@mhsutton

heart.head.work.life

Author: Mike

  • The Leviathan and the Whale: How Blocs Are Our Last, Best (and Probably Failing) Hope Against Corporate Overlords

    The Leviathan and the Whale: How Blocs Are Our Last, Best (and Probably Failing) Hope Against Corporate Overlords

    Right, let’s talk survival in the 21st century. It’s not enough to be a nation anymore; you’re either part of a gang, or you’re shark bait. I’m talking about the “blocs” – the EU, NATO, whatever economic pact is flavor of the week. And then you have the “whales,” the tech titans, the financial behemoths, those unelected corporate leviathans that are turning us all into their personal playthings. It’s a messed-up world, and frankly, if you’re not in a bloc, you might as well be wearing a “kick me” sign on your back.

    The Blocs: Necessary Evil or Just Evil?

    Let’s face it, the whole “bloc” thing is a bit of a con. Nations, puffed up with their ancient flags and national anthems, huddling together for “strength in unity.” It’s a bit like watching toddlers build a fort to keep out the neighborhood bully. Sure, they might look formidable on paper with their “shared interests” and “collective defense” buzzwords, but it usually boils down to bureaucratic nightmares and compromised sovereignty. But, let’s be honest, in this shark tank, you need a bigger boat, even if the boat’s leaking.

    • The Necessity of the Gang: Let’s be brutally frank. If you’re a mid-sized country not named “USA” or “China,” you’re basically a tasty treat for the whales, unless you have bloc protection. These corporations can – and will – exploit your resources, manipulate your markets, and influence your politics until you’re a hollowed-out shell. So, being in a bloc? Kind of a necessary evil, like a poorly-maintained shield against the corporate hordes.
    • Bureaucracy: A Feature, Not a Bug: However, blocs, by their very nature, are bureaucratic monsters. They are slow, lumbering, and about as agile as a three-legged elephant. Decision-making gets bogged down in endless meetings, while the whales, light on their feet, dance circles around them, gobbling up whatever they want.

    The Whales: Unstoppable, Untouchable, and Unethical

    And then, of course, we have the whales. They are the true power brokers of the 21st century. These companies control our information, our communication, and increasingly, our finances. They’re not constrained by borders, constitutions, or any pesky notions of human rights. They are profit-maximizing, data-hoarding, algorithm-wielding machines, and you’re all just pieces on their digital gameboard.

    They operate in a realm where accountability is a quaint myth, and their only loyalty is to their bottom line. You don’t elect them, you can’t vote them out, and any attempts at regulation just seem to make them stronger. They’re the digital equivalent of a natural disaster, and we’re all just trying to build sandcastles on the beach.

    Civil Liberties: Gone With the Tide?

    So, how are these power plays impacting your everyday life? You guessed it – badly. Here’s a grim recap:

    1. Unaccountability: The Whale’s Favorite Sport: The whales play by their own rules and have no need to justify their actions. They collect your data, manipulate your emotions, and push you around without ever facing any consequences. They are untouchable. They don’t even pretend to give a damn. [1]
    2. Democracy, A Relic of the Past: Whales are practically buying politicians in bulk. Your elected representatives are like puppets, doing whatever their corporate masters tell them to do. They’re just there to offer the illusion of democracy, while the real power resides in the boardrooms of the whales. [2]
    3. Social Media: The Brainwashing Machine: Platforms like Facebook, X, YouTube aren’t platforms; they’re carefully designed propaganda machines. They amplify the worst of humanity while suppressing dissent, all in the name of engagement and profit. And the digital barons? They’re fine with this, as long as the clicks keep coming. [3]
    4. Privacy: What Privacy?: Big Tech views your data as their personal piggy bank. They collect it, sell it, and use it to manipulate you, all under the guise of “personalized experience.” And you? You’re just giving it all away. For “free” access to their services. [4]
    5. Censorship: By Algorithm: The whales now decide what information you get to see, and what you don’t. They’re the gatekeepers of the internet, and they’re not exactly fair-minded about it. And if they disagree with your views, well, too bad, they will just ban you. [5]

    The Bloc’s Dilemma: Be Big, Be Agile. Can It Be Done?

