[21-Apr-24] My week 16-2024 highlights

Interesting to see projected changes in 100 years

China’s population boom has officially come to an end, with the country reporting two consecutive years of decreases (down 850,000 in 2022, and 2.1 million in 2023).

India’s population will not age as quickly as its neighbor. Those over the age of 65 will represent less than one-fifth of the population until 2060, and their share of India’s total number of people and will not approach 30% until 2100.

China stays roughly flat and India triples in 100 years, what is related to the aging of the population, also driven by politics as in China for example.

Motivated by the All New Atlas | Boston Dynamics video I did ask OpenAI about the remaining gap between Humanoid robots and US. Looking at the possible movements they are ahead already, but ...

Humanoid robots have come a long way in mimicking human movements and interactions. Despite advancements in technology, they still lack genuine emotions and human-like intuition. The ability to truly understand feelings, think creatively, and adapt to unpredictable situations is what sets humans apart from these robots.

Moreover, humanoid robots struggle with complex social cues, empathy, and moral reasoning. While they can perform various tasks efficiently, the essence of being truly human, with empathy, morality, and ethical decision-making capabilities, is yet to be fully embedded in their programming. As technology advances, the quest to bridge these gaps and make humanoid robots more human-like continues to be a fascinating challenge.

I had a busy week last week with only 3 posts and the next week will be similar. But it is not a matter of quantity anyway, quality counts for me and hopefully for you as well? System Demo on Monday, workshop on Tuesday, webinar Wednesday, The Future of Leadership Salon on Thursday and Friday still to be defined. I will see ...

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (19-Apr-24)

• The curiosity matrix. 10 ways to get started in AI. Leadership is a kind of love.

• Wisdom Made Easy: My Best Visual of 2024

• Animated Chart: The World’s Top 15 Carbon Emitters (1850-2022)

• How relevant is Agile today? An assessment of the current relevancy of the Manifesto for Agile Software Development

• Why Are We So Afraid of Women? (At Work and Beyond)
  It’s time to create a women-friendly workplace instead of one designed for and by men

• The best leaders don't create followers. They create more leaders.

• Ten visuals on the topic of innovation and entrepreneurship, illustrated by Roberto Ferraro

• How Generative AI Will Change The Jobs Of Journalists

• Your job isn’t just a job! Your job can put a smile on people’s faces! Your job can transform lives! Your job is your life PURPOSE and someone’s HOPE!

[19-Apr-24] Being in the right setting ...

"You can't pretend to be honey if you're a sausage"

I have taken the quote from a podcast I heard this week. Fits perfectly to the Albert Einstein quote. Today I was invited for a short podcast session during the Future of Leadership Salon 2024 next week Thursday. Three questions and three short answers, will be fun and I am looking forward to it. Always great to leave your comfort zone now and then.

Before the Salon I am hosting a 1-day team building workshop on Tuesday and listen to the FUTURE CANDY SILICON VALLEY INSIGHTS HOUR webinar on Wednesday. In the workshop we will be trying a new personal introduction approach, do a Swot analysis, fill a Team agreement canvas and clarify roles and areas of responsibility between the involved teams. A packed agenda for 7.5 hours.

Have a great weekend, even when the weather in Germany will be more winter than spring-time. Cold and rain, even snow when you are high enough.

• Video: @Barbie | The Dream Gap Project
• Video: Boston Dynamics NEW Humanoid Robot SHOCKS The ENTIRE Industry! (Atlas 2.0)
• Video: How artificial rain works

And some interesting graphics and articles:

• [19-Apr-24] Top strategies for balanced leadership you need to know

• Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in the Workplace

• The New Happy: From reaction to response

• A Sneak Preview: How Gen Alpha Will Disrupt the Workplace

• Dan Rockwell: POUR ENERGY INTO ENERGY

• The art of leading in the AI age

• How to hire the best people

• Companies that prioritize culture experience a 33% increase in revenue

• There are 5 types of skill sets depending on the breadth and depth of knowledge and skills

• Introverts & Extroverts Join Forces

• Generative AI: Frontiers of Innovation

• Perfect to become a better leader in 2024 (top free Ivy League Leadership courses)

[16-Apr-24] Just Do It ...

Agile Roles versus Line Management

Every time managers are deciding to change their line management positions, you end up with the same question. Should the position be filled with another manager or does it make more sense, to take a different more agile approach going forward?

Especially for a team of Scrum Masters, who are assigned to different project teams and are doing a lot of activities that are in scope of line management, is this an interesting challenge. 

Trusting in their capabilities/education/experience and assuming they are self-organized and self-managed did help to come to a solution without direct line management. Sometimes you just have to do it and find out during the journey, if some adjustments are necessary? The Scrum Masters are happy in the moment and we will see, how it works out. Required Mentors, Coaches or Role Models for the younger or less experienced members of the team are in the same organization. Sometimes older, or with more experience or seniority in this agile role.

• Always good to learn from role models

• The Power of Teams

• TED Talk: Lessons from my father, Alexey Navalny
• The New Happy: It becomes great

• Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2024, just 502 pages

• Dan Rockwell: FROM BOSS TO LEADER: HOW PERSPECTIVE TAKING ENERGIZES PEOPLE

• Coaching & AI | Part 3 of 4: AI is your CoPilot & Companion

  • Part 2
  • Part 1
• PWC: A bold new case for circular business models

• How to Stay Grounded Amid Uncertainty, According to 4 Talent Leaders

• Global Plastic Action Partnership

• 90% of top performers at work have high emotional intelligence

• Hands-Off Is NOT a Helpful Leadership Style

• Stephen Covey's "Circles of Influence" has long guided people in prioritizing their focus

• The AI Future of Marketing

[14-Apr-24] The week 15-2024 summary

Robot versus workout?

My father in law is normally cutting the grass, but he is not feeling well in the moment. As we had great weather yesterday I decided to take his job for now and the grass was already really long and needed a first cut in 2024. We are still pretty traditional and not using a mowing robot. You 1st have to connect a cable for electric power and move the mower back and forth. When the grass collecting basket is full you have to empty it. The longer the grass the more you have to empty the basket.

So, warm weather and a lot of physical workout for me, much better than an AI driven robot, deciding what and when to do it. When I was done my father in law did give me a thumbs up for the work, something that will never happen to a robot!!

Next week is the week between two Sprint demos, so time for the teams to make progress with their work and for me to focus on other tasks. Preparing the two upcoming workshops end of Apr-24, the last day of one Intern and the 1st day of a new one starting 02-May-24. Besides that a project review with the Senior Management team directly tomorrow. We have to get rid of some rumors about the current status quo and progress, and need to replace this with real facts and figures. Have a great and successful week:

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (12-Apr-24)

• The New Happy: You can do both

• Systems-based productivity. AI helps workers be efficient if they don't "fall asleep at the wheel". Is hybrid work the best of both worlds?

• Something You Might be Neglecting… 3 Tips for Better Wellbeing

• Video: How to Work on Yourself | 3 Key Strategies for Personal Empowerment
• Kevin Box: Productivity models I know at 50 that I wish I knew at 30

• The world needs Agility, but the world doesn't know. We need sustainable change

• How to Build a Culture of Ownership (Exercise)

• What Every CEO Needs To Know About The New AI Act

• Unlock this Japanese secret to non-stop improvement: The Kaizen Model.

• The Ultimate Productivity Cheat Sheet

[12-Apr-24] Not everything what is ...

... technically possible could make sense!!

We have the IKIGAI topic today, pictures from left to right:

• What career would you choose if money were not an obstacle?

• IKIGAI - The reason for being

• Roger Spitz (M.Sc., FCA, APF) is an international bestselling author, a celebrated futurist, and the president of Techistential (Climate & Foresight Strategy)

A great example video for the headline today, already 9+ years old, but really great. Not everything makes sense in all situations. See - French Toilet Paper Commercial With Tablet & Emma HD

I had another discussions with a Gen-Z guy yesterday, an Intern leaving next week. Besides some adminstration tasks we did discuss, what to keep in mind when you apply for a permanent position in Germany, and you are coming from a foreign country.

