One game at a time
5 March 2011Here’s something that puzzles me. It appears (and I’m happy to be proven wrong) that the higher you get in an organisation or the more serious your work, the less likely it is that you’re allowed or expected to be playful. I don’t mean to trivialize what’s important, but playfully exploring issues, and options, and…
Better meetings?
2 November 2010I found this the other day on Twitter (sorry I don’t know the source but a HT to @nomeatballs for the link). It was described as ‘the best infographic ever’. I like the simplicity of it, and while it relates to happiness, it got me thinking about meetings. Eh? In London, Johnnie Moore, Trish Stevenson,…
There is no manual
7 February 2010I once worked with a young woman who wanted to know, at every turn, what she should do, how she should do it. She was smart, passionate and able – yet she was gripped by fear. Gripped by the fear of not doing it ‘right’. The problem was, and is, that there is no manual…
Participation in the news
18 January 2010Rob Paterson has an interesting post on the differences between growing an audience and growing a community. I think he’s nailed it. “We don’t want a bigger audience – defined as passive transactional consumers of transactional content delivered on our terms. We want to have a deep attachment with our community – defined as their active…
A glimpse of Myanmar
11 October 2009The drive from the airport to hotel in a new country always leaves a lasting impression. I think it’s a combo of relief that the flight and usually tedious immigration and customs formalities are over, and being met by a smiling stranger who immediately becomes my newest best friend. In this case it was early…
A doorstop versus relationship rules
23 September 2009Many years ago I read a very good article about the differences between a Big Mac and the Naked Chef by Joel Spolsky. It was 2001. It’s about scaleability, and quality. And surprisingly, it’s still on the web, hence the link. The main premise was this: Some things need talent to do really well. It’s…
Yes! No! Maybe!
17 August 2009In some cultures, yes means yes, and no means no. Elsewhere yes is the answer to everything. And sometimes yes means no, and no means yes. Or maybe. And other times, it depends – on who answers first, what the question is, or even who asks it. This creates a few dilemmas for facilitators. And…
Inspiration via Twitter
15 August 2009Some of you will know that I’m quite a fan of Twitter. By following a diverse group of people I’m exposed to ideas, articles, blogs and links that I would probably never find any other way. Here’s the winner of the Ukraine’s Got Talent competition, Kseniya Simonova, doing an extraordinary sand sculpture of the German…
You say tomato, I say…
3 August 2009A friend, who shall remain nameless for the time being, wrote an update on Facebook the other day saying she had just bought a new bathing suit. Now apart from the fact that I am insanely jealous of seemingly EVERYONE ELSE in the world who is taking holidays right now, and I’m not, this little…