    So, the challenge for nations is clear: you need to be in a bloc for protection, but blocs tend to be slow and cumbersome. The central problem? How do you create a large, powerful entity (a bloc) that also has the agility and dynamism of a smaller, more flexible entity?

    It’s like trying to design a cargo ship that can also win a speed boat race. It’s a contradiction, but that’s the bind we’re in.

    A Few (Probably Futile) Ideas

    So, what to do? It’s a long shot, but here’s the plan:

    • Demand Actual Democracy: Seriously, make politicians earn their keep, not the corporations.
    • Regulate the Whales: Enact real laws with real teeth to keep these corporations in check. And don’t let them “self-regulate”. That is like asking the wolf to guard the sheep.
    • Become Social Media Literate: Learn how to spot the scams and manipulation tactics of social media. And then spread the word.
    • Fight for Privacy: Stop giving away your personal information for free.
    • Support the Resistance: Find the people trying to challenge the status quo and back them, whatever it takes.

    The Grim Conclusion

    Look, we’re not in a good place. We’re being squeezed between lumbering blocs and power-hungry whales. The odds are stacked against us. But if we don’t start demanding change, we’re all going to be swimming in data and propaganda, and no one will even remember what “freedom” meant in the first place. So, get angry, get organized, and get ready to fight – because no one else is going to do it for you.

    References:

    [1] Zuboff, Shoshana. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. PublicAffairs, 2019.
    [2] Lessig, Lawrence. Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress—and a Plan to Stop It. Twelve, 2011.
    [3] Vaidhyanathan, Siva. Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy. Oxford University Press, 2018.
    [4] Lyon, David. Surveillance after Snowden. Polity, 2015.
    [5] Morozov, Evgeny. The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom. PublicAffairs, 2011.

  • I’m going for another walk. 

    I’m going for another walk. 

    As you might know – I like to walk. So on the 10th of September I’ll be heading to Santander in beautiful Cantabria, Spain to complete the walk I started in June 2016. 

    The Camino Del Norte starts at Irun and ends in Santiago de Compostela. It runs for about 850 km with 32 stages. In June 2016, I started the walk from Irun to Santander, covering 255km and now – like a glutton for punishment – I’m heading back to complete the remaining 600km over 20 days.

    Why?

    Because I can! I’m lucky enough to be physically fit and able to, but more importantly, I would like to raise some £££ in support of 3 causes I think need more recognition and support. I hope you can help me do it. 

    The causes and charities I’ve chosen to support for this walk are:

    Women’s Health

    Endometriosis UK helps take women’s illnesses more seriously. They help families and victims of endometriosis take back control by providing support, services and community.

    Help Mike Raise Money for Women’s Health

    Children

    Sick Children’s Trust gives families one less thing to worry about when their child falls ill. Sick Children’s Trust provides a safe place to stay and someone to talk to, all free of charge.

    Let’s Help Sick Children and their families

    Dementia

    Alzheimer’s Research UK is the leading charity for funding dedicated research into Alzheimer’s causes and treatments in the UK. What they learn helps the world understand more about this condition that is increasingly affecting more of our elderly everywhere.

    Lets support Research Into Alzheimer’s

    Alzheimer’s Society are in the frontline of support and care for Alzheimer sufferers and their families – providing assistance, counselling and many other essential help. They also are active in engaging with policymakers for better support for this sector of care.

    Help Mike Support Families Dealing with Dementia

    In my upcoming posts, I’ll explain why I chose these specific causes.