Good German is still a prerequisite for small- and mid-size companies. In large companies less or no German will work, especially with the "war for talents". In the end even HR departments have to change, if they like it or not. What should be in a CV and is a reference/introduction letter still required?

Optimize your resume to get more interviews. Jobscan helps you optimize your resume for any job, highlighting the key experience and skills recruiters need to see. A good way to come to a perfect match between your CV and the job posting. Give it a try.

An introduction letter is either requested by the company in the job posting or your own decision. When you decide to send an introduction letter, you should spend sufficient time to deliver something valuable with high quality. Do not waste your time and the time of the readers of the document, please. 

[11-Apr-24] Decision Making ...

3 pictures for the same idea today

Edward de Bono's 6 thinking hats from left to right:

• The most important skill we bring to work – and life in general – is our capacity to think flexibly

• Leaders - problem solving should not be complicated

• Each of us makes, on average, 35,000 choices a day

and some more ...

• India elections 2024

• New LinkedIn Product Innovations to Help You Reach and Attract the Right Talent

• The path to generative AI value: Setting the flywheel in motion

• Dan Rockwell: IMAGINATION – NOT LOGIC – DRIVES LEADERSHIP

[10-Apr-24] No coincidences ...

Sometimes the time is just right

Yesterday I did first get a PWC newsletter about - Organizational psychologist and best-selling author Robert Sutton discusses companies’ obstacles and catalysts for getting things done.

Later then Tanmay Vora's latest post - Mindset of Leaders who are Friction Fixers. What slows organizations down? Learn about the new book from Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao about Forces that create friction and what leaders can do about it.

Same guy (Bob Sutton), same topic (Friction Fixers) and same day. No coincidences, the time just was right ...

Today we had a department presentation for the other departments in our area. Nearly 220 people, what was a huge success. All teams had 10 minutes each for a short introduction about their mission statement and main tasks. Besides that a picture for every team member. In the end we did a short quiz as result checking, to verify if everybody was listening carefully. The winner did get a coffee chat with our department head. A prize we decided on demand during the quiz.

One of the explanations in the morning was about what is a Release  Train Engineer - The Release Train Engineer (RTE) is a servant leader and ART coach who facilitates ART events and processes, and supports teams in delivering value. They communicate with stakeholders, escalate impediments, help manage risk, and drive relentless improvement.

In the afternoon one of our discover trainees, who was also part of the NextGenLab until end of Mar-24, wanted to know how I became an RTE? The short version: Nobody else wanted the job and I took the one time opportunity. Now I lead two trains with 15 teams in total.

And the longer version: I started to work in 1989 ... Always be open for a new perspective, mindset has nothing to do with your day of birth in your passport. I did lead Water Fall projects for 30 years and started to look closer into Agile in 2020. Became a Scrum Master in Jan-21 and now I am leading two forward looking projects as Release Train Engineer. It is all about people and giving them a good feeling, by being successful and delivering on commitments.

My advice to the guy was to start with a personality test, get more clarity about short-, medium- and long-term goals and a target role. You are young and have time to test different roles. Keep learning and be open for change. More to come ...

[07-Apr-24] My week 14-2024 highlights

Holiday is over, back to work tomorrow ...

Being at home is always an opportunity to repair or improve things around the house. As the modern chimney sweepers are in the meantime also environmental protection and sustainability advisors, I had some tasks to be done to improve the level of our house for the next review in autumn 2024. Easy to do, but takes time.

The summer temperature day yesterday was our family ice cream opening day. Good for us and the ice cream shop a well, so early in the year.

Just watching the last James Bond film No Time to Die with Daniel Craig, the first time on free TV today. As he died (spoiler alarm) in the last film, a new James Bond is required for the next film. But the discussion is still ongoing - British yes/no, male/female, person of color  yes/no and many more characteristics - what could be the accepted / expected 2024+ version of James Bond? A good question, but as the distance between films is 3 - 6 years, we still have time until 2027 latest.

The Global Senior Population picture fits well to the notice we did get shortly before the Easter holidays. More people have to be released in the coming two years in my company. The early retirement program will be picked up again and even the guidelines might be adjusted, to find more volunteers? This approach makes a lot of sense to renew/refresh the thinking process, ways of working and handling history on the one side, but you are losing a lot of experience, expertise and skill sets on the other side that might still be useful? We will see ...

With the upcoming retirement of the Baby Boomer generation, the

exodus of knowledge has already been started. I have 5.5 more years to go.

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (05-Apr-24)

• McKinsey & Company: Monthly Highlights, April 2024
• Video: Knowledge VS Experience
• Video: Arnold Schwarzenegger Leaves the Audience SPEECHLESS | One of the Best Motivational Speeches Ever
• Video: Xiaomi Automobile Super Factory, Producing One SU7 Every 76 Seconds

[05-Apr-24] Getting ready for the weekend

With 25 degrees celsius on Saturday ... 

After the hottest March ever the April seems to go into the same direction temperature wise. We will start tomorrow.

Just in case your temperature or weather is not as good as our forecast, some nice videos below:

• 5 Mindset Shifts to Change Your Life

• The Power of Scrum

• How Taipei 101 Resists Earthquakes: The Role of Its Giant Steel Sphere

• FLY HARD | Illumination Mini-Movie (HD)

• BOOM

I hope you like my picture creation? A creativity picture from Pixabay with a quote from Pablo Picasso in a Chilanka text font.

"Stuck in patterns" is a great analogy to the bank visit I had with my wife yesterday for a financial advisory discussion. The whole giving advice process in banks is so much restricted and guided by law that you have minimal to no flexibility, when you follow the official recommendations. You can always take a different route on customer request, but on your own risk. No risk no fun.

The tool used during the consultation was not at all intuitive and user friendly from my perspective and all official information had to be printed out. No paperless office and just conditionally sustainable.

Have a great weekend.

• [05-Apr-24] Top AI Tools

• Generative AI: AI Innovations

• [05-Apr-24] Which type of employee are you?

• The Wheel of Wellness Can Help You Create a Balanced Life

• 6 Key Traits to Creating a Winning Team

• Did you know that 72% of the world's innovators attribute their success to a 'Think Different' mindset?

• Imagine if everyone in your company had their own Personal Productivity Improvement Plan...your business productivity would likely soar!!

[03-Apr-24] You got the power

Are you also part of the quiet people community?

I am, a lot of the strengths do also fit to me. e.g. Effective Listening, focused worker and calm under pressure. 

Today I did get an email with a positive feedback about a post from 17-Jun-23 covering Japanese Methods and Frameworks. Besides some general statements I got an interesting Infographics offered that covers 6 Productivity-Boosting Japanese Techniques. See all details below:

• Wordpress: [03-Apr-24] 6 Productivity-Boosting Japanese Techniques
• Substack: 6 Productivity-Boosting Japanese Techniques

I like the Shoshin idea a lot, exactly why I selected this picture from the Infographics. "Derived from Zen Buddhism, Shoshin refers to the “beginner’s mind.” It embodies the idea of approaching life with a fresh, open, and receptive mindset, free from preconceptions and assumptions."

• Ever heard of “T-shaped” employees? Meet their innovative successor: the “V-shaped” employee.

• Frank Sonnenberg: Beware: Bad News Travels Fast
• Dan Rockwell: CULTURE BUILDING IN THE REAL WORLD

"Just because you don’t say much doesn’t mean people don’t notice you. It’s actually the quiet ones who often draw the most attention. There’s this constant whirlwind of motion and sound all around, and then there’s the quiet one, the eye of the storm." ― Amy Efaw, taken from 91 Quiet People Quotes (That Introverts Can Relate To)

[01-Apr-24] The week 13-2024 summary

Happy April Fools Day ...

I fully agree with the statement from Eve Simon, but there were some nice ideas today. I will see her again on 25-Apr-24 for the Future of Leadership Salon 2024 in Duesseldorf. 

