Futureneering or future nearing?
I have recently acquired an awesome piece of software, Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 8. This is voice recognition on steroids. I am in the process of training it to my voice and my vocabulary. In fact, this particular blog entry has been done entirely by voice...
Extrapreneurs: Crossing Generations for Disruptive Innovation
The attached article appeared in issue #596 of Innovative Leader, Volume 13, Number 3 March 2004. It is a review and application of Christensen's book on innovation, The Innovator's Dilemma, and encourages companies to get different generations working together in the...
Chip reads mind of paralysed man
by Raymond Is this the first real-life example if effective ‘wet-work’?!?!?! ‘wet work’ – sci-fi speak for computer technology interfaced with human biological systems. Check it out: http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/science/story/0,12996,1448908,00.html Ian...
Storytelling in Organisations
Am reading an interesting book by this title. In many senses it is nothing we don't know or do but someone simply beat us to the punch when it comes to writing it up. I would be interested in any stories / experiences you have in exploring this space within companies....
Correct, cute, cheeky, and/or clever. But which company connects?
A few weeks ago, a wealthy South African businessman paid about R 22,000 to take out a half page advert in a local Cape Town newspaper. His intention was to highlight the bad service he had received from Landrover as they tried to fix his car which had gone into a...
15 Minutes of Wow!
Creating energy in an environment (physical space) seems so simple? When you're in a place that's got it, you know it. And when you're in a place that doesn't, you know it as well. And to complete the thought, if a place doesn't have it and it suddenly needs it, it's...
Diversity: Jean and Frank sharing with Keith and Barrie
Frank and I have designed and proposed a diversity process for Tshwane. Barrie and Keith are lecturing on Diversity in Hawaii every year. Graeme is busy proposing a Diversity process to Tiger Brands. Are we all talking the same language when it comes to embracing...
Burn-out and wellness
Last week a 35-year old, brilliant consultant from Atos-KPMG died of a heart attack. We worked together on the DWAF project. He was an in-shape, lean-looking guy. He leaves behind two small kids (9mnths and 2 years) and his wife. Lesson for myself: Get out on the road...
Cultural Intelligence: Individual Interactions Across Cultures
Earley, P.C. and Soon Ang. (2003). Cultural Intelligence: Individual Interactions Across Cultures. Stanford, CA: Stanford UP. Reviewed by Dave Livermore, and sent to Graeme Codrington by email. Cultural Intelligence: A persons ability to adapt effectively to new...
The Art of Crossing Cultures
A summary of The Art of Crossing Cultures, by Craig Storti, Intercultural Press, Maine, 1990. Complied by Mark Tittley in August 2000, as emailed to Graeme Codrington. Most people want to adapt to a new culture they find themselves in, but most dont successfully...
The Clash of Civilizations
Huntington, Samuel. (1996). The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. New York: Simon and Schuster. reviewed by Sharlene Swartz, as sent in an email to Graeme Codrington on 7 Nov, 2001 The Clash of Civilizations is an impressive book: its analysis of...
Built to Last, by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras
3rd edition, Random House, 2000, ISBN: 0-7126-6968-X Reviewed by Graeme Codrington This is the best selling business book of all time. It beats its prequel, "Good to Great" into second place, and Who Moved My Cheese into third. But is it any good? We think not. The...
From B to E
Wonder what the beer 'die hards' are saying this week (Feb 14, 2005 - Anhauser Busch announce their new 'B to E' drink, a cross between Red Bull and Budweiser)? Probably very similar to the cricket 'die hards' with the advent of 20 overs cricket. The real question is...
It’s Not Personal, It’s Business. Or is it?
A few months ago I was working on a particularly complex, frustrating and taxing project and during a conversation with the company CIO he said something that stopped me dead in my tracks and made me re-evaluate a few things. He said : ‚Don’t worry, it’s not...
How to be a Strong Leader
We all admire strong leadership. In politics and religion, we may not agree with the leader’s intent, policies or beliefs but we are still free to admire their strength. In the business environment, strong leadership is not only encouraged, it is demanded of those...
Three Areas That Leaders Everywhere Dare Not Ignore
Challenged recently to ‘frame’ a leadership development process has led me to set out the following offering. Having had the opportunity to participate in several international leadership formation programmes I am, for the most part, left with a disquiet that is...
The Crazy Zone – A case study
Barrie Bramley provides insight into how to harness the creativityof your team by creating crazy zones. This is one company's story... How do you get 90 employees to double their department’s contribution to the company within three years? If you know Neville Dunn...
Developing people for the future
We know the world is changing faster than ever before. We also knowthat much of this change can be ascribed to the explosion of information andcommunication technologies. But if it is true that information and knowledgedoubles faster than ever before, and if it is...
Baby Boomer in a Virtual World
For me, life has always been about challenge, passion, growth and making a difference. Working each day without experiencing these things would start to cause a slow death inside. I choose to try and live my life to the fullest, to push the limits of my potential....
Gen X Entrepreneurship: Designing a new business model
In the first article in this three article series we identified the fact that generation X entrepreneurs are put off by the perception that a consequence of entrepreneurship is being alone. In this article we will examine the concept of co-operatives as a possible...