thoughts

A Scrum Certification Summer End

2010-09-30T20:40:00.007+03:00

It has been an interesting summer. More interestingly, I am now a certified Scrum Master and Scrum Product Owner.

It feels good to know that an effort has been crowned properly.

Inertia and its anti-Scrum effect

2010-05-15T10:42:00.003+03:00

Working routinely in a changing environment leads to waste, both in the professional and the personal life.

Somedays I just get out of home and take the route to work. The problem is when it happens on a weekend and I completely do not need to visit the office. By the time I realize that I have already wasted time and money on diesel.

The same happens when at work we do not actively choose what and when to do. This is one of the reasons why we should not skip the retrospectives at the end of each iteration, either sprint or change between workdays and weekdays schedule.

Do you have some special mantras that help you keep on track?

Scrum @ BPM

2009-11-02T09:19:00.003+02:00

This morning, while waiting for the Office 2007 update, I was reading an article on the future of BPM - BPM in Ten Years? My Best Shot.

The combination of Scrum being implemented at work and BPM as my future professional target resulted in the idea that BPM's next incarnation will be a mixture of Scrum principles and BPM methodology.

To put it in a few more words, using Scrum, the team members are given freedom to choose their own paths to the target presented by the product owner. They act as rational personas and the result is a much more motivated and capable team.

On the other hand, currently there is little flexibility in the implementation of the BPM modelled processes. Very often the improvements are done like little "waterfall" development stages. There is little flexibility and continuation of the improvements.

This is exactly where the Scrum principles can help. They can empower the team members to provide feedback, influence the workflow and continuously improve, improve, improve... But then comes the question of the most proper management style to allow this to happen.

Peace one day

2009-09-22T02:52:00.003+03:00

You are either a visionary or a crazy man.

One man is searching for like-minded people. Believing that there could be a simultaneous cease fire. Peace one day. Globally.

Currently, the current normal is that everyone is aggressive.

He keeps on doing it for years.

What is the difference between normal and crazy? Normal is what the majority accepts.

This year I heard about it one day after 21 Septermber

Can we change the majority's perception? Can we find and reach the right majority?

Will I hear it on the date next year? Will I have done something to implement the idea?

I am a TED translator

2009-09-16T10:00:00.005+03:00

Today I can proudly tell you that my first TED translation is available. It is the speach about the upcoming singularity by Ray Kurzweil.

I am very happy to have the chance and bring this knowledge to people who are experts in other languages.

Scrum @ home

2009-08-23T20:08:00.002+03:00

A few months ago, the department I work in started implementing the Scrum methodology. Then came Lean. We still try to fight our way through the terminology and ideas. However, thanks to our great Scrum mentor, Monika Kovachka-Dimitrova, I am pretty sure that we have a great chance become winners.

In the meanwhile, I've decided to start applying some of the Scrum principles in my personal life. Probably it is due to the smaller scale, but the positive results started flowing right after the first weekend sprint. Even when I involved my family in the planning, the results made me jump for joy.

The morale of the story is the following:
Maybe, after reading Ken Schwaber scrum books, you are still not completely persuaded that scrum works in a strenuous environment. If that is the case, I recommend to give it a try and experiment with your own tasks. I am sure the results will surprise you ;- )))

Being in Madrid and reading Terry Pratchet

2009-05-20T18:32:00.000+03:00

There is some strange magic in this combination. The bustling with live and emotions Madrid can give you its own visual interpretations of the Discworld. It can do so to the almost unbelievable degree when you can find the characters and situations from the book on the very streets you are enjoying while sightseeing.

This city bends the universe around its flamenco, corridas, sun and smiling citizens. Even the basic laws of the universe as we know them are distorted by the extremely powerful atmosphere of this city. The easiest example: do you know what does E=mc^2 transforms into?

E=mucho callor^2

With the Making Money as my bed time reading, my experiences from the day get mixed with the magical world. So, my recommendation if you are reading Making Money is to do so while spending money in the midst of the Spain's capital.

Docupedia

2009-04-14T20:59:00.005+03:00

Well, the collaboration workspace, the docupedia project that I spoke about, is now live. If you want to see what the next generation of product documentation is, you can go to

and see for yourself.

As one of the main aims is to let you actively collaborate in editing the existing documentation by applying to it your professional experience, you will be asked to register.