    Back to the walk

    At the end of each day, I’ll share with you a summary of my walk along with the route I took. I’ll also tell you a story of someone who has unfortunately had to experience one of these three causes. Through clearer understanding and increased empathy, I hope you can give what you can and more importantly share this we need to raise awareness as much as we need to raise money.

    Camino Del Norte

    There are many Camino de Santiago routes, starting in France, Portugal, and Spain. 

    You can find more on the full route and gear I’ll be taking here.

    Traditionally, pilgrims would start their ‘camino’ from their own homes. Millions of people from all over the world have taken part in this walk. Most people have a clear idea of why they want to walk the Camino de Santiago routes: for religious reasons, as a personal spiritual journey, for a healthy challenge, or just the social aspect. 

    From my previous walks, I have felt a sense of community along the journey. You meet people, walk with them for a while, share moments together and then walk on by yourself. For me, that’s what it’s really about.

    My Reason

    Walking can be meditative. A chance to spend time with yourself and free up your mind from the noise of the outside world. It can be a way to identify what unwanted baggage you don’t realise you’re carrying. On this walk, I’ll be free of emails and replies. I can get comfortable with myself. It’s an opportunity to connect with whatever you need to connect with. 

    Within these 20 days, I encourage you to do the same. Spare a little time in the morning before work or a half hour on your evenings to get on your trainers and try it for yourself. 

    The End Game

    I want to raise £5000 by doing this walk. I want to share stories and learn more about the challenges of endometriosis, dementia and sick children. I want more people to connect with walking and themselves.

    And I need your help to do it.

    Stay tuned. I’ll be sharing more information on the 3 causes I’m supporting, my prep for the camino and how you can get involved.

    #TellYourStory

    I’m just a guy going for a walk, but I know there are so many that are affected by these issues and situations that I am supporting on my walk.

    If you have a personal story to share about endometriosis, dementia or supporting sick children, please consider sharing your story with me to bring more awareness, create more empathy and bring more support.

    I want to tell your story.

    You can share your story by filling a short form that will be turned into a blog post on this site, you don’t have to give any details beyond a first name.

    I will highlight your story on a day of my walk – giving your experience space and exposure it deserves.

    Endometriosis: click or copy/paste: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7N49kIrxGTazupIFS0SgyY4E7zBTaM6aF1imbs-FO-iJ1Ug/viewform?usp=pp_url

    Sick Children: click or copy/paste: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRQRx_SEa2fFI6-bf9IjjAgsPlk16KCMNwk6Oc0TYkIqBV8A/viewform?usp=pp_url

    Dementia: click or copy/paste – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3_Oqy3jLHuvH-2nDihJlziBiqHUA6bI8Jc-_QRptZ0PU5DA/viewform?usp=pp_url

    Thanks for reading and supporting me and these incredibly important causes.

  • On Suicide.

    On Suicide.

    From my late 20s I lived with bouts of depression.

    I don’t know if I’m chemically prone to it or just the pressure of perception of the expectations I placed on myself created a new ‘gem’ in my crown. In any case, I would have quite deep lows.

    The first time the thought of suicide crossed my mind was when I was 31 – in the worst time of my divorce and wracked with guilt about failing as a father to two young children and the hitherto unresolved grief of missing my Dad. It was the usual thoughts of ‘they’d all be better without me’ / ‘I’d be better without this’ / ‘this is too much to take’.

    I have always managed to talk myself away from ending my own life. There has always been a voice of reason that chimes in and says something to talk me down. There has always been work to pour myself into, to ride out the darkness.

    Recently though, I have come to another place. One that I find great logic in and certainly what seems like a longer term cognitive solution.

    A party at Hotel California, but you can leave anytime you want.

    I accept that the person I am now can have these thoughts and probably always will – given enough stress. That’s OK. There is a cycle to it. There are signs of an impending low I can see and there are things I can do to mitigate.

    I also now accept that I have the power to end my own life anytime I chose. That is the biggest release I found. It – for me at least – is the biggest affirmation to staying alive. In a thought, I have broken the biggest reason I had to contemplate suicide – that horrible, powerless sense of being trapped.

