Beware the prognosticator
Posted on | December 31, 2008 | No Comments
Picture credit: nikilok
I have an engraved plaque on my desk which warns the reader: “Those who claim to predict the future are all lying, even if by chance they are later proved right.”
A useful caution for any strategic adviser, which we should all heed, especially at this time of year, when all and sundry feel compelled to share their predictions for the year to come. That is not to say that we should not prepare for contingent situations, just that we should not get carried away by an enticing guess.
Nanny State or Ninny State?
Posted on | December 27, 2008 | 4 Comments
Picture credit: Jude
I am wondering when someone will take the UK Cabinet behind the bikesheds and tell them the truth about the Internet. Andy Burnham, Culture Secretary, is the latest member of the UK Government to demonstrate ignorance about the way the world-wide-web works. It’s no surprise that the Government wants to extend the Nanny State but they are acting more like a Ninny State, by not thinking of the practical consequences of their policies.
Team-building is not just for Christmas
Posted on | December 22, 2008 | 1 Comment
Picture credit: fdecomite
It’s been another hard year for the business community and I don’t know anybody that feels relaxed about their prospects for the forthcoming year.
We need to think seriously about how we sustain staff morale not only for the Christmas partying but also for the difficult times ahead.
Books that changed my worldview
Posted on | December 18, 2008 | 7 Comments
Picture credit: oceanflynn
From time immemorial, books have been able to change the way we see our world and each of us probably treasures certain volumes that define our thinking.
From the hundreds of books lining the shelves of my study, I have picked a handful of titles that are especially important to me. My choices were not easy and I’ll share with you the reasons that guided my selection.
Is the left-hand watching the right?
Posted on | December 18, 2008 | 5 Comments
Picture credit: FotoRita
Two pieces of news today: the new owners of Jaguar Landrover seek UK government funding, due to the recession; the makers of the world’s smallest car sign major Formula 1 sponsorship of Ferrari.
Observant readers will know that the company with the begging bowl is the same company with money to burn on the world’s most expensive sport. Clearly cognitive dissonance is not a problem in the boardroom of India’s Tata.
Hey Buddy, want strategy?
Posted on | December 17, 2008 | No Comments
-
Picture credit: sopranos.com
Are there lessons from the world of organised crime for the world of disorganised government?
Sometimes the juxtaposition of two items in a news broadcast catapults my mind towards unusual targets. A report of yet another Government IT fiasco preceded a headline about mafia arrests in Sicily. My mind made the connection between the two stories: joined-up management.
keep looking »
