'I got a thing, you got a thing, everybody's got a thing'

I am a long time Parliament-Funkadelic fan. For years, I have struggled to get any video footage of them. There's a bunch on YouTube. For me, the cream is this from the self-titled album.

'Curiosity did not kill this cat'

The IoS has a great interview with Studs Terkel. You can listen to the audio of 'Born to Live' here. It's well worth an hour of your time.

Sampling & Copyright

Interesting interview with Hank Shocklee (Public Enemy) and George Clinton, the man behind Parliament & Funkadelic - my all-time favourite sound.

Planned randomness in a world of forecasted coincidences...

Shit, Alan Coren is dead. I'll listen to his Idi Amin sketches (voiced by John Bird) tonight. Strangely, I had made a mental note last night to bring them into work this morning, apropos of nothing.

---------

So Benazir is back in Pakistan. Pakistani's are very politically aware - until its election time of course, at which point they lose their marbles. Pakistan's history is tainted by the cycle of army rule giving way to a sham democracy - a sham as the country is essentially ruled by a wealthy elite for its own benefit.

Some would consider the recent intervention of the judiciary as a welcome factor. Given that they have been pliant during the long years of intrigue, I rather suspect that they have decided to flex their muscles for a share of power and the booty. A sad result for a country that was intended by its founder to be a secular democracy.

---------

I think religion is ok. I am not religious, but it can have benefits. It can also have major downsides, and is often misinterpreted, misrepresented, hijacked, twisted, etc.

But sometimes...I regard religion as a terrific unifying force for morons who lack both the imagination and courage to take a long, hard, critical look at their lives, examine their values, beliefs, and reflect on the decisions they have made.

----------

I haven't written any poetry or prose in a while and I am getting restless...

It's not the lack of opposable thumbs...

I read this and thought of dinosaurs becoming extinct. Did anybody else feel this way?

Life is Better under Boney M

No kidding, read this.

I remember dancing to 'Brown Girl in the Ring' at Oxford Road Primary School when I was in the infants group (some would say I never really left).

“Bah! Overvalued!”

So Jim Michaels has rolled on. Business journalism would do well to return to lean, tight prose and call a halt to sycophancy Here's his report of the assassination of Gandhi Ji.

Welcome to...Raffiella

Born this morning, weighing in at 8lbs exactly. Wow, another life enters the ecosystem. I'm off to think about pressies and stuff...but credit, respect and congratulations to DaBomb & Blondie xx

As Al Green sang, 'Let's stay together'

Been looking at Chinese joint-venture structures today. Only now are mistakes made several years ago coming back to haunt the partners, whether they're HSBC, Danone or AN Other.

Virtually all of the problems stemming from ignorance of the Chinese saying 'Tong chuang yi meng' (same bed different dreams).

Differences in mission, values and mindsets, which neatly segueways into my DoM work for Henley. The papers I read before the workshop need to be reread - this time with summary notes written.

Head hurts. Off to osteo tonight.

Listening to

• 'Eric Burdon Declares War' by Eric Burdon and War. 'Spill the Wine' is brilliant, but their version of 'Tobacco Road' is a visceral tyre-burner
• 'Best of Billy Larkin & the Delegates' for 'Cuchy Frito Man' & 'Pygmy'
• 'Up with Donald Byrd'

Mutton dressed as...well, mutton

The Today programme on Radio 4 this morning briefly reported on the re-emergence of mutton, and discussed with someone in the trade the reasons why this may be so, including increasing numbers of Eastern Europeans, its use by TV chefs, etc.

What wasn't mentioned was that a great many South Asians eat mutton, and this may have increased slightly, what with sneezing chickens and spontaneously combusting cows.

Be amazed! Witness the rebirth of Henry Blodget; forgive, but never, ever forget (caveat emptor).

Again

I had another stab at the Keirsey Test again, and despite answering certain questions differently (the time of day and my mood do indeed make a difference), I came out as a Guardian again (sounds a bit He-Man and Masters of the Universe, doesn't it?).

Unless I cough up for the report, I won't find out which type of Guardian character I am, whether Supervisor (ESTJ), Protector (ISFJ), Inspector (ISTJ) & Provider (ESFJ), where:

(E)=Expressive vs. (I)=Attentive
(S)=Observant vs. (N)=Introspective
(T)=Tough-Minded vs. (F)=Friendly
(J)=Scheduling vs. (P)=Probing

Perhaps its something I can pursue with the Henley Careers Service after graduation, in three years time?

The Keirsey Temperament Sorter

I just tried the Keirsey Temperament Sorter.

Here are the results:

Guardians are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply--and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.

Guardians can have a lot of fun with their friends, but they are quite serious about their duties and responsibilities. Guardians take pride in being dependable and trustworthy; if there's a job to be done, they can be counted on to put their shoulder to the wheel. Guardians also believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even a fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost. Perhaps this is why Guardians honor customs and traditions so strongly--they are familiar patterns that help bring stability to our modern, fast-paced world.

Practical and down-to-earth, Guardians believe in following the rules and cooperating with others. They are not very comfortable winging it or blazing new trails; working steadily within the system is the Guardian way, for in the long run loyalty, discipline, and teamwork get the job done right. Guardians are meticulous about schedules and have a sharp eye for proper procedures. They are cautious about change, even though they know that change can be healthy for an institution. Better to go slowly, they say, and look before you leap.

Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population.

The four Temperaments are:

Artisans™ prefer jobs where they can troubleshoot, respond to crises and negotiate. They also enjoy identifying and responding to opportunities.

Guardians™ prefer jobs that demand responsibility. They enjoy improving the efficiency of processes and setting up standardized procedures.

Rationals™ enjoy jobs that demand a high level of expertise and high standards of competence. They enjoy designing and understanding systems.