After that, the only way is up ;- )))

Birthday Party and Presentation Preparation

2009-04-07T22:58:00.004+03:00

Last week was my birthday. Together with this I watched several in house presentation. You might find entertaining the similarities between preparing for a birthday party and a presentation.

who has accepted you invitation / who will participate
what are their tastes / their background
what is the preferred music style / voice and body language
what do you expect as a present (have you prepared it by seeing information to them on what are your preferences) / did you warm up the atmosphere with information that leaked several days upfront

If you can find more such couples, please do share them with us:

Dying by principles in Bruges

2009-03-31T11:01:00.004+03:00

If you want to live by some principles, then you have to be careful what principles you choose. You should also beware what are the exit conditions (to disregard these principles) you define. Or at least investigate thoroughly before applying a principle. Cause if you don't, you are a goner for no reason.

To understand what I mean, you have to watch In Bruges. However I do not recommend you do so if you are in a sensitive mood, or with a girlfriend, wife, kids... you get what I mean. This movie is a step higher than Two Smoking Barrels in blood spill, nostalgia and especially regret.

I still do not get it how the city of Bruges has allowed this movie. I shiver even at the thought of going there, not to mention that I do not want to check neither the city square, nor the cathedral, nor nothing...

On BPM Methodology by SAP

2009-03-28T23:59:00.003+02:00

Moist von Lipwig (from the Discworld) knows that if you seek successful operations, you should make your products easy to consume.

SAP knows the same. To speed up BPM adoption, they provide their customers with BPM methodology advices available on an SCN Wiki page. There are also other materials that you might find useful.

On the restrictive side of tribal behavior

2009-03-26T10:57:00.003+02:00

Today I participated in a very indicative meeting which demonstrated that tribal behavior can restrict communication and exchange of ideas.

One of the topics discussed was how we, in our department, use one of the company-wide systems. There were many proposals and interesting ideas. What stroke me was the assumption that we should find our own workarounds and then think about the implications they will have on the system and the other users.

I pictured ourselves as members of small tribes (departments) in the vast greatness of a dessert (the company system). Even though we all fight to survive (deliver on time), we devise our own solutions and never take advantage of the economies of scale.

This made me feel sad. We are pretty strong in our knowledge of the system, but apparently quite reluctant to share that knowledge with the outside world. Behaving in the opposite direction to what Seth Godin proposes severely diminishes the chances of spreading our ideas.

Sad but True.

Perls, Tribes and Business Processes

2009-03-24T23:00:00.003+02:00

Is it possible to say that the following relations are true:

perfect teacher, perfect student, perfect textbook (as in The three golden pearls)

to

perfect common goal and tribe leader, perfect tribe members, perfect tool or communication media (as in Tribes by Seth Godin)

to

process optimization, process members organizational culture, supportive organization/tools/machinery (as in Business Process Driven SOA using BPMN and BPEL)

?

Terry Pratchet on Money. The Matrix. Silly Money.

2009-03-19T22:11:00.006+02:00

I never stop amazing at the amount of everyday issues covered in the books of Terry Pratchet. As I was re-reading Going Postal, I enjoyed the examples he gives on money, greed and consequences. Probably you will enjoy it more to find them on your own. I will just hint you here the one that I like the most: "money ... is kind of a shared dream". The magic works until somebody wakes up. Just like in the Matrix. While you sleep - you are fine. When you wake up - you are scared. In the end it is up to you which life or pill you choose.

To keep the smile on your face, here is a link to the wonderful Bird and Fortune explanation of the current Financial Crisis.

Collaboration Workspace

2009-03-17T22:51:00.004+02:00

There is a very fluid like connection in my mind from the Tribes, through the post Slack to the community moderators training I am taking part of. Actually, it feels like riding on the crest of a wave. When ready, I would be happy to share a link to this new community with you.

For the moment, a slight hint would be collaboration workspace.

Going Corporate

2009-03-14T23:59:00.001+02:00

Junior Postmaster Groat has been in this junior position ever since he has moved one step up the ladder. Actually lower than him is only the apprentice.

This simple Going Postal story reminded me of Cul-de-Sac from The Dip. Even worse is the fact that this symbolic Junior Postmaster is the position probably many of us occupy in some large organization. Our last hope is that there is always hope, as long as we keep searching.

Achievements through sacrifices

2009-03-11T00:22:00.007+02:00

Yesterday the temperature difference was especially harsh. I was appropriately dressed, so did not really felt the cold. This fact brought to my mind an interesting thought. I was achieving my short term goal of not catching a cold this day. However, I was tampering my long term objective of strengthening my body through measured dosages of stress. If by some reason I had to bear the cold without my gear, I would be less resilient and perish more easily.

Similarly, to survive an economic crisis, a company should protect itself against the currently harsh conditions (by laying off people, cutting R&D or marketing or HR budget and similar). The important point to keep in mind is the plan how to emerge as a stronger player after the crisis (in this case R&D effectiveness turns out to be a key factor).

