Yesterday's first coffee companion runs a business involved in managing waste more effectively. We talked about: the importance of finding space to meet with people without agenda the process of "divorcing" from a business partner shifting from being a software business to a professional services business the pressure of tech investment (and how the business … Continue reading 54th and 55th of 100
Category: Themes
You may have noticed that I talk a lot about the importance of play and playfulness at work. I've even created a product to help people develop playful skills. (Do you ever give it a rest? - Ed) When I talk about Play, people will often respond with something along the lines of "Oh, we've … Continue reading Play ≠ Gamification
There's a wonderful piece of software that I use as part of the production process for WB-40 called Descript. It allows me to edit audio through a transcript and also can do clever things like "de-umming" our recordings. But there is one part of the user experience that I am finding increasingly frustrating. I use … Continue reading Developers vs User Experience
A vivid memory I have from growing up in the 1970s was my father's what seemed like annual slide deck preparation. This is, of course, in the days before Harvard Graphics, let alone PowerPoint. Dad was a lecturer at the University of London. He had to prepare lectures for his MSc students, and prepared visual … Continue reading Slide decks
I've spent quite a bit of time this week trying to make agile projects look like waterfall projects to help clients get various pieces of work through financial control and procurement processes on their side. It's kind of frustrating. The world has know for around a quarter of a century that software development works better … Continue reading Financial agility
How very Douglas Adams. Today's coffee companion is a leadership consultant. We talked about: our respective career histories the PlayCards the way in which playing cards allow people to interact with ideas differently the importance of playfulness in work leadership, and why Servant Leadership is such a strange term to use the importance of leaders … Continue reading 42nd of 100
Today’s coffee companion is a Chief Operating Officer for a scale-up company involved with mental health support. We talked about: The dismal state of UK politics The challenges of rearing kids with ADHD The strange lack of contentment amongst Western migrant workers in the Middle East Country versus City living American startups buying up industries … Continue reading 40th of 100
This morning’s coffee companion is a consultant who helps clients to build better skills for innovation and networking. We talked about: The need for organisations to introduce playfulness to help innovation actually happen Our own peculiar career paths and the twists and turns we have both taken (Inevitably) the PlayCards The peculiar nature of academia, … Continue reading 38th of 100
I've banged on for many years about the weird cult that is Net Promoter Score, a magical metric with organisational healing powers. In one number, it is claimed, the mysteries of business can be unlocked. Ask your customers their likelihood to recommend you and wealth and prosperity will be yours. Except... The world of recommendations … Continue reading Just recommend!
This week I have learned: the delights of catching up with someone you haven't seen in a very long time. the importance of good planning when it comes to running workshops. Facilitation is one of my happy spaces, and it's particularly rewarding when a small amount of planned structure unlocks the conversations. how surprised you … Continue reading Weeknote 617 – facilitating
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