpose Of Management
Being a project manager is a continuous exercise in Influence Without Authority (Allan R. Chohen, David L. Bradford). Everyday I need to get things done, and can only achieve through the cooperative, and hopefully enthusiastic efforts of others. I recently bought another book by the late Peter F. Drucker, The Daily Drucker: 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done. The book contains excerpts from his many works, one for each day of the year. A nice and convenient...
Unless …
Unless you do more and eat less today than you did yesterday, unless you do something different, unless you choose to take a risk and commit to a positive course of action, then your tomorrows will be very much like today and all your yesterdays. Your choice ... Inspired by Larry Smith, from TED.com.
Bio – for Cognitive Edge
My bio entered at Cognitive Edge: I started my ‘professional’ life as an Electrician (still registered), and I simply carried on studying, finding the proverbial intellectual grass greener and just out of reach the more I learnt. I became interested in Complexity Science when I got married and had two beautiful daughters, though I did not know what to call my predicament at the time. When earning my MBA (2009-2010, at The University of Auckland), I was exposed to Complexity Science and the...
Critics
I viewed Brené Brown's two videos on TED (The Power of Vulnerability and Listening to Shame), yes I know, I'm a self-confessed TED junkie - I enjoy having my brain rewired by other people's ideas. Talk about being vulnerable! See the videos for yourself; I found them enlightening. In one of the videos, Brené recited a quote by Theodore Roosevelt, so I just had to pause and Google. (I also need to find out about Theodore himself, must confess complete ignorance of the man). The quote struck a...
Quotes: IF
IF If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream--and not make dreams your master; If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with Triumph and...
Complexity, Complex Adaptive Systems, and Project Management – a quick peek
There are many definitions of Complexity Theory, Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), and Project Management, and I'm about to create some more. My interest in these ideas is in their practical application to help people in organisations achieve common objectives efficiently and effectively. For me, Project Management is defined as the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities, within the constraints of scope, quality, schedule, budget, resources, and risk...
Project Management Risk, Actions, Incidents, and Decisions (RAID) Register
Risks, Actions, Incidents, and Decisions (RAID) Registers are ubiquitous in project management. No surprise then that I have my own take on the device. Being one to make do with what I have available, instead of pining for tools, applications, and systems that I don't have, I have made a RAID Register in Excel 2007. It is based on what I think is useful, practically achievable, maintainable, and what Excel 2007 will allow. But wait, there's more! I have made the RAID Register and its...
Evidence-Based Management Site
If you're interested in Evidence-Based Management (EBM), check out this site, by two of my favourite authors, Jeffrey Pfeffer and Bob Sutton. Here's a taste of their of their Five Principles of EBM: Face the hard facts, and build a culture in which people are encouraged to tell the truth, even if it is unpleasant. ... you'll need to check out their site for yourself ... 🙂 Also, consider checking out their books, down-to-earth common (or not so common) sense. I've bought, read, and...