Jose-Rodrigo

What do we wait for? E-commerce during recession time

2012-02-10T03:35:00.000-08:00

This week I gave a lecture to my students on e-commerce. When I was finishing its preparation I decided to include a few suggestions for them if they want to start an e-commerce site.

Suggestions turned out to be more about what to do with a business idea, and looking for good ideas for good businesses I decided to show a short video of Martha Lane Fox, co-founder of lastminute.com

Many people who know about what happened in the 1990s with the '.com' bubble burst would acknowledge that many e-commerce failures were not due to technology, but to lack of planning, lack of good relationships with suppliers and sellers of products, and more importantly, frenzyness.

Textbooks suggests that a proven business model is a key factor for an e-commerce site to succeed, but in the case of last minute, there was little in the way of a model that connected those who had products/services to sell, with those who were looking for them, doing a 'last minute search' on the internet.

Martha Lane Fox strikes me as a gentle but determined person, who presumably also had a good network of people to start with, and an curiosity to find out things and try out possibilities. She encourages people to think big, start small, and keep going. Wise words I think.

In another class students to whom I asked the question "What are we waiting for to start your own e-commerce business" complained 'almost immediately' that during recession times it is very difficult to start. So I told them what a wise person told me once: There is a difference between a job and an employment. The first one needs to be done regardless. The second one is a paid one.

I guess now there are many jobs to be done, connecting people, brokering information, listening carefully to what is really needed in our countries and societies. Many people (me included) find it difficult just to buy things (like the latest mobile phone!) or continue consuming what we used to consume. But I am sure if the right product comes along, I will think again.

Those people who might not feel it is a right time to start, could also think of their networks of people. I finished my lecture with another question: "Who are going to be your friends / contacts in a couple of years time?" Maybe it is time we all dig our well before we get thirsty, in case you want to have a look at the book with this title.

So what are we all waiting for?

Mining through systems: Facebook and Tesco

2012-01-30T14:27:00.001-08:00

Facebook and Tesco supermarket (private companies) seem to be going in opposite directions right now. The former is increasing its share value, the latter has diminished it. Both companies work with information systems that are generating benefits but also headaches.

I am not an expert in valuing companies neither am I knowledgeable of initial public offerings (IPO). But I can venture to guess why is it that the information systems of these companies seem to be playing a key part in the companies current valuation and with it in their successes or shortcomings.

Facebook could be offering any potential clients a database of active customers who increasingly spend more time in the Facebook site. Advertising from this database could increase sales for those announcing in Facebook. With new applications coming to feed from and into such database, we now see that our preferences and those of our 'friends' could be used for those wanting to sell us things. Moreover, those individuals or organisations who want to remain connected to customers or to other people can do it through Facebook. The value of 'attention', the value of 'retention', and the value of 'networks' are now playing in Facebook's favor.

It still remains to be accurately seen though, how much conversion to sales can Facebook offer from its advertising.

Tesco supermarket is one of the textbook cases that we normally use to teach our students about management information systems and in particular data mining. Tesco was/still able to gather data from its customers, mainly purchasing habits. This data feeds into the systems that forecast demand and connect to Tesco's suppliers. A sophisticated system that enables managers to track the behavior of customers and products, and act appropriately.

As with Facebook, it remains now to be seen how their data mining systems can help Tesco 'recover' or 'bounce back' from their disappointing end of the year sale season.

One thing to consider though is that (un) fortunately Tesco and Facebook databases do not store everything about us. They do not store our worries, the tricks that we do on a daily basis to get by money wise, or if we decide to go with the competition. They can store what we fail to do (yes, we did not turn up to buy things, or we did not comment on the status of our friends, we did not upload pictures from our last trip, sorry). But they do not ask us questions unless being told to do so by a software application and the person in charge of it.

You might say that there is a problem of quality here, that without good quality data or good quality products and services to provide there is not much that data mining systems can do. But rather than focusing on 'data', maybe these systems should start asking us questions. Not the questions of the sort "What do I need to do for you to buy from me?", but "How can I help you to live your life better?", "What is going on in your life?" or by really listening to what we have to say. Here data mining can still play a role if we direct it to answer these and similar questions.

IT Education and Joy

2012-01-17T02:21:00.000-08:00

Last week in the UK, the government has announced plans to reform education in information technology (IT) in schools. This follows an imminent report to be published soon in which existing education does not fare very well. I read some of the news paper articles and could pick up a feeling of 'boredom' with the ways in which IT is being currently taught. There are complaints about the tutors who often do not inspire their pupils to get interested in what technology (mainly computers, computer programmes) can to for them.

During last week also, other news reported that school children are not happy, again, they get bored easily, they become anxious with the current economic climate. The family home does not seem to be for many a place where anxieties can be soothed or transformed positively into opportunities for learning and sharing life together.

IT education is not and should not be about getting pupils to consume more technology. The government is encouraging collaboration to find ways of motivating pupils to program their own software applications. This is only part of a more comprehensive plan to bring joy back into education. Joy is about discovering who you are and who you can become with appropriate support. Joy is also about recognising other important things in life than preparing ourselves to get a job and get on with plans to grow up and be 'someone'.

IT should be a window (but not the only one) through which pupils discover the world and by doing that they discover themselves. It should not become a communication barrier in the family environment. Yes, the kids are enjoying the latest video games, they all have mobile phones and tablets, they have a computer and they draw and paint fantastic works of art, but they do not talk to their parents as they used to...

There is a deeper problem here. The problem of collective joy. Who does not remember watching a film together at home with siblings. In my house it was me, my brothers and sisters, my parents. My father also took us to watch films at the cinema. He wanted all of us sitting in the same row. Many of these experiences were very joyful. They remind me of me and the family, of the family and me.

I keep encouraging my students to work together, and help each other whenever possible, so if they discover something, they did it together. I hope the UK government and others who are looking at transforming education keep the simple and joyful things that make education worth going for.

Technology and Trust

2012-01-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

2012 has started with many expectations about new technological developments. Just recently I was reading about the plans of Google and Apple to get into the interactive TV market. New TV sets would connect to the Internet and would offer programmes on demand. I am also sure we will also see more and faster mobile phones, mobile applications, cloud services and security developments in the next few years. In the UK, these will also be enhanced by the availability of information and content for the Olympics.

2011 has left us though with a feeling that not technology but our institutions, organisations, markets and society in general requires us to rethink how best we can manage them. The occupy and spring movements reflect a desire to establish new ways of communicating, deliberating and addressing pressing problems. With less to spend and invest, many organisations are also asking themselves how they can become part of the new landscape they are in. Going global seems to have been an alternative but now organisations have to look after the trees as well as the forest, something that perhaps the markets have not done so well.

For us as IS users, educators, designers or managers, the challenge starts in making sure we rebuild the trust of our audiences. This trust seems to have been eroded by the lack of appropriate responses to crises. Not only we need to 'stop', and 'reduce' what we do as we did last year, but we also need to start thinking of new ways of doing our jobs. Perhaps it is time also to re-define the core of what we do.

It was Peter Drucker in his book "The Effective Executive" of 1967 who suggested that we are all managers, and that as such we need to think of the value that we offer to our organisations and societies. We should focus on outwards contributions, those which our audiences value. With the advent and now widespread use of the Internet, these audiences have become global, but at the same time what we offer has become a commodity rather than a relationship. We might have stopped considering the importance of relationships and how we contribute to them with something valuable.

It is in relationships where we build trust not as a commodity but as an essential property of being human. It is time we think of using technology to facilitate communication to rebuild the trust that seems to have diminished with situations of crisis and also with situations of prosperity. Many would say that it is only in the former where trust suffers. But I also think that the good times can lead us to want more and get more from each other to limits that could then affect the trust we have in each other.

In Cloud we (do not) Trust?

2011-11-16T04:10:00.000-08:00

Just recently a student of mine did an interesting survey with small and medium enterprise (SME) people in Hong Kong. She wanted to find out how they were using ICTs and if there were barriers for adoption of Internet-based technologies.

The results showed that although SME people (owners, senior managers) are well educated and understand how ICT can benefit their business, they do not invest too much on Internet applications but on intranets. To communicate with the outside world, most of them have basic information websites for their businesses. But most of them export products/services to other countries.

You might say that in this era where online transactions are the norm of the day in a globalised world this seems odd. But it is not.

At risk of generalising, I think SME owners (including my brother) are good at deciding where to invest their resources. They are very 'hands on' individuals. What is not clear does not get their attention. I still remember when I tried to convince my brother to buy a software suite to help in the accounting and client management tasks of the business. We settled for using a spreadsheet for each of these tasks. To communicate with our suppliers in other countries we used email. And for the payroll we used telephone banking.

As my student, you might also say that SME owners need first to trust in technology and in the people that know about it (let us call them technologists).

Technologists though often do not make themselves any favours by speaking in a very unclear language. Recently I asked a cloud technologist about the business benefits of the cloud. The answer came back with a number of unclear terms: Scalability, Agility, and the last one: Capability. With a capability to navigate through a sea of data, the business can discover new strategies, it can better interact with other businesses (see my previous post).

I wonder if these terms help us to trust in the cloud. For some SME and company directors, it does not matter how and where the data sits. But that is different from scalability, agility or capability. It could well be a way of not getting bogged down by these terms.

We need to create conditions for people to trust in technology. We need translation of terms, getting close to the users and their language. Cloud technologists need to do this regarding all these benefits. In addition, they need to consider how users are to learn to live with a paradox: The paradox of developing a business capability that is not necessarily under our full control.

Not trusting in the cloud is not a sin, it could well be a misunderstanding, but it is not the lay person or the users' fault.

Sitting on gold, or the game called who is clever when it comes to data

2011-11-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

Ok here goes a kind of sceptic towards positive post.

Someone knocks on your door. It is called 'necessity' and is desperate to make a living or justify his/her job or mission in life. The person says s/he knows you live a fast life and promises to help you organise things in the house. So that you do not spend too much time cleaning or deciding which clothes you are going to wear on the day. Not to worry any more doing the chores.

The person says s/he will also organise a kind of garage sale for you. S/he can rent out your white goods (washing machine, fridge freezer, etc), the bycicle, the lawnmower and even the old sofa to the neighbours while you are away. You did not know you were sitting on gold. Your house suddenly becomes a valuable asset that you can make work for you. And you are cash strapped, so things seem to look bright.

But you are still sceptic to accept the deal. The person says that s/he has a few clients already, and tries his/her best to persuade you that you will become a member of an exclusive club, those who share things and discover hidden treasures in their attics. All of this for a fee that you can pay whenever you use this person's services. Everything seems fine as it is on demand, which means people only pay for what they need.

To your doubts, this person says that you will have more time to look after your own business. Also, you can help the neighbourhood by being in touch more directly with the neighbours and the local government. You can be more motivated to tell the government what is wrong with your house, the rubbish collection of the police. You can also suggest new ideas to spend money from your taxes. So this is also an opportunity to improve the quality of life around you. All because you can now share and interact.

Would you like to accept this proposal?

mmm...

Hold on, let me just say a few things as a good neighbour.

What if what I just described is a mixture of something called data driven innovation?, what if your neighbours are companies who want data that you hold from your and their customers, and your neighbourhood is an eco-system? What if the other game this person is selling is called IT as a utility, something that you just pay for, like electricity, gas or water?

What if there is another thing called open government in which you can see how the government is doing, and in return the government is 'asking' you to share your data (goods) to improve its knowledge about the neighbourhood?

What if I told you that 'necessity' has a couple of assistants that I know of called Google and the Cloud, the first one speeding up searches on data, and the second one does all the data housekeeping?

Is it a useful set of games?

Maybe, like the pay per view TV, or anything that has the 'pay as you go' feature in it, specially in these times of austerity in some parts of the world. By the way, the name 'necessity' seems appropriate for these times.

We live in the era of technology products and services eco-systems created around them. Private companies and governments (mainly) are being visited by these friends called 'necessities', which we know of and are excited at the prospect of making data available. Telecommunication companies seem to sit in the middle as they hold your data and mine, without explicitly or perhaps properly considering how and if they can benefit from seeing your data go and come as you move in your daily life.

Management of this data inside and outside companies needs good managers. If you hire 'necessity', just make sure they know what they are doing. You and they need good quality standards, which many people are calling Service Level Agreements or SLAs. So now you can expect good services from those who come to clean and maintain your house and do the chores.

Imagine if instead of making your data available you decide to collect data from others, so the idea of 'necessity' became an attractive one and you want to do a similar business. I was just thinking today of a research idea: setting up a cloud based portal in which we could be using things like google docs to gather citizen's perceptions about something: Their views about laws, their health concerns, or their knowledge about diseases and how to cure them. Many citizens would be happy to air their views. Others would be happy to send this data from their mobile phones, and get information about what goes on in their area or locality. Others, more in this area of research would be happy to develop intelligent applications that can monitor how you consume electricity at home and give suggestions to lower your bill.

But then there is something called privacy of data. Those in eco-systems have to be careful with sharing or gathering data in unauthorised ways. We are supposed to help improve the quality of life of people (i.e. you and your household). By gathering data, in authorised or non-authorised ways, we can get to think that we know better than people. If given the chance, we can just suggest, explore, discover, but never impose or monitor.

I am not entirely sure that from now if we play this game we are to become what many people call 'prosumers'. So we are now innovating. We live in our house, someone does the work for us and we keep rearranging the furniture, and telling other people about it. It is like combining and recombining data to discover new ideas or possibilities. I seem to have heard a similar story of something called 'data mining', which is still popular but is not the holy grail (and I respect the data mining experts). We do some work in gathering and mashing up data, in other words making it available to those in the eco-system, including the government.

So in the game, the one who is clever with the data wins, the one who makes it available and the one who exploits it. But you can still enjoy this game by just playing like you do when you go to a casino to have a good time. You can still open your house to others. Just make sure you have some kind of insurance, like what you do by not taking your credit cards when you go to a casino or by making sure you do not end up living in Vegas or Atlantic city (too much of a temptation not to play every day).

Prosumers or not, we are still members of our communities, and we do not need to lose sleep on thinking about if we're sitting on gold or not.

Back to the revolution, back to the blog!

2011-11-02T13:43:00.001-07:00

Last post is now over 6 months old. While we waited to see what happened with technologies this year the revolution has spread. Change of regimes, riots, a new war and many efforts to save the world economy in certain parts of our globe have been at the forefront of news.

The revolution has also seen the emergence of social networking so that now Facebook has a value in the market, Apple is now a big legacy to be continued and the alliance between Microsoft and Nokia has given birth to new technology products. Tablets and electronic book readers are now used much more.

And cloud computing is on the up. Yesterday I was at Kingston University in an event about this subject. It is interesting to see how companies like Microsoft have invested in the cloud. Their Azure platform is delivering interesting solutions. One of them is for the Body Shop, which is now a global business. My friend Farid and I coincided in thinking that still the cloud is rather a black box than a cloud. It just delivers what it is asked to do, not many questions being asked, not many pages in a contract to be read or signed.

Still, how these technologies are providing specific benefits so we can say they improve our quality of life and that of our organisations or societies needs attention. Those interested in research say that there is a new ecosystem (see a previous post in this blog) to which we can attach ourselves. End users see that they can get information in real time, presented in a nice way (maps, routes, bookings, news, etc), at their fingertips. Technology developers can now focus on particular parts of information products and services: (Mobile) Applications, middleware, databases or communication networks.

And governments are now more sophisticated in their use of technologies. Mobile applications for citizens are becoming a norm, as digital documents or signatures.

Maybe the revolution within this revolution is not to lose sight of what we can do with all these possibilities, and also to keep the good of what we had. I am still using the same mobile phone, netbook and laptop, am still reading printed copies of papers and books. They do the job for me.

I still think that we need to sort out other problems whilst we use the opportunities brought by technology. The big problem is still how to benefit more people from the changes we experience. It is about not being forgotten but being active in shaping such changes. Many of us would not like to be targeted as consumers but as human beings.

The 'revolution' occuring whilst we wait...

2011-02-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

We commenced this year of 2011 awaiting for the take up of technology as promised by some futurists. News of mergers, partnerships, sickness of CEOs, the new ipad and the like surround the technology world.

Futurists had foreseen that we would then be moving towards more mobile computing in the form of tablet mania, smart phone mania, twitter mania and the like. The cloud is still in fashion, a cloudmania seems to be underway too.

The seeds of these 'manias' had already been planted, but did anyone foresee what was coming our way in the form of 'revolution'?

Am currently watching a TV debate on the impact of social media in 'revolution'. New forms of being governed or chancing government, mediated by social media, energy allowed (of should we say internet allowed), have emerged. People have voiced their concerns, this time globally.

It is people, their drive, desire and determination, which seems to have won the battle. Media has now the availability to reach people in no time...but is that enough to suggest that without media there is no 'revolution'?

Well, it seems, we have been all caught by surprise, timing has been short (in comparison with other 'revolutions'), and we see momentum. Some are attributing revolution to revolutionary ideas, others to the young generation, others to technology. No simple answer. What does this conundrum mean for us as academics, IT people, consultants and users?

For sure, there are communities out there, which can at some point coincide and join efforts together and express what they support or reject. They can represent (or under represent) us. They can meet in cyberspace.

Secondly, some mediation (well, the word 'media' can have some resemblance to mediation) is still necessary, so that even if we do not have enough media expertise, or a captive audience, we can recur to intermediaries to help spread messages. We still need support, whether we like it or not. We might not like it, specially if these mediators are more traditional.

I wonder how a revolution like the one we are experiencing now started with a tipping point (see my previous post on this topic). Maybe there are conditions 'out there' hat make people feel that it is OK and it is due to start if not continue a revolution. Maybe there are groups of less than 150 people as Malcom Gladwell suggest which follow the inspiration of an individual, a book, something that becomes 'cool to do' or similar. Or maybe this idea of a tipping point loses out to the sheer determination of masses of people that decide to express themselves.