    Speaking to my daughter recently about this, I developed a really apt metaphor (those who know me, know that metaphors are my thing!). This is something that now plays in my head and reinforces that sense of NOT feeling trapped – a new kind of fearlessness.

    Imagine you went to a party. You will hear music you love, some you hate. You will bump into rude people, you’ll hang out with others that make you laugh and love. Sometimes you will feel miserable and want to leave. But there is no exit and every time you try to leave, your friends guilt trip you into staying. At some point, you’re not having fun anymore. You’re trapped.

    What should have been a fun night, turns into a nightmare.

    But what if, as you enter the party, – you are told where the exits are and you can leave any time you want and no one would stop you. They would miss you and perhaps might feel disappointed, but you wouldn’t feel like a party pooper for wanting to leave. My bet is you would stay all night – simply because you have the power to decide if / when to leave.

    I’m sticking around in this party – however sucky it gets – because I know I can leave anytime.

    Time to teach people to not feel trapped.

    It is time for the taboo about suicide to end. I have no doubt that it contributes to the sense of being trapped that many people who consider suicide feel.

    The fact is we each do have the power to end our lives – we should have the legal right to also.
    It should not be criminalised.

    That is not to say other forms of intervention are not necessary – if someone is being abused and decides to not commit suicide, the abuse still needs to stop and the trauma of that still needs to be resolved.

    We must still talk more about how we feel with open hearts and open minds and people who need treatment should still have it. This metaphor of being able to leave the party is only a part of the bigger picture of care for all of us.

    I think that without being released from this sense of being trapped, all therapy is similar to asking a bird to live more happily in its cage.

    This might have triggered you.

    Yes, suicide is a sensitive subject.

    People who have lost loved ones and are dealing with the grief and inexplicable nature of it all might feel angry about reading what I have written. That’s OK – lets talk about it.

    I offer my words as someone on the same path as their loved ones but who has found a way to manage it differently. Perhaps it might help someone.

    Featured Photo by Kajetan Sumila on Unsplash

  • Say your wishes out loud.

    Say your wishes out loud.

    In Spain, we call New Year’s Eve night – ‘noche vieja’, and as the night ebbs away, leaving seconds left of the year that was – you are meant to ‘quickly’ eat a grape for every second of the last 12 seconds of the year – making a wish for the new year with each grape. These 12 seconds are generally guided by a chime usually from any TV channel that is on.

    Photo by Jerry Wang on Unsplash

    You are reminded to keep your wish to yourself. Well – that’s the tradition.

    This year – like most things in 2020, it didn’t quite go to plan.

    I screwed up and ate all my grapes on the chimes that prepare for the actual chimes. (massive UX fail by the way – Canal Sur!!), so I didn’t actually get to make my wishes.

    Lets each have 3 wishes…

    So this morning, as my sons came for a morning cuddle, I announced we would get 3 wishes each and in turn say them out loud.

    They had to be specific – because we wanted to give the Universe as much detail as possible. Also wishes for other people counted as double strength.

    ‘But aren’t we supposed to wish to ourselves?’, asked my son.

    ‘Yes’, I said – ‘but the Universe hears you better when you say it out loud’.

    So we took turns saying out loud what we each wished for in this brand new year of 2021.

    Why out loud?

    Although this was all rather flippantly put together and spontaneous – it did get me thinking. Why have we been programmed to keep our wishes to ourselves?

    From shooting stars to blowing out birthday cake – ‘don’t say it out loud or it won’t come true’.

    Bollocks.

    I believe in the power of human connections – networks of people who care about us personally and professionally. Networks that help its members get what they want – their wishes (within reason anyway).

    By keeping our wishes quiet, we never activate the network and it becomes much less likely that those wishes ever happen. Serendipity never stood a chance!

    Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash

    Not all wishes can come true. That is just the nature of wishes.
    But most can.

    So try this – say what you are wishing for and let the Universe of human connection help you.

    And FYI…our wishes were, in no particular order…

    • a year of no conflict, no one having to flee their homeland
    • a year of good health and wellbeing for all our loved ones and for our older loved ones to not feel isolated and keep happy
    • make a whole bunch of money to buy a house and help the people we care about.
    • no disruption from covid

    So there – it is now on the internuts and serendipity can get to work – the Universe reads blogs too 🙂

    Happy to hear your wishes and I will do what I can to help.

  • There is no ‘We the people’

    There is no ‘We the people’

    There is a time between waking and rising. I find that time to be particularly full of insights and reflections.

    Today – I have been pondering this ‘we, the people’ concept that is often used to justify election outcomes.

    Democracy has become a popularity contest. I say ‘has become’ because I assume it wasn’t meant to be like this. Whether they are contests of ideas or personality or both, matters little – popularity contests are terrible way to pick leadership because they mostly attract those able to get the most claps.

    But I digress.

    After any election or referendum – there is a period when the news and the politicians use words to the effect of ‘the people have chosen’. In some cases, the ‘people’ also harp on about it is ‘the will of the people, ‘we voted and picked’.

    In reality, there is no ‘we, the people’.
    It implies some sort of deliberate collaboration towards common goals, but I can understand how the recipients of votes – the politicians – can see the electorate as a collaborating audience. Hence the difference in perspective.

    When I go to a polling booth to cast a vote – I don’t do it as part of a carefully considered and coordinated effort with other voters. We haven’t weighed the arguments and made peace with our differences. There is no ‘We’. There is just me, acting on my current understanding – biases and blind spots and driven by my own sense of what is good for me and mine.

    20 million people doing exactly the same thing in their own bubble is not an ‘us’. The country doesn’t get better by 20 million people each seeking their own selfish interest.

    The ‘people’, the ‘electorate’, the ‘citizens’, ‘Britons’, ‘Americans’ are all collective terms that are generally meaningless to the individuals in they cover and mostly meaningful to the systems that need those collectives in their functioning. Those collective terms are used to justify decisions – give authority, even as though decisions hold terrible consequences for many of the individuals covered by the term.

    What might happen if there was a ‘we’ – that ‘the people’ knew each other, debated and agreed on things that mattered to them and acted on their decisions in a coordinated way?

    How might government with a ‘people’ that actually held them to account collectively, function?

    I’m interested in building and using tech to enable true ‘we’ society and to close the gap between what is fantasy but dressed as reality and reality.

    If you are too – then let’s chat.

  • Mike’s theory of arcs and angles

    Mike’s theory of arcs and angles

    One goal, which path would you take?

    Imagine you had a goal – perhaps to lose weight or to learn a skill, or even to build some capacity/capability as a person, team, company or country.

    Lets call that goal ‘B’ and your starting point – now – is ‘A’.

    The sharp angle path

    Now imagine you did very little towards getting to ‘B’ until one day when ‘B’ stops being a nice-to-have and , instead, becomes a must-have. I call that day or the event triggering that realisation ‘a sharp turn event’.

    So now you’re scrambling, stressing and enduring a massive disruption to everything so you can start heading towards ‘B’ and you needed to be there yesterday.

    An example of a sharp turn event is cancer, a heart attack i.e it happens and to reduce the chances of it happening again or as severely – you start to eat better, exercise, cut out smoking and excessive drinking.

    Other examples might be being mocked for being overweight or a global pandemic.

    The arc path

    Now imagine you are in exactly the same starting point and the goal remains unchanged. But instead of doing very little about getting to ‘B’, every day you did something tangible towards the goal and you kept the goal alive by checking if those things you did got you closer and adjusted as you went.

    Sharp turn events are not entirely eradicated on this path, but their negative effects can be significantly reduced. You are already some way to the goal, you are on the path.

