We have safety rules for a reason (often a very good reason). But sometimes they can cause problems. For example, I have arthritis in my feet, and I have taken to wearing sandals to better manage the pain. Normally this is not a problem, but if I call on a client, and they have footwear… Read more »
Posts By: John
Strategic Decisions and Aging Facilities
Two articles really caught my eye this month. One was from the UK (thanks to my business partner Patrick Alilovic for finding it,), which discussed risk management and aging facilities. The other was from Australia on how Shell is closing its 90-year old refinery in Sydney, reducing the number of operating oil refineries in Australia… Read more »
Embracing Change
My wife recently upgraded her phone. And it was a MAJOR upgrade, as she had not upgraded in 4-years. She found herself using many new features, and learning about other new features that she did not fully understand … And then … I realised she was embracing change. Many organisations need to change to keep… Read more »
Adjusting Rules of Thumb
Many times I have come across so called “rules of thumb” in delivering my training courses. And I am surprised at how often many people “blindly” accept them – almost with the same reverence as accepting the words of a legally binding standard. I do try to drive home the point that a rule of… Read more »
How Many Contingenies for Contingency Planning
Contingency planning – I am sure everyone has done it in some form. We do it in our personal lives, we do it in our professional lives, and we do it in our recreational lives. Some classic examples include: + a backup plan for rain for an outdoor wedding (alternative plan) + strapping knees or… Read more »
When is Something Fully Loaded
The speedometer on my car goes to 230 km/hr. I seriously doubt if I have the skill to drive my car that fast, but if I could (and did) my car woudl not last very long. As the load on the engine increases, the maintenance requirements also increase – sometimes drastically. This is one of… Read more »
How Does One Measure Success
As I write this, the Australian Open Tennis tournament is being contested. A men’s singles match from the second round caught my eye. It featured Gilles Simon and Julien Benneteau, both from France. Simon won more games (25 to 24) and more points (165 to 163) but Benneteau won the match 3 sets to 2…. Read more »
A New Paradigm Shift for the New Year
First of all … I hope 2012 is an excellent year for you. It appears Thomas Kuhn developed the concept of paradigm shift in 1962 when he wrote “The Structure of Scientific Revolution”. Today, the term is used and often abused, but it appears to be a change of thinking from one way to another…. Read more »
It Had to Happen – AGAIN
I am finishing 8 trips in 9 weeks, and last time I wrote of my “interesting” experience with a hotel smoke alarm. It was my first experience with a smoke alarm in a hotel, and it was caused by a software error. So imagine my surprise when it happened a second time in 3 weeks…. Read more »
It Had to Happen
My work requires me to travel, and currently I am in the middle of a set of many trips (6 trips in 9 weeks, with 3 more potential trips likely to become reality, making 9 trips in 9 weeks). I do have the occasional traveller’s anecdote, and tips for making a journey comfortable and successful,… Read more »