Idealists™ enjoy jobs that allow them to support and encourage others. Their tendency to be enthusiastic can energize and improve the moral of others.

I guess that like Belbin team roles and Honey & Mumford's/Kolb's learning styles, it is all a matter of degree - there is rarely a single, absolute classification or silo.

I'll try it again later on. I doubt I will be any the wiser unless I pay for the report.

Should I be angry or depressed?

Amidst my personal development planning today (which leads to confronting some uncomfortable tiny truths about myself), I made time to read the latest quarterly newsletter from Medicins Sans Frontieres that came in this morning's post:

'The river flows dirty and turbid. Every time I travel on it, I imagine it's even dirtier underneath because of all the bodies that were thrown into it during the big massacres of 2002 when groups were fighting for control of the waterways. But the river does not see, hear or say anything. It flows in silence as we advance against the current.'

Victor Garcia, head of an MSF team in Catatumbo, Columbia

I am also looking at a picture drawn by a Columbian child, which features corpses in a long boat and on the bank, figures on bended knees, pleading for their lives in front of a gun man. How do you pick out a fear so deeply rooted that it becomes a part of your identity?

'I feel caught between a crocodile and a snake'

A Rohingya (muslim minority) refugee in Bangladesh, seen as an unwelcome economic migrant, having fleed Myanmar, where he is denied citizenship (and presumably, health care, education, a job, a home and food).

I think it's better to be angry, and channel it into something useful. Nobody should live like this.

Reflections on a Weekend Workshop by the Thames

It felt right. The environment lends itself to quiet reflection (watch the mist early in the morning; it’s something quite special). The staff attended in number; attentive, stimulating, probing and challenging. I was surprised by the number of them that possessed a Henley MBA and the commitment they personally demonstrated to lifelong learning and/or research. As for the students/candidates/delegates/customers/punters, it’s fair to say we represent a diverse bunch of backgrounds, circumstances, personalities and aspirations. Yet we are all embarking on this journey together. The group – more than any other entity – is the source for stimulation, support & knowledge. The entire cohort seemed like a delightful bunch, and I was very pleased to share my first moments in the day with Mike Powell, Jon De’ath, John Nash & Nikki Hood.

I found the initial exercises opened people up to talking to each other and remembering names; whether it was ‘people bingo’ (close, but no cigar), throwing Phils’ & Chris’ balls around or lowering Dalty’s ‘magic stick’. I noticed that the tutors pushed us for answers before they presented the theory – very little spoon-feeding right from the start.

The most impressive aspect of this workshop is the attention to building the foundations – building relationships between students & staff, as well as encouraging self-awareness – the key stuff that will help us make it through to the end, shaking Harry Potter’s hand at the graduation ceremony.

Belbin Team Roles – I found the results very interesting. Two of my colleagues had previously rated me as a Resource Investigator, which came out strongly, although I was even stronger as a Monitor Evaluator. I found it interesting that weaknesses in one of these team roles could be mitigated by strengths in the other. However, the report was based on self-perception rather than an observer assessment offering 360° feedback and potentially greater accuracy, so I should still keep an open mind on this aspect. Of more interest were my weak spots – Completer Finisher (despite graduating with a good engineering degree, I never had the patience to sit at a workstation and design chips) & Teamworker (although I work fine in a specific team at work, I generally operate in my role as a ‘loner’ out in the Far East, and use diplomacy sparingly by choice, although this varies with the culture I am dealing with at the time). These weak areas need to be improved if I am to attain that MBA.

Learning Styles – I found I was equally a Pragmatist (Rabbit) and a Reflector (Eeyore). I found some of the characteristics contradictory, and need to spend time pondering that. Perhaps I should stop eating roast donkey when in Beijing?

Learning Team – a great bunch that immediately got on very well. It’s a shame that we have suffered one casualty, but I understand & respect the reasons for the individual’s decision. It does however highlight the importance of the group as the support team, and the place you go to when you need to sound off, let rip or confide – it strengthens the team, the learning experience and helps reduce tension & stress.

Team Name – we kicked around various options such as ‘The Hairy Kojaks’, ‘The Long & Short of It’, ‘Back 2 Skool’, ‘The Sub-Primes’, ‘Global Financial Crisis’, ‘The Northern Rocks’ (see a theme here?), but eventually settled on ‘The Watford Gap 8’. Yes, we will be selling t-shirts at the next workshop.

Dinner – does Henley teach catering? Perhaps they should – as well as having an on-site dietician. The Principal’s speech was motivating – well, until the bit about plagiarism. I just don’t get it – to get away with plagiarism takes at least as much effort as studying honestly. With a hard won MBA, you can sleep well at night. But with a ‘cheat sheet’, it will always catch up with you.

Study skills – I had almost forgotten Tony Buzan’s mind maps, having received a poor introduction to them at college, and Matty Smith’s terrific session served as a reminder to the team to develop the skills to research data, mine it for information, process it and analyse it in the frameworks given in the domain studies.

DoM & case study – thought provoking and something of a deconstruction. I have used models like MOST, PEST, Kotler’s 7Ps & BCG for years and sometimes veer between system and reductionist thinking – but I do it from ‘the gut’ subconsciously and hence inconsistently. The case study was interesting (I had to back off at times as I had actually read the official report before the accident) in that it highlighted that managers often don’t know when they have dilemmas to resolve, or if they do, they are not always clear on what they are. It also proved that my learning team, like many others, will have different leaders for different things during the learning journey.

There are those business schools that will feed you with theory and wait for you to regurgitate it at exam time, demonstrating little other than memory and exam technique. With Henley, it’s something completely different. These guys want us to succeed.

My thanks to the staff & students that made my workshop very enjoyable.