This can be summarized as follows:

make a balance between
long term and short term
goals and achievements
and decide which one to sacrifice
(preferably surviving long enough to judge upon viability of our plan)

Guy Kawasaki

2009-03-09T23:52:00.002+02:00

A link from Ekaterina's blog lead me to these rules How to Change the World

Apart from having a nice post about a very interesting car (Audi R8) it has some interesting observations on Macintosh history in the making and About information on effective learning. So, I think I will give it a try ;- )))

Language as The barrier to entry

2009-03-06T23:49:00.004+02:00

Sometimes "small" things, such as the language you use might prevent your expansion to a new market. This is the case with, in my opinion, the best site for mobile phones tests:
The people who work there are incredible professionals. They always know where to look for details and can help you actually feel what it is to have this phone. As they are pretty strong on their market, they can afford not to adhere to the restrictions of the advertisers and so they provide unbiased opinions.

If by any chance you understand Russian, go and indulge yourself. If not, find somebody who does. The not so full English version of the site is also there. In the extreme case, use Google Translate. Whatever way you choose to go, it will be pity to miss this resource while preparing for the next buy of your phone companion.

The stress surrounding the change

2009-03-03T23:58:00.001+02:00

It still amazes me how much stressful a small change can be, even to the extent of willingly returning to the previous and probably less optimal situation. (In addition, the physical attraction to an object that I am used to is something near the end of my understanding.)

Three days ago I have changed my phone with a new one from another manufacturer. My old one was so badly damaged by the years spent in my pocket that some of its more desired functions were not functional anymore. The new one is shiny and have so much new things to get to know. However, the effort it takes to get acquainted with it led me to reevaluation of my decision to start this change. The solution for the moment is to use both of them for the time being.

This is a simple example from my own experience. Nevertheless, it made me think about the feelings of the employees, that are asked by their managers to learn to work with a new version or even a product from a new vendor. I am confident that even if they were enthralled at first, they needed encouragement to keep going.

What could be used in such cases is some mentoring, some positive example and a hope that we can get over the troubles. Even if there is no such example for our specific problem I can bet that a new one would be more than happy to be created by me, you or your friends ;- )))

Prioritization

2009-02-25T10:45:00.000+02:00

Last night I was torn between two programs on the television. The first one was on DW-TV about innovation in Germany and the Hasso Plattner Institute (interesting for me as I work for SAP). The other one was the Fight Quest on Discovery Channel (interesting for me as I was a keen practitioner when I was at school).

Both of them were too late at night. Both of them were running almost simultaneously. Both of them were attracting different parts of my attention. I ended up feeling just like in the good old school years with a lot of studying and fighting.

Eventually I made a choice to switch between the channels and to watch both of them. It was just like in real life - dynamically switching between tasks and balancing the priorities.

Dressed for Success - a practical example

2009-02-24T19:15:00.000+02:00

People tend to change their attitude towards you based on their perception of your clothes.

To check this statement, I have made a simple experiment.

One day I went to buy fresh bread from the nearby shop, I wore a leather jacket (that actually makes me looks pretty nice). The next time, the morning was particularly cold, so I wore my skate boarding jacket. Interestingly people treated me with more respect when I was with the leather one, even though it is three times cheaper.

The reverse experiment is to go on the skiing slope. You get more respect based only on the correct choice of clothes.

So, no matter where you go, do your research and get dressed for success.

Deutsch lernen

2009-02-22T22:33:00.005+02:00

Bill Gates asks on ted.com what makes a good teacher.

I think I know.

Two weeks ago I started studying German. I think that our teacher is an example for a good teacher. With her passion she encourages the whole group to think and learn in the early hours of the day before we start our work. So, if necessary, I can send Bill a video of her lectures ;- )))

good at Lobbying is not equal to good at Inventing

2009-02-20T23:52:00.001+02:00

I watched a documentary on a Viasat channel about the Wright brothers. The story describes how they have managed to achieve what others backed by $ 50,000 of government funding could not.

This brought me to the obvious conclusion that:
"Good at Lobbying is not equal to good at inventing, nevertheless it seems that good at lobbying is equal to good at spending."

Check how the government money are used by the big companies during the crisis. It will not become obvious right away. We need to wait till someone involved starts to talk. But it will be just like the Wright brothers story - somebody small, based on enthusiasm will find and implement the solution, while big spenders will charm us with their heroically futile eloquence.

Check the 18 billion in Wall Street bonuses of the top bank managers, who needed urgently government backup... I suppose that they could have lived this year without these money.

