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Playing the game well

I had such great feedback to the Strategist Beware piece the other week and your responses made me think a little bit more about the chess metaphor.
Chess is a game with clearly defined rules and roles for the pieces and their movement. The Chess player needs to understand these and also needs good strategic and [...]

March 25th, 2009 | Category: Inspirations, Integrity, Performance, Strategy, Talent | One comment

Waltzing at the Crossroads

Picture credit: kerryank                

How many of us are waltzing at the crossroads of life, wondering which way to turn next?  
We face the daily dilemma of choosing between possible futures, each of which seems to pull us even further towards uncertainty. 
We may edge cautiously towards each attractor and yet find ourselves back where we started.
Like it [...]

February 4th, 2009 | Tags: | Category: Credit Crunch, Environment, Inspirations, Performance, Strategy, Talent | 2 comments

Seven pillars of data

Picture credit: icyjumbo           

People readily talk about wisdom, as a natural successor to knowledge, in a logical progression beginning with data and information. 
Many years ago T.E. Lawrence [of Arabia]  famously wrote The Seven Pillars of Wisdom but I must have missed the prequel volume: The Seven Pillars of Data so, I speculated, what would they be?

February 2nd, 2009 | Category: Inspirations, Integrity, Knowledge | 2 comments

A question of balance

       Picture credit: James Jordan

For many years it has been fashionable to talk about striking the right work/ life balance but I feel that simple equation is no longer appropriate, for the emerging circumstances we face.
We need a new equation for those who may find themselves without work.

January 13th, 2009 | Category: Credit Crunch, Inspirations, Strategy | 4 comments

Beware the prognosticator

 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 [...]

December 31st, 2008 | Category: Inspirations, Integrity, Strategy | Leave a comment

Books that changed my worldview

   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 [...]

December 18th, 2008 | Category: Inspirations, Knowledge | 8 comments

BP gets new lifeline

Bletchley Park, arguably the spiritual home of computing in the UK has received a vital injection of cash for essential maintenance, according to the BBC. Kudos to English Heritage, IBM and PGP.

November 6th, 2008 | Category: Inspirations | Leave a comment