“Miss Eliza Bennet, let me persuade you to follow my example, and take a turn about the room. I assure you it is very refreshing after sitting so long in one attitude” – Miss Bingley, in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Most of technology we use today happens inside our heads. The interactions we… Continue reading Ideas for a Tech-Free Evening
Do you develop writing ideas by hand, or electronically? I was thinking about this, as I have recently gone back to writing ideas down in a notebook, rather than putting them in a document or as notes on my phone. Why? I’ve found that on electronic platforms I am more likely to try to start… Continue reading Thoughts on my writing process
The work we do, and the way we do it, has a big impact on our self-worth, other’s perception of us, and the extent to which that work contributes to the mission of the organisations we work for. Over years of work I have noticed two behaviours that slow work down and cause frustration to… Continue reading Two things that slow work down
Note: This post will be updated based on feedback. See end for changes made. Open digital spaces have been a real boon for people who want to find and connect with others who share their values and life-experience. Families, workmates, school friends, clubs and community groups have all benefited from the ability to connect and… Continue reading Safe by Design
The way we describe the work for our teams is important, but often overlooked. The description on a card has a big impact on what actually gets built, that is clear. But it also has an impact on the engagement of the team in the work, and ultimately the question of whether they can actually… Continue reading How to better describe work for product teams
I first came across Roger Martin last year (2022) when his video, A Plan Is Not a Strategy, came up in a web search. The video was spot on, but I was left with a much more important question. Why had I not come across the work of this influential thinker before? So I went… Continue reading Book Review: A New Way to Think, by Roger L. Martin
Like many other New Zealanders I saw the pictures of people at the Wellington anti-mandate protest in February 2022 wearing tin foil hats. Apparently this didn’t last very long as announcements were made to let people know that they don’t work, but just for fun I thought I’d create a Trade Me auction for ‘Military… Continue reading My Auction to Sell ‘Military Grade Tin Foil’
A few weeks ago (June 2022) Radio New Zealand, or RNZ as they prefer to be known, replaced the themes on three news programmes – Morning Report, Midday Report, and Checkpoint. The aim of the change was to create a “cohesive sonic brand” for what are considered their three flagship news programmes. Here is my review,… Continue reading Review: The new RNZ news theme
In the last few years I’ve noticed a reduction in service quality in mid-priced restaurants, and I lay the blame on takeaways. I’m sure that takeaways aren’t the only cause, but from a seated diner’s perspective I’ve noticed a few problems. The first is tables reserved for, or taken up by Uber Eats (and other)… Continue reading Takeaways are ruining restaurants
The problem with most self-help books is that they are often long-winded and hard to put into practice. You are left with the feeling that the only self-help going on is the author helping themselves to your time and money. This is not one of those books. I bought the Kindle edition of Dr Sarb… Continue reading Book Review: The Little Sleep Book
Richard Hulse 