Examples for some cool pranks (maybe or maybe not):

• My pen friend from Scotland did visit London over the weekend and shared that he will go to New York on short notice today. A great idea and all his friends did congratulate him, a little bit too early, but great fun
• The unFIX Company and Jurgen Appelo are now offering their unFIX model in grey-scale, as customers do not like the colorful pictures. Might be right or you just print colors with a grey-scale setting
• To avoid searching for the TV remote control Vodafone is offering today the necessary technology integrated in house slippers, cool stuff

In one of my upcoming workshops in April I will be using a SWOT analysis to clarify the differences between 3 teams coming together, to build a new department going forward. "A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning technique that puts your business in perspective using the following lenses: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Using a SWOT analysis helps you identify ways your business can improve and maximize opportunities, while simultaneously determining negative factors that might hinder your chances of success."

An easy and simple to use tool or framework that even works for individuals. After noting down the details for the 4 focus areas you just have to decide, what is next? Strengthen your strength or improve your weakness, this is your call and might be seen differently by a lot of people? I am more a generalist kind of guy who has some broad knowledge that does not really go too deep in a lot of areas. Works well for my current agile role and avoids a lot of technical discussion with the experts. From your point of view this could be seen in a totally other way? There are 4 fundamental behavior types for example.

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (29-Mar-24)

• Sketchplanations: Painkillers and vitamins
• Justin Mecham: No One Will Remember, Everyone Will Remember

• [01-Apr-24] 4 Questions to Jumpstart Culture Change …

• Dan Rockwell: WHAT WILL YOUR FUTURE SELF THANK YOU FOR

• Overlooked leadership traits - Empowering employees

• The 10 Worst Culture Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

• McKinsey & Company: Top Ten Newsletter │ First Quarter 2024

• 10 Unmistakable Habits of Irresistible People

[30-Mar-24] Getting ready for Easter

Family meeting tomorrow, there might be no summary?

PENGUIN LEADERSHIP CARTOONS by Lee Sampson - Fun and thought-provoking leadership cartoons featuring penguins for a cheerful, daily dose of self-reflection.

Enjoy the Easter time when you are celebrating it. If not have a great relaxing and quiet period.

• Why Most Leadership Training Is Not Effective for Product Companies – Sequel

• You're only as good as your worst day. The rise and fall of giants? The scare them away letter: a recruitment tool.

• It Was All in My Head: 3 Visuals to Reframe Your Relationship with Stress

• 10 simple rules to transform your life forever. Ikigai isn't just a concept

• This is why I disagree with anyone trying to convince people that testing and experimentation with your (public) self is not good.

• 24 Ted Talks To Change Your Life In 2024. Which one are you getting started with today?

• 7 Powerful Ways To Mold Children Into Leaders

[28-Mar-24] The Tuckman Model

Does the Team Development Lifecycle also work for Individuals?

With the latest reorganization in the company some colleagues did decide to take the early retirement program. You have to be 10+ years in the company and 58 years old or older.

In the last two weeks 2 colleagues had their last working day and we also had a discussion about what they are planning to do when they are off work? Taking the decision some month ago and now having the last day makes a difference,  it becomes reality.

A little bit like the Tuckman Model:

• You start to learn about the new situation - Forming
• You potentially feel a resistance to change your daily routine and have to push some old boundaries - Storming
• Old routines are replaced by new routines and another way of living - Norming
• You get used to the new changed environment and make use of new opportunities - Performing
• Opportunities become reality, you achieve new things and learn a lot. Your change process is concluded - Adjourning

Seems to work pretty well for Teams and Individuals?

An alternative could be - The Kubler-Ross Change Curve "model has been accepted worldwide to explain the change process. As the basic human emotions experienced during personal loss, change, death, or a dramatic experience remain the same, this model can be applied effectively in such situations."

My holiday starts tomorrow, will be a relaxing time.

• Japanese Life Concepts: Two Cheat Sheets provided by Igor Buinevici

• Top 10 Soft Skills Among AI Talent

• "You don’t inspire people by revealing your super powers; you inspire people by helping them reveal their own super powers."

• Is routine a good or a bad thing? I'm too easy-going not to be a fan of routine. - A new penguin cartoon by Lee Sampson

• AI 5.0 Leadership: Your 2024 Opportunity

• Dan Rockwell: 3 WAYS TO BECOME A LEADER PEOPLE LOVE TO FOLLOW

• Get Ahead of the AI Curve with These 250 (Free!) AI Courses

• Frank Sonnenberg: The 13 Key Ingredients of a Strong Work Ethic
• Dan Rockwell: HOW TO LEAD ONE-ON-ONES THAT CHANGE LIVES

• Gary Straughan: A SERIES of videos on everything I know about Agile Boards / Kanban Boards / Scrum Boards

• We need a mindset shift to create truly valuable organizations

• unFIX: Checklist for Workshop Organizers

[27-Mar-24] Circular images

A wide variety of topics, always on one page ...

Last day in the office tomorrow before my holiday until 05-Apr-24. We start the day and the Easter time with a team breakfast. Everybody adds something to the table, will be fun and tasty.

The German railway and the Union did finally agree a new contract for the next 24 month. Even the reduction of the weekly working time to 35 hours is possible now, on a voluntary basis. No strikes anymore, finally. 

[25-Mar-24] Quick Monday video post

About Self-Improvement and Motivation ...

Videos:

• 20 Powerful Concepts for Self-Improvement

• THE MOTIVATION MANIFESTO by Brendon Burchard

• FoL Salon 2024 - Einladung (15 minutes in German about the coming - 25-Apr-24 - and past Future of Leadership Salons)

The short restructuring of my website is finished, now all activities go much faster. Hopefully it will stay like this for some time?

• The New Happy: Notice the patterns
• Dan Rockwell: PLEASE PEOPLE AND OVERCOME PEOPLE-PLEASING

• Navigating the Corporate Landscape in the age of AI: SOARing Beyond BANI and VUCA in the Era of Perma-Crisis

• When we share our light with others, it brightens both their world and ours.

[24-Mar-24] My week 12-2024 highlights

List of International Days and Weeks

Short page restructuring in progress, please be patient. In order to speed up the page handling, I will now create one page per year. The Blog 2.0 page will show the current year, all previous years are in the menu bar under More or in the Downloads section with all available eBOOKs. I just uploaded the latest 2024 update until 23-Mar-24 yesterday there.

The latest Gustavo Razzetti post - How to Build a Culture of Mastery - fits perfectly to the 2-day offsite event on last Thursday/Friday. Different team members with different career pathes, levels of experience and expertise, education, attitudes, skill sets and talents together in one meeting. Like Shu Ha Ri - The Process of Mastery, follow the rules, make the rules and finally break the rules. All can learn something from each other, even the master could get a new perspective from a beginner.

Just a 4-day work week next week, due to Good Friday. The week after I have one week holiday. Looking forward to it.

• The 8 New Idea Books to Start Spring

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (22-Mar-24)

• Managing Gen Z: How to Get the Most Out of Your Team

• Free AI Courses from Google

• The Future Of Generative AI: 6 Predictions Everyone Should Know About

• Difficult conversations can be challenging. Here's how to navigate them better

"I don't think it's a Western thing to really talk about intrinsic motivation and the drive for autonomy, mastery and purpose. You have to not be struggling for survival. For people who don't know where their next meal is coming, notions of finding inner motivation are comical." -- Daniel H. Pink, American - Author Born: 1964

[23-Mar-24] Special Days ...

Earth Hour and World Down Syndrome Day 

The video is great and has a perfect story line - Assume that I can so Maybe I will - could be a helpful slogan for everybody. Start with a positive assumption in general and find out on the way, if it was a valid one or not? Have a great weekend.

• Video: Nvidia Reveals Project GROOT and Disney Robots at GTC Conference

• Disrupt your own narrative. Facilitation toolbox. The future according to Matthew Ball.