A big challenge is then to be able as individuals to make sense of all these dynamics, of 'revolution' given that social media, official media, official government and communities are not homogeneous groups, they could be driven by what appears to be contradictory ideas, now together: profit and some kind of social responsibility, duty and common sense. BBC might have already spent its international news coverage budget in the first two months of this year, so how could they justify continuing their reporting? Are we in now for a re-configuration of electronic market places and the 'market' rules that follow from that?

Maybe, time will tell if all those who promote 'mania' get into new commercial relationships with each other whilst at the same time playing a more prominent and mediating role.

Or maybe the Internet, the network of networks, is fighting back to become that ideal network whose purpose became that of enabling communication between people. We have seen how this purpose has been in a way overshadowed by others (including the commercial ones), but at least, this 'revolution', shows that a purpose of communication is still on...At least up to the point or at the same time when someone decides to shut down the Internet...and we decide to continue paying attention to our 'mania forecasting', something we cannot do much about., but just wait

But we could lots of things about mediating and connecting communities, for a number of purposes. The opportunity is there to continue contributing to 'revolution', to mediate and be mediated...whilst we wait.

Welcome to the £100 eco-system

2010-12-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

Latest predictions in the IT world suggest that in 2011 there will be more mobile phones and tablets than desktops, netbooks and laptops. There will be possibly a few hundred million more, and the numbers seem to be on the increase.

I am still happy with my netbook and old fashioned mobile phone, but am looking around. In my previous post this meant that I have still have not found the killer application and device that will buy me to the innovation side yet.

Click here to see the picture source

In the last couple of weeks I attended the mobile cloud computing forum, an interesting event where several experts put forward their views on what is to happen in 2011. They all coincided with the idea that we will make much more use of mobile devices, and that there will be a better infrastructure to allow for the circulation of data to and from those devices. We are now talking about the cloud as I have been also hinting in a previous post.

Telecommunication companies now enter into the picture of the cloud by offering intelligent data out of data that circulates through their pipes. With consumers moving around, that data becomes precious. Consumers can then be better understood by their locations, their mobility and the applications they use.

Not only consumers but companies themselves can move around, some of them can go directly to consumers instead of waiting for them to turn up at their shops or their online websites. New products and services can be designed and tailored to specific users in specific locations. All of these can, in principle, be enhanced by cloud computing infrastructures. Developers can count on users being able to access information from anywhere and at anytime. Managers can rely on infrastructures to protect their data. IT managers can have more time to support businesses and less time in the day-to-day of managing IT.

All of this seems to be suggesting a new state of affairs, where consumers will use mobile devices to access data, leaving also data through the communication pipes they use. It is an opportunity for telecommunication companies, software developers and other organizations to design products and services to make use of such data. We have heard about the mashing up of data (maps, facts, purchases, facilities) so as to offer an integrated view of a location and its consumers so they both can be seen for future use.

What is the requisite then for people to access to this new reality?

This is where it gets tricky, at least for me.

After the forum and in my last classes I have explored together with various people including my students the question of what it takes to be able to participate of all what seems to be on offer. Some of the people I talk to love the world of iphone® : videoing, geographical applications, augmented reality (for instance scanning things in a book shop to compare prices, or finding restaurant offers nearby), email, etc. The Android® people seem to be on the go to have this and more. Both of these groups though have to get into contracts for phone and internet service. These contracts are not cheap. They are lengthy, and/or you have to pay for the device (tablet, mobile phone).

Technology vendors and writers have changed their language. They do not talk anymore about contracts, they talk about ecosystems. The language and what it brings are definitely sticky. As an example, two of my students presented a business idea recently at University and were asked 'where in the eco-system (presumably of the cloud)' they saw their business operating. In the discussion that followed, we agreed that we needed a better business model so that the business could benefit from the ecosystem, not giving big eco-system species (Google® ,Microsoft®) the chance to wipe it out. It seems that in the eco-system there are (big) reigning species: telecommunication companies, Google®, Microsoft®, Apple®, IBM® and others. If you want to be part of it, you need to know your place, possibly work and collaborate with the big species, whilst providing more specific and valuable services. Who knows, maybe in the future your business can be bought by them.

Being in an eco-system could be particulary exciting for developers. They can develop applications for different platforms, devices, operational systems. They can also develop applications to use data obtained from devices or flowing to devices. Developers then need to work with other people. Perhaps they need to change the language they use. They need to know who are the customers and suppliers, in other words, they need to see themselves within a business. Tricky again, because you should not talk to many people about your idea (the pace of change is very fast and technologies are there to be exploited) but exciting.

For users like me, entering into this eco-system means paying for access, with the risk that it might not give what we all want: speed, relevant content, killer applications, or even security. Those of us who are extremely careful should perhaps pair with people who are better innovators and less afraid of the eco-system. My students seem to have a knack for trying new things and do not seem to be worried for the cost that this involves. So I pair up with them, by now they might be thinking that I ask a lot of obvious questions, and might be wondering if I have not bought yet a new mobile phone.

Not to worry, I will eventually do it, but before, let me say two things. First, I am the kind of individual that still thinks that a phone is and should be a phone. Second, I think that this eco-system should be more affordable, so that I can still pay for my phone and occasionally access all these eco-fantastic applications and services. To give you hope, and following advice from one of my students, I have found a £100 mobile phone that could get me into it: Android, email, internet browser and, of course mobile phone calls, at what seems to be an affordable pay-as-you go price (still using the language of contracts here).

I decided to defer my entry into the eco-system until after Christmas 2010. I am waiting to see if prices will come down a bit. And also, I am also waiting for Christmas presents, so you'd better hurry up and maybe you will get a Christmas card in return. Just joking.

Maybe 2011 will be the year of the eco-system, maybe?

Searching for a tipping point in IT gadgets use

2010-11-22T06:23:00.000-08:00

Last week two events happened. First time in life I decided to take an interest in Apple® products, I became curious after two of my current students bought very physically appealing Apple® laptops. They seemed very happy, and I asked myself if I had been missing something in life.

The second event is that my wife's laptop (a Dell® XPS) is in a state of agony. She keeps resucitating it with no luck. On Saturday we phoned the technical service department, they had us for 30 minutes on hold on a national rate call (0844) without any response. The only good outcome of that was the music they played. Bit nicer.

So you might think, why don't you buy an Apple® product (ipad, laptop, iphone) if you have not done so? Is it about time?

Well, I am still not sure. And it is not necessarily because I do not like them, it is because they have not got to me yet. I have not reached a Tipping Point. And possible Apple has not either.

Malcom Gladwell's The Tipping Point book is illuminating here. He explores how social epidemics occur, how masses of people decide to adopt a product, to mobilise, to smoke or even to commit suicide. He regards several key elements in a situation: Those people pioneering it, those connecting with the rest, those checking and teaching people about it, those persuading, and those finally following.

He also thinks that two other elements are necessary for an epidemic to occur: The stickiness of what is to be adopted, and the context in which it is to be adopted. Together, all these elements could constitute a system of innovation if that is what us, people, are to embrace in our daily lives.

We might think then that there is a critical mass of Apple® followers, those who see themselves as 'outcasts' and 'innovators', if not 'pioneers'; those people who want to be different. Gladwell values this sort of individuals. They are the ones that do not conform. In the IT world it is difficult to decide who is doing that. We have some technology to get us by, or preferences, and ultimately we have habits and routines. We can all be innovators in our own world, perhaps some more than others, those who like to experiments.

We seem to be missing the other types of people that Gladwell mentions. Where are the connectors, those people who make bridges between different communities, people who can act as intermediaries between innovators and the rest? Well, maybe they are the same guys that you see with Apple® products. They just love them. They keep talking about the wonders they do. But the same is true for other people, like my friend Beatriz who loves her Kindle® reader. She has got an Apple iphone® though. She sticks with the Kindle® (not an ipad®). She finds it more useful for their daily routines.

Where are those persuading the rest? Again, these guys seem to be the same who pioneer the use of products. However their message seems to be "This is what I do" rather than "How can this product help you?" They are not salespeople in the strict sense. Apple® seems to rely on setting examples. IT departments in organisations also do the same. In many cases I do not think that after admiration and awe everyone else follows. Hence, the need for good sales people. If we had to take stock from Gladwell, we might suggest that there should be some room in the Apple® and its competitors users communities for doing those things. What I found when going last week to an Apple® istore was a similar store to those of mobile phones. You might experiment with products, but the teaching, and the care might (not) be there. Gladwell sets as an example that of a children's book (I think, just finished reading the book last night), which triggered certain innovators to connect with teachers and others through small communities (no more than 150 individuals). He also uses examples of successful companies which, in order to keep a sense of community, organise themselves in units of no more than 150 people. It might be useful to think of these communities as those where the real innovation and adoption of mass change happens. I might not be knowledgeable of what IT companies do in this regard. It could well be that some communities form 'expert' forums, or 'user forums'. It would be useful to see how their message spreads across, if anyone can get invited and become a 'convert', or you need to proof yourself before doing that (by buying products and becoming an 'expert').

Speaking about stickiness, in the IT and communications world it seems that once you move from one product to another, you stick with it, at least for a good while, either because you love it (and you show it on the train, at work, with friends), or because your contract says so. This is the example of mobile phones. I checked iphone® contracts, they are over 18 months, so just to make sure you stick with it. The product itself might be sticky in its appearance, content (applications) too. Competitors are now working on making products use simple (with a touch interface for instance). How about its use in daily life?

Finally, there is the aspect of context. It is about creating conditions for people to embrace change. Conditions where it could feel safe to follow, or not to follow (for instance in the case of addictions like smoking), with a clearer understanding of the non-average (see my previous post on this blog) need to come together. We are irrational human beings, Gladwell argues, and that needs to be accepted rather than rejected. I wonder if the context of conditions for people like me in an educational setting have become appropriate to embrace change. Some minimum things are required. In the case of technologies, it should be possible to better interact with my students. I cannot see that yet. Or possibly I have not become convinced that these technologies are to bring positive improvement...YET.

My verdict so far for Apple®, Dell®, and others that might like to become the main market players is not that great. Apple® seems to be ahead of the pack in terms of the stickiness factor and with competitors following. However, we do not find easily communities of individuals and individuals themselves that pioneer, connect and persuade others. We do not find access to those communities unless we are already consumers of products. We could try the products though. However, a key element missing is that of the context of use. How we decide to use products in our daily life is likely to depend on other things that products themselves, one of them usefulness.

But who knows, maybe I am just like the rest of the people, I am waiting for others to lead me, or maybe I have my own habits which are not 'average'.

For the time being, I stick to my Dell® netbook (had to repair it once already!), and my Sony Ericcson® mobile. Still I do not follow, maybe I am still waiting for a killer product or application to convince me.

Who knows...

Service systems and the 'non-average'

2010-10-30T00:14:00.000-07:00

In our daily lives we live surrounded by complex networks of organisations. What appears to be simple in how we book health appointments, show tickets, plane flights, dinners and so on is a complex arrangement of organisations, procedures and technologies to deliver what we ask for.

We can call these networks or systems. Their aim is to serve. Information systems and technologies help these systems provide value to their users, giving them something extra that users do not get in other ways. Nice and easy, these systems look good on paper, like this one:

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/EHSNet/images/Food_Service_as_a_System.jpg, accessed November 2010

So we access and are served by these systems. But what happens in the case that something goes wrong? For instance you got poisoned by the food produced by the above system, and /or you need to see a health specialist urgently, or you need to return or cancel your tickets?

This is where often a journey to fight these systems starts for the user...

Systems and networks have been designed to respond to certain events: purchases, requests, deliveries, events of people in life from the time we are born. Sophisticated communications arrange organisations and people within them so these events are managed. Some contingencies are factored in. If you decide to return a pair of jeans you bought off the internet you just pack it and post it at no cost. You should though use the postal address label they give you and report the 'event' (it was too small, or you did not like it after all). They can also refund money if you cancel your bookings in advance, provided you do it within a 'reasonable' amount of time (28 days) and that you have not 'used' what you bought.

That seems to be at the root of many problems in systems: Their notion of what is 'reasonable' , something which is not 'average', does not happen to you or either to them every day.

It is precisely life at its full which is not reasonable. We do not reason to get ill at a particular time and place. We do not also reason to have to change addresses in the databases of these systems to be delivered what we bought. We do not reason if payment has been taken wrongly (twice, or not take at all); we just get furious or silent. We somehow expect these systems to do the reasoning for us. That should be their problem.

But in many of these systems the expectation is that WE do the reasoning for them...because we are the users, and we are reasonable (or 'average' as I was explaining this to one of my students last week). Do not ask for silly things. Do not jump your place on the queue...remain calm and carry on. Thank you for your patience...we are sorry for the delay. Average responses by today's standards.

What do do if you, like me feel frustrated on the 'unreasonability' of any of these systems? From experience, I can suggest the following:

1. Get inside their network, by complaining, phoning, protesting, explaining that it is their problem, not yours. Many of these systems have become blind to the 'non-average' cases; their own cost reduction goals aim at transforming non-average cases into average ones. So they can send you to the call centers or the online portals. In a previous post I mentioned that this is the case for e-government systems. However, there are parts of the networks that these systems assemble where it is still possible to make your point. You may need to combine both your online and offline expertise to make your case stronger. In a way you are helping these systems to become less blind.

2. If you can afford it, pay to see those individuals who the network does not allow you to see. This is true for the case of health specialists. Sad but true. These and other networks protect their managers and those who can make decisions because their time is very precious and needs to be invested in either serving everyone else, or thinking about strategic issues. I wonder how non-important these 'non-average' cases have become so as not to be strategic.

3. Use your own networks of friends. I am not implying that you are doing this to jump the queue (although if this is a serious case you might think about it), but friends can help in sharing the pains involved, or give some extra knowledge and advice. Or if you fail in shaking up the system, at least they will buy you a drink and will tell you that there are more important things in life (if you or your loved ones are still alive).

4. Tell us of your ordeal via facebook, twitter or a blog.

5. Or do nothing, that is an average response...with average consequences. Life is a precious but serious matter.

IT-based government : Icebergs or Ice Creams?

2010-10-22T01:36:00.000-07:00

The comprehensive spending review (CSR) of the UK government has been announced this week (Oct 20th 2010). As a summary, it provides some indication of the funding cuts and increases that the government will undertake in the next five (5) years.

I say indication because reviews and their numbers only give us indications...only that (?).

Whilst some areas have been protected from 'cuts' in the review, others are said to be intervened with the aim of reducing the deficit that public spending has had in the last few years. This can help tackling the present and potential negative effects of the global economic recession. As I have heard UK government officials say, this government has to both achieve efficiencies and improve relationships with citizens. All with the help of information technologies. In the so-called protected areas, the government is gambling on the power of information technology to help in the delivery of public services, and also in the achievement of efficiencies and economies of scale. Therefore important IT investments are to be secured if not maintained. The 'banking' mentality that it is cheaper, faster, safer and more efficient to offer information and services online than it is offline has now entered in full suite into government affairs. But as several researchers have pointed out, this sort of mentality has to co-exist with the mentalities of government. Here is a couple of examples:

"HM Revenue and Customs's budget will be expected to find resource savings of 15% through the better use of new technology and greater efficiency, while spending £900 million more on targeting tax evasion and fraud to help collect a missing £7 billion in tax revenues" (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/main-points-from-the-comprehensive-spending-review-2111727.html)

The government has pledged to invest £530 million to support the UK’s broadband network and to enable the roll out of superfast broadband in areas that the private sector would not otherwise reach (http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/government-announces-530m-broadband-investment-10767)

Mmm, interesting...

Or contradictory.

About the latter, is there a way to live with this and many other contradictions that we will see emerging in the next few years in IT-based governments? Here are two thoughts:

First, we need to stop assuming that change is about technology implementation. For many years, people have talked about socio-technical systems rather than simply technical systems. Technical systems do not exist or develop in a vacuum. They are the outcome and medium of the social context in which they are (to be) implemented.

Second, not everything appears to be bad news, if we also conceive of government as a complex phenomenon in which different types of practices, technologies, regulations and groups of individuals intersect. Government is not anymore about a lineal process of governments delivering rules and services to citizens. It can be better seen as an iterative, unpredictable and emerging set of processes.

My hope is that these thoughts can lead us to see that things can turn into our own benefits as citizens, but also that IT companies and other actors in the business of government can and should be involved in producing the new IT-based government.

An example of the new space of possibilities that is emerging is that of cloud computing for government, which has been called the g-cloud. Governments around the world are thinking of placing their information and infrastructures to manage it 'in the cloud'; that will give ubiquitous access to information whilst reducing the burden (and cost) of its supporting infrastructure. A recent review of the g-cloud strategy of the UK government can be found in the following link: http://quocirca.computing.co.uk/2010/04/whats-the-future-for-gcloud.html

In terms of cost, the g-cloud offers flexibility and scalability, meaning that information services can be bought on demand. The cloud needs to co-exist with information management practices, rules, norms and attitudes.

At first, unless you are a 'techie', the cloud can become an iceberg, something you do not want to clash with in your job, even if it appears to be 'simple' to implement, as the figure shows:

http://communication.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing.htm

But if we think that the cloud is just part of a new arrangement of things as described previously, and which will require a social environment to develop successfully, we can then see how we can be part of it.

How?

Well, if you are a 'techie', try to see where you can offer your services within the architecture of cloud services. As far as I know, there are infrastructure, services, management applications and end-user applications. If governments are to make use of the g-cloud, then they will need your expertise in connecting their old infrastructures and applications to the cloud. We already know small companies that are part of bigger networks of providers which together provide cloud services.

If you are a manager, you can then try to link your organisation's strategy to that of the cloud, so that you decide where you can make the best of your cloud use. You do not need to transfer everything to the cloud. You will need though, to prepare yourself and your people to manage information services. There is an imperative to better understand how the cloud can deliver benefits in the long term beyond the short term cost and efficiencies.