    An example might losing your livelihood whilst pursuing a goal of saving for a home and choosing to live frugally whilst you were saving – being lean. Of course, it seems calamitous that you have lost your job – but given how you are living as you pursued the goal, you are in a better position to weather the disruption vs someone who lived extravagantly (even if they had the same goal as you!).

    Arcs are softer but build habit and resilience.

    Some thoughts on arcs and sharp angles…

    • Arcs require diligence and deliberate action to the goal – not huge steps, but small ones, consistently taken.
    • Sharp angle paths are easy – you don’t have to do anything but wish and occasionally lie to yourself and others that you are doing something.
    • The longer you leave a goal without working towards it, the sharper and more disruptive the turn. Sometimes, you can leave it too late you pass a point beyond which that exact goal is unattainable and you have to pick another that is within you then-current abilities. E.g. I want to buy a home in 2 years time. I need to save €50,000 for a deposit. The sooner I start the more likely I will be able to do it. If I leave it until, say, a month before I wanted to buy the home – I would have to find €50k in 1 month – an almost impossible task for most people not robbing banks. So maybe you now have to set a goal to buy a house in 5 years vs 2 or not buy at all.
    • Arcs require regular reflection and calibration that what you are doing is still valid towards the goal. You might even question if the goal is still valid.
    • Critically reviewing your goals can shine a light on what potential sharp turn events might happen. e.g. if my goal was to save €50k in 2 years, an obvious sharp turn event is that I could lose my job. That might lead me down the path of developing side gigs that build resilience to my finances.

    In closing, I am no expert in this and I’m not selling any ‘improve your life’ crap. I am simply introspecting into events and paths in my life and things I see around me.

    The coronavirus pandemic has shown us that many – if not all – countries have been fixated on either the wrong goals or have not acted in an arc way towards the right goals and we find ourselves in a sharp turn event where the world is mostly unprepared for massive unemployment coupled with a lack of digital tech for everything from government to education.

    What are your thoughts on this theory? Please disagree with it and lets explore it further.

  • I have people

    I have people

    I have people who instantly make me smile.

    Others who, as the interactions proceed, get me really irritated.

    I have people who help me slow down and think deeply, questioning with respect and letting my spaghetti brain uncurl.

    I have people who inspire with their very existence.

    Then I have people who make me laugh and feel light.

    Who are your people?

  • I'm loving: PomodoneApp

    I'm loving: PomodoneApp

    I’m terrible at focusing and single-flow discipline, so I tend to practice the Pomodoro technique – which is about enforced habit of working for short, concentrated bursts, taking a short breaks and longer breaks after a number of work bursts.

    I love not being focused and everywhere – I get to be curious and explore, finding interesting things, people and relationships –  but when I need to get stuff done, there’s nothing for it but to hunker down and FOCUS!

    That’s when I am absolutely grateful for a fantastic little app called Pomodone App.

    At it’s heart is a timer that works based on the Pomodoro technique.

    Projects I’m working on, daily tasks, can be sourced and sync with a range of tools – from Trello to Evernote, Asana and more.

     

    Three Reasons I love Pomodone App

    #1: It is easy as pie

    Right out of the box, it is set up to have a work cycle and cycles that follow the textbook technique.

    I changed mine to 45 minute long pomodoros (basically the period you are focused on workd) and 5 minute breaks, with a longer 30 minute break after my 4th pomodoro.

    You create your tasks (in my case, I get my tasks from Trello, more on this in the integrations bit). I also, occasionally, create local ones. Wherever you get your tasks from they are easily selectable to start working on.

    #2: Notifications range from nice to naggy

    You can set the reminder interval, when the clock isn’t ticking. To be honest the regular reminder really pulls me back from the weeds and helps me refocus on my list.

