There’s a growing trend in organisations to outsource their future through innovation labs and innovation competitions. I like to question the rationale behind these decisions and look at the host company more closely. After all, what is behind its decision to handle innovation from outside-in, rather than inside-out? Reasons So let’s explore. Why would an…
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I read Vim‘s article on What Does Failure Mean for Public Services and I wanted to respond. I wanted to build upon Vim’s thoughts from my own perspective. I’ve developed that perspective over a couple of decades working across front-line teams and supporting teams, transforming workforces across public and private sector. This results in me…
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After a late evening fixing a plumbing emergency at home, I’m reminded of the concept of contingency and how it can’t be practically be used as a buffer for all non-planned events. So with my current main client, I start out early in the morning, long before must people (or birds) have risen. My…
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I’m divided in this, but lean towards only brief training, just enough to inform them, rather than enough to practice. On one hand, it pays to understand why change in general is necessary and specifically, why the change that you’re about to implement is necessary. Often I see professionals who spend time with the…
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Have you considered the exclusivity of your relationships? This follows on from the post regarding the value of the data and the priority attached to the relationship or the data. I want to further explore the value of the relationship and shine some light on a different approach. The Scenario It’s the same scenario as…
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Testing is not just for software, but for the business processes, organisation or service that you’re implementing? I’ve seen many test routines that are too artificial, too removed from the reality of what the users will go through. Fortunately this factor has improved over time, especially with more focus on user stories. Let’s consider one…
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I heard this quote the other day, but I didn’t catch who originally said it. Art requires rigour, science requires creativity The first point is that it’s contrary to the standard view. The second point is that both perspectives are valid and that there shouldn’t be that much of a difference. It then made me…
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The following tweet made me consider, initially thinking about the place of Manchester in innovation, but also the wider concept of personal transport versus climate. It rains in Manchester. From personal experience, Manchester doesn’t feel the rainiest place in the United Kingdom, but it does have a reputation for significant rainfall. That doesn’t dampen the…
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Some organisations have a different approach to how they handle the status of a document. The approach belies a more fundamental culture of how work is commissioned and reviewed and how staff are viewed. Background One of my clients exhibited odd behaviour regarding commissioning work and approving it. Due to the nature of the engagement,…
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As news increases of looming bankruptcy for Gibson, the guitar manufacture, I’m left to wonder what happened. How did such an iconic brand end up in such a situation. Gibson is iconic. Ask anyone to name a brand of guitar and it’ll be the answer roughly 50% of the time. I’m reminded of Harley Davidson…
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