If you just want to be a citizen, my view is that no one is asking you to become a full cyber-citizen. Governments and IT providers need you, in principle to consult on services that are to be transferred to the online world; you can voice your concerns, although the process of taking them forward is not clear yet in countries like the UK (they seem to listen to you, take suggestions on board, but then decide on what they think is important and feasible).

Regardless of the effects of what this could generate in the future, I think you can go beyond that. You can set up your own community if not join an existing one, so that you can access information and knowledge that you need. If you are an academic like me, join me in the newly set up technology and governance network. We will continue discussing effects, implications and possibilities of the new government with IT.

One last thought: Just be careful about what you wish for, you might find that what appears to be an iceberg turns out to be a fully flavored ice cream! If that is the case, there is no other alternative than enjoying it while it lasts...

HM 2.0: The next generation of hybrid managers?

2010-10-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

I blog from my reflections on what I see, talk about or hear from my sources...yes, I have sources, I will tell you in a minute who they are.

The last couple of weeks have been busy with many things at work and elsewhere. Like everyone else who lives a 'modern' lifestyle, I have had to juggle with visits to the doctor, meetings with my 'clients', preparing plans, thinking of research ideas, responding emails, attending other meetings with bosses, driving around, and trying to have some quality time with family and friends during the week end.

A news item caught my eye: the founder and CEO of an IT company (I think it was twitter) is stepping down to leave room for a new CEO, someone who can take the company to the 'next level', in other words someone that can consolidate it and make decisions to secure its future. The article was suggesting that this is necessary. The founder might have inspired others to follow him/her but might not be capable of taking tough decisions to the possible detriment of customers. That is why a CEO is needed. Founders can still remain in the company as inspirational leaders, also as a testimony of the values that many if not all employees (should?) share.

Interesting. In my role of educator I try to inspire people to become hybrid managers, people who can talk business and IT, people who can act as translators between these two worlds. I have been in these two camps before and can tell from experience that life is hard. Not only IT can have life on its own, but businesses can also decide they want business as usual, so that IT becomes a liability rather than an opportunity or a tool. Here is we need people that values both. These hybrid managers can also be called boundary spanners to sound a bit more academic but no less important.

You might be thinking: so what are you trying to say? The indication of many IT companies that want to separate roles could lead us to think that hybrid management needs re-thinking if not separation. Well, that is only a view of what is currently happening. Separation of roles is also evident if you think of why things like cloud computing have become popular. Not only cost seems to be a big driver, but also separating the 'day to day' of IT from its planning or policy. Before you think of separating, see what the next paragraph suggests.

Will this separation work? My view is that it can, but because there is no separation, rather a fragmentation (well, this is modern life is it not?). You will still need people who can do translation between different speakers. You will still need people who can make sure that CEOs and founders are on the same page, even if they read it for different purposes. Being on the same page means thinking of customers, clients, students, patients and the like. The problem with fragmentation is that it can lead to isolation. I wonder what the agenda of founders is really about. Fragmenting? I do not think so. Maybe they just want to stop being so busy, or maybe they step down from the public eye so they get the media off their backs whilst they plan the next big thing.

My sources (former students and colleagues) tell me that they are now in temporary contracts in project management or IT research if not in setting up their own business. They have to translate ideas into projects and facilitate work between experts. Some of them think that it is difficult to make organisations flexible and responsive. Old styles of management based on command and control, and supported by pyramidal structures still inhibit technology construction: this is a consequence of fragmentation, of dividing things too much. Maybe what is needed is a more serious consideration of the power of networks and networking, so that you can let go of things whilst you co-ordinate; a network should not be fragmented. Or maybe you need people with the skills to translate, co-ordinate and develop trust in each other.

The separation of roles in IT companies could be geared in that direction, or it could be a new attempt to disguise hierarchies and mind games. Only a hybrid manager can spot the difference.

My message and question to founders and to hybrid managers is: Get back to the innovation department where you originally started, to the old days of dreaming, trying, venturing; get out of your comfort zone, get back to where you started. Maybe you need to leave your old company. Can you really let it go?

And the message to myself: Time to go back to basics, and have a hybrid , normal life.

Technology and Governance: Systems Thinking to Promote E-Participation

2010-09-27T05:23:00.000-07:00

On the 23rd of September 2010, we officially launched the book on "Systems Thinking and e-Participation: ICT in the Governance of Society" (http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/TitleDetails.aspx?TitleId=37232), co-edited by myself and Alejandro Ochoa-Arias. It was a very important and fruitful effort for us and collaborators. We hope the readers will also find it relevant for their work on both systems thinking and e-government.

The event was celebrated with a seminar with Dr. Juan-Ignacio Criado from Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain, left in the picture), and Dr. David Pullinger, head of Digital Policy of the UK Government Central Office of Information (right in the picture). As a common theme, we discussed developments on e-government considering the cases of Spain, the UK, Colombia and Ghana. All the speakers pointed out to the importance of reflecting on the values that drive the implementation of e-government, so that we can review and improve policies and plans.

From different perspectives, we considered it important to understand those individuals using electronic government services, and those designing or managing them, given that between them there might be gaps in knowledge, understanding and skills to be able to communicate and interact electronically. There are already policies and plans in place to enable more transparency, representation and efficiency. However, the 'soft' component of e-government, the people, and our values of values of dialogue, accountability and quality of life, need to be addressed. In particular, I expressed concern with the notion of the 'common good' that seems to be adopted to convince people of the importance of e-government. We all want to get on with our lives, and e-government services could help in this regard, only that getting on with life could have good or not very good implications as to how it is done, for whom, and with which consequences.

During the seminar we also announced the new Technology and Governance Network (TGN), a group of collaborators researching on the unfolding of technology policy, design and use in profit and non-profit organisations, and its potential impacts in new forms of governance. This theme is broad enough to facilitate inter-disciplinary work between researchers and practitioners, and to allow for the specific exploration of phenomena related to the interplay between citizens, technology suppliers, governments and other actors. We aim at improving existing knowledge and practices in formulation and implementation of policies and plans in these areas.

With new developments in technology (i.e. cloud computing), new policies (i.e. inter-operability), and new demands (i.e. mobile government, inclusion, information security), e-government can take new directions. It is important though to develop it in systemic ways, in other words, looking after different aspects, engaging in the process rather than in achieving outcomes, and ultimately, enabling people to see e-government as a tool to facilitate communication.

Can we teach (IT) competence?

2010-08-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

This summer time has come with some positive news including what appears to be an increase in the number of job offers in the IT sector and some unexpected testimonials from my students about where they are working now: consulting, software development, and international relations among other things. Not only in the UK but also elsewhere, people are getting on with whatever challenges they face. Yes, life is hard, but it could be a good opportunity to learn and kick back.

Out of these news, and with a bit of time to reflect these days, I have been asking myself if we can teach competence. Why competence? Because it seems to make the difference between getting a good education and using it wisely. Competence is now an area of interest in fields like project management. In information technology competence aims to be 'measured' by the identification of different skills (or competencies) that people use to perform well in their jobs. This involves working on areas and problems which we are expected to be able to deal with, in other words to succeed.

If competence can be taught, we can then teach people basic knowledge of key areas, and help them develop their skills to work on those areas. We would be then selecting core elements of knowledge, and devising activities for students to engage practically into using these elements in addressing challenges, requirements and problems in such areas. Engagement would mean the use of skills like communication, problem solving, leadership, negotiation, planning and the like.

But there is something else I wish we could teach and reflect on. It is the willingness to engage, to try again, to appropriate problems as our own, to feel curiosity and passion about what we are engaging with. It is the attitude to life in general. We are all human beings, we have ups and downs, and this sort of attitude might come to our rescue or abandon us at times. It is this attitude to be realistic about life (it is hard!), and still engage with it. I am using here the word 'engage' heavily, because I think it makes the difference between learning and simply 'receiving'. My colleague and friend Andriani Piki has found that engagement plays a key role in how people decide to use technology to support their learning, and that those students who are engaged in learning have better marks as a result.

Can we teach engagement, can we develop it, and if so how?

From my experience I can only say that all we can do as tutors is to keep putting passion in what we teach. That helps. And if we feel we are not really engaged with what we teach, there might be little point in complaining if our students are not either.

The other thing is the openness to new things. Ideally we should all try to leave space in our minds for new ideas, and keep exploring, keep talking, imagining, and challenging what we know. For people like me it is not easy, as I am stubborn and slow to accept change. But I have my students which keep me on my toes.

These students have also taught me a lesson this summer: not to underestimate them. A couple of those 'quiet' came to graduation and when I asked them about what they were working on, I got the most amazing answers. They are doing fantastically well. Those quiet students which did not seem to engage at all. A nice surprise indeed.

Information systems courses: Where we are

2010-07-05T03:24:00.000-07:00

This year I started developing some course material for a course on information systems. It has helped me that I lecture on several courses on this area (for many people this is not an area, it is a discipline, for others it is a field). I began searching for appropriate textbooks. My findings so far is that there are very good best seller books in information systems, with authors producing a new version almost every year including new topics, exercises, case studies and of course, online aid tools.

However, I have not found yet what I think reflects where we are now. Where we are in my view is that we have a landscape full of information systems applications, certifications, and research in both profit and non profit sectors. We are full of models and approaches that tell us about information systems maturity in stages, information systems adoption in stages, acceptance and satisfaction of information systems through different factors and elements (and their linkages). This is the ground level of the landscape.

The hills and mountains of the landscape are the ones being described by many of these best seller books. They talk about the pervasiveness of information systems in daily life, their key presence in organisations, their help to competitiveness. These books show lots of cases of successful organisations adopting and using e-commerce systems, ERP systems, CRM systems, decision support systems. They talk about database management, project management and security management. They prescribe ways of using all these systems and technologies. Of course there are many ways and approaches to do so. But the basic premise that information systems are here to stay remains, together with the assumption that they become assets in an organisation, which, like costly football players, need to be maintained, developed and protected, because at some point in time, they will deliver what they promise; and it is only a few organisations which will play by the book. Whether our students will then climb to these hills (and many will also fall down after discovering that there is more to see), or if they will remain in the grounds of the IS world, I think we are not appreciating the richness of the IS landscape.

So it seems, we have forgotten the basics of information, knowledge, and systems, oer if you include them in text books they seem to come first and never to be repeated (well you should know by now these things). You do not talk about these things when you are selecting a costly ERP or CRM system, or when you are developing web-based software which will also be accessed via mobile phones. You now need to learn the language of usability, cloud computing, social networking, e-government, e-commerce, e-marketing. You need to talk about end users, tiers of architectures, hosts and providers. The user will then see how this language can be adapted to their own realities in organisations. We know you will do that in practice.

Pity really. We need to constantly remind ourselves that only a tiny proportion of the world population has access to information technologies, and that even so, the basics should be learned so that we can use technologies better. Courses should be designed to take anyone who has an interest in information systems and technologies. They should also learn the definitions of what they are going to be dealing with. They should also be provided with a learning environment to try different things, engage in projects, and learn from what they do.

Tutors can also have the opportunity to provide context for information systems. Ideas of sociology or critical theory can help us here. Systems seem to have emerged out of the need of human communication. In organisations this communication has a dominant purpose and orientation (profit). But people need other things, we also communicate to develop ourselves and help others develop. We should also learn how to implement systems with the idea of communication in mind.

The message goes also for researchers. We seem to have adopted different models and approaches to map the context of information systems and guide action to ensure smoother or more humanly oriented systems implementation and use. We keep identifying factors, issues and criteria to know what is best to do when things do not go according to plan. We test lots of hypotheses. So what? What is happening afterwards? Are we informing managers of what to do? Are we then incorporating these findings in our textbooks or courses? Can we then venture into telling our students what is official (according to the text books) and what is really the case in organisations? Are we trying to develop them as critical and ethical individuals?

So here is the suggestion for an information systems course and textbook. It starts with basics on data, knowledge, information. It then provides a sociological context for the emergence of information systems and technologies. It then describes how is that managers think, and how this thinking is influenced by systems. Then we present official and unofficial ways of establishing IS functions and doing things like IS strategy, IS development and IS evaluation. We then move into particular applications in the supply and demand side of organisations. We continously encourage students to investigate how these ideas really happen, and how for instance a methodology like PRINCE2 is adopted in organisations. We promote group work and use simulations, the beer game, some practice with spreadsheets and databases. We assess students on their competences to develop a solution to a problem, but also on their personal take on what is the usefulness of models and approaches. We ask them to continously keep an eye on the profit and non-profit orientation given to information systems.

And we keep telliing them that they are very fortunate to be able to study and use systems and technologies. We remind them that the world out there is not what is like in the text books. We need to nurture grounded individuals.

Off to write my course material then!

The gap in the IT job market

2010-03-12T02:56:00.000-08:00

From a number of different conversations with graduates seeking for IT jobs and with employers seeking for IT graduates, something that many would not believe is happening. There is a gap between what employers want and what graduates are offering.

Many employers want people who are committed, who are willing to engage with IT problems and who are able to go beyond their own area of comfort or expertise. They do not seem to find this sort of people when they interview or recruit. After endless assessment activities, interviews and the like, they reach a staring conclusion: Many people do not have this kind of 'X' factor. They then need to go into another round of recruitment!

Graduates on the other hand come to me with concerns about not getting a job in which they can gain experience and develop their IT and management careers. The last statistic I heard from one of them is that for every position available there could be 200 applicants. So graduates apply but find it difficult to go through the process. There are some good stories though: A graduate obtaining a position as a data administrator, another getting into teaching, and another one realising he needs to redefine his expectations. Among graduates I still find those who think that having connections will get them a job. Partly true. But partly misleading. Specially if they come to me to 'get them' a job. Or if they end up 'begging' for it. None of these work with me and with many employers. At least in the side of the world where I am now.

There is a gap in the IT job market that in my view needs to be addressed from both sides. Employers need people that can 'hit the ground running', in other words people who are ready to deliver what is expected. But we all know that it takes time, and even if you get a job candidate who is like this, then s/he might have several job opportunities. It is important to give candidates a good space to find their ways, as quickly as possible, but giving them the opportunity to put their skills into practice before hitting the ground (and hopefully continue walking).

Candidates on the other hand need to show better what they are capable of. I come across CVs that look like lists of bullet points on technical languages, tools, courses and marks (nothing on commitment, client engagement, understanding needs and being proactive in the best possible ways). More needs to be said about how people see themselves, what strengths and limitations they bring to the job, and how they have developed their career so far. Promising too much can also be a bad thing.

I also come across individuals who just 'think they deserve' something better, given that everyone (including themselves) expects nothing else but success. I went through a similar thing myself and I thought that I had done enough to 'deserve' a good job. A good friend asked me: Why are you so worried of failing? Another good friend told me: Things take their own time to come to you. I am very glad for their advice. There are lots of things that we can call 'work' that need to be done, there might be just few things we can call 'jobs'. If we only wait for the latter, we might be missing work that no one is willing to risk doing, in other words missing opportunities.

I am sure we can keep ourselves mentally active by reviewing things we have learned, by talking to people, by thinking positively and laterally (simple solutions to problems) and by valuing what we have, the people that love us and that will treat us the same, with or without a job. Good friends can make a difference.

IT and disasters

2010-01-18T15:16:00.000-08:00

The recent events on Haiti made me remember what happened in Colombia, my home country, in 1994. There was an earthquake that devastated the city of Armenia. At that time I was working as an IT project manager and it stroke me that despite the increasing popularity of geographical information systems (GIS), there was very little effort in putting this technology to the service of disaster recovery and city regeneration. More than 10 years on, Armenia is now back on its feet, thanks to a collective effort, sustained investment and more importantly, the hard work of its people.

Last Friday (January 15th 2010) when beginning a seminar I then raised the same issue: Where are the IT experts when it comes to disasters? A few hours later I got an email from ICT4D, a collective umbrella organisation. One of the participant organisations had created a wiki with videos, photos and other items from Haiti. You can see it at http://inventory.ict4peace.org/Haiti+Earthquake+-+January+2010

Today (6 days after the earthquake) I have seen the following links that indicate that there are many people whose knowledge and software or technology products could be used to support the work on the ground in Haiti.

http://wiki.crisiscommons.org/index.php?title=.php&title=Haiti/2010_Earthquake This is a wiki that has a number of entries with people who could contribute with software or skills; there are already organizations offering help in locating victims, mapping the different efforts that are being undertaken, and organizing events to 'think of' new possibilities. One of this events is called crisis camp (http://crisiscamphaitiwdc.eventbrite.com/), and will explore how to produce some layers of information that could be available graphically and made accessible through mobile applications. According to CNN, there are other suggestions to be discussed in the event that include:

Creating an online locator system for families seeking lost loved ones

Setting up an online communications tool similar to Twitter that would allow relief workers and others to talk with each other in real time

There is another event called BarCamp, a series of events in different countries, in which possibilities for projects and ideas are discussed freely and without formal agendas. When going through the link, I discovered that these events have / will take place in Africa, Asia and South America among other regions. Interesting. There is one BarCamp scheduled for Bogota, Colombia, on the 27th of February 2010.

The online locator system (http://www.haitiwelfare.com/) is a database (sponsored by Google) in which you can type names of people with the aim of either giving information about them or asking for information about them.

Back to the wiki technologies. In November 6 2009 Recently I attended an event called know how now in London (http://www.knowhownow.org.uk/) in which an organisation called apropedia (http://www.appropedia.org/Welcome_to_Appropedia) has developed a wiki to put all information about building simple and sustainable solutions. It gathers such information from all those who have experience on the ground. The idea is to offer these knowledge and in different languages to people, so they could build their own solutions for. An entry I just saw in this repository is called 'building a basic shelter'. Anyone could contribute.

So it seems, technology is there and can be made available to provide information. A key issue is to make information simple, accessible and easy to edit / update. With these and for sure other possibilities, a question that comes to my mind is: do we need some kind of co-ordination mechanism so that people can find easily links to this information? When looking at some of the above links, unless I had them referenced somewhere else, it was not easy to find. Our friends from Google should take notice of this. When it comes to disasters, maybe we need some keywords.