• The GROWTH Coaching Model

• Overcome These Fears to Unlock Your Company’s AI Potential

• Many Gen Z Workers Say They Get Better Career Advice from ChatGPT Than from Their Manager

• Frank Sonnenberg: The New Math Adds Up to More

• Need to Boost Your Company’s AI Skills? Hold an AI Learning Day

• 7 Tips For Implementing Generative AI In Your Organization

• 8 Powerful Habits of Profoundly Influential People

• These are the 21 Laws of Magnificent Execution

• Scrum isn't about adding meetings; it's about adding value.

• Future of Leadership Salon 2024 on 25-Apr-24 in Duesseldorf

[22-Mar-24] About commitment ...

Making 2024 Happiness Levels visible

Commitment: "a promise to do something or to behave in a particular way; a promise to support someone or something; the fact of committing yourself"

Back from the 2-day workshop today. A lot of sensitive and personal topics will not be shared so I will stay more general. What happens in the training center stays there.

Two quiet, in general introverted men, met at the train station in Cologne to go to the training location in Koenigswinter. During the journey they did come into an intense discussion and did miss to exit at the right train station. Thanks to yearlong experience and staying calm, we managed to go back and reached the training location in time. The story was a great opening joke and running gag during the 2 days.

We did collect the talents and needs of the two Scum Master teams in Germany and India. Another topic was to see The 4 Responses to Fear in different situations. Sharing a life changing moment was the most emotional topic, but very much appreciated and helpful to better understand the team mates.

Today we had to finish earlier to avoid the Easter Holiday traffic jams, and the India team with a 4.5 hour time zone difference wanted to go into their long weekend. They will be celebrating the Holi festival next Monday. 

My train to go back home had only one waggon instead of two, what caused some space issues for people with suitcases, because the train passed the Cologne airport and main station for the holiday traveler.

• These are the 21 Laws of Magnificent Execution

• Dan Rockwell: 3 CHALLENGES AN INTROVERT FACES IN LEADERSHIP

• TacticAI: an AI assistant for football tactics

• Is your environment stifling or stimulating? Time for a safety check

[20-Mar-24] About motivators ...

UN’s International Day of Happiness today

Finland is #1 in the country ranking, Germany did go down to #24. We might need to have less "German angst" and more motivators to be happy. For all details see the 2024 report. 

Looking at the picture we should be looking for more recognition, inspiration and autonomy, why not?

I had a great idea yesterday to motivate people in my Agile Release Train (ART). We normally have 5 two week sprints and the 6th sprint for exploration, knowledge sharing, brainstorming and training. During sprint 6 we have 5 full days for the none project activities. Why not turning it around and give dedicated team members the time to have 10 weeks for exploration tasks and let them explain their findings during the 5 days in the 6th sprint as usual?

Sounds crazy, but would be a great way to motivate people. Being selected for the small/special team is the recognition/appreciation, they get the autonomy to select their tasks and are inspired to present something new to their team members at the end.

So far we are sending out certificates with a personal note about the special accomplishments, what is very much appreciated by the recipients . Why not trying something new, what might be even more beneficial for the team?

I am away for the 2-day offsite event starting tomorrow, so no BLOG post on Thursday. Have a great time and be happy.

[18-Mar-24] Another anniversary ...

Three years ago my BLOG did path the 500k reader milestone for the 1st time on 18-Mar-21

Today in 2024 the counter is close to 1,500k readers, a huge achievement. Once again thanks a lot to the one-time, some time, several time and everytime readers, your support and interest is very much appreciated.

The concept proposals for the two April workshops have been approved today with some minor adjustments. Will be easy to implement, so I am ready to go. Now I am looking forward to the offsite event on Thursday and Friday, will be great just to be a participant like all the others in the audience.

• If you don't master motivation, anything and everything can be a struggle

• Dan Rockwell: 4 WAYS SADNESS LEADS TO GLADNESS

• 8 Stupid Workplace Rules That Drive Everyone Crazy

• Did you know that in 6 years (2030) the goal is to solve all the 17 UN sustainability goals?
  

• Remember...job skills and expertise is only a fraction of what it takes to be a talented employee!

"When a young person, even a gifted one, grows up without proximate living examples of what she may aspire to become–whether lawyer, scientist, artist, or leader in any realm–her goal remains abstract. Such models as appear in books or on the news, however inspiring or revered, are ultimately too remote to be real, let alone influential. But a role model in the flesh provides more than inspiration; his or her very existence is confirmation of possibilities one may have every reason to doubt, saying, ‘Yes, someone like me can do this." — Sonia Sotormayor taken from Top ​​70 Role Model Quotes

[17-Mar-24] The week 11-2024 summary

A little bit more about learning ideas ...

"The upward spiral is Stephen R. Covey's simple model of personal growth and change, which repeats the three steps: Learn, Commit, and Do."

When you read, write, think and talk about the learning topic, what I did last week, you will find even more material that fits. I am preparing two new workshops for April, with the option for a 3rd one, and will be just participating in a 2-day offsite event next Thursday and Friday. This is going to be fun and a learning experience:

• Video: How to Double Your Productivity

• How to Neutralize Proximity Bias and Create a Fairer Hybrid Workplace

• 6 Free Courses from Harvard

• Overlooked Leadership Traits - Part 1: Empathy

• Wisdom from a 1999 Classic Movie

• How to make better friends at work. Could you benefit from belonging to a peer-to-peer network? How to take the leap of faith.

• Jurgen Appelo: Common Stages of Writing Fiction

• 100+ Inspirational Quotes to Get You Through the Work Week

One of the workshops I will be hosting is for a team of 11 people for a whole day, the other one for only 3 hours, but with 50+ participants. The setting and logistics is driving the approach and content. The good thing is that I have a portfolio of topics and approaches in the meantime that I can select from. And when this is not sufficient I can copy and transfer a setting that did work in the past into a new environment. Reuse before creating something new from scratch, a good learning from the past.

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (15-Mar-24)

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” — Henry David Thoreau, taken from 100+ Inspirational Quotes to Get You Through the Work Week (Motivational quotes for Monday)

[15-Mar-24] Are you engaged?

Only 14% are engaged, according to the Gallup Engagement Index Germany 2023

A really dramatic number, nearly 26 million Germans aged 18 or older are not engaged in, what they are doing ~40 hours per week and, what they do for a living? On the other side a great potential for companies looking to fill their shortage of skilled workers and gap for new talents.

A focus area for the HR community in you company, but 86% might be disengaged as well, a vicious circle or catch-22. The faster you can fix this, the better for you and your company's future. As the majority of us is working for money and not for fun or personal fulfilment, your resistance to change level is mainly driven by the monthly fixed costs that have to be paid.

No guarantee that it will be better in a new company, it will just be different. Depending on your age, it might make a lot of sense to switch companies, or just to best manage the remaining time when you are close to retirement. This is your choice and decision in the end that nobody else can and should take for you.

It was a little bit different for our CEO today. He is possibly not only working for money anymore and did take the decision to step down from his position, as he did not agree with the organizational change coming 01-Apr-24. He has my full support and appreciation, I did not get the change either. Anyway, one guy is leaving and the organization is getting in motion to replace the free positions. Opportunities for a career change.

• How to Deal with People Who Undermine Your Confidence

• Why Gen Z Is the Most AI-Ready Cohort — and What That Means for You

• Reinventing? Ask yourself five questions

• unFIXed: We Have No Time (for Sustainment)

[12-Mar-24] Master your time better ...

As long as you can really control it

The German railway was on strike again today. The Union did not get a new offer by last Sunday 06.00 PM as expected and requested. So the strike started today morning at 02.00 AM for 24 hours.

The future green and sustainable transport system will become part of the critical infrastructure and the right to strike should be discussed again. Some more control of the general negotiation process and the proposal to come to an agreement faster should come from the Ministry of Transportation, is the latest discussion in the media.