Where are the people in BPM?

2009-02-18T15:47:00.003+02:00

As I am reading through the second part of the BPM Roadmap, I cannot help but ask myself the question:

"Among so much information about processes and technologies, why there is no information about the people who will actually contribute to this revolutionary evolution?"

Is it just that I have not finished reading the book, or simply the people factor is not on the agenda?

On the first part of the BPM book

2009-02-13T00:01:00.005+02:00

Some time ago I finished reading the first, theoretical part of the book BPM: the SAP Roadmap. It reminded me of the good old university years and the textbooks full of theories, history and new ideas. If you are not a believer in BPM, it probably will not manage to persuade you. For this, you will have to read the rest of the book. Probably a couple of independent source of information will prove usable as well.

However, this first part of the book will reveal you the enormous amount of effort behind BPM. You will feel the weight of the million hours of discussions and intellectual investement. The amount of experiments and improvements will finally dawn on you.

As a result you will feel the urge to continue reading it.
Just like I did.

Observations on People

2009-02-12T22:11:00.003+02:00

To find out what is the population in a given area are, you should do what explorers are doing while researching different animal species. It is - visit the places where the subjects engage in the basic and most common activities. Simplistically, these activities are: eat (or buy food), drink (or have fun), mate (or have sex) and sleep. Note, that the values in the parenthesis describe the human equivalent to the animal activities.

From time to time I try to do such observations to get an idea about the society around me. Honestly speaking, the results are not promising.

Learning

2009-02-10T20:53:00.000+02:00

I love learning.

Sometimes I just read or listen to new sources of information, just to check if they provide something new and interesting. I suppose this is the reason, why I was so happy when my wife pointed me to the UC Berkeley Webcasts

Watching the videos I can almost feel like I am actually there. At times I even feel like the Good Will Hunting.

Is it good, or is it sad?

I do not know. What I know is that I am grateful to the people at UC Berkeley for sharing their knowledge and culture of education with us. I hope to be able to pay them back some time (at least by spreading their cultural values ;- ))).

Confirm your information before acting upon it

2009-02-09T20:43:00.002+02:00

One of the many advices in the Yes or No book is that you should research and confirm your information before acting upon it. This is an example of such a situation.

Yesterday I read in Powerful Reports and Proposals an advice about structuring your writing. Today I saw the very same structuring rule applied in the BPM book. This confirmed the theory that it is nice to warn your readers what to expect from the next part of your writing.

After that I prepared this post according to this rule.

TED

2009-02-07T18:53:00.012+02:00

This is one of the places I go, whenever I need to convince myself that life is not "all about the money".

This week they are holding their talks in California. Although currently you can view only Bill Gates, one of the other speakers is Shai Agassi. I am anticipating his talk on TED, as he really is a man of vision. What I remember from his time at SAP is his inspiring presence.

If you have the time, my advice to you is - watch it! Even if you do not fully agree with him, you can learn from the passion with which he supports his "ideas worth spreading" and makes us dream with him.

"Let me see you make decisions...

2009-02-04T12:03:00.012+02:00

...Without your televisions" - Depeche Mode

(Although I find it strange) I tend to watch television more, when I have to start working on a scary problem.

Based on this observation, lately I had to deal with a lot of such issues, since the last couple of evenings were wasted in front of the tube waiting for an answer...

So, the first phase, the realization of the problem, is successfully passed.

Do I have the courage to move to the next level - buy a book, talk to a friend and make up my mind?

over (DE)centralization

2009-01-29T12:21:00.004+02:00

Centralizing the control and knowledge in one point is in effect creating a single-point-of-failure and multiple points willing to relocate to the center. As a result motivation to work is reduced, creativity is restricted by burdening and tangled communication channels,

Over decentralization is equally dangerous. Surprisingly for the very similar reasons.

To me, this rule is equally true for countries, governments and enterprises. I hope to find some guidance how to balance between these two extremities.

Sun smile

2009-01-27T09:33:00.007+02:00

This morning, for no particular reason, and despite all the troubles that are pressing my head, the sun in the sky made me smile.

I suppose this is due to the fact, that from the evolutionary theory perspective, we are all children of the sun. A fact to support this is the ease of communication that a single smile can bring.

The sun is behind clouds now, but the memory of it is still alive. I plan to share it with whomever I meet today ;- )))

"Yes" or "No"

2009-01-26T23:41:00.004+02:00

"German" or "Chinese"

Sometimes the best motivator is the situation we are dealing with.

For a couple of days I have been wondering which language or learn: German, Chinese or a combination of both. The big problem was that both courses had to start at the same time.