And another question: What about different languages? Unless you know English, you might not know how to look for this information. This seems to reflect what is happening now in the ground: lots of nationalities together, everyone wanting to help, but it seems, there is very little co-ordination. IT guys should try to promote co-ordination and user intake of these technologies /possibilities to help in disasters.

Prospects for 2010

2010-01-10T03:24:00.000-08:00

With heavy snow now in the UK, and some time to ponder on what could be happening this year, I have ventured to add to my previous post regarding some prospects for 2010. Hopefully these will be useful to those looking to work in making IT successful in organisations.

Time to decide. Many companies are now going to decide how much IT they keep and invest on. Those who have acquired previous commitments on big projects will either go ahead with them or will shed proposals or plans for the next year. In theory, the most sensible thing to do would be to wait and see. However, some opportunities could be lost. It is like going to explore a new market, in which there were positive signs but the wind of recession has frozen them. One could say that we need to wait until the frost has gone, others would say that we should be go into the new market anyway. If recession is everywhere, shall we let it freeze us too?

New and old knowledge need to be used. Of course new technology products will come into place, but they will need to be connected to old systems. So IT professionals will have to either reutilise their old knowledge to help plug in new technologies, or will venture in exploiting the new. Iphone applications are a good example. They should allow connection to transactional systems (e.g. banks), whilst at the same time whoever wants to design a new iphone application will have to learn how to do it with a different operating system, browsers, security, etc. In both cases there are opportunities. What we do not want to see is IT professionals 'waiting' to have a clearer idea of where to go. Someone has to take the lead.

Location is going to be important again. Previous years economy led us to think we could be working anywhere as IT professionals. My view now is that location matters for several reasons. First, with companies cutting on graduate posts, training opportunities or research and development, they are now 'downsizing' and choosing cheaper locations to operate. They are also hiring new professionals where they are based. So either you stay in the location where you can be hired, or you go to a new location but make sure that you place yourself strategically so that companies see you. I met someone recently who is a SAP consultant coming from abroad to the UK. Fantastic no? I suggested this person to be in the right place. In the UK I have heard of the IT corridor that runs west from London to Reading. Alternatively with this skills you could offer your services in locations where the competition is less strong.

Network even if this means changing your habits. Many of us meet other people in specific circumstances: colleagues from degrees, from the neighbourhood, from church, old employers. It is time to give them a ring if you want to ask them how they are doing, if they know who needs and IT professional or to develop new ideas. Why not propose new things, at least to have a coffee and catch up? Many ideas do not need lots of money. Doing a business plan, going to a chamber of commerce to ask for funding opportunities, getting yourself a trainer certificate in some IT equipment and then setting up your own business from home with a partner, these are ideas I have come across by talking to my former students, some of which are still in the look for jobs. Another of my students is now writing a research paper with me, and we began looking for a PhD studentship for him, all of this whilst he and I do our jobs. Of course, working through networks and with them takes time, but this is also a change of our habits if we're used to 'normal' working times.

Substitute the perfect job for a good one. Have you considered that maybe you are not ready yet for the job you're looking for, that such a job has been frozen or that it does not exist yet? If you have done so, congratulations, this is an honest account of reality. Look for a job that allows you to keep active, to pay the bills, and meet people. Yes, you could have the best qualifications in the world, but they are yours, not owned by anyone else. Companies are on the look for talent and skills, not qualifications. Maybe qualifications gave you awareness on talents you have and skills you need to develop, so think about what else you need to do. And you could do it whilst keeping a good job. Even volunteering jobs give you the chance to learn new things and meet people. Do not underestimate what comes your way unless you are someone like a good old friend who decided to wait for over eight (8) months (and there was no recession) for the perfect job to come. Ejem, he was also sponsored by his wife...

Finally, do not think you're wasting time by trying. Trying means you are on the look, that the glass is half full and not half empty (my friend kept trying). Despair, desperation, anxiety and other feelings can negatively affect us. But there could be worse things, one of them being 'dead' while alive. I remember hearing a former military expert who lost his leg and part of one arm. He told us his vivid account of how it happened, and how in the midst of the ordeal he mentally decided that it was better to fight for life than to lose it. He survived and began a different life, not easy but with full of challenges ("One damn thing after another!"). He keeps positive because being negative can lead him to lose life. So it is a question of losing life by still being alive if we think we're wasting it. If you feel desperate, phone a friend, go for a walk, tell off relatives who want to feel pity for you and join others like you who are on the look.

Good luck to us all! I am now on the look for funding!

2010 - Back to basics or out of the comfort zone?

2009-12-23T16:52:00.000-08:00

At about the same time last year (Dec 2008) I ventured into predicting a few things that could happen during 2009. Out of luck or just good intuition, some of them bore similarities to what happened in this year (my friend Cesar Lopez now must be officially impressed!). The reader can see a previous post and get also (un)impressed. In general terms I said recession was going to hit hard to those who were more vulnerable. But in the midst of it we could see some good things happening (like Brazil emerging as a protagonist in the international arena...).

Anyway, now that there is some time to think and reflect, I will do just that. First of all, it has been a very rewarding year in professional terms. Two books published, a good conference organised, progress in making education more related to the realities of companies and the workplace. Some of my students have impressed me by stretching their skills and achieving their goals (Msc and PhD ones, you really keep surprising me!). Others have shown resilience in continuing their learning and making their living while they do so, again nice surprises and now we share our lives as friends. Well done us all! Second of all and on the not pleasant side, some health issues (stress, anxiety) that now are being taken care of by slowing the pace to achieve things. Friends and family (old friends that we cannot forget) have been there to support.

Yes, support is important, and now it seems that many people talk about going back to basics. Jumping now to another area, that of companies and organisations. They are now reducing their 'tentacles', by focusing on what they know best, their core businesses. They are being selling 'other' businesses (their luxury product lines). Governments and big corporations are now and virtually abandoning ventures (expensive IT systems investments). Others are keeping investments because of previous commitments (i.e. the London Olympics), as if they are also considering basic goals (regeneration), and as someone said recently, 'at the time of making such commitments they seemed to be a good idea'.

In a previous post I mentioned that there could be possibilities for jobs and investments in 'common' assets (IT for your company, your leased car). People making decisions to go back to basics might be considering that their 'core' business is not to own very expensive IT infrastructures let alone expensive cars. OK. No serious or long-term investments here, but we are all assuming that there is another party supporting our decisions. Yes, there is someone with capital to buy IT or to buy cars in our names and then charging us a periodical fee and with sophisticated financial models. Financial, that sounds like what banks does it not? And kind of unsustainable (irresponsible) support brought us to where we are. Can those dealing with IT learn something from this? It seems that support can be offered but not indefinitely. At some point, support (if we can still call it that way), will become so expensive to offer and to charge, that it could become unsustainable. Those looking at technologies like "The cloud" with a critical eye are not taking note of this. I know that one of my current students might see this post and will be thinking: So you are sceptical again! Possibly...or maybe suggesting some kind of sustainable support for sustainable action.

Or maybe what I am suggesting is that support is a systemic problem, because action and support need each other. Going back to basics presupposes that someone, somewhere, is going to pick up the pieces we leave when we reduce the size of our 'tentacles'. Downsizing could be part of an economic cycle where the next innovation is going to generate new economic and technological opportunities; but this means someone will have to take the lead in innovation. That is why we also see that now we're expecting some individuals to become entrepreneurs and venture into new opportunities.; we're also expecting some companies to continue investing in research and development (R&D) At a more personal level, going back to basics, like I am thinking for myself in terms of not doing as many things as I did this year of 2009, would presuppose that someone is (not) going to push in the same direction as I have been pushing (why should they?). Or maybe that I can use technology to help me go back to basics, like improving my time keeping, helping me disseminate things on emails and websites, and letting others do their job. But...even with technology, we're still mere mortals. In a good way, going back to basics should put that as a priority. Because we live in a complex environment where support might not be available for everything we require support.

OK, so maybe the reader is now thinking that I am suggesting some kind of (un)morally driven 'invisible hand' intervention, which could also be interpreted as a 'real hand' one. Hands, not tentacles. Are we now witnessing a swing of the pendulum from 'go global' to 'just play your part in the landscape of things'? Maybe. Or maybe we still have to suffer some kind of dramatic shakes in our landscapes. For some of us, this could also mean going out of the comfort zone (like my friend Meera said to me after we had a ride in a rollercoaster today, we had such good fun and the fears from the beginning are just history, we needed an adrenaline boost). To 'move on' or to be 'moved on', said someone in the magazine PM today after several career changes. Maybe I am preferring today both, but swiftly. Only if we knew what change was going to give us the maximum benefit...What we only know is that what happens is for the best, as my friend Benjamin Osorio used to say.

So going back to basics might mean finding the right wave to let ourselves be moved by, something familiar that without noticing it, move us on! That is why I am loving zumba...once you warm up without realising it, you keep doing exercise for the fun of it!

Ok, if Cesar asks me again: Do you have any prediction? I will play it safer this time and will tell him that each of us will find a good way to live 2010... We just have to swiftly try some new things, and keep an open mind on what will come (in systemic terms this might mean understanding the waves we come across, our context, and our bigger systems, so that we become active parts of those). If I can aim to do some of this, I will personally try to flow swiftly, slowly but surely, that might also work when it comes to a big change. Often, we think we do not change neither personally or in our environment, only when others acknowledge it we then start believing that change really happened.

Support, belief, finding the right way. And trust...have I missed any other 'basic' thing?

(IT) Asset management: Fighting recession?

2009-12-05T04:11:00.000-08:00

In the last month I have listened to several people whose expertise and ideas seem to be currently converging to one interesting idea...

The current economic crises has taught us that there is no capital to invest. In both IT and the property sectors and worldwide, lack of capital has meant that invesment has been reduced considerably. Consequences in the supply of manufacturing and construction materials have been seen. Many companies are fighting to keep orders from customers whilst the latter are more reluctant. Those with some capital (i.e. banks) are also reluctant to let it go. Governments are spending capital trying to keep people in jobs and with benefits. Those wanting to buy properties are being held back, because it is not certain that their capital is going to be productive in the long run.

So those with capital or assets are seizing an opportunity. To 'lease' products and goods. In the IT sector, I heard that some companies are lending capital to their customers so they can buy IT goods and services; and pay a lease premium. In the automotive sector, this way of 'owning' cars has been around for several years. One does not own a car, only until it is fully paid. The property rental market seems also to be growing in certain countries or has positively influenced the lack of deep problems (debt). In this case one should not have to own a property. As long as there is a good agreement between parties, one could stay in a property as a tenant for several years...

If this is the case, and as long as the financial aspect of 'leasing' keeps customers happy with the arrangement (so that we feel that we are getting a good deal and that possibly we are 'buying' what we pay for, then the desire to own things could become secondary, and with it the need to invest capital in owning and paying to maintain such ownership. Some customers who already own 'old' assets could be supported so that they could maintain these assets and possibly upgrade them gradually. As Jay Forrester once suggested when talking about regeneration of town centres, he was saying that those who owned listed building could be allowed to lease them at a premium, part of which could be dedicated to fund renewal and maintenance of the building.

IT companies could then need a new type of professional: an asset manager, capable of ensuring good service and upgrade, and serving customers in a long term relationship. Such a manager could also attract capital from those that have it, so that new assets could be bought and administered. Those individuals wanting to set up an IT business could think of setting up collective assets (e.g. portals, websites, shared data processing centres), bring several customers and investors under one 'hub', and run it efficiently and effectively. Or perhaps they can also work on enabling better recycling of IT goods.

Will this happen...? maybe, but it depends on what we think about 'ownership' and what we want to do about it. Personally, I think t can take an act of faith in many respects and a re-setting of our priorities in life. Collectively, this means we really need to start caring for relationships.

Russell Ackoff 1919 -2009

2009-11-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

Just heard the news that Russell Ackoff passed away on the 29/10/2009...

My first thoughts went back to Hull, where I had the pleasure and honour to meet him. He was very friendly, straight and challenging. You could not stop questioning yourself after listening to him...

When I first met him and told him about my PhD, he asked me straight away: "So why do you think your planning exercise became difficult to implement?" I said, well, people think in different ways to being systemic. He said "maybe you have not considered the wider environment in which your organisation is in".

I finally understood what he meant when he brought the case of a multinational farmaceutic company which was focused on growth rather than on development. In this case he told us how he suggested to this company to think of the local communities where they were operating (environment), with a view of promoting their development. For Ackoff, focus on growth was the wrong way to improve. An organisation that does not consider the society in which it is in, is operating in a way unethically.

After one of his talks, I managed to convince him and Vince Barabba to follow me on an 'unofficial' visit to the university, and I took them to the students' canteen and the library. Ackoff did not understand why the staff members had a different canteen. He brought that up in his next talk. For him, a university could be more of a community, although he also said that it was in the university where security was first established to protect the 'foreign' scholars from the locals.

Ackoff also spoke about courage, and how we need it to promote more systemic thinking and change (specially when we dissolve rather than when we solve problems). We know there are many ways to design changes, some which are systemic, some which are not, but whatever approach we choose to use, we need courage to make things happen, belief in ourselves, and determination. Just today I was talking to my students about courage, to bring technology into place, to add value to their organisational processes.

Thanks for all your ideas Russell...for interactive planning (IP), and for your courage...we will miss you greatly!

Systems Practice in the Information Society

2009-10-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

Finally, my single authored book has seen the light of publication.
I thought I should write something about it for anyone who might be interested in systems thinking and information systems.

It is the result of thinking about my own practice in the last few years as a project manager, PhD student and researcher. The book aims to give audiences a general idea of systems thinking and how it can be applied through different methodologies in situations (not only problems) which we can encounter in our efforts to improve society with information.

The book defines three types of patterns to inform our practice. I have found these patterns present in the thinking of different people when it comes to implement information technology in various ways, ranging from transactional systems to customer databases and electronic government systems.

I have been searching for ways to make systems thinking more accessible to people without having to refer necessarily to philosophy and debates over the true nature of systems. The book provides examples and conceptions to help us understand what to do with the main ideas of systems, and how methodologies already developed in this area can be put to the service of collaborative work between individuals who share similar thinking patterns.

Currently I am using the book as a complementary text in my courses, and refer to some of the material that I have used. I would like to continue sharing ideas outside the systems thinking community with people working on public policy, information systems, electronic government and corporate social responsibility.

Somebody told me when I started writing the book (January 2008) that it was going to be difficult to reach different audiences, in particular those of academia and industry. I was lucky to get the book endorsed by individuals from tboth of these communities who see new ways to inform systems practice and projects. The concepts and patterns in the book could inform our thinking or our practice. My guess is that some people will give me their views after reading the book on how useful they find it.

On the issue of patterns, I have used them to write about how e-government is conceived of and implemented. Kevin Orr and I have written a paper in the International Journal of Public Sector Management on the use of these patterns to understand e-government development in a country like Colombia. We found these patterns very interesting to inform future design and action, and in particular to help audiences see the limitations and possibilities of current plans and projects in this area.

Where to from here?

Well, I am enjoying the moment, but it feels like I have closed a cycle which began possibly in 1997 when I listened to policy makers in Colombia talking about the information society and I felt that we could improve our thinking about it. I found systems thinking to be a good vehicle to do it. On the way I have found e-government and others as key areas where I can also make a contribution with ideas and practice based on systems. My guess is that I will still be using systems thinking in some way or another. In my current rol I find it useful to help me balance management and IT-based perspectives about situations. From here, perhaps a more critical research agenda can follow. My friend Foucault seems to be calling me again to help me re-think my role as a researcher and citizen in the global information society. Will tell you later how this invitation unfolds...

Details of the book can be seen at:

http://www.ewidgetsonline.com/dxreader/Reader.aspx?token=beMupvWMTeeOQpuXR5uDwg%3d%3d&rand=1409328941&buyNowLink=

In the balance - Where are we going with social networks?

2009-09-16T07:37:00.001-07:00

I have recently seen discussions on the use of social networks for marketing purposes. This not only involves companies advertising on sites like facebook, but also many organisations putting themselves to be followed via twitter and the like. Newspaper websites (we could consider them for a while social networking) all have adverts (on the side of a page or appearing when you click on things). The social interaction is mixing up with advertising.

Advertising of course is a form of social interaction, but with some science behind (hopefully, without aiming to have a go at advertisers). There is always a continuous battle of spaces between advertising and social networking. We have heard this week that in the UK the ban for TV programmes to use adverts in their content (for instance a soap opera character drinking a coca-cola and showing it) has been lifted. A colleague who is expert in marketing suggests this is a positive move, given that the advertising industry is in need of new channels, and that audiences are mature enough not to be totally driven by what adverts suggest (you drinking coca-cola because your favorite TV character does it).

Things are still in the balance. Whilst advertising tries to catch up with audiences, audiences always devise new ways of socialising without the intromision of advertising. It would be better if we understood a bit more the complexities of both. Just learned that advertising on the internet has different revenue models if you are hosting a website. You can charge advertisers for the space, for the number of clicks on their ads, or for the redirection that you give to potential customers to the advertisers own sites.

Also learned today that sites like facebook are finally breaking even (if you do not count capital investment), and could be making money soon. How? self advertising (advertising to those fitting the profile); selling advertising space to direct users; virtual gifts (linked to the real ones); micropayments (small transactions if you buy real gifts).

mmm, it sounds to me similar to what I heard in a conference last week about the credit crunch structure: you have a portfolio of income sources, some of them riskier than others. That is all fine up to the point where there is a big external change. In the case of the credit crunch, there was a drop in property prices (big external change), so even if you had the best portfolio of mortgages (in terms of risk), your losses came from all products. The customer does not see a good value in what you offer. What could this mean for sites like facebook? It needs to be careful not to lose its appeal as a social networking site, not as a commercial site, that is to people like me a good value. Or maybe this means that any big change can come at any moment, and in a couple of years time we will not be thinking of facebook, maybe something else. If this is the case....things are still in the balance, hopefully for good.

