Encountering the resistanceThere’s in inherent fear in most, if not all of us. I used to define it as laziness, but I understand now that’s not what it is. It’s fear. Sometimes hidden, sometimes very barely concealed, freezing fear. Sometimes it beacons you to walk away from an endeavor. Sometimes it will make you run, … Continue reading On encountering the resistance
Category: Stream of Consciousness
Wonderful old technology
I just passed by this vintage Macintosh in the window of a small repair shop close to my office in the center of Brussels.It appears to be sitting there, very important and proud, on top of the display case. Old tech is wonderful. I wanted to share it ...
Sense and nonsense about meetings
We spend a lot of time in meetingsBut it is not always very clear why these meetings are organized. And given that many people actually do not really talk during or contribute to meetings, it makes you wonder whether all attendees need to be present. Why are employers paying money for having perfectly good employees … Continue reading Sense and nonsense about meetings
Simplifying risk models
A brief historyThe relevance of using risk models as the basis for risk management was disputed in the beginning of this century. It actually remains disputed as an approach by a number of authors. In the early ‘00’s, leading risk management advisory companies did not see the reason to use models. They felt it impeded … Continue reading Simplifying risk models
Developing SMARTER processes
Procedures are an integral part of businessThe management of an organization depends for a significant part on established procedures which govern the way in which the organization confronts its challenges. Developing and writing procedures often comes as a afterthought, with either the quality department of a junior collaborator being charged with writing these procedures. However, … Continue reading Developing SMARTER processes
The external cost of internal optimization
Traditional cost reductions don’t take customers in accountMost organisations do not realize they are imposing significant burdens on their users. Any interaction involves a transaction cost. Organizations competed on cost reduction platforms, trying to drive down the transaction cost as low as possible … for their own operations. Quite often, an important part of the … Continue reading The external cost of internal optimization
Get rid of irrelevant process steps
For those of you who speak either Dutch or French, a nice journalist named Brigitte Doucet wrote a comprehensive article based on the keynote I gave at the Software AG Process Forum in February 2011. While I am formally no longer actively working in burden reduction, one of the key elements in our internal audit … Continue reading Get rid of irrelevant process steps
Better capture, processing and next action organization
I’ve been using mind mapping in combination with with OmniFocus for better capture, processing and next action execution. Let me tell you a bit on how I got there.My brain is chaosSometimes, I have chaos for a brain. I’m not kidding. In the past, this has led to those well known and recognized moments of … Continue reading Better capture, processing and next action organization
Four aspects of powerful stories
Why stories are importantI often wonder what makes stories so powerful. Most of the successful business presentations I see are based on powerful underlying stories. The best presenters, be it in the boardroom or in front of a large audience, are able to entice their listeners into entering a story with them. They then lead … Continue reading Four aspects of powerful stories
Fairness is a factor in regulatory compliance
Difficulties in regulatory complianceSome regulations are notoriously difficult to ensure compliance with. Take speed limits for example. Few people will, when confronted with an empty or almost empty road, stick to the speed limits as indicated and “enforced”. Unless you are unlucky or not aware of where fixed and mobile camera’s may be positioned, the … Continue reading Fairness is a factor in regulatory compliance
Exploring The Black Box 