Strategic Librarian

Can I get away with that title?  Probably not, but Nina Platt can, and does. Let it be known I read some pretty diverse content.

I loved the fact that Nina is commenting on Change Management – it’s one of the keys to building a learning culture.  I particularly liked the fact she took a moment to remind us that the term means different things to different people.

 

Today's Instant Advice

Yesterday a senior exec. told me that the predominant cognitive style for his organization was ISTJ. (If those letters mean nothing to you, check out this quick explanation of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator)

It reminded me of this text file I’ve had floating around my PC for years. Instant advice for particular cognitive styles. I think that you’ll find this interesting if you know your predominant cognitive style, or that of your organization…

Occult Knowledge

This is a true story:  A few weeks ago god cooked me dinner! (Please note the small “g” – I don’t wish to offend).  It was the last evening of my 39^th year, and the charter yacht was secure on a swinging mooring off the coast of Croatia.  The crew (my fiancee) and I were relaxing at the end of a breezy day of sailing when we noticed a small motor boat pulling into a jetty in the bay.  On board this fishing boat there was a crew of three, including one man – clearly in charge - with long grey hair, a long grey beard, skin brown as a berry, and wearing just silver swimming trunks.  My crew looked at me, and as if reading my mind, said: “Hey, there goes god!”

The Dirty Wiki

Jason Bates wrote about The Empty Wiki in a previous post, but I’d like to point out another problem with wikis (those that aren’t empty anyway):  The power of the special interest group…

Winning Hearts and Minds

Since it’s Friday…Here’s a wonderful video clip called “Winning Hearts and Minds”, from MARSIPAN, the British Mars Exploration Programme.  So that’s how you do it.

— Philip Greenwood

 

Tags:  Hearts+and+Minds

Power Tips & Strategies for Mind Mapping Software

I seem to be blogging on mind map subjects a lot at the moment – and perhaps you’re asking “what has all this got to do with Project Leadership?”

Reductio Ad Absurdum?

This question has been playing on my mind:  If stories are the most effective tool of influence, but are an inefficient way to communicate facts, what kind of communication style is most effective in today’s “attention deficit” business world?  So for an experiment, let me try out a communication style:  The “reduced” story line.

Do The Impossible & Solve The Insoluble

My Google home-page quotes of the day made me smile today.

We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities
brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems. 
- John W. Gardner

It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
- Walt Disney

– Jason Bates

Tags: impossible, insoluble

Team Decision Making: There's No Good System!

Looking at Jason’s posting on Cognitive Bias, I find myself inspired to write about team decision making processes.  Why?  It seems to me that the people who are cerebral enough to internalize the implications of this list are also unlikely to be the talkative or assertive ones in meetings.

Here’s a summary of the categories of team decision processes:

MindJet Project Management JetPack for MindManager 7

The good people at MindJet have allowed me early access to their MindManager Project Management JetPack.  As I read that sentence I realize that many readers won’t have a clue what I’m talking about, so let me explain:

MindJet is the company that produces the MindManager application.

MindManager is, at its heart, a brainstorming and mind mapping software tool.

Mind mapping is a knowledge management technique for generating, organizing and communicating ideas or concepts. (Go here for more info)