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Neil's Blog 2007
~~~~~~ 27th Nov 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Over the past couple of weeks I've been building a new website for Angler's Companions. Visit www.anglerscompanions.com if your interested. Smiles.
~~~~~~ 16th Oct 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Glass
Well? Which is it today?
Please select
Half full or Half empty?
~~~~~~ 11th Oct 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TED.com
Been meaning to post this for some time. TED.com - Technology, Entertainment, Design, subtitled as "Ideas worth spreading", is the online resource of the annual TED conference. You have to be pretty special to get to go to the conference, and equally special to get to present your message. But now, thanks to this web thingy, there are some 150 thought-provoking videos for you to watch for free.
So settle back, open your mind to ideas, and see how some of the smartest minds in the world want to make - and are making -a difference to the world.
My top three TED Talks are Sir Ken Robinson (on Intelligence), Ze Frank (because its a great fun presentation) and Cameron Sinclair (Architecture for Humanity).
~~~~~~ 4th Oct 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Left or Right Brained?
Here's a cool little test, courtesy of www.news.com.au. Here As soon as I saw it I was using the right side of the brain. And after about 30 seconds I managed to see it the other way round. Then switch between left and right just by blinking. Cool. Reading the list of functions, I tend to the right side in personal life, and left side in business. How interesting!
LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS uses logic, detail oriented, facts rule, words and language, present and past, math and science, can comprehend, knowing, acknowledges, order/pattern, perception, knows object name, reality based, forms strategies, practical, safe.
RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS uses feeling, "big picture" oriented, imagination rules, symbols and images, present and future, philosophy & religion, can "get it" (i.e. meaning), believes appreciates, spatial perception, knows object function, fantasy based, presents possibilities, impetuous, risk taking.
~~~~~~ 14 Sept 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FRANCE 0 - SCOTLAND 1 (12th Sept)
A stunning solo wonder-goal from McFadden in the 64th minute means that Scotland - a nation of c5 million - sit top of the group table, above the last World Cup finalists (France population c61 million, Italy c58 million). And now they are debating if it was the best Scotland goal ever, eclipsing Gemmell's 1978 effort against Holland. And I was there! I believe it's the first Scotland win on French soil in some 57 years.
The goalie Craig Gorgon kicked it out, McFadden controlled it, turned and from 30 yards shot brilliantly to score. A true solo goal!
Yet, I had been watching all the other players on the pitch and deciding it was like no rules chess. Everyone has a role to play and when all the individuals work together, magic happens. Yes, only Gordon and McFadden touched the ball for Scotland in those few seconds, but all the other players were doing their bit; marking or running in to space to keep the opposition's 11 busy. And as these individuals did their job, the opportunity was created. A bunch of individuals, with different skills and perspectives, working together for the team goal.
And the supporters - the Tartan Army - did their bit to help the team. Somewhere between 10 and 20 000 Tartan Army made far more noise throughout the 90 minutes than the French support did. Indeed, the French supporters end was mostly full of the Tartan Army, singing loudly to make it feel like a home match.
There are individuals in a team, but no I in TEAM! 0-1
(Pics: Tartan Army marching through the Paris streets before the match; Nessie watches the game from the French end; Two of the many delighted travelling supporters).
~~~~~~ 2nd Sept 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the beginning of last month, I filled out one of my Outcome One monthly aide-memoires setting out that by the end of August, my Edinburgh flat would be ready for sale. One Outcome that I was absolutely committed to achieving. So how did I do? Not only was it ready; the first day open viewing was 30th August. YES!
Interestingly, this month I can't fully commit to agreeing the sale of the property because I am relying on others. Someone needs to make the right offer! This month's goal is therefore to ensure the successful transition of the Misys project to internal Business As Usual resources. This I can influence!
~~~~~~ 5th Aug 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Isn't it amazing how many people never spend a penny on bettering themselves, yet spend plenty time in the pub or shopping or doing their hobby? For a small investment I attended Akasha today at the London Palladium. 4 great speakers sharing their knowledge on how to be rich and make a difference to the world. Having listened to Bob Proctor and Dr John Demartini (both of whom are in The Secret), Roger Hamilton and Getrude Matshe my mind is buzzing.
Having attended many similar seminars, I still found great insight into how to become wealthy, and why 4% make 96% of the wealth. The speakers very much came from a social philanthropic perspective too. A few choice thoughts, hopefully still valuable out of their original context:
From Bob Proctor:
- What you do today, is not what you will be doing in the future. But who you are will stay the same.
- It takes the same effort to play small as to play big.
- We all have the same amount of time. You can't manage time; you can only manage your activities. Which kind of kills off the "time management" industry.
- Money is just money. When asked where the money is going to come from, the only true answer is from wherever it is now!