Due to the strike, I had to take the bus today. Other people did take the car, what caused more delay for the bus. Additional 45 minutes where I could not master my time today ... Hopefully tomorrow morning all is back to normal, we will see? Other countries are much ahead in this topic.

• This is the world’s best-prepared city for the future of urban transportation (Helsinki)

• Urban Mobility Readiness Index 2023 REPORT

• The Urban Mobility Scorecard Tool: Benchmarking the Transition to Sustainable Urban Mobility

Besides that the next 3-month project phase started today, with some final clean-up activities and small hints to improve the overall data quality going forward. I did even provide a small Quality dashboard, to see the tasks that are still to be done and to control the progress over time. First I will recommend adjustments, then I will check the progress regularly. I can be really a pain in the neck, when it is necessary.

• Dan Rockwell: 5 UNEXPECTED QUESTIONS BEFORE REMOTE TEAMS MEET IN PERSON

• From function to discipline: The rise of boundaryless HR

• 60 Questions to Help You Hire for Consciousness

• 10 Ways Ridiculously Successful People Think Differently

• 3 Powerful visualizations of data when working agile

[10-Mar-24] My week 10-2024 highlights

Superpowers similar to organizations, why not?

Be open for problems/mistakes and understand/learn how to handle it. One argument why we do a Confidence vote after the PI planning and openly note down risks on team and release train (ART) level. General awareness helps to proactively take action and always be prepared.

• Video: If You Have An Idea - Stan Lee Inspirational Speech

• The State of Organizations 2023: Ten shifts transforming organizations

• The male blueprint: What it is — and how it stops women from reaching the C-suite

Our official next 3 month project phase starts on Tuesday, two weeks to have a little bit a relaxing time as the Sprint-1 demo will be two weeks later. Still time to close and cleanup the previous phase and to well prepare the new one.

The next 3 days I plan to be in the office after one week working from home. Hopefully no new strike of the public transport and German railway. But you never know ... Anyway, have a great and successful week.

• Sketchplanations: Impossible staircase

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (08-Mar-24)

• Meeting Culture: REDO Your Way to Better Collaboration

• Beyond Agile - 7 lessons from the Agile era

• AI Top Careers

• [10-Mar-24] Think outside the Box

• One must-read for this week: "The restorative power of small habits"

• The bridge between 'gonna' and achievement is built with action.

"For years, kids have been asking me what's the greatest superpower. I always say luck. If you're lucky, everything works. I've been lucky." -- Stan Lee, taken from 100 Stan Lee Quotes About Courage, Optimism and Success

[08-Mar-24] Bias in action ...

Men and women are judged differently when being considered for leadership roles

Another year gone and we have International Women's Day again. Celebrating one day out of 366 days in 2024, why are we doing this? It should become normal to treat ~50% of the world population like the other 50%. It is already noted down in the constitutions of several countries, but paper is patient and we have to just do it and make it real. More reality every day and not only once per year ...

• The Global Gender Parity Sprint

• Change isn't a straight line - it's a twisting, turning journey

• Do you have the courage of your convictions?

• Dan Rockwell: 4 RESPONSES TO COMPLAINTS ABOUT OTHERS
• Dan Rockwell: 7 WAYS TO ENABLE BOLDNESS

• STEM Gender Gaps Significant Among Gen Z

• The Path to Gender Parity in Leadership

• TED Talk: Why are women still taken less seriously than men?

SO much is still going wrong in politics, business and private life, you cannot just balance this with flowers on 08-Mar-24, sorry.

The Team Building session on Thursday did go really well, great that they can appreciate 90 minutes off business time really a lot and have some fun. "We could not focus on the task too much, we had to get to know each other" was the best comment. Thanks to the random breakout room assignment functionality, it always brings great groups together.

Besides that two workshop hostings planned after Easter in the 2nd half of Apr-24. And in two weeks I will just be a participant in an offsite workshop, all Scrum Masters and Release Train Engineers will be coming together, we are now in one team after the latest reorganization. Looking forward to it.

• Anthropic PBC: Introducing the next generation of Claude

• Imagine That It Takes Only Weeks to Pivot Strategy

• Without trust, organizations fail

• 20 benefits of knowing personality types as a leader

• Agile Is Not Dying; It's Dissolving

• Organizations with high performing teams report a 67% increase in efficiency and a 58% boost in employee satisfaction

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” -- Michael Jordan taken from 35 Inspirational Quotes On Obstacles

[06-Mar-24] "The Dirt" In Your Life

Lesson: You're never too big for the dirt.

From the book summary - Legacy: What the All Blacks can teach us
about the business of life By James Kerr

"The idea that champions do extra shines through in every chapter of
this book. Whether it is showing humility by staying back to sweep the floors, establishing a culture of leading by example or practising that little bit more than the other team, champions push themselves in every area.

The lessons of the All Blacks can inspire almost every classroom, team
or workplace. The idea of working together with a shared goal and
purpose, expecting excellence and going the extra mile in all areas can
be applied to any situation for results which will leave a lasting Legacy."

Sounds like Japanese teams and fans in e.g. soccer - Japan celebrates World Cup win by cleaning their changing rooms and leaving origamis for Qatar hosts.

I finished the two planning activities successfully today, good job done after 2 days and a pretty high confidence in the results of the participants in the end. Finally the team building session tomorrow morning and then back to the daily business.

• 2024 Talent Reports: Insights and Actions for the Age of AI

• Frank Sonnenberg: Unlocking the True Meaning of Success
• Dan Rockwell: PERMA – 5 ELEMENTS TO THRIVE

• 8 Powerful Ways To Get People To Take You More Seriously

• Actively trying to control what you have no control over is a losing proposition

• Scrum Masters - Are you in "facilitating" the Daily Scrum?

• Being a "master of Scrum" is much more than just about understanding Scrum.

[05-Mar-24] Agile Disappointments?

What are the Root Causes ...

When you want to compare Amazing Ideas with Poor Execution, you can either read the latest article from Jim Highsmith (Co-author Agile Manifesto, Agile Pioneer, Writer, Storyteller, Agile Leadership Journey Guide, Thoughtworks Alumni)

• What are the Root Causes of Agile Disappointments?

or ask OpenAI for an opinion, see below:

One of the reasons for Agile disappointments lies in poor communication within teams, leading to misunderstandings and a lack of alignment. Inadequate stakeholder engagement can also hinder the success of Agile projects, causing delays and roadblocks to progress.

Issues like unrealistic expectations, lack of support from leadership, and resistance to change are common culprits for Agile disappointments. Insufficient training and a failure to embrace the core Agile principles can further exacerbate the challenges teams face when implementing Agile methodologies. Identifying and addressing these key issues can help organizations navigate and overcome Agile disappointments successfully.

I read several overlaps, only the wording is a little bit different, but Agile Mindset is a topic for both. Judge yourself.

Today was the 1st day of our PI Planning, this time with two Agile Release Trains (ART) in parallel. One ART had the 10th planning anniversary today, the other one is a Novice, doing it for the 1st time. You can see the growing experience over time on the one side, but also commonalities that are independent from the amount of times you did the planning on the other side. It will not become a routine, what is good for alertness. 2nd day tomorrow.

• Sharing is caring ... A good one from Grant Snider and Justin Mecham

• This beautiful map shows everything that powers an Amazon Echo, from data mines to lakes of lithium. Anatomy of an AI System

• 13 Best Career Tests, Assessments, and Quizzes for 2024

• Transformative leadership for extraordinary times

• Turn obstacles into opportunities: Lead like a Stoic Sage

• Ever notice how people say “sorry” all the time… for things that don't need an apology?

[03-Mar-24] The week 09-2024 summary

Visitor statistic from 03-Mar-23 until today 

The picture shows the top locations of my BLOG website's visitor analytics. USA is in the lead, even when it is split in several States, followed by Europe and Asia.