    I used to have the reminders every 90 minutes and that was nice, but I found that I could get lost in other things – emails, chat, browsing and 90 minutes is a big chunk of time. So I set it 15. Now it is proper naggy!

    Annoying as it might get – I don’t want to be timed all the time, so better the irritation than 2 hours going ‘poof’ on containerisation or AI or some other interest that is not immediately relevant to my delivery goal.

    #3: It integrates with my work flow – perfectly

    I use StoriesOnboard  – and online tool for user story mapping, which I use for big picture business /strategic planning and Trello for more operational stuff.

    Recently we started using Sentry to log any errors that happen on Decksender.com. Really cool that Sentry lets you create Trello cards for things that need resolution.

    At my desk, all my tasks primarily from Trello and Pomodone App integrates just beautifully with that. When I start a task, it automatically moves it to the right ‘Doing’ list on Trello, recording on the card how much time has been spent on it and finally we when I’m done – it moves it to ‘Done’.

    Now, I’m not ninja-level at managing my focus – where is the fun in that – but every now an again, the right mix of tools come round that really hit the sweet spot and PomodoneApp is the core of that sweet suite!

    Try it out and let me know how you get on,  happy to answer any questions I can and even learn from how you use it.

    Full Disclosure: I’m not paid or receive any payment or benefits for writing.

    Photo by Shiva Smyth from Pexels

  • I Want to Help One Billion People Prioritise Their Happiness

    I Want to Help One Billion People Prioritise Their Happiness

    A very bizarre set of events led me to discover Mo Gawdat and his movement onebillionhappy.

    This highly inspiring man who could, by all accounts, be sitting in his wealth, isolated from everything that is going on in the world, is instead on an audacious mission to help ONE BILLION people figure out and focus on their happiness.

    Not only for themselves, but to significantly shift the narrative we are all putting out into the world – specifically to shift  what data machines learn from.

    I love this and I’m going to help.

    What’s not to love? Help people prioritise and invest in their happiness leading to happier lives and help a better world data stream that machines can learn from.
    I’m in.

    Over the next 3 months, I want to run an experiment:

    I will invite 8 people to join a ~30 minute video call where we will explore what happiness means to each of us and how we each invest in it.

    Each person invited commits to run another 8 person meetup – online or offline, in exactly the same way, discussing exactly the same topic. And so on.

    If my math is right (it’s basically 8^10) and the plan works, in 10 weeks, over ONE BILLION people will have met. No repeats, no strain on organisers.

    Just a simple 30 minute conversation.

    Each person will have invested about 1 hour to create such an impact – 30 minutes as a guest, 30 minutes as a host.

    Here is my simple projection:

    Thank you for being willing to help with this experiment and if you would like to be included in the invitation, please comment below.

  • Bullies and Bluebells

    Bullies and Bluebells

    I was recently in a dialogue with a client and the conversation turned to “Evil Scrum” and some previous negative experiences that some people had experienced.

    They imposed velocity targets and demanded estimates a year in advance and then bashed people when those forecasts weren’t met

    Now, I’m no big fan of Scrum or Kanban in the same way I’m no fan of the Catholic Church or any religious organisation. It’s not the tool that I object to per se – it is the commercial agenda and what it makes otherwise nice people do in order to profit from the tool.

    However, I am deeply knowledgeable about Scrum and Kanban and the agile manifesto that broadly underpin the credentials of both as better ways to handle complex adaptive systems and work.

    My response to the client group was this:

    Even a bluebell could be used by a bully to bludgeon you to death.

    Neither of these process frameworks advocate any kind of violence to anyone. But they provide the hooks by which the brutish minded can exact violence on some people.

    There was consensus in the room that this misuse of process and power e.g. Evil Scrum (could as well be Evil Kanban / SAFe / LeSS / whatever – was often worse than no process.

    So my assertion is that those who get what they want through bullying others will try it with whatever tool they can find. From process, to working conditions and contracts to , yes, even bluebells.

    Do you agree or disagree?