It's you and your workflow, not the tool Let's be clear. There are a lot of really cool tools out there. Both in the Mac App Store and outside of it, there are plenty of interesting tools that may add quite a punch to your workflow. If you get to know them. Intimately. And if … Continue reading How to make your tools work for you
Category: Stream of Consciousness
The need for an integrity oversight committee
Integrity and the continuous batlle against fraud and corruption are stepping out of the limelight where they've been pushed into for far too long. Recent integrity issues, such as the LIBOR scandal, highlight the need for ethical behaviour from the top down, with clear and hard boundaries which are consistently enforced. The case should also … Continue reading The need for an integrity oversight committee
Embedding risk management in the strategy cycle
As of its inception, there have been a lot of comments on COSO-ERM and how it can be applied in practice in an organizational setting. Those of you, dear reader, who have followed this blog know I am not an avid fan of the framework. However, contrary to some experts I don't agree the authors … Continue reading Embedding risk management in the strategy cycle
The rotational audit staffing model – a small audit department’s perspective
Richard Chambers recently published an excellent article on the rotational audit staffing model. I wanted to add my perspective as the CAE of a small audit department, active in an inherently complex sector, development aid. The reality of a small audit department The size of the audit department is most often a function of the … Continue reading The rotational audit staffing model – a small audit department’s perspective
Using Day One on the Mac for activity tracking
Registering internal audit activitiesGood activity tracking is essential for internal audit departments, especially in a small internal audit organization with multiple concurrent responsibilities. At any one day, we are planning a mission, finalizing the reporting on another one, providing advice to management as part of our advisory capacity, and working on an administrative investigation. Add … Continue reading Using Day One on the Mac for activity tracking
Patrick Rhone’s beautiful article “The Farmer” >
Too long it had been waiting on my reading list, but I just rediscovered this pearl by Patrick Rhone, who again shows why he is such a great writer. A quote, among many quotes: This farmer realizes that the relationship with her work, like any good relationship is, and should be, reciprocal. That the work, … Continue reading Patrick Rhone’s beautiful article “The Farmer” >
Getting a bit better >
Interesting article on a personal productivity book. The article, not the book, is written by a former colleague of mine, Simon Perks … very much worth reading. You can find it here. Go check it out!via Simon Perks
The Linked-In title inflation
Just an observationI was just browsing through Linked-In, looking at what my peers and dears were up to in their professional lives, when it struck me that there’s quite some title inflation going on. But hey, who am I to speak, I’ve been at times senior manager, director, client principal, with really no fundamental job … Continue reading The Linked-In title inflation
Bursting the “truth” bubble
Perception versus realityI’ve recently become more and more aware of situations in which people, any people, are trying to interpret the truth to get their way. This may be that they want to be proven right, that they want a larger/smaller share of something, or they just want to save face. No doubt this has … Continue reading Bursting the “truth” bubble
Fear is good – continuing the Kaplan conversation
Fear is GoodRemember the Gordon Gecko character in Oliver Stone’s landmark “Wall Street”? His credo was “Greed is Good”. I want to offer that “Fear is Good”. Fear has helped us surviving as humans, and fear - or its relevant equivalent - can make a survival difference for organizations as well, if we get it … Continue reading Fear is good – continuing the Kaplan conversation
Exploring The Black Box 