Before taking a decision, I did my preparation according to the guidance of Spencer Johnson's "Yes" or "No". My mind was telling me that I should pick up the useful German. My heart was dragging me towards the "cool" Chinese. As a result I was close to the idea of sparing more time for German and keeping the Chinese as a side dish.

Unfortunately for the Chinese, the organizers turned out to be impolite and I lost my confidence in them. So now I am in a position to study German only and search for a new Chinese language course offering.

Additionally, my next target in mastering the "Yes" or "No" tactics is to take decisions without relying on the circumstances.

"I have no particular talent. I am merely inquisitive." - Albert Einstein

2009-01-22T10:58:00.002+02:00

Motivating the Change

2009-01-20T23:11:00.002+02:00

I have finished the first, theoretical part of the SAP book about BPM. It contains a very good summary of the history and theory of the matter.

However, one of the strongest summaries of the whole improvement idea is the one from Exupery:

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless see"

I have tried to connect it with my experience: persuading separate people to yearn is difficult and requires a lot of tact. It is even more problematic in a large organization as it meets different kinds of resistance on different levels and in different locations.

Well, I am most than willing to assist in helping people yearn about the see. I just hope that more of the people I meet will be able to see the poor elephant in the snake's stomach.

The Dip

2009-01-17T23:23:00.003+02:00

At school we were thought that one negative example is enough to invalidate the theory we are trying to prove.

The Dip by Seth Godin is exactly the same example. It shoots at you statements that make you doubt your own behavior. It helps you question the theories supporting your existential philosophy. It is like a real friend supporting you and giving you a hope and advice.

But do not be fooled by the "entertaining book" description on the back cover. A handful of courage to dwell in your deepest motivational factors will not be enough to really entertain yourself and smile at your mistakes. This book will send shivers up and down your spine. But it is for a good reason, as they will help you get through the dip. You can only hope that a fortunate circumstance will face you with it in time before you choose too many wrong battles.

Being Good vs. Being Respected

2009-01-11T20:03:00.001+02:00

As a young kid I watched A Bronx Tale movie. One of the many topics is about the borderline between being good to people around you and being respected by them.

The gang boss Sonny had an interesting summary of the survival rules:
You should be tough on people, so that they fear you. At the same time you should be kind to people, so that they need and maybe love you and do not feel urged to kill you. The secret is in the balance between love and hate.

Nowadays, thinking about murder is not among the widespread fears. Nevertheless there are many different forms of deaths in our society. At work your idea might not win if you are not pushy enough. Or if people think you are too light-hearthed even though this is a sign of a life-philosophy (Happy Gilmore) and not a problem solving capability.

Sadly, even though we are mostly not living in a gangster environment, we are still guided by such rules.

The Original Zebra

2009-01-08T23:05:00.001+02:00

It is Madagascar time again. The focus this time will be on the existentially confused Zebra. He is enjoying and dreaming of the colorful world. Yet, he is trapped by the impossibility to answer the quesiton:

"Am I a black Zebra with white stripes
or white zebra with black stripes?"

Can somebody help him answer it?

What do you mean? What did you say?

2009-01-02T10:29:00.013+02:00

Have you ever wondered why people stare at you with those special empty look, silently conveying to you that they got lost somewhere in your words? What is even worse, as you can not get the precious "empty look" feedback, is to have some of your writings being misunderstood. I suppose this is the reason, why in most cases I prefer the face to face dialogues.

Some time ago, my wife found an interesting sounding book:
Powerful Reports and Proposals.
It deals with corporate communication. The interesting aspect is that most of the observations are true for the off-work interrelations as well. Probably it is due to the fact that after all we are all people.

Nevertheless, if you see some improvement in my writing, then you should know that this book is a good one.

"Hours Passed In Exile"

2008-12-30T23:12:00.000+02:00

Dark Tranquillity

Lost to our many obligations, we often forget the real important things in life. Thanks to the Christmas festivities I had a chance to spend some quality time with my family.

After all, money are not important for themselves. It is the independence that they give us in this money-oriented world.

Strangely enough, the monk in a Frederick Lenz's book says something similar to: You have to be successful in this world, to help people believe you about the spiritual one.

For the New Year holidays I plan to stick to the spiritual and the snowflakes. After that... who knows.

Make a Positive Change

2008-12-25T13:03:00.005+02:00

The Patrician from the Discworld stories says that there are two differences between good and bad people. The first is, that no matter what, the people on our side are the good ones. The second is that bad people make plans how to fulfill their evil deeds, while good people just sit and wait for the good hopes to become reality.