Systemic connections, and health

2009-08-30T04:48:00.001-07:00

It is official, a picture of a molecule (carbon nanotube) shows connections with atoms (hydrogens) and the like. The guys from IBM research have done a fantastic job showing us this!

Connections might be temporary or permanent, in this case I guess they have to be created continuously, that is the life of the molecule.

Life at this microlevel tells us about things. For me it tells me that once certain connections are established, they might last for a life time, and that other connections are to be kept.

Today I was reading some information about asthma, and how it can be prevented. Habits of prevention and treatment are to be acquired and followed. This creates connections between certain stimuli (weather, pets, dust) and reactions (narrowing of airways in the lungs). Treatment and both prevention also requires people to create connections within their life style: treatment inhalers, cleanness, and prudent exercise. These could be considered connections for life.

Ah, and forgot the role of stress. This can also generate symptoms of asthma, and it is important to work on the causes of it.

Our current economic climate could be the trigger of these stimuly and symptoms. Uncertainty of what is to happen, anxiety to keep a job, the need to know about but also put up with news, and even things that become too bureaucratic can put us at bay and in a kind of 'vigilant' mood. Experts like Al Siebert in his book "The resilience advantage" tell us that too much strain due to things like this without proper recovery can lead us to weaken our whole system of resistance to eventualities, or inhibit what he calls fighting back adversities.

So it is important to strengthen healthier connections in a good lifestyle. Good food, good excercise, good conversation, good working timetabling, good rest, and good state of mind can help.

Interestingly also, I found articles talking about successful project managers in the IT sector, talking about resilience. This could prompt us to relate good project skills to those of good lifestyle connections.

My job now is to look for my own balancing connections, and to infuse a good balance in the life of the IT and management students I encounter.

See ya!

Where is home?

2009-07-21T03:28:00.000-07:00

The whole thing about buying a property brought me to think about where home is...

Lots of TV programmes in the UK are on the subject of buying your home, refurbishing your home, relocating your home, doing gardening in your home, finding cash in the attic of your home, and so on.

As far I understand, this way of conceiving of home is also about making sure your home has some value, and keeping the value of the home. In other countries things are different.

Those of us who have settled down here in the UK from abroad continuously compare our ideas with other people's. We think there is an element of 'passion' or 'feeling' which should be there, even at the expense of the financial value. Maybe we are all the same feeling, we live it differently (or we like to think that way).

Just now watched a programme on someone thinking of relocating home from Spain to the UK. It was a British couple with family ties and cravings here. After visiting both locations, thinking about what was best in terms of jobs, social relations, and general satisfaction, they decided to...Stay in Spain.

It was going to be a big sacrifice, it seemed, even in financial terms. After being away for a long time, they felt their prospects looked better there in Spain. When they communicated their decision to a crowd of about 30 relatives and friends in Sheffield (UK), they were booed. But some of them understood.

We grow as people in other places from where we were born. We become someone else, and become focused in certain things and relationships. These things and relationships are meaningful to us and probably to no one else. And this does not seem to depend on nationality.

We all seem to develop a passion for where home is and should be. But life is not easy in this regard. Home could be different homes.

And I bet there is something very deep in ourselves that keeps us more in one place than another.

"You are mistaken," the little girl replied, "I do have a home I just don't have a house to put it into." (http://www.aish.com/f/rf/48925647.html, accessed today).

A new way to deal with things?

2009-07-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

Today it has been confirmed in the UK that the Swine Flu pandemic cannot be controlled. In Argentina, reported cases have soared from 1957 to more than 100.000, after results of elections suggested that apparently the government was witholding information. I did a search on contingency plans being put in place in the UK, and to my ignorance, there were lots of policies, concepts and strategies already defined. It could be that some of these plans are now in place, and we see now a face of 'treatment' rather than containment. Then I checked the following map on swineflu spread, and still it looks 'containable' within geographical boundaries:

http://www.swinefluworldmap.com/

However, let is imagine we cannot control the virus spread. This would change the panorama of things. But more importantly it would change the ways we deal with things. Perhaps with a more positive attitude? Perhaps with less panic and more humility?

We would need then to stop thinking about our ability to master nature, the environment or diseases as if they were in a lower ladder in the hierarchy of creation. It could be that nature is fighting its way out of our desire to contain it. Or it would be that we need to stop going over our own ability to live in the planet.

We would also need to reconsider our one-sided mentality about globalisation, if it has brought us some benefits but also the main vehicle for spread of things, good or bad. We need to accept the unintended of globalisation.

What about science, is it not coming too late to rescue...? Ok, we know a first vaccine is on the way, how will it be distributed...? To whom, where? I have heard someone on TV talking about how contingencies for flu treatment include having a 24 hour line to attend queries and prompt people to flu treatment drug distribution centres. Sounds great, the only thing is that there has to be a planned demand and supply...

In practice, we are a long way from that. This week I had a virus (not the swine flu though!) and I can say that although I have panicked, my treatment has been that of 'wait until it goes away', with some medicines. I went to see a doctor and then phoned another one. Their prescribed medicines which I did not have to buy via the normal prescription system, just turned up in the pharmacy and asked for them. Maybe doctors were advising me to relax, maybe not. I was not prepared to accept that I needed special treatment, but some bad nights have taught me otherwise. Now I am more cautious and in a way more humble, accepting that I cannot just contain my state of health to some days. Some of the flu recommendations have helped me, and I have been lucky to be able to take some days off work. I have been waiting for the virus to go away...for my benefit, and that of other people around. No point in denying it...

UK reports of casualties always highlight that there were previous health problems in all of them. Contingencies speak about controlling or acting rationally in the face of outbreaks. I just wonder if there could be a shift towards becoming more positive. Like my wife said in relation to the heatwave of this week: Why do we not take it as a good thing...? Whilst countries try to show they have everything under control, that does not seem to be the case. What to do if we get infected...? Will we accept it, will we be able to convince people to have their treatment and wait?

If we do that, maybe our way of dealing with it could change.

There is another dimension to the way we deal with things. Recently met someone from Mexico who alerted me to what someone told her about swine flu:It is better to be infected, so you get treated and hopefully you will develop defenses against it. Mexicans had to endure a slow down of their economic activity, given that this virus attacks young people. Some though actions had to be put in place, all led by central government and acting on national security level, to protect the economy, in other words to protect the young people. Interesting...positive? Maybe.

What we are coming to acknowledge is that our own systems of dealing with things (personal, local or national) might not be able to control everything, but in the attempt, we create anxiety, a feeling of frustration and ultimately of failure to 'master' what we should have mastered. But there could be an alternative of accepting and moving on with life as it comes every day. I just wish we could live our lives without worrying by the day on the new things that we do not know, but without having to become paranoid.

Shall we do nothing, or shall we do the minimal, or the humanly possible...?

India: What I have seen

2009-06-30T05:03:00.000-07:00

Many students, with lots of plans, goals, worries...
Many other people with a smile in their face...
others who are looking for a smile, or somewhere to sleep...
people who still want something from life...
they are willing to give me even a smile.

I saw old friends,
carrying on with their plans,
making the best of what life gives them,
with a smile in their face,
with a smile to share about past times.

Something tells me life will never be the same,
change will not be born out of guilt or not denial,
it is about about enjoying what I have set out to do,
back home smiles remind me that
God wants us to become who we really are, and no one else.

Today, at home life makes me think again...I have lots of friends, lots of things to go for,
to be happy, to enjoy and give thanks, and to be...myself.

Expense claims and project management

2009-05-16T01:25:00.001-07:00

This week in the UK, members of parliament (MPs) have been in the public eye more often than not.

The reason is that now the 'public' can see how MPs have spent taxpayers money. We hear stories of claiming money to pay for pools, manure, furniture, and even the cleaning of a 'moat' (in ancient times, castles defences included a moat which is a deep hole surrounding the castle and filled with water).

Fantastic stories I would say, and the public seem to be outraged if not dissapointed, calling for MPs resignation and even to a radical restructuring of administrative and autiding systems. But this contrasts with what I hear normally when we talk about public projects.

When we look at examples of projects like the millenium dome (now the O2 arena), Wembley stadium, Heathrow terminal 5 and the London Olympics village, they are being regarded as a kind of 'inevitable loss', in which money has been overspent. Public interest here takes a different form: it is not outrage, it is some sadness that complements a kind of pride being taken that these projects (will) provide something else: A good feeling, a sense that the public, country and nation are being served. That also happens in projects being undertaken by local councils (e.g. regenerations).

In the case of MPs expenses, we talk about thousands of pounds, maybe a few millions. But in the case of many projects, we are talking about many millions.

I really hope that this feeling of 'outrage' will be transferred in a positive way to project management. Not to say that we need to look after every penny spent in projects, but to be able to set the alarms and think of transforming the 'systems' in which we operate.

It may be the case that we need to think of other ways of enabling people to look after their invested money in projects.

Or maybe we also need to make project managers political figures, so that the public has an eye on them. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh. I may have said something politically incorrect now. Not sure if bodies like the project management institute, or methodologies like Prince 2 would allow room for this. Project managers are supposed to be 'neutral', objective and cold blooded when it comes to deliver projects. But wait a minute. They are also supposed to exert their leadership skills and manage stakeholders. Mmmm. Is the public a stakeholder group? Or just a curious group that gets fed news...?

There is more to say about 'outrage' that meets the eye!

Job Crisis? Keep Going!

2009-04-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

Those of you who might think that life is better in other countries and that there is no struggle for living by the day, you should watch this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8015182.stm

After watching it, I have mixed feelings now. There is this pressure to do better in our careers, and to keep going (like the girl in the video). This pressure is different for everyone of us.

Career options are often not what we expect, and if we want to move we need qualifications. But more importantly we need stamina!

It is admirable from the girl in the video to still have stamina after weekly paying £46 out of £50 pounds in bills.

And yes, we have to keep going to pursue what we want to pursue in life. Even if this means giving up on jobs we could have. As long as we keep that in mind, there is always something to do, a job, including that of looking for a job.

Myself I am enjoying now working in academia and being in touch with people in industry. In this two worlds I can only say that what I see: Good people will eventually keep their jobs or get ones. These are people with stamina, desire, courage.

Often I wish I could have only half of the stamina that people like the girl in the video have...

Free riders and plants: The apprentice

2009-04-23T00:44:00.000-07:00

I have not followed much the current series of "The apprentice" (from the BBC), but in the few things I have come across (of course "The apprentice" is everywhere these days even if you are watching the morning news), there is a striking situation.

There are free riders. Those who do not put themselves forward too much, and criticise those who do so. One of them has been already 'fired'. He said that he did not feel he needed to give much to his group in a task, as he was not asked or encouraged to do so. As if you do not swim when your ship is sinking because the captain of the ship did not tell you loud enough "swim!"

But there is another profile who is not getting the right recognition. It is the people with ideas. Those who venture to suggest things (and it is only a few of them). Project managers have to take whatever ideas are on offer from these people. And it could go either well or bad. Yesterday it went bad for one of the groups, but there was only one idea on the table. And the project manager was 'fired'.

I call these people the 'plants' (according to Belbin's classification of team profiles). They grow ideas, they provide 'oxygen' for other people to breathe, and they provide the life in the room. But they need to be cultivated, nurtured and looked after (by a group), and their ideas shaped so that they can be implemented. That does not happen in the 'apprentice'. Plants' ideas are taken almost literally, without discussion, without effort from the free riders. It is a 'everyman for himself' game.

The other sad thing is that free riders will be discovered and if they think they are doing well now by hiding, soon they will be found out.

Anyway, plants, these are brave characters which should be identified, nurtured. And project managers can learn their lesson of having free riders and plants. Good plans help, free riders will definitely not!!

The graduates in the city: How are they doing?

2009-04-22T04:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet some of the graduates of my current university in the city of London. And it was in the heart of the 'city', which means the financial district. A nice bar close to the Lloyds Building which is close to the Gurkin Building in London. Very nice atmosphere and we built up a good environment for conversation. Some of them shared their views on how the job market is doing, and it was nice to see people that work in different parts of London as well as outside the city.

I was positively struck by knowing that the graduates to whom I talked seem to be very flexible. Their degrees gives them possibilities to work in different areas. It could be that they do geography, biology, European studies or languages, physics or mathematics, but that does not stop them from working in areas like television, information technology management, financial analysis, business process improvement and even research funding.

What is also striking is to know that even despite what we see as a job crisis, some of them are thinking of changing careers. Either they want to travel, or they want to go back to university to enhance their qualifications. This is not the case of everyone, as some graduates are also cautious and would like to keep the job. But the motivation to change is there. Either because there is a perceived imminent 'redundancy' to be made soon (and we also met graduates who are actively looking for jobs, so the event was a good opportunity), or because they see themselves having a break to think and go to where they want to go. Two graduates I met want to work in areas in which they can pursue their interests in development, social responsibility and environmental management. One of the other graduates I met already moved from working in the financial sector to become a civil servant working with children and schools.

Our graduates remember a friendly university environment, a good place to study, meet people, party (of course!), fall in love maybe for the first time and then try to get the job they wanted to do in the first place. These things to me are still there. I feel we are a friendly place, we give our students options, and we also allow them to think about their interests. What I also learn is that our graduates still keep alive their passions, even if this means changing careers.

Maybe there is a lot that we can still do to help them to make sure they pursue their passions.

Green IT or Green Behaviour?

2009-04-15T02:14:00.000-07:00

I attended recently a conference of the Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges (EAUC), it was very interesting and eye-opening experience. Interesting because I could see how sustainability is being practised in campuses, and how also systems thinking is making a contribution in education and in the design of sustainability assessment tools. An example is the project on sustainable IT in tertiary education (http://www.susteit.org.uk/). Its outputs suggest that sustainable forms of IT (thin clients, virtualisation of data, adequate and consciencious storage and energy management) could help in reducing the carbon footprint of institutions.

The experience was also eye-opening for me as an academic, because although action is being taken and action is suggested in the management of universities and colleges as institutions, there are two missing elements that could also contribute. I am referring to students and academics, and our behaviour towards sustainability.

Students are for the most part the inhabitants of campuses. We (I am also a student of French courses) come and go, we live in campus, we prepare consume campus products (not only lectures, parties, or meetings). We think our life in campus is temporary but we spend on average a good number of hours. We should do something about sustainability. Unfortunately this issue seems to be out of our life in campus. There are very interesting projects and ideas already happening in relation to recycling and cycling. Still there is a long way to go if we talk about shaping our behaviour in daily life. And there is a longer way if we talk about IT. So far campuses aim to provide many facilities and action is focused on energy. Behaviour is, as Andy Hix (our sustainability officer) and other colleague point out, the difficult bit to change.

A similar concern with sustainability surrounds academics. Some of us research in sustainability, but it can also be directed to what happens in campus. There is a growing area in relation to students behavior to sustainability. If we can link this up with how students use IT in relation to sustainability, I would have made my wish possible: To do research on IT and sustainability in an area which I have close to my interests. How about 'green' behaviour being shaped by IT and also in relation to IT?

Green behaviour is an area that we can research to see if those goals of sustainability can be better met. IT is now on the way, not only because IT consumes energy (and therefore becomes an area in which our carbon footprint needs to be managed), but also because it is something we all use in university campuses. Greener interfaces (friendlier, holistic, simpler), with greener hardware, and with tools that allow us to reflect on our greener behavior in a greener way...my God I need another coffee to keep dreaming.

Hopefully a good project will come out of this.

Values diluted? Electronic mediation and transparency

2009-03-26T04:16:00.000-07:00

Credit crunch is on the move. We hear about it, and just last week I came to realise how it is affecting real people. I say 'real' because the media hype does not help much to see the reality.

The UK property market (the little I know after searching for flats to let in one area and flats to buy in another) seems saturated. Lots of properties to let and to sell. Two main websites can be used to locate properties: rightmove and findaproperty. Both show more or less the same properties. Both offer maps and now street views. One of them can tell you about crime statistics and council tax rates, together with property sales in the area.

Other websites offer advice. Banks offer you guidance on mortgages. Others allow you to compare mortgage products. Even the UK government has its own website (financial services authority) to tell you more about mortgages, rates, and the whole process of buying a property.

Sophisticated websites, mapping technologies, even chatting facilities with advisors, with simulators about how much you can borrow, how much you will pay for your mortgage. That is all fine and well in a market that might not be saturated.

What websites do not show you (or do it in a very polite way with messages like "on behalf or the mortgagees we have received an offer of...") is the desperation of people. I went round two properties last week end which happened to be repossesed. It was disheartening. Seals around the fridge, freezer, evidence that furniture had been thrown away, and a feeling that once there was a home in there. Now I can understand why a prize awarded to a best photo taken in the US in 2008 showed how some owners left in a rush their property, as if they had been a bomb raid.

Electronic mediation would aim to be transparent, but at the moment is showing little of this side of the situation. Websites cannot show desperation and one wonders if they will ever do so. Of course we still need intermediaries (banks, property agencies and the like), because that is how we have built modern society. But we also need perhaps another type of intermediary which can show us the reality of those who have been negatively affected, we might be able to do something about their situation.

What can technology do? We can reflect the reality, and try to connect minds with hearts, problems with solutions. In my view, a more ethically driven intermediation for reality.

I know that this might sound idealistic, and that there are already questions to my suggestion. Some IT savvy people might say: Tell us more concretely what you expect us to do (for instance a website to share stories or to look for possible buyers, but this is what we already have in place). Well, the current situation is a cold call for everyone of us! All I can say is that there is an immense number of possibilities. I am not a prophet, only someone who has been looking at properties recently. We could build communities to share knowledge about how to beat the crises, to match needs with solutions. I have checked some electronic forums about the credit crunch. There are some which offer advice, others that have campaigns to reduce the price of property.

There could be a response to my request: Welcome to the market, this is how it works. People are driven by their own goals. My reply would be: Is this not what has contributed greatly to the situation we have at the moment? Can we not all think of not having the cake and eating it?

