Fungible is one of those words that sounds like it should be onomatopeiac but isn't. It does, though, represent a crucial element of what makes something a commodity: fungible means that you can swap in and out without concern. For example, I can buy Tate and Lyle white sugar or Silver Spoon white sugar, put … Continue reading What if “commodity” IT isn’t a commodity?
Semiotics is something in which I'm becoming increasingly obsessed. The study of signs and signals to understand underlying culture and beliefs, it's a method of interpreting the world around us at more than face value. In my work over many years now I have regularly heard the words Culture and Behaviour used interchangeably, and the … Continue reading What if your systems are the result of your culture?
I'm currently working with colleagues at the Leading Edge Forum to pull together some of the work that I've done with them on the concept of collaboration. Checklists of questions are often a useful tool, so here are 10 questions you can ask when thinking about improving collaboration in your organisation... 1. How well does … Continue reading 10 questions to ask about collaboration
This week I have learned: the challenges of being a founder can start before you've even begun say it out loud. It helps. for all the planning it's not until you're actually in the room with people until you know whether things will work or not. My Dad Wrote A Porno is probably the least … Continue reading Weeknote 428: saying it out loud
Would Microsoft Teams be used more effectively if customers had to pay for it rather than it being bundled for "free" into Office 365 packages? Here's my logic... The successful adoption of any software depends on good change management around its introduction. The amount that is spent is directly proportional to the overall cost of … Continue reading The problem with “free”
This week I have learned: A relatively small number of liquorice allsorts can make me feel quite sick. Politics is now beyond me. A few words can take immense emotional effort. Get people to talk with other people. They'll work it out with a bit of course correction. Make it physical. Make it tactile. It … Continue reading Weeknote 427: getting under the bonnet
About 15 years ago I found myself running a project management course for a local authority in Scotland. I was doing my usual pitch at the start of my career history, talking about how I'd been an architect, first solution then enterprise, at the BBC. A chap in the front row's face looked like thunder. … Continue reading The trouble with Enterprise Architecture
This week I have learned: to experiment with the other end of the consulting process and play. the perilous state that government organisations are being placed in by the nonsense that is Brexit that I will now protest that probably the "just one more" is usually a silly idea that good things come when you … Continue reading Weeknote 426 – playful feedback
It's been a week of interviewing as part of research with a client. And for the first time I've been using Otter.ai to record the conversations. We've been playing around with Otter for a while to do transcriptions and help with editing on WB-40, but this is the first time I've used it to help with … Continue reading The Word Cloud Game
This week I have learned: the mild fear of beginning a new engagement with a client is quickly dissipated when you actually get to meet the people. I get to meet some great people in my work. I get to meet some wonderful people in this work. Ipswich can be very windy. the answer to … Continue reading Weeknote 425: meeting new clients
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