I have nothing to say about the first. However, as it is Christmas time, I would like to ask you to think about the second one. If you are a good person, please:

Make a wish.
Then make a plan.
Execute the plan.
Make a positive change.
Multiply the message.
Stick to the good side of the force.
On the seventh day - relax.

The Street Wisdom

2008-12-23T21:14:00.006+02:00

When I was younger, I used to listen to a lot of rap music. My favorite was a verse from the late 2Pac. It sounded like: "You can be a lawyer or doctor someday. So set your priorities right." Is it not funny how some of the wisest words reach us not from the academics but from the street-wise?

How many books should I read to understand that no matter what seems important to me at the moment - like drinking and fighting, it is the long term goals that should guide my way.

Another such street wisdom that hit me this month is the band Deep Puddle Dynamics and their song The Scarecrow Speaks.

Anyway, it is Christmas time. I wish you maaaany, many happy things and even more clever wisdom.

Merry Christmas!

The Penguins

2008-12-22T22:03:00.004+02:00

It is sometimes funny how many real life stories can be related to an animated movie. A simple 82 minutes of fun for the kids might hold characters description that can help us related them to our real world experience.

This time I will focus on the penguins simply because their picture is the easiest one to draw. I present you the Madagascar.

Look how sad and disappointed are the four penguins staying on the cold Antarctic beach. They have built an image of it in the cosines of their zoo cages. Now this image is somehow frozen and mostly shattered by the snowy winds.

They are just like the people pursuing their dreams. Occasionally when they fulfill their wishes and their dreams come true, the longing for a refreshing scent turns into a freezing stench.

However, what I especially like about the penguins is that they never give up and find another dream to dream.

Just like the Brand New Heavies song says: "Dream on, dreamer"

You can do the talk, but can you do the walk?

2008-12-20T23:48:00.001+02:00

Realizing a problem is not the same as talking about it. See the post for GM (from TED).

The same is said about the Toyota model and the fact that only a few companies are able to reach similar perfectness.

If a manager in a company speaks about a problem and an intention to solve it, then we can measure his or her character, by watching closely the steps the manager takes.

A plasticine example

2008-12-19T18:34:00.005+02:00

Sometimes when you are making plasticine figures you need flexible joints. Sometimes you need stick joints. It depends on how you treat the plasticine. You can warm it with your hands or you can freeze it in the fridge.

People are the same. With the right approach you can either stiffen or soften them. The BIG question it to know the magic word.

THANK YOU ;- )))

"Do onto yourself, before others do onto you"

2008-12-16T12:49:00.001+02:00

Larry Burns on TED

A very interesting summary of a principle I have heard long time ago. At that time I was looking for a new job. I am glad that I found one before the company decided to shrink its volume.

It also connects with the Spencer Johnson's Who moved my cheese and the principle of preparing for the future. This is a lovely book about big changes. You might consider it a little bit unserious. However, one of the high-level managers at the company I currently work for has used it to prepare the management for the coming changes.

For some reason GM got out of luck and others did it onto GM. Now they need a bail out instead of being the grand saviors of the auto industry.

The frog and its pond

2008-12-14T11:00:00.000+02:00

Somebody wise (probably from China) has said that you cannot speak to a frog about the sea as the frog knows only its pond.

At school we were really good compared to the other children in our pond. What made me sad was that whatever I do I will not get up to the height of the frogs from the bigger ponds. Except move to their pond.

Every task is like that. Either you are exceptionally good and eclipse the sea frogs, or you are the best in your pond, or you do not try at all.

"Get big, get niche or get out."

I am still looking for the source of both proverbs.

Wealth Multiplicator v.s. Grief Multiplicator

2008-12-13T12:18:00.001+02:00

If I have 10 euros and lend them to somebody with a 10% interest, then the economy will have 10+10+1 = 21 euros, while the real money are only 10. In result, when the debtor goes bankrupt, the economy will say that 21 euros are lost, while they will be only 10, all out of my pocket. Hence, the lying nature of this system and crisis.

Some may argue about the interpretation of the money multiplicator economic term that we have been recently discussing with my wife. However the story of Bernard Madoff is a confirmation that I have never expected in such a clear way.

I would also like to state that the pure form of banking, as a form of redistribution of assets from people who have them to people who need them should be preserved as the single most influential driver of development (besides human creativity). Only so can we continue to operate with a wealth multiplicator.

It is only the manipulators who should be kept out of the money business. Otherwise the money multiplicator will continue to be a grief multiplicator.

A Lie Multiplied by A Hundred

2008-12-11T00:17:00.005+02:00

At the university we were taught that a lie repeated anywhere from three to a hundred times becomes a reality.