A more systemic response could be devised to the credit crunch: We all have a foot print in society, and perhaps it is time to review it. How we live, and how our single mindedness towards achieving certain goals might not be in tune with our wider environment.

Patience

2009-03-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

A quick note on research: Demands to publish and get money, the credit crunch, facebook, google, blogs, twitter, mobile computing and all these things we need to have are to be taken with patience. I was at an event yesterday in London, the topic did not have anything to do with all these 'inventions'. However, having had the chance to talk to a few people, it made me remember that it is not technology or very sophisticated knowledge what could save the day in research and make our lives meaningful. It is the human component.

We were talking about social research. There was not much difference in a group of around 20 people in relation to how we gather data. Not much difference either in our research questions (I am sure there are differences, but we had to show some degree of unique thinking when formulating them). Not even great difference in problems related to the use of technology in organisations. What made the difference for me...? I mean what is it that we do but we do not accept...? We all manage research in very similar ways when it comes to people.

We do research because we are patient, and because we develop long term relationships with individuals: with students (who could get us access to organisations or give us a research contract); with friends (who will also give us their views about relevant problems in their organisations when having a beer); with colleagues (from other universities within our country or elsewhere, and with whom we might feel a linguistic common ground). Some researchers would find it difficult to accept that relationships include those more intimate (e.g. the wife) in order to flesh out ideas, get access to data or even co-author research papers. Wives also get on board in trips to attend conferences or put up with mourning when things do not go according to plan.

We all try to influence others to get research done or published, some more actively than others. No need to claim objectivity so loudly.

So my learning has been that we can know more but we need to cultivate our garden as Voltaire would say. Using existing contacts, making new contacts we meet in events, and the odd adventure to engage into something new, exciting and risky, they are all part of a patient strategy. That is why research impact might take time to be cristalised in a project or assessed accurately.

Patience...? Need to think of those research questions harder now so I can see how valuable my own efforts before getting others involved.

Voltaire also realised that life puts us in situations we never expected to be. So it is better to make the best of them, but with patience.

The unexpected: Are we prepared?

2009-02-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

Recently I was delivering a course on complex project management, and I was asked the question: Should we embrace or manage the unexpected...?

Interesting question. I was trying to convey the idea that the unexpected happens and in your projects we consider some contingencies, but never the unexpected. Why? Because we plan based on experience. Traditional project management techniques deal with risks by identifying them, prioritising them and then designing control responses.

That is fine and well, only if we identify risks. And we are told that we should talk to those 'experienced' people in order to do so.

The problem is, the unexpected happens with no previous experience. Complexity theory seems to point out that we live in a complex world where small events trigger much bigger ones.

This would work well if we are aware of the small things, and we are able to foresee connections with potentially bigger events.

I can only say that we need to embrace rather than anticipate the unexpected. In projects, this would mean that we need to make cushion for exiting the project or taking it to a different level. We need to keep communication channels open, be able to raise alarms (as cyberneticians would suggest), and have some time and room for maneuvre.

Thinking back again of the unexpected this morning (snow in England, we thought the worst of the winter season was over), it also seems reasonable to ask continuously the question: How heavy do we become that we cannot embrace new things...? Perhaps our luggage is heavy and does not allow us to carry other things. We have heard of the importance of emptying our minds so as to allow new thoughts to be nurtured. Maybe this is why some systems thinkers are now into meditation and spirituality. Francisco Varela wrote about that in his latest book "The Embodied Mind". It is about how we become part of something in the world (what we observe), and perhaps the message for the unexpected is about how we can become part of something else.

My project management students must be wondering why I say these things, and if I have some recommendations to give. Well, researching into tools for modeling and remembering what my good friend Nick Davey said about projects, it is important to prepare the mind to map certain connections between aspects we perceive as important in projects. This is done in projects, but my suggestion is then to map connections and see if they have become too heavy that the unexpected does not have any room. We love to make things complicated, maybe we need to start letting it go abit so that we can respond to new situations.

So the suggestion is: Download freemind mapping software (freemind.sourceforge.net), choose a project or a situation that is in your mind, draw connections between aspects, and see if you have become overprepared, overconcerned or over knowledgeable about it. It might be time to forget it all and draw on a blank canvas!!

To see the diagram, double click on it. I am learning to use free mind! In this project example of off-shoring operations (something that many companies are doing now), I leave room for the unexpected, which could lead us to review what we do in relation to the expected! It might be we need to offload some things we are doing, whilst enhancing the 'informal' (communication, self-organisation) and the learning about the future. Hopefully these things could help us to deal with the unexpected. If not, well, we might need to accept things as they come: "What happens is usually the best", as a good friend used to say.

Good 2009 starts with the present

2009-01-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

The year has already started. We (me, Mauricio and Cecilia) are watching TV whilst each of us begins to make sense of this year.

Yesterday we were in Guildford and enjoyed the final countdown of 2008:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KZaObHa8Mq4

For many people 2009 will be great, for others not so much so. I have listened to the end of year's speeches by prime ministers, presidents and the like. It is going to be tough, they say. This makes me feel excited but also thinking of this new year as a very fast and furious ride. Some of my predictions are:

The year could be good for certain countries. My bet is on Brazil. LatinAmerica is not yet there in the crunch (is it?). Or maybe we live in permanent crunch. Making some adjustments is part of the day to day.

Those people with a credit-based lifestyle will suffer. My bank still wants to sell me a credit card and keep asking me why I do not have one. Why should I have it if it is not my money I am spending? (I learned this from a good Colombian entrepreneur).

The clothes, the laptop, the gadgets, they can still last for another year or at least a few more months. The car, you can get a used one. Unless you go to a war zone with your car, it is likely to last too. I found a good mechanic near where I live, it helps to keep the car in good shape.

Another prediction: Education could become an opportunity to look for new horizons. Formal and informal education will be on the rise, but also in the form of alliances. Imagine being employed by a company that employs you and / or pays you bit less but part of the salary is a training course. So this year could be a year of transition. For both employers and employees.

An academic prediction: Management research funding could take unexpected routes for development. Projects with research outputs to be taken back to Uni; mediation between projects and solutions; and use of technology to facilitate communication between remote locations, these could help. Now that research assessment is over, we know where we can improve, and what the reality of good research is. Time to look for better and possibly inexpensive ways of producing good research.
Community groups and organisations will play a more prominent role in society. They can become employers, places of encounter, or creators of new forms of working and helping each other. I am not sure if we can include things like co-operative banking here, but this one will also help people to beat the credit crunch once we realise money does not grow on trees neither by doing nothing. If only we could think of money differently, this year could be better.

Technology will continue surprising us. But it is now people who will make the difference. Companies could turn the crises to their advantage. But so far I have only heard use of technology to cut costs and make efficiencies. Mmmm...is that the only story...? What about re-using, re-combining, centralising, de-centralising...? Or just making it last a bit more...? Some investments are not expensive and could help. This can include for instance technology recycling...We seem to have forgotten about the green planet.

People will find ways to acquire and use technology. I just found an ACER netbook for less than £300. OK, it does not have the latest OS but it looks much better than a new brand, smaller& more expensive one. Mind you, now we are talking about netbooks and notebooks, and the latter still are useful. We could make better designs with the technology that we have without having to change technology for the sake of it.

The future is the result of our present. So let us see what kind of present we want to live. Good luck to all of us!

The crack of service systems

2008-11-23T12:57:00.000-08:00

Recently we have come to know more about why a baby that is being monitored by people (good and bad we could say) still dies. We also know of children whose death has been caused by already identified potential harmful people. The problems are then referred as problems of the systems that serve our society: Schools, police services, social services. The systems crack but we do not know how they do so or why.

What problems of the system? It is difficult to start pointing out, given the culture of name and shame we live in. The blame is to be put in one individual or some of them. The system still needs rethinking, and possibly a review is to be undertaken. In the review, more cracks are discovered, more news are published, and we are left thinking that yes, we are people are good and bad, and that systems need rethinking. We trust the review, hoping that it will highlight the need for important changes.

There is the issue of communication. Information that resides somewhere and needs to be known by everyone in services or agencies is not communicated promptly. The systems do not have such memory to recall information from several parts. The last case we heard of shows that the information is being shared, but the action taken afterwards is that of monitoring. The benefit of the doubt is followed, but the information does not show other fundamental problems: Someone is tricking another system (someone allowing someone 'not good' to live in a house). This information item is not to be shared with those monitoring the system. The system could be very robust in gathering 'known' or 'knowable' information, but is fed the information that people want to give.

We then have the issue of trust. Service systems operate under the premise that those inside and outside align to the purpose of these systems, we trust on the people. When there is a crack, the trust in the people running the system is put into question. Those using the system are still given the benefit of the doubt. Procedures to detect lies in the system are a big problem. One possible reason could be that focus on performance, multi-agency working and service delivery take priority over alerting the system on potential risks. Alarm signals have been raised but then the responsibility of taking action is diluted.

So the issue of systems serving people needs to be accompanied by that of protecting people. But we are very busy protecting ourselves. Are we protecting ourselves from the systems we are part of, the systems we use? Is it not the other way round that has created the need for a system...?

I wonder what is to happen next. Our trust in the systems is once more damaged, but it seems we will then keep them because there is no better alternative.

In defence of the Quantum of Solace

2008-11-12T06:24:00.001-08:00

The new movie of James Bond (Quantum of Solace) has received mixed reviews. Whilst for some it is a story going nowhere, for others it is a more humane picture of the all times hero.

What I liked is that the action is intense at different points, and right from the beginning we are taken into an atmosphere of pursuit, risk, and betrayal.

Bond is seeking revenge, but he finally understands that he is seeking himself. Something philosophical to think about. Me and my brothers Ricardo and Juan Carlos loved to go to see Bond's movies. I still remember when we watched "Octopussy" together. I can still remember the feeling of expectation, awe and somehow empathy towards Bond. He could use the most advanced technology, but at the end, it was his courage and luck which helped him. He proved himself. And by doing so, he helped us to remain friends, to forget about our problems and to share life.

Now Bond has helped me to understand the importance of letting go. He cannot do everything, or fight against himself. He is trapped in his own mind. He decides it is time to move on from revenge, and keep doing what he is good at.

In life this happens to all of us. In my case, I tend to be perfectionist, worried, anxious, and ask a lot from myself and my significant others. I also have some charm (of course I do!), but tend to forget this and other good things for the sake of urgency and perfection. Like Bond, I think we all need our own quantum of solace to pick ourselves up, let it go and move on. In careers and big decisions, we want everything to go according to plan. What if life gives us something unexpected...?

Maybe we need some solace. To regain friendship with ourselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4jY8WxcFMo

Here and there...where?

2008-11-04T02:19:00.000-08:00

My life is now into two worlds. Talking about football and students.

Football is everywhere, a good atmosphere can be felt across the country.

Woking FC in Surrey is in the Blue Square League (as far as I can say). It is a team which plays good football, but according to one of its fans, it has not had a good start of the season. They are just above relegation.

I enjoyed their last match against Stevenage Borough. The match picked up after a rainy start and also because Woking was losing. And they did not manage to make the best of scoring opportunities. But the atmosphere is still there!

The number of fans is not as in Hull, but they cheer up a lot!!

What about my current students?

They are different, a bit more 'techie', with career aspirations. They come from different backgrounds and have different expectations. They like to talk and participate. They are very attentive. They seem to have bonded.

The course on people and technology is very good. Lots to talk about human computer interaction (HCI). I was delighted to have lectured on the ideas of Maturana, Winograd and Flores. They are useful and could help them to understand better how to design good computer systems.

So here and there, things are different but they are not to some extent. Maybe because even if we move, we keep certain things close to us.

Come on Woking F.C !

Where is the Christmas Crunch?

2008-10-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

The news keep coming in about imminent recession. For Christmas it will be more apparent that we should all tighten our belts.

Newspapers and banks are now suggesting strategies to save. In countries like the UK, this is perhaps similar to what rationing meant during the Second World War. People were encouraged to replace their basic diet with substitutes. Still we are always tempted to go for the sales, the discount, 2 for 1, 3 for 2, pay nothing in the first 5 months, etc. As if we were to save. Interestingly, some of these 'savings' strategies are to blame for the crunch itself! We should be wary of what we are really getting.

So there is a psychological as well as physical crunch I gather. With an inflation hitting over 5% one should say that the situation is critical. But wait a minute...is it not the case that in other countries and before the whole thing about banks, mortgages and crunch became news in the West emerged, inflation was and still is much more higher?

The fuel of economies seems to be capital, in order to fund employment. But there is also a job to do, regardless if that is paid or not. Cleaning up the streets, helping those in need, teaching what you know. These are all examples.

We might not need to take the crunch everywhere we go as if it was a 'cross'. The religious crunch is not taking place, so the priest says. We are still thinking of a better life here and over there. So we are not reducing our real investment in hope.

And if we want a good Christmas, an old and wise friend used to say: Make yourself a good Christmas, it does not happen by chance.

The IT elephant

2008-10-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

The story of the elephant still strikes me, and perhaps even more now that I am looking into IT careers for my students...

Outside the main tent, a big circus elephant is tied to a small pole fixed on the ground via a chain. A child passing by asks his father: "Why does not the elephant break from the pole?"

The father could have answered in many ways, but reminds his son that from early childhood, when the elephant was small, it became 'trained' not to break away. A small elephant could not have broken away, but what about a big elephant?

The big elephant still thinks it cannot break away.

Professions in information technology are a double edge sword: If you are enthusiastic and capable, you can become an expert in what you do, and be recognised as such.

However, this can also become your own 'chain', and you can find it difficult to break away from a 'pole' (your own IT niche).

When we start our careers, we might feel like the small elephant, without enough 'force'. But as time goes by, we can become too comfortable living in our own 'tent'.

How can we break away then?

I do not have answers but perhaps more questions:

Why is it that we feel too comfortable where we are? Is it satisfaction, or is it an easy life? Satisfied people might not need to move on.

Why cannot we try something else? Are we paying too much attention to other people's advice?

And finally, is it that we want to follow a path that is not ours?

Second Life...

2008-10-10T02:03:00.000-07:00

You might be thinking what I am going to write about...

Well, Cecilia and I are now in the South, I have taken a Senior Lectureship position at Royal Holloway, University of London.

The last few months we were moving from Hull, busy busy time. Finally I manage to say something about this move.

It has been good. Only problem is, our friends did not move with us.

Life is different, busier (I guess with new job new things come up), we seem to know this life whilst at the same time we do not. It is the same country, but people and things look different.

People on the streets, my students, neighbours, even the guys who repaired a car handle from our Focus. And the focus looks different too!

I cannot fully describe it what it is, but perhaps these are some hints:

Lifewise

Surprise surprise, a 21st century heating system. At the beginning it was so sophisticated we did not know it was not working. We had to wait for a month for it to be repaired. But finally it works like a cybermachine.

Broadband, yes, we had it, but then we did not have it. Our phone line with BT seems to also be a cyber device. It tells the BT people that things are fine, whilst Cecilia gets text messages saying that they are investigating a fault. Tomorrow we will probably have another episode in the saga of "who is right? The machine or the guy who comes to repair it?"

Roads are busy whilst greener. Let me explain. The Surrey area is green, really nice, but many people have decided to move in (including us). So at any roundabout (a kind of crossroad, intersection) , we have to qualify for the first three spots available in the lane (I think in the last Olympics there were some races in which only the first two qualified, or the first four). This means accelerating from 0 to 30 mph in...1,5 seconds. But other than that, when there is no traffic, wow! A green trip.

The websites of train times do not tell you everything. From Egham to Woking via Weybridge there are more trains to catch. Yes, there are, only if they know that there are trains to London every 7 minutes from Woking, and that there are trains to Basingstoke via Weybridge and from Reading to London via Virgina Water, life would be easier. I am now sounding like a train officer...let us leave it to that.
And people on the trains...busier, curious.
London is not far away. Very tempting indeed!
The mass could be in Italian!! Brace yourself!

Workwise:

Lunch is more expensive in the Students restaurant than in the Senior Common Room. So academics might be getting obese...? Or students might be borrowing more from the central bank?
I have a bigger office...but my computer (brand new)...let us leave it to that too.
The recepcionist is the friendlist person of the school, she has won national awards for that...let us...congratulate her and leave it to that.
Courses, not modules. Workshops, not tutorials.
Yes Amanda, there is a work load model! But everyone gets the same amount of teaching (professors, non professors), as well as admin, and the rest is research for everyone.

Ceciliawise:

The poorthing is enduring a lot! She is very brave really. I love her for that and many other things.

This is the story of second life. Or perhaps is it the story of us growing wiser and older...? Will there be a third life?

Wimbledon 2008

2008-07-01T04:44:00.000-07:00

Not everything should be about making a move to the South.

Cecilia and I were looking for places to live in the South of the UK. We also took a break to go to Wimbledon on the 26th of June 08. As a nice surprise, Catalina Castaño, Colombian tennis player was on court number 4! She was playing women's doubles, and her partner was Kaia Kanepi. They won their match 7-5 6-4. It was the second round.

So we watched the match, and after I jumped out of the bench to try and get an autograph. Before I knew it, there were 4 or 5 people surrounding Catalina, so I had to make my way. I asked her for an autograph, she kindly accepted and signed. Only thing I could say was: "Good match!"

Catalina played very quickly. She continuously talked to her partner, and they made very fast moves. Her forehand is good but I liked her backhand better. She also made very clever shots. Kaia was better at strong and long shots.

Another celebrity for my list!
I am a Happy Man after getting Catalina's autograph.

It is nice to go to Wimbledon, enjoy queueing up and then watching players, the environment is very friendly and you get to eat southern chicken with chips, buy a t-shirt or enjoy strawberries whilst the weather changes. We were lucky, only a short spell of rain. After watching Catalina, we watched Marion Bartoli and Marcos Baghdatis in respective matches. The rest of the tournament we were hooked up to the TV and enjoyed the fabulous victory of Nadal, incredible!