I will be working from home the whole next week, due to the 2 + 1 day project planning phase starting Tuesday. The week after I might be at home as well, because the negotiations between the Unions and the German railway, as well as the public transport providers did not come to a positive end so far. This means strike again. When the German railway or the public transport is on strike, I still have options to reach the office. When both are on strike the only alternative is to use the car, but this is normally with my wife and not a smart solution anyway, when all people want to go to the city with their car on the same day.

The Unions and the Employer are in agreement about the general salary increase in the meantime, the only blocking point is still the reduction of the weekly working hours mainly for shift workers by keeping the current same salary. The Unions want to make the jobs more attractive in a time of shortage of skilled workers and babyboomers being close to retirement. The Employers just want to save money medium- and long-term.

As a customer I can understand both sides, but when we really want to go into the direction of "green" transport with railway and public transport systems, we need an agreement quickly. As long as not all trains are driverless, we require more drivers to handle the increasing demand.

• How to Turn Your Enemies into Collaborators

• Knowing you’re replaceable is one of the most empowering things ever

[01-Mar-24] About frameworks ...

You have to make the necessary mindset changes

I missed to write a post yesterday on 29-Feb-24, so I have to wait another 4 years for the next opportunity. All fine, as I have busy times in the moment, next week is PI Planning again. But this time for two Agile Release Trains (ART) in parallel, as we have the same cadence.

On the one side a challenge to organize a minimum number of ceremonies in the same working day with a time difference of 4.5 hours to India, but on the other side the possibility to reduce the administration effort to a minimum. Germany has to start early in the morning and India to stay late in the evening. As it is just for 2 days in a 3-month cycle, should be acceptable?

When I mentioned this situation to my 1st ART members a lot of help was offered, just in case it becomes too much for me during the planning days. Very much appreciated.

Frameworks like SAFe are just a collection of meaningful guidelines and a portfolio of good practices that have proven their worth. The interpretation and final implementation is up to you. Just this week I had a 1st brainstorming session with the Product Owners and Scrum Masters about our current team setup and if there is a need for change? To come to an even better balance between team stability over a longer period of time and flexibility to adjust to short-notice adjustments. There will be more sessions necessary to come to a good step forward.

Why am I using the Comic Agile picture today? Because I will be using a Chris Stone RETRO template related to these Comics next Monday in our ART-wide retrospective. Will be a combination of value add teamwork in breakout sessions and fun, a good finish for the current PI. Looking forward to it.

• Tracking global data on electric vehicles

• The FOUR Circles of Influence

[27-Feb-24] TANSTAAFL ...

There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

"During the nineteenth and early twentieth century many saloons in the United States offered a midday buffet selection of gratis food to customers who purchased at least one drink. The saloonkeepers hoped to increase the number of clients and the amount of alcohol purchased. The “free lunch” food functioned as a loss leader.

Robert Heinlein did use the expression under investigation in his 1966 novel “The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress”. Also, Milton Friedman was credited with the saying by 1969, and he used an instance as the title of a book in 1975. But the saying was already in circulation." taken from

Quote Investigator® with much more details ...

I had a discussion last week, why I am offering my BLOG content for free? It is one of my hobbies and I am doing it firstly for me, kind of a regular journaling. Besides that going into more details for the topics I am covering, is a great learning experience every time. Finally I am a strong believer into long-term investments, it is a give and take, but not immediately. Waiting weeks, month or years is no problem, the opportunity/return will come.

According to TANSTAAFL I am investing my time, experience and expertise so it is not a free lunch, even when I offer it like this. Since last week I started using Substack that is offering paid and free subscriptions. A paid subscription is not a must, but an option when people see value for their money or want to make a donation. The current pricing model is 5€ for a monthly and 50€ for a yearly subscription. Founding members can pay 99.99€/year - all voluntary.

Interesting to see, how this will go in the future? Fun fact, to collect money you need a bank account and Substack is using Stripe. All was properly setup in less than 10 minutes, a process that normaly takes between 10 hours and 10 days, depending on the bank. Impressive.

• Dan Rockwell: DO THIS TO BRING MEANING TO WORK

• Increase your Productivity With 'Single-Tasking'

• Simon Sinek: Should You Tell Your Employees Not to Work on Weekends?

• 10 Things Great Bosses Do Every Day

[25-Feb-24] My week 08-2024 highlights

Moon landing, what did change in the last 55 years?

Apollo 11 was the 1st ever crewed Moon landing on 21 July 1969. Intuitive Machines' Nova-C Odysseus lander landed on the Moon on Feb. 22, 2024 without a crew.

• Moon Landings: All-Time List [1966-2024]

• Every Mission to the Moon, Ever

• How space exploration is fueling the Fourth Industrial Revolution

• This timeline charts the fast pace of tech transformation across centuries

• Commercial lunar lander makes it to the moon but faces communication issues

55 years ago with 55 year older technology people and even cars did fly to the moon and all people came back back to earth. Nowadays the lunar landers are smaller and without a crew, but a lot of them are facing technical issues. On the way to the moon, during the landing, after the landing and on the way back, just in case this is part of the mission at all.

The Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969 was one of the most astonishing achievements in human history. That day, an estimated 530 million TV viewers watched U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin take their first steps on the moon. Afterward, the two men and third crew member Michael Collins flew safely back to Earth and landed in the Pacific Ocean.

Yet just a few years later, some people claimed the “giant leap for mankind” had been faked. Conspiracy theories that the moon landing was actually a hoax that the U.S. government had staged to win the space race with the Soviets began to gain traction in the mid-1970s. Although these claims were false and easily debunked, they have persisted to this day.

Let's trust in all did happen as we saw it. So what is going wrong today, with the same amount of money, much better technology, much more countries involved (e.g. Japan, India and China) and the success stories from e.g SpaceX? Is it a lack of motivation to be faster than Russia again? Possibly not as Japan, India and China would not care at all. 

The aim of space powers, such as the US, Russia and China, is to set up bases on the Moon for astronauts to live in, says Dr McDowell, astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in the US. "The Moon is being used as a stepping stone to places like Mars," he says. "It's a great place to test out deep space technologies."

An interesting discussion and I do not have a solution so far. Maybe all involved countries should just work closer together (goodbye to silo thinking), share their mistakes, learnings and good practices? 

• The people’s choice: Stunning images from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023

• You probably heard about the "Circle of Influence"

• Roadmap to learn Python

• Top 12 Coding Principles Explained

[23-Feb-24] Continuous Improvement

It is a long way to the bullseye ... 

After nearly two month I was back to the table tennis training yesterday evening. Holidays, no time, no desire, a cold and many arguments had been in the way so far. But it is like riding a bicycle, the basics work easy only the precision was lacking, no bullseye yesterday :-)

Today I had the pleasure to talk to Eve Simon in a Zoom call. I know her from several Future of Leadership Salons in the past and I am already looking forward to the next one on April 25th, 2024 (in Duesseldorf, Germany) - Leadership in the Age of AI - tickets are still available in different options, check it out please.

We had several topics to talk about:

• School education systems in Germany and the USA

• Future of Leadership Satellite - Bjoern Ognibeni (China)

• Mintzberg’s Organizational Configurations (1979) - last millennium models are back. In a world of complexity, peole are looking for simple explanations

• Future Library – a project that aims to collect one book every year, for 100 years, and then publish all of them in 2114 using the trees from a Norwegian forest. The manuscripts are kept unpublished, stored in the “Silent Room” at Oslo Public Library.

• What does Leadership mean in the current time with AI? Good fit to the Salon 2024 topic. Where can tools like ChatGPT help, what are known biases and the GAP to humans, short-, medium- and long-term?
• People will always misuse new technology, for sure and this will be taken care of. Focus on the positive side, what are opportunities, new ways of thinking and using the technology?
• And many more ...

[21-Feb-24] Another way to focus ...

Why not use BINGO cards?

As I mentioned earlier, I did my personal assessment for the yearly performance review last week. So I was pretty well prepared for the question from my new supervisor yesterday, what I am doing in an average 3-month period.