Is it not a paradox, that the stock exchange system, which is based on lies, is actually so fragile?

Like a mist in a fog.

Shape vs. Function

2008-12-10T10:39:00.004+02:00

Every big organization tends to be torn between two sets of rules. As I am reading

Monstrous Regiment, I decided to use the army as an example.

The army has official rules that define its shape. These are the official norms according to which the world believes the army functions.

The army also has rules that help it function. Nobody admits that they exist. Without them the whole structure will implodingly explode in a doomed attempt to fill the shape.

The big question is: Do we need to support both sets of rules?

A Nemawashi Juggler

2008-12-09T15:56:00.003+02:00

Last year the tasks were hitting my head and crushing me onto the ground with an overwhelming fierce. The nemawashi principle of slow and deliberate planning followed by a fast execution was a mere whisper in an abandoned meeting room. I was running after the deadlines like a novice juggler believing that catching is the most important part.

Slowly it dawned on me that the preparation phase, the throwing is the one that needs my attention.

Trying to predict the steps ahead is taking me little by little out of the task swamp now. Thus giving me time to live.

"Your Attitude is Your Life"

2008-12-08T13:10:00.002+02:00

Everyday is full of choices:
- choose an university
- choose a job
- choose a project
...
Choosing actually is not bad. It is a nice exercise for the brain. What matters is your attitude. Your attitude changes your life and the lives of the people around you.

Choose your attitude.
Choose Life.

Education

2008-12-07T14:45:00.010+02:00

"We are born creative. We are then educated out of it" (Sir Ken Robinson)

I suppose that the reason to be in love with mathematics and physics is the freedom to use my "weapon of choice" to solve complex equations.

What do you think will happen if we start using the natal creativity and the gained as adults literacy to prepare for the unpredictable future? Will it be like the Toyota approach to solving problems? I suppose in personal plan it might be even better ;- )))

Mental Institution?

2008-12-04T13:48:00.004+02:00

Zeitgesit is an interesting movie. So interesting in fact, that it made me feel the same as the movie The Twelve Monkeys.

While you watch them, the distinction between sanity and insanity will become unreal. Probably it is because it have never existed? In the end you wonder on which side of the mental institution wall you are standing and what good is the medical attention for.

Uuuuk?

Coconut, Creativity, Collaboration

2008-12-03T11:45:00.001+02:00

Coconuts are tough to crack.

I have tried to make a hole with a hammer and a nail - not quite useful. I have even considered the opportunity to hold the coconut with my legs and use my electric drill to get to the precious core.

Luckily, before embarking upon this innovative approach, I have decided to ask Google. The solution was quite easy and far less endangering my precious feet.

Now I believe that through Creativity and Collaboration we can crack even the toughest Coconuts.

Why do I Look for More Knowledge?

2008-12-02T21:34:00.006+02:00

It is because I have a

between my (y)ears.

SAP, Toyota and BPM

2008-12-01T21:19:00.004+02:00

The first similarities between the SAP and the Toyota understanding of the world will strike from the very Forward page.

After reading just two pages, I realized that the goals for both of them are:
- evolution of existing processes
- revolution to a new level of processes getting outdated
- keeping the symbiosis between the previous two.

From then on, it just went enthralling.

The Intricacies of Human Perception

2008-11-30T11:45:00.006+02:00

"What a nice snow we have today on these gorgeously romantic stones" I thought when I saw the picture this morning.

For me it might be really snow, since it is winter outside.

It can equally be the sand dunes near Tarifa, Spain where the photo was taken there this summer by a friend of mine.

From a factual point of view this last fact is important. From an emotional one - it depends.

2008-11-29T23:23:00.004+02:00

Ken_Robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.
My greatest fears about my education, might actually prove right.
If we are blinded by our education system, do we stand a chance to distinguish good from bad?

(Business) Process Management

2008-11-27T18:27:00.007+02:00

I have been interested in (business) process management for many years. Even before I knew what exactly it means. For example, I was keen on managing the process of disassembling my new toys and then assembling several other new toys from the parts in a business oriented manner (having several toys for the price of one plus the craftsmanship).

However, to put a new beginning (after my master degree in BA), I decided to check this Business Process Management: The SAP Roadmap book.

At first sight, it looks quite corporate. It is also very heavy. I suppose it is from the hidden knowledge inside ;- ))) It contains some remarks about the Toyota way as well, so I expect an interesting reading.

If I manage to understand it, expect more thoughts on it

Can you make a (positive) change

2008-11-25T10:44:00.008+02:00

Sometimes I wonder how much effort is necessary to make something good for the community.