Terry was here!!

2008-05-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

Terry made it all the way from Maine!

It was wonderful to have Terry Porter here with us. She enjoyed herself a lot and we got good ideas to continue working together.

There was also time to go to Nandos and celebrate our reunion with Cecilia, Jennifer, Todd and myself.

Terry brought a spark of happiness here to Hull, and as always, we met and exchanged good thoughts, possibilities, ideas and desires.

Our research has to do with sustainability, Terry works in a couple of projects in Maine, I try to invent projects here in Hull and in the UK. For the future, we would like to talk about experiences on sustainability projects.

But also on developing our careers and other people's.

What theories, paradigms will we encounter in our journey? That is research!

Where the home and the heart are

2008-05-06T04:25:00.000-07:00

Guess where we have been visiting friends...

Swansea, London, Durham.

Friends from Mexico, Colombia, Germany. We all have moved on, and are now in different places, with some ideals to fulfill yet.
Miguel and I were trying to catch a glimpse of the wind in Swansea. Lots of sport on our visit, a nice walk around the Three Cliffs Bay and the University hills (this is one of them). People seem to be quieter than in Hull. Even went to a casino where Miguel won 34 times the investment. Lucky guy eh?

Ronald and Juliana came to visit London, we joined them. Had a fantastic time catching up and talking about living in foreign countries. Ronald has not changed at all, maybe he has gained a bit of weight, but have not we all done it? It is good to talk to him, he tells you what he thinks straight away, but in a funny way, how do you do it Donald?

Yes, we all like latin american food, this is 'bistec a lo pobre', very peasant food, but we like it, maybe we are all peasants in Latin America, but we like to eat well. And on top of that we like beer. Maybe that is the reason for the belly dancers (but you cannot see much, we have hid them well!)

Not lost yet, but in Durham with Marc we found that mobile technology (plus a German friend) can help you find your way. Maybe the way to breakfast, or to the monastery!

First we found our way to a nice breakfast, some weight being put on but it was a bank holiday and an opportunity to catch up. Life as academics is not too bad is it Marc?

Nothing like waking up after a night out, a night to remember because of the waiting of the taxi. For about an hour we gained a good glipmse of the Durham culture, including a street fight controlled by the police. All of this show for free.

But Marc, maybe we need to follow a different path in life and become more meditating and careful about what we say...maybe there are answers in Durham Cathedral, you never know.

I spoke to Cecilia about this, and she does not like the idea. I wonder why...

The home and the heart is where both of them meet. Friends help us in that search!

Systems Thinking Video

2008-04-03T05:06:00.000-07:00

Finally...

We have done a video to show the basic ideas on systems thinking as we see it at Hull University (or maybe as I see it).

You will see a 'play' in which different points of view come to the light, and the possibility of learning to appreciate other people's views when making decisions is proposed.

We do this in daily life, or when we work in big plans. We do it in relationships, with friends, when we buy our car or our house.

Hopefully that will convince you that even if you think we know something, we might be a long way ahead of doing so. But that should not stop us from doing things.

March 2008: Collaboration and fun!

2008-03-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

March 2008 has been a busy month. At Hull, I organised a conference on information technology usage and local governance transformations. My friends from the group ELIS and I presented our work on how adoption of IT helps unveil a number of issues in relation to governance. Good attendance including IT managers from city councils. Conclusion of the event: We are still far from the ideal of making governments participative and accountable. But we enjoy studying the 'adoption' of IT, procedures and cultural practices in what is called the 'digital era governance'.

The research group also had a meeting where we discussed possibilities to move forward. We agreed to share ideas via a wiki. Easter holidays have come and we are engaging with the wiki now. We also created a discussion list for seminar participants. After this picture, we took our Spanish and French friends to the pub for typical lunch. I hope they enjoyed it!

And my students had the chance to present their project proposals to managers of a real organisation: St Stephens Shopping Centre in Hull. We had ellaborated proposals to help the centre develop a new phase. The proposals were very well received. We were lucky to have David Laycock (Centre Manager), Samantha Madden (Marketing Manager) and Rick Welton (councillor at Hull City) attending the presentations and giving feedback. For students, I think it was a very good experience. For me also, seeing how people can receive the work we do at university.

These guys might be thinking: Why are we here? Well, Mike Noble had the answer: We give it a go to our ideas, we take them outside uni! And managers enjoyed the presentations, they took some ideas to pursue forward. Possibly a new collaboration, but definitely a lot of good fun!

So, what is next? Before the month ends, begining to write my next book chapter (the information society), start the co-editing of another book with Alejandro from Venezuela on systems thinking and e-government.

April 2008: Get on with the teaching, and if time allows, travelling a bit! I will be getting 38 soon!

Next episode of the blog: Easter Holidays!

Turkey at last!

2008-01-18T01:36:00.000-08:00

We had been planning to visit Turkey for a while. Finally, a self-made tour for Instanbul and a packaged trip to the main parts of Anatolia did the trick. I say 'packaged' because it was packaged with journeys, places, and interesting people along the way. Nice Indians, Italians and South Africans and of course Turkish people with a 'top gun' lenses style made our experience very nice.

First two days in Istanbul and as soon as we get our lonely planet guide out of the bag to check it, we are swamped with people inviting us to enter into their shops. Marvelous carpets, leather, ceramics, but they will have to wait...

AyaSofia (St Sophia) and the Blue Mosque: A must visit, together with the Museum of Turkish and Islamic arts. The city is very quiet, because of religious festivities. The sacrifice of Abraham is commemorated.

Off to Ankara on a night train. We cross to the Asian part of Istanbul. The city is immense really. Traffic is a nightmare but there are the boats and ferrys to help.

Ankara, Ataturk and the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations. This is now the center of the country. From paleolithic times we see evidence of settlements. Some superstition elements clarify to me that the 'moon' in Turkey's flag brings also the history of the past. Ankara, a growing city, regenerating abusive houses, excellent airport and roads. But wait to see where we go!!

Cappadocia. Long trip from here between mountains and steppes (estepas), typically from Russia but here we see that Anatolia flows from there. Goreme air museum, full of small chapels and houses on the rocks. Christians have settled there. The underground city of Kaymakli have provided them with shelter and protection against Seljuks. But the Seljuks are here to stay, they are here to become the Ottoman Empire. I am poised to see more Ottoman evidence here.

And I find it. The carpets (brought from Persia), the karavanserai (houses built on the silk road in Seljuk times); the bazaars. A mixture of cultures seen in the dancing (our friend saw the video and sees similarities with dances in Georgia and other countries from the Black see). Belly dancing for beginners like me (and I saw my belly, and I am now recovering from the shock!).

Turkey offers a lot. Pammukale and the city of Hierapolis from Greco-Roman times is a good appetiser for Ephesus (Efeso). The best preserved forums, houses, mosaics and library I have ever seen from the Greco-Romans (I have to go back to Greece to check more). The transition between these two becomes blurred, but so is the differences about stadiums, theatres and forums.

The West has retreated to the West, and now we have Turkey as a point of meeting with the East and much more. Will they be accepted in the European Union? I hope so, in fact, the Fiats and the others have made the country home in many respects. Lots of industry, lots of people willing to progress. Roads that take you everywhere, where everywhere there is a kebap shop and you can dine for as little as £1.50 (a tourist menu). Our bus back has two drivers and two waiters, Turkish music, the delight of crossing the sea by ferry and feel the breeze.

Imagine if you live in Turkey, or you live in the Asian part of Istanbul where we have returned. Traffic everywhere, boats everywhere, the city moves, they move, we move. The city bargains, we bargain. The city sweetens, we buy baklavas. We wake up to go home now, and our receptionist becomes our driver, thanks for dropping us, thanks for hosting us, wonderful country and experience.

Now reading Orhan Paumk's snow, indeed a good novel. But I also have my own experience of Istanbul Orhan, thank you!

Awards Ceremony of the Strongest

2007-10-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

October 13 2007. The Strongest Team meets for their first annual awards ceremony in the Cottingham Pub called Callgate.

Some people arrive with very smart dresses ,and we watch the football game between England and Stonia. Will has brought a big box with trophies and honorary mentions.

I am on the search for curiosities around the place too, and find this which I believe is a weighting scale...I am not sure how this can be used, but it will not be me who tries it!

OK, it is time for the formalities, and Will introduces the proceedings of the night.

We have a very nice time, relaxing, departing and drinking (but hold on, we manage to leave the place walking). I am very happy to have played for the Strongest in the last year, and have received awards of the Top Scorer of the Season and Goal of the Season. It has been a very good experience, and we have all learned to play better.

A tale of two cities: London, Hull

2007-10-03T03:41:00.001-07:00

"Elementary my dear Watson", Sherlock Holmes would say. During my visit to London in September I decided to stop by Baker Street Underground Station, and visited the shop of the Sherlock Holmes museum. At the exit of the station you see the detective standing there, trying to tell his story about London.

Well, he did not help me much to guess what I could also be doing in London during my visit. Or perhaps for him the fun is only playing violin, smoking dope and solving difficult crimes. So I decided to go where my 'gut' feelings too me. And guess what...

Mu 'gut' (or rather stomach) feelings took me to Tito's, a Peruvian restaurant located near London Bridge station. Cecilia had suggested trying "seco de cordero" (something like roasted lamb shanks). It was fantastic. The combination with Cusqueña beer (only one, it was mid day!) proved excellent. The 'frijoles' (beans) were mashed, something that you do not see often. Simply delicious!

But, was Sherlock Holmes right? Are we doomed to only have certain kind of fun in one place? Was there any fun left in this story?

Well, the fun was not over yet, but he second part of this story is the story of Hull and what you can do here (again it is me willing to tell you that Hull is not as bad as people think). Cecilia and I went to Chiquito's (Tex Mex restaurant) - Hull Branch. I had discovered Mexican Paella (Pi-ella), a rare combination of the Spanish paella but this time with chili, more chili and salad. It was nice, the only thing was that Calamari was not there. I was a bit upset.

So what did I do to get this upsetting off my chest?

The Kingston Communications Stadium provides a nice background, and this time it was Hull against Chelsea. The blues had decided to pay us a visit at a match of the Carling Cup. It was a time to remember mostly for the Chelsea fans (4-0 Chelsea). However, Hull still rocks as a football team and new transfers (the former Nigerian international J.J.Okocha) have contributed to keep this team in the Coca Cola Championship (better known as the second division of English football).

The story was not over. More fun? On my way home, a nice encounter with my former systems thinking students...

Gloria and Darlan are still in the city, looking for further career prospects. In the mean time they are gaining experience in customer service and they are indeed very friendly as the picture testifies. They were taken by surprise when I decided to take this picture though. Poor Darlan (almost invisible in the picture); she wanted to hide but we managed to keep her in!

The story concludes with a question and a possible answer. Which city would you enjoy most? My answer is, it depends on you, make the best of where you and I live.

And if you are looking for other answers, I leave you with my good friend John Hopper who enjoys riding his bike around and training. He can answer any question you have on cyclism and financial management. He really enjoys this stuff!

A tourist guide to Hull: Eye, Tapas, Rugby, and a satisfied customer

2007-09-25T23:56:00.000-07:00

Many people wonder about what to find in Hull.

Well, I can tell you that you can find a fantastic eye hospital. Cecilia had a terigium removed and although it was painful, she received the best attention I have ever seen in a hospital in the UK. She was given a bed to rest, looked after (I was looked after too) by nice nurses who continuously came to see how the post-surgery period was going. The day after the surgery we asked about how to reduce the pain, we were given an appointment to go and see a doctor who provided a prescription and better pain killers. The last weeks we have seen another doctor to check on the progress of the eye. All in time, appropriate for the situation.

Not only the Eye hospital can meet the 'eye' when you go to Hull. Down Princess Avenue, my friend Tim and I found a nice bar where they sell Spanish tapas. We enjoyed two rounds and although you cannot really compare with the original tapas, these ones did the job on a Saturday afternoon.

That same Saturday, while we sat in the bar, we saw some rugby fans getting ready for the rugby league match between Hull F.C and Huddersfield Tigers. We ended up going to the match and enjoyed it very much. For me it was a new experience to see a sport I have never played, and could appreciate why it is so exciting in this country. It is very dynamic at every minute, and you do not get bored. The experience gave me a lesson about how groups can manage to succeed by allowing each individual to do the best they can according to the circumstances. I might talk about that in a future seminar!

Well, the last bit was too academic was not it? Anyway the game is really exciting, there are a lot of families attending it and the atmosphere is friendly.

And last but not least, people living here end up saying "it is not too bad". Here is one of them, our dear friend Miguel, just before leaving Hull...Does not he look happy?

We wish you all the best Miguel, it has been 5 years and still counting, you have become a true friend, good luck with your trips to Swansea, NY and China. Take care and avoid any extreme in...many things.

Surviving Facebook:A brief story of holidays

2007-09-13T08:07:00.000-07:00

Well, the facbook bug bit me but today I decided to post something special here... We have got some wonderful holidays despite the weather. Guess where this is...

Birmingham. We went to see our friend Jo. Fantastica time, lots of things to do. Eating at Nando's, eating Jerk Chicken in a AfroCaribbean carnival, sailing on a boat.

Also visited Warwick Castle and Stratford upon Avon.

My sister Clara Ximena spent some time in Cambridge, we met her a couple of times and stayed there for a few days. She enjoyed visiting places as well as other countries. She says Norway is fantastic!

For me it was fantastic having been to Duxford's Imperial War museum. Lots of spitfire and hurricane planes (these helped Britain defeat the Nazis in World War II). We even got to the inside of a concorde!

Back to normal life, organising teaching and learning activities for next semester. Weather is warm and a bit fresher than in August, still enjoyable not to wear heavy jumpers or coats.

My other half has had an eye surgery...but before that we hit Geneva for a day, fantastic is it not?

Summer in UK

2007-08-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

This country and its people do not cease to amaze me.

Still celebrating old traditions, but also enjoying new ones.

My friend Danni and her boyfriend came to visit, we gave them a bit of salsa dancing taste, they are keen on taking us to a club in London next time (this summer!)

We are still in good shape no doubt. What do you think? We might be hitting a few more years, but the spirit lives in us.

We are the famous, the famous Yeovil!

2007-07-20T10:16:00.001-07:00

Did not miss the chance to see the new Wembley stadium for the playoffs of the football tournament this year. My friend Tim Butcher is a strong supporter of Yeovil Town, they went to the final after beating Nottingham Forest. We were excited to see them now playin against Blackpool.

Weather was cold and driving down to Wembley from Hull takes about four (4) hours. We got a good seat, and also met Tim's father who travelled all the way from Dorset (where Yeovil is).
Stadium is fantastic. All covered, all seated. Once you get to your seat, you can feel everyone cheering and singing. I had not experienced that feeling before.

Yeovil team looked tired after a grilling match against Forest, so they could not overcome two goals and the strength from Blackpool. We lost, but now they won a Colombian fan! We will see what happens next season.

We are the famous, the famous Yeovil!

Scotland, land of whisky

2007-07-16T01:56:00.000-07:00

Trip to Edinburgh. We took the opportunity to visit Scotland and landed in Edinburgh. The train journey takes about four hours from Hull. Cecilia got us a nice room in a hotel near Princess Avenue, just at the heart of the city. The neighbouring area invites you to walk around, admire the castle on the hill and visit the Royal Mile. Preparations are on the way for the Tatoo Festival (August).

In the Royal Mile we visited the Whisky Heritage Centre. Wonderful taste of different types of whisky. The taste varies according to the region. For instance, in the Islands (West of Scotland), they use oak casquets to store the whisky. This gives it a dry flavour. But when you try four(different varieties), you have to drink water in between, and always start for the smoother one (usually a single malt one, then go for the blended ones).

We also visited the Scottish Parliament which just opened. Very open space, with finishings in oak (some of which is from Scotland and some from Nordic countries). Rare architecture to give the impression of a big tree where branches (buildings) get together. The tree also resembles a river full of fish. The layout of the main room is set to allow a 'shared' conversation, rather than a debate. You can see Cecilia here trying to listen to the conversations below.

We always like to visit there, and from now on, I will try my best to taste more whisky!

Memoirs de la France

2007-07-03T02:39:00.000-07:00

Je suis allé a la France le Juin derniere. C'etait une experience magnifique. Je suis allé a Rennes et Brest. A Rennes, je suis allé a l'Université Rennes 2.

J'ai voyagé de Amsterdam a Rennes par le train. Le TGV ai voyagé a toute vitesse. J'ai acheté un billet d premiere classe, vous pouvez voir des repas dejeuner.

Et a Rennes, J'ai partagé d'un colloque sur l'usages et la utilisation de las technologies de l'information á la region de Bretagne. Moi, j'ai montré mon travail sur le gouvernement electronique et un étude de cas a la Colombie.

Ici, je suis avec autres chercheurs de M@rsouin (Mole Armorican de la Recherche sur la Societé de l'Information et l'Usages d'Internet). Nicolas Jullien m'a invité a passer quelque jours la-bas.

Merci beaucoup Nicolas et Jocelyn !!

Meet the Strongest!

2007-05-25T01:52:00.000-07:00

From left to right:

Smiggy (Paul Scholes): Skipper. Very fast on the right hand side of the pitch.

Barker (Ricardo Carvalho). Center and right back. Good at individual marking, was top scorer last season. Before you know it, he will be in front and asking for the ball to shoot.

John (Joe Cole). Middle fielder and multi-tasking player, he likes to corner his opponents. Good leader to organise the team when we are not losing.

Will (bit of Tony Adams, John Terry and Rio Ferdinand). The central nerve of defence. Good at anticipating and supporting attack. Unknown record of injuries.

Ray (Paul Robinson or Pat Jennings?). Very consistent goal keeper, good leadership and encouragement. Hull City FC fierce supporter (his nails have grown again after City's last match)

Me (Arjen Robben with Harry Potter's glasses). Getting fit so far, score good goals. Swear in Spanish when needed. Moody.