During the discussion I came up with a pretty long list of activities. Thanks to applying some Time Management rules, and I am not saying that I am an expert, it is possible to handle the list and still have some flexibility for unplanned tasks.

Only 12% of people use a specific time management system.

Yet 91% believe better time management would ease work stress.
(Source: Timewatch)

I will be using the BINGO idea in the next Team Building session of my project team on 07-Mar-24. We will be filling in a Team Agreement Canvas in Break-Out sessions and have some BINGO cards available in parallel, to help the people to better listen to what their colleagues are saying. Hopefully nobody from the team is reading this, it is still a secret.

Based on the feedback of a friend I did setup a Substack environment for ReThinkandFocus. You can find it via this Link, or in the main menu above behind the More button. I just started, but would be happy to get your interest.

• From principles to practice: Responsible AI in action

• Dan Rockwell: 12 WAYS TO DANCE WITH DISAPPOINTMENT

• Team Development Lifecycle

• How can knowing your ikigai help you as a leader?

• Out of all strategy tools, which ones to focus on?

[18-Feb-24] The week 07-2024 summary

"Why Successful People Embrace Goal-Setting"

The picture and video are a perfect fit to the current situation in the year. Last Friday I did my personal evaluation for the yearly performance review. As our new fiscal year starts 01-Apr-24, the necessary personal goal and objective setting will be starting shortly. Every year the company targets will be broken down from the top management level  to the individual employee.

The goals are supposed to be SMART - The acronym “SMART” means that a goal is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. - and ideas for a personal development plan are required as well. For me personally with age 60+ this makes not a lot of sense anymore. I could do a Release Train Engineer (RTE) certification, but do not believe in this approach. And paying yearly renewal fees to e.g. Scaled Agile Inc. does not say anything about your experience and expertise in this area. 

I prefer to host workshops - The key to subject mastery is teaching it to others. - and to share knowledge either via the "5-minute" learning bites at work or my BLOG here. Will be my personal development plan going forward.

• Sketchplanations: The Wheel of Death

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (16-Feb-24)

• Stop serving the compliment sandwich. Startups vs incumbents in the AI era. Play long-term games with long-term people.

• Parting Ways with Grace: Saying Farewell in the Workplace

• 9 Potential Pitfalls for Product Managers as Product Owners

• How I combine my favorite TED + ChatGPT.
  

• These skills can turn challenges into opportunities.

• Essential Algorithms for Every Programmer: Your Ultimate Guide!

• Choosing the right database for your project can be a daunting task

[16-Feb-24] Creating video from text

Sora is an AI model that can create realistic and imaginative scenes from text instructions.

The next OpenAI tool is available now, it is called Sora. "The model has a deep understanding of language, enabling it to accurately interpret prompts and generate compelling characters that express vibrant emotions. Sora can also create multiple shots within a single generated video that accurately persist characters and visual style."

• Google: Our next-generation model: Gemini 1.5

• 13 Habits of Super Persuasive People

• Here are 25 harsh truths I would tell my 25-year-old self

[15-Feb-24] Put effort in the right place

Do the right things right ...

Busy times and sometimes you just need a break, as the last two days.

According to the 80-20 rule you can reach 80% outcome with 20% effort. The remaining 20% need additional 80% effort, what should be avoided. One way to better approach this is to always have the end-to-end process in mind, and to stay away from silo thinking and working.

• The New Happy: Mastery takes time

• Here are the top 8 TED Talks every leader should watch

• 5 Myths About Older Workers Busted (You’ll Be Happy to Learn They’re Not Grumpy)

• Dan Rockwell: INSECURITY AND OTHER SIGNS YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK

We had the 1st Data & Analytics Day today, to meet and great our new team members, who joined the organization 01-Jan-24. After the COVID-19 time and still with a lot of homeoffice work, a really great opportunity to meet 170+ people on the event space. In the morning we had presentations and after lunch break-out sessions with 170+ people in 15 teams working on 5 focus areas. Always 3 teams working on the same topic, had to describe one idea and to pitch it to each other. In the end one idea per focus area was pitched to the whole audience.

My team did work on the Collaboration topic, what made sense when you bring to equal sized teams together, who have a very different way of working due to historical and organizational reasons. The three collaboration teams had pretty similar ideas, so we decided to combine it into one and not to vote for one team after the pitches. A good collaboration approach, to make your thinking & words reality.

The combined collaboration idea did win the last 5 pitches challenge, not really a surprise as collaboration will be key for a successful transformation into ONE-Team. In our case the winning team was build out of three teams and all went on stage to get the prize. An Oskar statue printed on paper and a towel with the company logo. 

[12-Feb-24] Carnival Monday 2024

A day off sponsored by the company

Today had been the carnival parades in Cologne and Duesseldorf and we had a day off. To celebrate the tradition and to avoid getting in conflict with the visitors traveling from everywhere to the parade. See some of the carnival wagons from Duesseldorf with a very political context.

For me personally the biggest advantage today, to get enough sleep after the Super Bowl LVIII night. The game was finished after overtime at around 05:30 AM CET. A game of superlatives - the longest game, the Kansas City Chiefs did win for the 2nd time in a row, longest field goal, etc. - not to mention the Taylor Swift hype. The halftime show was better than last year, but I have seen better ones before.

Really impressive was the view at the Las Vegas Sphere once in a while, one of the latest highlights in the desert city.

Going back to work tomorrow, on Thursday we have a one day onsite socializing event to welcome the new team members, who joined with the latest reorganization on 01-Jan-24. Looking forward to it.

• The New Happy: It’s not about your pace
• Video: Find your purpose: IKIGAI by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles | Core Message
• Dan Rockwell: THE 4 UNIVERSAL FACTORS OF SUCCESS

• The AI Revolution In Wine Fraud Detection

• 9 Things Smart People Won't Do

• Agile is 23 today but is there any reason to celebrate???

[10-Feb-24] One day to go until SB LVIII

How much do Super Bowl commercials cost for the 2024 broadcast?

"This year's crop of Super Bowl ads will feature dozens of top brands, from Anheuser-Busch's iconic Clydesdales to Uber Eats' spot featuring Jennifer Aniston and Victoria and David Beckham. If you answered that the cost of a 30-second ad this year is $7 million, you're right. That's about on par with last year's game, but represents a 55% jump from 2019." - crazy times and not related to the general inflation, it is just the most expensive sports event with the highest world-wide visibility

Two quarterbacks are leading their teams tomorrow:

• Patrick Lavon Mahomes II (born September 17, 1995) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). -- "The job's not done. Our job now is to prepare ourselves to play a good football team in Super Bowl and try to get that ring."

• Brock Richard Purdy (born December 27, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa State and was selected by the 49ers with the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, becoming Mr. Irrelevant. -- "The end of this thing will tell the story. I'm not saying I'm the best quarterback, but I have some gunslinger in me, and you look at some of the throws I make, you look at some of the windows I throw it into."

Two superstars tomorrow and 40 women on the Mar-24 VOGUE UK cover --> 40 Megastars, One Magnificent Image: British Vogue Assembled Models, Movie Stars, Musicians And Moguls For A Once-In-A-Lifetime Farewell Shoot - much more difficult to prepare, organize and to do it together I would say. Below the OpenAI perspective with a good number of overlaps in the 1st 20 women list:

Throughout the last 50 years, numerous women have made a significant impact in the realms of modeling, acting, music, and entrepreneurship. These women have not only left a lasting impression on their respective industries but have also become icons for their talent, charisma, and grace.

1. Cindy Crawford: Known for her iconic mole and stunning looks, Cindy Crawford dominated the modeling world throughout the 90s, becoming one of the most recognizable faces in the industry.

2. Audrey Hepburn: Considered a timeless beauty, Audrey Hepburn captivated audiences with her classic elegance and memorable performances in films like Breakfast at Tiffany's and Roman Holiday.

3. Madonna: The "Queen of Pop," Madonna has continuously reinvented herself over the decades, pushing boundaries and making waves in the music industry.