From John Demartini:
- Questions are vital. Most of us don't even have a goal for the end of the month [mine is to have the Edinburgh flat ready for sale]. Here's a big question. What's your 500-year goal? Let me know what it is - drop me an email!
- Your hierarchy of values control everything.
- Don't fit in. If you do, then you're off message!
From Roger Hamilton:
- Be who you're meant to be. Not what others force you to do. Struggling with this? If you are a great people person but rubbish with numbers, what does a corporate entity do? They send you on a "Finance for Non Finance Managers" course. The one thing you are not interested in. Or if you are numbers/logic rather than people, they send you on a "Communication" course. There goes the training budget sending exactly the wrong people on the wrong courses. Doh!
~~~~~~ 2nd Aug 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just back from the US. It's always great to travel, to see new sights on the way there to be stuck in Newark airport whilst nearby thunderstorms wreaked havoc on the aviation plans. I was lucky, at least my flight to Raleigh still took off.
It's the second time to Raleigh but still not been downtown. So no real idea what it's like. But I do know the local mall, the Marriott Crabtree and the Misys Healthcare building. And the 'burbs are very leafy, being carved out of the local pine forest. A successful trip, taking people from uncertainty to certainty ready for the changes ahead.
As I flew out, I could see Downtown. For some strange reason I thought it would be low-rise just like the 'burbs so was surprised when I saw a small cluster of gleaming towers poking up above the trees. The overnight flight back had the fortune to be Business class so I managed to get some sleep. Flying NY to London is odd - it's the only flight I ever take where I wish it was longer. Because once they've served the meal there's only about 4 hours sleep left. Continental insisted in being chatty and slow to serve so I actually forewent the dessert, cheese, after dinner drinks and coffees so I could get some shut-eye.
~~~~~ 25th July 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Interesting weather we're having here in the UK. Last Friday day went to night as a powerful rain clouds dumped weeks of 'winter' rain in 30 minutes over south London. Rivers ran through the streets, traffic lights stopped working and flooded streets snarled up the transport. Relative to those on the Severn and the Thames though we have had it lucky.
Having studied climate change in my Geography degree, we thought global warming was coming. Twenty years later, people still dispute it. Here's a sobering thought though. The planet doesn't need saved; it will continue. It will renew, rebalance and sustain whatever life is most suited to that time. Us humans - and in particular the next few generations - may not. Certainly not in the same style of life as currently.
It is our own arrogance that puts us at the centre. Yes, we cause global warming. And one reason some of us care is because the hope of giving our offspring a better life is in real danger of not being possible. Here in the UK, sky high property prices, lower value pensions (fewer final salary schemes each year stay open), and an increasingly uncertain climate could mean that this generation end up being the one that "never had it so good".
Oh and when the local electricity sub-station goes down....
~~~~~~8th July 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And if it's programmed correctly the date will count down from 85 to Wealth Day each day.
~~~~~~4th July 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To all my American friends, enjoy the festivities. Remember work is on tomorrow and we have an 8am PDT teleconference! Mind the hangover!
Been reading the book "What the Bleep do we know!?" [Arntz, Chase and Vicente]. It is a fairly dense subject - quantum thingies - and I probably preferred the film version as a more suitable level for my interest. And still I had my perceptions challenged, and made new distinctions. It just depends which reality I choose to live in.
~~~~~~1st July 2007~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Start of blog. As ever, timing is critical! If I had started this 3 months ago, I could have talked about all the exciting distinctions I made whilst in Raleigh, North Carolina. Or New York. Or Noosa/Gold Coast/Byron Bay, Australia. Or Manila, Philippines. Or Hong Kong. Or Singapore. Or Dubai.
Most of this was work related, change management in action. One of the fun parts of global operations is the need to engage with people in different time zones. And sometimes it is better to do this face to face. Remember of course that words are only 7% of communication, voice 38% and the rest is down to how you do it. And that is often lost when you are dealing on email or phone only.
I also managed to attend Tony Robbins' Date With Destiny Leadership course in Gold Coast. The enormous value I get from these courses reflects directly in my work. In an increasingly process/formulaic or procedural "project management" mindset we so often forget that it's all about people. NOT a timeline in MS Project. Yes, I get to help others realise their huge potential, and yes, I get to use it to shape businesses to be better than they thought was achievable. And yes, when on a consulting assignment, I use it to make sure we all step up and take on the challenge.
And now I am back in London, I still get to do the cool stuff. Last weekend was another Tony Robbins event - Unleash the Power Within (UPW). As a volunteer crew member, a team of some 250 of us help ensure a safe yet immensely energised and fun event is had by all 10,000 attendees. LIFE will never be the same again for them! Or me.
Livelife, love the adventure!
© ChangeNRJ Ltd 2006-8