Musings

It may take fire

By Dave Snowden  ·  April 5, 2013  ·  Musings

A busy week with three days in Helsinki working on an Agile/Cynefin course and then most of today spent getting to, and handing around in the Royal United Hospital in Bath for a consultation.   That has resulted in a need for me to return sometime soon for my first ever MRI scan (hopefully just a trapped nerve but never ask a consultant about other possibilities).  All in all a busy & somehwat disturbing week but I managed to find time in Helsinki to pick up the illustrated piece from Estonian artist Annika Teder from an antique...

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On eating

By Dave Snowden  ·  March 28, 2013  ·  Musings

A highly enjoyable evening before flying out of Singapore.  A meal, hosted by Peter Ho with Brian Arthur, Jan Vasbinder and Jonathan Ng in Gattopardo in Fort Canning.  Brian and I swapped Northern Ireland stories from the 70s before the conversation covered the design of both justice systems and airports with many other subjects in between and around and about.   I've been at many dinners, lunches and breakfasts with Peter over the years and where there are other guests they have always been fascinating. Brian was the star tonight,...

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On writing

By Dave Snowden  ·  March 27, 2013  ·  Musings

I managed to write a whole article from start to finish today.  It's about Complexity and Lean for the special edition of a journal and ended up with the title Cooks in a Messy Kitchen, thanks to the overall editor Jim Sutton for that.   I also kept it under three thousand words on the first draft which looks to be the final draft.  I can say that as Jim has accepted it without knowledge of the creative process!   Now in IBM days I used to do this a lot.   Getting user orientated articles out was one of the things the Institute for...

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IT futures

By Dave Snowden  ·  March 20, 2013  ·  Musings

I had one big set piece presentation today on complexity and the role of IT and started off with a list of major changes I see coming over the next few years.  Always a hostage to fortune but at least it gets people thinking.  The podcast (not sure of the quality) and slides are both available.  

I punched a lot of material into 45 minutes but enjoyed it and got some very interesting questions at the end.  That was a bit if a surprise, but a welcome one.   The large number of CIOs seeking to find purpose and a strategic role was...

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Hong Kong, via Helsinki

By Dave Snowden  ·  March 18, 2013  ·  Musings

A long overnight to Hong Kong by way of Helsinki more or less wiped out today.   I got some work done on the first hop and in the lounge but after that its all about sleep given the shorter more direct flight that the FinnAir routing provides.  I've got a packed week before a more relaxing weekend at the 7s then down to Singapore before returning home to the UK just in time for my Birthday.  I'm celebrating that, the last before I can get discounted travel on National Express, by going to Nabucco at the Royal Opera House in the...

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