Being in Madrid and reading Terry Pratchet

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.

On BPM Methodology by SAP

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.

Terry Pratchet on Money. The Matrix. Silly Money.

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.

Going Corporate

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.

Make a Positive Change

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:

1. Make a wish.
   
2. Then make a plan.
3. Execute the plan.
4. Make a positive change.
5. Multiply the message.
6. Stick to the good side of the force.
7. On the seventh day - relax.
   

Shape vs. Function

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?