I find that in my line of work there is a continual tension between the need for control and the desire to enable. Part of me wants to standardise everything so that we have less technology that is easier to manage and support. The other part of me doesn’t want this at all. It wants … Continue reading Unfolding plans 43 – these apparently intractable positions of standardisation and liberty
Unfolding plans 42 – we’ve got loads of data
Big data is like therapy, the answers are in there you just need help to get them out. You need to like back on the couch and regress. Blame your mother, your home town or the conditions you had to endure. Let it all out. The main issue with any open data project is not … Continue reading Unfolding plans 42 – we’ve got loads of data
Unfolding plans 41- trying to address a big issue within the ICT industry
Have you ever felt out of your depth? I have, many times. Indeed I quite pride myself in that my comfort zone is to be outside of my comfort zone. This morning I felt out of my depth though and not always in a comfortable way. I was chairing a group meeting what I hoped … Continue reading Unfolding plans 41- trying to address a big issue within the ICT industry
Unfolding plans 40 – digital is a personal journey
Reading may have been a long way to go for a conference, especially when I was up and down in a day. Still, it gave me a chance to travel on the new Virgin East Coast and then to catch a train from Paddington. I also got to visit the Madejski Stadium although I didn’t … Continue reading Unfolding plans 40 – digital is a personal journey
Unfolding plans 39 – self-organising work environments
I’ve talked about Sugata Mitra’s School in the Cloud idea before. It’s more than an idea as it exists and has proven to deliver benefits. Following a visit to Newcastle University’s Culture Lab I met up with Dr James Stanfield to talk about how we could learn from this approach. I am interested in using … Continue reading Unfolding plans 39 – self-organising work environments
Unfolding plans 38 – I’m not supposed to be reading management theory
I’ve been reading Wallander again as I’m not supposed to be reading management theory. This time it is ‘The Troubled Man’, a heart-breaking tale of descent into despair and darkness that serves as a totem for what great crime writing can achieve, as the Irish Times put it. This must be the fourth or fifth … Continue reading Unfolding plans 38 – I’m not supposed to be reading management theory
Unfolding plans 37 – structures get in the way
It is my belief that structures are needed yet that they get in the way of what we are trying to achieve. This is demonstrated by inter-team rivalry, competition and the apparent differing priorities and objectives discussed amongst us as a service. We have been successful in bringing the organisation through the last five years … Continue reading Unfolding plans 37 – structures get in the way
Unfolding plans 35 – If ever there was an oxymoron then this must be it.
I’m fed up with road works. If ever there was an oxymoron then this must be it. Road works means that they don’t. Every journey I make seems to be severed with multiple interventions by the highways people, local council and utility companies. Every road is dug up. My retinas are burnt with the reflected … Continue reading Unfolding plans 35 – If ever there was an oxymoron then this must be it.
Unfolding plans 33 – a victim culture
Do we have a victim culture? Do we get a good feeling by feeling sorry for ourselves, a sort of reverse schadenfreude? I’m sure that at times we do. I have felt for a while that it is not always healthy to dwell upon the misfortunes of the past. Our region used to be different … Continue reading Unfolding plans 33 – a victim culture
Unfolding plans 32 – I am a type seven personality, the quintessential Renaissance man
I may be the quintessential Renaissance man, a polymath, a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. That’s because I am a type seven personality. According to the Wisdom of the Enneagram I am ‘The Enthusiast’, the busy, fun-loving type who is spontaneous, versatile, acquisitive and scattered. I’m enthusiastic about almost … Continue reading Unfolding plans 32 – I am a type seven personality, the quintessential Renaissance man
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 