Not in the picture (they did not turn up for the match):

Russell (David Seaman, Gattuso?). Forward and goal keeper. Prefers to play on the left hand side for short periods of time, but this has nothing to do with fitness.

Nick (Harry Kewell). Mid fielder, nice passess. Please give me the ball, quick!

Harry (David Beckham). Forward, good goals, or should I say good mathematical equations?

Lee (J. Carrick, or J. O'Shea with long hair). Mid fielder, fights hard for the ball. A man of a few words and a lot of energy!

Bryant (Cuatemoch Blanco). Fast in the crossing, very inventive.

The culture of 'value'

2007-05-10T02:35:00.000-07:00

Western society (and perhaps beyond) seems to be increasingly interested in understanding the meaning of the word 'value'. We talk about clashes of civilisations, clashes of cultural groups, new management practices to deliver better 'value' to customers, changes in values in society, etc. All these seemed to generate a personal interest to talk about the meaning of value.

An Oxford dictionary defines value in three terms: 1) The 'worth' of something (presumably to be exchanged by other things like money); 2) A moral standard o professional code of conduct; and 3) a quantity or number.

In all these, an issue is to try to find a meaning we all agree, possibly an exact and accurate representation of the value(s) we discuss. Not surprisingly, since the Greeks this issue has been discussed. We have disciplines that aim to work with values, and somehow try to elicit answers to questions related to values. Ethics and morality, economics, mathematics, etc. All they seem to work towards such elicitation, understanding, leading possibly to get some wisdom.

Nowadays we have marketing to help us finding the value that customers put into products. And we have activities of conflict resolution, justice and democracy which help us accommodate different perceptions, different values. Perhaps the most successful are those which link technological development to assign value to electronic information and its management.

I thought that as discipline, systems thinking was different, but nowadays I find myself that when we say we work with complex problems, that we look at a situation from different perspectives, that we reflect on potential consequences of decisions, we are trying to elicit different values from different people and work with them. We might be doing this out of a moral commitment to the betterment of society (good!), but why do we claim we are trans-disciplinary?

Perhaps we need to look at our own understanding of the meaning of 'value', and how we can work with other understandings.

Au jour d'hui, je me sense tres content, parce que j'ai reservé deux chambres pour passer trois jours en Rennes. Je ai parlé en Francais!

Maria Mar in London - Old friends Meet Again!

2007-05-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

My good friend Maria Margarita (Maria Mar) and her husband Juan Carlos came to the UK, and we managed to meet in London. Spent the day crossing the Thames river from the Embankment, went to London Eye, the Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Whitehall.

We then landed in Trafalgar Square, and took the tube to go to London Bridge, and found Tito's (Peruvian Restaurant). Both Maria Mar and Juan Carlos enjoyed the food, the Peruvian beer (Cusqueña) and even paying the bill (we paid but still they would not let us go!)

Back to the Thames, we saw Shakspeare's Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern Gallery and the Millenium Bridge. They knew that Norman Foster's architectural design did not work at first, so they were a bit weary of crossing this bridge. After the bridge, St Paul's cathedral was waiting for us. We ended our tour in Kings Cross station, and they were looking for platform 9 1/2.

As with old friends, we were able to catch up on how we are doing (Maria Mar is doing her Phd in Computer Science, or Artificial Intelligence to be more precise). She and Juan Carlos enjoy living in Valencia, and I hope to visit them some time soon.

They remembered me of myself an my wife a couple of years back, being adventurous, enjoying walking, saving some money and not worrying too much about big plans (i. e buying a house). We the academics seem to go to very interesting stages in our lives, and perhaps the worries are magnified or minimised through time.

My next worry? Buying a house!!

The Tour Guide in London

Why studying business?

2007-05-02T01:38:00.000-07:00

If memory does not fail me one of the first accounts we have had about travellers is that of Marco Polo. He and his father were merchants, looking to bring new products to the West. They were based in Venice.

Looking for alternative routes for travel, they encounter the people of the Emperor of China, and then are invited to visit him. From then on, their lives change, they become ambassadors of the West, and are able to appreciate new cultures, and write about them.

Marco Polo would write about his adventures many years later when he returns to Venice.

Businesses, if we know about them, they can become a passport for new worlds.

The world has changed, now people talk about New York, Shanghai, London, Tokio as places where businesses develop. Old Venice is still with us, and still there are businesses developing. In a changing world, studying businesses involves looking at how countries are doing (i.e. economics); how organisations operate internationally (international business); how we need to manage resources efficiently (i.e. finance); and how to project concepts, images and ways of life through our products (i.e. marketing).

We also need to know ways of solving problems in organisations (management systems), and care for the most important resource of all: people (human resource management).

So, why study businesses? It is a way of getting an international passport, who knows, we might visit China someday!

Castles and friends do not change, do they?

2007-04-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

A picture of Conisbrough castle in South Yorkshire (I think). See the old 'motte' and 'bailey' style.

Motte and Bailey: Castles used to be built in wood at the beginning, and a motte (French word meaning mount or piece of turf) was used to make access difficult. A bailey (the outer wall of a castle) was built around the castle, together with a ditch (foso in Spanish) filled with water for protection. The land from the excavation of the ditch was used to build the motte.

In Colombia, had the opportunity to meet my old friends. We remembered past times and somehow we still share happiness, nostalgia about the past and expectations about the future.

Et au jour d'hui, J ai joué du football avec quelques étudiants francais, c'etait drole!

Castles, like friends, might get old, but do not change, do they?

Some history of the Conisbrough Castle can be found at:

http://www.conisbroughcastle.org.uk/History/history.htm

More visits: Roche Abbey

2007-04-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Weather is improving, so we are taking opportunities to visit places.

South of Yorkshire, there are nice Abbey remains, the Roche Abbey is dated from the 13th century, cisterian brothers (a rebel branch of the Benedictines). Very quiet and peaceful place, near a river!

Ideal for children like the ones in the picture (hehe).

The height of the buildings makes you wonder if the places were very cold, and how quiet this could have been. We spent some time walking in the valley of the Abbey. We heard the sounds of birds and the river. Ideal for relaxing.

Roman Stuff : Hadrian's Wall

2007-04-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

At last, we went to Hadrian's wall in the North of England. I wanted to go for ages, and now my dream has come true! We visited Vindolanda (this picture), also Chesters fort and Carlisle.

The romans built the wall to protect themselves from the 'barbarian' invasions from the North. The wall was extended, refurbished and finally abandoned, and today one can see the remains of the forts in which there were also some civilian settlements. At Vindolanda (this picture) there is a great museum where one can see objects (clothes, writing tables, jewelry, armoury and even cooking utensils).

Chesters fort is smaller, and it had also a military settlement. We managed to see some sections of the wall. The Romans liked to be near rivers, and the fort had a bridge over the river.

Carlisle was another fort which they converted into a city, one can see a street with remains of shops, a kind of roman Forum. Here (third picture) some of the house remainings, again with connections to the river and bridges.

I loved this visit!

And they say it is spring

2007-04-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

April 2007. We have had nice temperatures, but I am still suffering from a cold!.

Nevertheless, I have travelled a bit, and still find warmth in old friends. Here is Hetty (my friend and PhD student) and I in the Young OR conference. Enjoyable? Yes, we danced old celtic style!

And time also to say good bye to friends who leave Hull. My friend Marc is now based at Durham University, he says it is really nice over there. I cannot believe it is nicer than Hull (hehe)! Good luck Marc, we are going to miss you (in particular the latinos and their sense of humour).

Back from Colombia

2007-04-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

At last, I have managed to login into the new blogger version, to report on my trip to Colombia.

Everything was fine, the family, the friends, the country...

Still, so much to take, I get a bit drained after coming back.

Nice to see old friends, and catch up. Many of them are already married, with kids. Some want to leave the country, some want to stay, others have to stay. The latter would say to me "Where else can we get such a nice life like the one we have here?"

Probably true...

Back to Hull searching for properties...

Whose fault is it?

2006-12-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

London, December 6th. I arrive at the Royal National Hotel, for a meeting on the 7th. Have to check in and go to meet my hosts at 6pm in a restaurant. The hotel lobby is full of Spanish tourists...

Get to the counter and give a reservation number. My host (University of London) has booked a room for me and will pay. The clerk man comes back with a fax from my host, in which they effectively have cancelled my booking. He says the room is still available, but I have to pay myself for it.

I am astonished. I have not been told anything. I ask the clerk to ring my host. There is an answering machine (it is about 5pm). He says that it is up to me now to decide. I ask if they can help me sort out the problem. He says: "It is not our fault, you have to deal with your host directly".

I get furious. I have heard the same story over and over again. When there is a problem, it is always the customer's fault. I ask to speak to the manager. She is as inflexible as the clerk. I ask them if I can get a copy of the fax. The hotel's policy will not allow it.

I pay and get my room. Get ready and go to meet my host. I tell them that there is a problem with the reservation. They ask me to go back to the hotel and check, as they have made the reservation, but possibly under my full surname (Cordoba-Pachon instead of Pachon).

Back at the hotel after dinner, another queue (yes, lots of Spanish tourists continue arriving!). I get to speak to the same clerk. We search for a reservation, and there is none. I apologise to the clerk, he and I have had a tough day. Next morning, I phone my host and tell them. They meet me afterwards. They have a big apology to make, as it happened, they cancelled the initial reservation and booked me into another hotel. And they forgot to tell me.

Solution: I fill in a reimbursement form and I leave London. Still, feel that there is no one to blame. Each party could have done better (including myself), but whose fault is it?
We live in a society where the customer is the 'king', but also s/he needs to understand what happens behind the scenes.

DHL Delivery: Registering (again!)

2006-12-05T04:10:00.000-08:00

As you can imagine, I currently have a sort of interest now in studying the flow of customer requests. This time is DHL, taking a parcel from Hull to London. This is the story:

I had to send something urgently to a University in London. They gave me a DHL account to send the parcel. Arranged collection for Monday. At 3pm, no one had come (they said between 12:30 and 2:30pm). Phoned them again. They said no booking had been made (I did it on Friday, but apparently their system did not register it!). So I arranged a new collection. When I was collecting the parcel from reception (where they were going to collect it) to store it in a safe place that night, I was told the parcel had been collected (!)

Got the receipt, went on the Internet and yes, the parcel had been collected.
The image is from today, it shows it has been delivered. Today, I am sure another guy from DHL could come to collect the parcel again. I have not told them anything...yet

It seems the desire to please the customer results in duplication of work; misunderstandings, and somebody else's waste of time. As with Dell, they were not that concerned (at least on the phone) of having to try a new collection or delivery. Maybe I am not an expert in supply chains, but if I was the postman coming to deliver or collect, I would not be happy.

Friday night

2006-11-27T04:07:00.000-08:00

Yes, there is Flamenco in Hull!

We went for Roberto's leaving do, nice paella and music.

A nice environment in Roberto's shed. We saw many people who like Spanish paella and food.

A happy customer

2006-11-24T06:41:00.000-08:00

Friday 17th of November. After looking for some months, I have decided to buy a laptop. This morning went to PC world to collect one and pay for it. Before getting to the customer service section, tried the same laptop which was exhibited..and did not like it. Did not feel right.

Escaped from there and came back to my office, and went onto the Internet. Had been browsing through the Dell's website (www.dell.co.uk). Wanted a laptop for home which could also bring to the office when needed.

After using their Dell's online shopping system (which allows you to configure some things from your desired laptop), I paid with my debit card. Felt very relieved to be honest, like having made a good purchase. Not that I am selling Dell here, but I felt I had invested the money well.

Nov 17th. I then printed a receipt and got a confirmation by email. The order specifies the type of payment (up front), the items being purchased (with quantities) and the guarantee conditions. Terms and conditions of sale came in a separate electronic file (what we can call the small print).

They also sent and acknowledgement of my order via email, giving a number and inviting me to track the delivery of my laptop. Estimated delivery was seven (7) days. To calm my anxiety, they suggested to look at www.dell.co.uk/orderstatus to see the progress of my order.

On Monday the 20th of November, I went on the Internet again to see how the Dell guys were doing (out of curiosity to trace the status of my order at www.dell.co.uk/orderstatus). To my surprise, they had already pre-produced, produced, prepared and delivered the laptop. Initially they said that it could take up to seven (7) days, but it appeared that they were going to do this quicker. I got excited!

So it happened. Dell's status tracking system had a link to another company (Walsh Western), who also allowed me to see the progress in the delivery.

From the 20th to the 23rd of November, I could see the progress in the delivery (the different stages of arrival and departure of my 5Kg box, it even went to Coventry from Ireland before coming to Hull!). The delivery company had scheduled the delivery for the 23rd. I phoned Dell to re-arrange a new delivery. They said to me:" The delivery company will deliver on the 23rd anyway, we have re-arranged the delivery for the 24th if you are not there". Interesting...

Finally, on the 23rd of November at 8:18am (also verified by Welsh Western's system), I got my delivery. This picture was taken by my wife before we opened the box. I had to phone Dell on the day to check the computer had the right components . In principle, it appeared it did not (disk of 120GB required), but finally I got advise from Dell's technical support in India (it was 120GB). Yes, India! The guys who answered my telephone queries were there.

So a happy ending for a happy customer. Lots of information resources on the way, some of them on the internet (shopping, production and delivery), some others elsewhere (reachable by phone to rearrange delivery or ask technical queries). Perhaps a bit more of care for the customer so we get a more integrated idea of the flow of information, and a friendlier outlook of the information systems can help making customers like me even happier!

And this is what a test says about me

2006-11-24T05:10:00.000-08:00

It is confirmed, my favourite colour is blue

According to a colour test:

You (JR) are caring and extroverted. You've made relationships your number one focus, and your lucky blue underwear can bring some balance to them.
You thrive in one-on-one situations. You are a good listener and a natural born therapist.

Sometimes you let the concerns of others become too important in your life, leading to stress and worry.
If you want more balance, put on your blue underpants. They'll help you take care of yourself first.

What Color Is Your Lucky Underwear?

Call of Duty: Football !

2006-11-16T08:45:00.000-08:00

Yes,

I am back again in the football market. This time with a group of English mates playing for the "Strongest" team.

We adopted Real Zaragoza's away t-shirt. For some strange reason, we are called the "Strongest", in honour of the Bolivian football team. Notice in the picture the shin-pads that I have to wear. At the first match, I was stopped by the referee who asked: "Where are your shin-pads?". I said "I do not need them". He said, "this is England mate, you better put them on!". He was right.

Since September 2006 we play every Tuesday evening in a tournament. We are doing enough to keep ourselves busy and entertained. The results could have been better, but hey, "The Strongest" is used to play at high altitude ground, and Hull is at the sea level (just another excuse for the team performance). Anyway I am a top scorer! . I celebrate like Bebeto and people ask me to stop cheering up (jaja).

The summer training was fun. We trained every Sunday at a park nearby where I live (Pearson Park). We trained with a lot of people from the Arab countries, Iran, Kosovo, Poland and the rest of Eastern Europe. Some of them are very friendly and very skillful (no wonder they like the Brazilian coaches). After a while we did not train with them anymore, we spent half of the time arguing who should be in which team. It is like Dis-United Nations (DUN). The other thing is that the level of injuries was increasing, so maybe we were in the wrong place.

Football is still my passion, I enjoyed it a lot, makes me feel connected to my close friends and keeps me a bit fit. And the wife is also happy as I am doing some sport!

JR

This is the car!

2006-11-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

After living in Hull for nearly 10 years, I have got a car. Ford focus LX 2004, green vitro, 1600cc. Acquired in July 2006 with only 27292 miles (the UK standars is 12000 per year, so this one was not very much used).

It feels as if there is a new life. Takes us to do the shopping, to Leeds, York, Manchester and Uni. I do not know, it just feels that we can be normal people, go around and do what we like.

My last car was a Mazda 323 1300cc, had it only for 5 months (before coming to the UK) and really enjoyed it. Looked after it pretty well. The ford is not an exception, took it to the garage to check the breaks last week. Keep washing it (automatically), hoovering it, bought a small Black & Decker hoover to keep in the car.

Fall season is on its way, cold, but bearable: We have a car!

Attached to my country

2006-11-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone.

I felt very happy to take part in a video conference with Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia (Nov 3)

Invited my students Mu from China, Warren from Thailand, Jenni from UK, Yosa from Indonesia, Huilai from China, Yingmeng from China and Florie-Ann from France.

It was great! We shared some stuff on systems thinking, there were many questions. I could see students from there, and it brought so many nice memories.

This is a way for me to keep sharing what I do with my fellow country people.

Enjoy the image!

Hi again

2006-09-29T05:41:00.000-07:00

After a year or so without posting things, I resucitate

Yesterday I was in a queue in a supermarket, suddenly a guy jumps over me and goes to the till. I asked him if he saw the queue behind, he told me he had been in the queue but forgot the newspaper.

I then went to the till, and when the cashier was asking me a question (What mobile phone network are you suscribed to?), the guy from before comes and says to the cashier something like "Make sure he knows how to spell it".

I did not quite understand what he meant, but then realised that he was angry at my initial question, and he was meaning to make me feel stupid. When I got home I was furious.

Where I live (yes, Hull, United Kingdom), people do not tolerate foreigners, and this guy seems to think we are stupid.

Are we IS professionals? A critical view

2005-05-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Just presented this paper in a conference about professionalism and how I see it. So far professionals focus too much on methodologies and following or inventing standards, making systems more efficient. What I suggest is to reflect on what we do, how we do it and why we want to do it. Beluieving in what we thinki is right, and using our knowlede for what we think is right matters more than knowing a lot of stuff, or being very competent in delivering systems.

You can see the paper on:

http://www.hull.ac.uk/php/sbsjrc/Publications/Are%20we%20IS%20professionals.pdf

Any comments on this?

José-Rodrigo desde Patolandia

¡Hola!

2005-05-12T04:52:00.000-07:00

Este es mi glob, digo mi blog, para hablar de cosas que NO son de trabajo