I think it is not so much.

The difficult part is to make it in a sustainable manner.

Almost always it is not a question of me doing something. It is more about involving more people in the good initiative, so that it can gain momentum.

It is almost like the Biblical: do not give food to the poor, but rather teach them how to earn it.

Shall I dare to believe?

2008-11-23T20:11:00.004+02:00

I am reading the book The Toyota way. It is all about the perfect work environment in Toyota. Probably it really is so, since they are probably the mightiest car manufacturer in the world. Nevertheless, it still sounds incredible to me, especially comparing it to my experience.

I suppose that some bright day, I will find myself working in a similarly efficient organization.

Until that day come: Today -Toyota.
Tomorrow - Lexus?

When dealing with false money and unprotected expectations, panic rules the hearts of people

2008-11-22T00:09:00.008+02:00

The last news I heard on the TV was about a big bank, that is supposed to be going down due to "lost faith of the investors". What I do not understand in this case is - how can a bank with more than 50 billion dollars more than the required reserves be at risk?

In parallel, another similar meaningless statement, sounding like: We predict that in 2008 our increase in profit will be less than the one in 2008. Therefore we are in crisis, so we will fire most of our american employees.

Are all the people lobotomized?

First Lego League

2008-11-21T09:38:00.003+02:00

Working with kids from an elite school over a First Lego League mission proved to be extremely stimulating. My mind went wild while solving complex mathematical issues in the breaks. Communication with them proved to be an accelerated version of my otherwise heavy workload.

Unfortunately all these positive emotions happened last year while I was one of their two mentors.

This year I only watched the presentation of the new team. Nevertheless, the memories came to life and I felt again the thrill and emotional uplift of working with motivated young people.

Let's hope it will happen again ;- )))

A creative soup

2008-11-17T13:27:00.006+02:00

Have you ever thought of ways to heat a soup, that should not be heated in the stove or on the hotplate, for a fear of burning it?

Well, we had to think about ways to heat our potato cream soup. The first attempts (on the hotplate and in the grill) resulted in... ;- )))

However, this weekend our creativity brought us to the idea of making the soup a little bit denser. Thus being able to dilute it with hot water, whenever we need it hot.

Long live the cooking creativity!

Paradise and denial

2008-11-17T11:18:00.007+02:00

Finally I have managed to watch the beach.

Very nice music, very nice beach, very big lies and a lot of denial.

Is this movie a confirmation that we live only when we make mistakes?

To live in "interesting times"

2008-11-15T19:10:00.007+02:00

A few days ago I was discussing the curve of the work load that we have to live with.
The obvious observation was that sometimes it is going steeply up to a point that goes beyond our strength. The result is that then we eagerly want to reduce this load. However, sometimes it is going down to the level of complete boredom. Subsequently we feel a desire to start a new venture, we get itchy feet, so to say.

Then I was wondering about techniques to level this workload, so that we have to apply an even amount of effort throughout our lives. It would be great, I thought, and was almost ready to jump with joy, but... a worrying image formed in my mind. The image of an emergency room, with a lot of hurrying doctors around patients. And the occasional biiiip sound of the supporting machine when a patient decides to totally level the work load.

No, thank you, was my decision. I would rather live with up and downs in the work load than in a constantly boring environment.

Creativity and Play - Photo

2008-11-13T13:49:00.004+02:00

And now...
Here is a picture of my first creativity effort.
I would like to ask you to try it yourself. It is really quite fun.
It can even relieve you from the work stress, so that you can continue helping our world get out of the crisis situation.

World Piece ;- )))

Creativity and play

2008-11-13T10:31:00.001+02:00

Hello again ;- )))
Three days ago, I stumbled across a very interesting presentation on ted.com about creativity and play.
It made me think that lately I was hardly ever using my hands to create something material.
One day later I was already equipped with plasticine, a modeling board and a modeling knife. The first result is already available - a small phone mock up of the corporate one. Soon I will post a photo of this great masterpiece.

The drive behind it

2008-11-11T23:10:00.000+02:00

For quite some time now I have been wondering about the highs and lows of the blogging art. Mainly it was about having time and bravery to share.

Then came the Seth Godin's blog that started shaping some of my views of the world. And finally the post of the sought after employee: The marketer's attitude

I know I am not in the professional marketing. However, I believe that we as communicating entities are constantly in interaction with the other such ones. Therefore, knowing basic marketing principles might prove useful.

Being "curious enough about" my "own ideas I decided to blog" them for others to react to as this is the best way to find out my place in relation to you. So, I would highly appreciate your replies and try to reply with the same.