4. Oprah Winfrey: From talk show host to media mogul, Oprah Winfrey has become one of the most influential and successful women in the world, leveraging her platform to inspire and empower others.

5. Beyoncé: With her powerhouse voice and empowering lyrics, Beyoncé has become an international music icon, advocating for equality and representing strong, independent women in the industry.

6. Angelina Jolie: Known for her acting skills and humanitarian work, Angelina Jolie has captivated audiences with her performances in films like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Maleficent.

7. Rihanna: From her chart-topping music to her successful makeup brand, Rihanna has proven to be a multi-talented force in the entertainment industry.

8. Kate Moss: Recognized as one of the most influential figures in the modeling industry, Kate Moss's unique style and high-profile collaborations have solidified her status as an iconic supermodel.

9. Meryl Streep: With a record-breaking number of Academy Award nominations, Meryl Streep has established herself as one of the greatest actresses of all time, captivating audiences with her incredible range and talent.

10. Taylor Swift: Transitioning from country to pop music, Taylor Swift has become one of the biggest names in the music industry, winning numerous awards and breaking countless records.

11. Kylie Jenner: As the youngest self-made billionaire, Kylie Jenner has built a massive empire with her Kylie Cosmetics brand and has become a prominent figure in the beauty industry.

12. Grace Jones: Known for her bold and avant-garde style, Grace Jones has not only made a mark as a model but also as an actress and singer, pushing boundaries with her unique artistry.

13. Jennifer Lopez: From her successful music career to her iconic acting roles, Jennifer Lopez has become a triple threat and an influential figure in both the music and film industries.

14. Tina Turner: Regarded as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll," Tina Turner broke barriers with her dynamic stage presence and powerhouse vocals, leaving an indelible mark on music history.

15. Michelle Obama: As the former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama has used her platform to advocate for education, health, and equality, shaping her legacy as a prominent female figure.

16. Naomi Campbell: With her striking beauty and fierce personality, Naomi Campbell has been one of the most successful and enduring supermodels, breaking racial barriers in the fashion industry.

17. Lady Gaga: Known for her eccentric style and powerful voice, Lady Gaga has made a significant impact in the music industry, constantly reinventing herself and pushing creative boundaries.

18. Salma Hayek: As a versatile actress, Salma Hayek has portrayed powerful and complex women on screen, challenging stereotypes and advocating for diversity in the film industry.

19. Ariana Grande: With her impressive vocal range and catchy pop hits, Ariana Grande has quickly risen to become one of the biggest pop stars of this generation.

20. Sheryl Sandberg: As the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook and an advocate for gender equality in the workplace, Sheryl Sandberg has become an influential figure in the tech industry, encouraging women to lean in and pursue their ambitions.

These women have left an indelible mark on the modeling, acting, music, and entrepreneurial worlds, inspiring future generations to pursue their passions and break down barriers. Their talent, influence, and dedication continue to shape the landscape of these industries, making them true icons of the past 50 years.

[08-Feb-24] A little bit about AGILE ...

Are we still on the right track or do we need a new North Star?

A lot of peope tend to focus on the easy parts of the discussion, all have an opinion about the tools we are using, only a few are interested in the processes behind. Definitely the higher priority topic. You will find a lot of cases, where a simpler process does not even require a tool anymore, but the majority wants to automate, what is possible. 

Automating a bad process will lead to an automated bad process. You will just find the issues, bottlenecks and missing links much faster than before. Mostly more expensive and with less experts than before ...

Something similar happens with AGILE lately. Initially used to e.g. save Waterfall projects that did not come to a positive end. Now it is a religious battle around the right/best mindset, servant leadership, self-organized teams and to implement it according to the book/framework, but which one?   

• Dan Rockwell: HOW POWERFUL FEEDBACK REALLY WORKS

• LinkedIn 2024 Most In-Demand Skills: Learn the Skills Companies Need Most

• Servant Leadership Is Not the Path to Agility

• The 5 Levels of Proactivity

• Top 16 agile certifications available today

• Staying SAFe with AI

• Top 12 Machine Learning Algorithms

• The best resource lists for AI Enthusiasts

[05-Feb-24] Week of the Super Bowl ...

Some interesting content around the topic of the week

Let's start with some directly related sources:

• TED Talk: An NFL quarterback on overcoming setbacks and self-doubt
• Video: ALL Super Bowl 2024 Commercials & Teasers! 🏈 Best Superbowl LVIII Big Game Ads Leaked So Far
• Video: Top 10 Super Bowl Commercials 2024 (Super Bowl LVIII)

Now some less related, but still interesting material:

• unFIX: Four Steps to Lean

• 12 New Jobs For The Generative AI Era

• 9 Signs It's Time To Quit Your Job

• 20 Free Personality Tests to Help You Figure Yourself Out 

[04-Feb-24] The week 05-2024 summary

Burns Night yesterday, great food, drinks and music

Thanks to Dirk, Veronika and their family for the great organization and hospitality yesterday. Very much appreciated.

We started with a COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP, followed by the traditional HAGGIS and finished with a CRANACHAN dessert. The evening was accompanied by 10 Whiskys, poetry and music. The drinks only in small tasting glasses, but two had above 60% alcohol. Great that our daughter did pick us up.

• Video: Scotland the Brave by the Massed Bands on the march after the 2019 Dufftown Highland Games in Moray

• Video: Du bes die Stadt Bläck Fööss, Brings und Pipes

Whisky and Whiskey may sound similar, but there are subtle differences between the two. The main distinction lies in their geographical origin. Whisky is typically associated with Scotch whisky, which is produced in Scotland. It is characterized by its smoky flavor and is made primarily from malted barley. On the other hand, whiskey refers to the broad category of spirits that are produced in countries like Ireland and the United States. Whiskey is often spelled with an 'e' and is known for its smoother and sweeter taste. It is commonly made from a mix of grains, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat.

When diving into the world of whisky and whiskey, there are several interesting topics to explore. Firstly, understanding the production process is crucial. Learn about the various grains used, the distillation methods, and the aging process that imparts unique flavors. Exploring different whiskey regions, such as Scotland, Ireland, and the United States, will provide insight into the distinct characteristics of each type. Furthermore, delving into the history and evolution of whisky will uncover fascinating stories and traditions. Discovering the diverse flavors and tasting notes of various whiskies will improve your appreciation for the drink. Exploring whisky cocktails and pairing suggestions can also elevate your drinking experience. Additionally, learning about whiskey tasting techniques and understanding how to evaluate and appreciate the nuances of different spirits is a valuable skill. Exploring rare and limited edition releases and attending whisky tastings and festivals will expand your knowledge and allow you to sample unique and exceptional expressions. Understanding the whisky industry and market trends will keep you informed about new releases and developments. Finally, discovering the art of whisky collecting and investment can be an intriguing topic to explore for enthusiasts looking to expand their passion beyond simply drinking. - Text created by OpenAI.

Only three working days in the coming week. I did take my remaining holidays from 2023 as the outdoor carnival starts on Thursday. Great timing as the Super Bowl LVIII is coming Sunday and I have Monday off.

[02-Feb-24] Burns Night tomorrow

All you need to know about Haggis

On the left side you see an essential Haggis summary, the right is a picture of my Scottish friend Eric's Burns Night Haggis. Some similarities left ... You want to dig deeper into the topic?

• This boiled bag of offal is banned in the US. In Scotland it’s a fine-dining treat

• Authentic Haggis Recipe - Scotland, Europe

Besides the food there will be a Whisky tasting, some poetry and traditional music. Sounds like fun and will be fun. Luckily our daughter will pick us up at the end of the event, driving a car after 10 Whiskys is not allowed. And it would be stupid to skip this part of the Burns Night.

• Allen Institute for AI releases fully open-source large language model

• Dan Rockwell: HOW TO ENABLE PEOPLE TO STEP UP

• China creates world's first AI child which shows human emotion

• 40% of executives’ time is spent making decisions

• Steal these 9 killer opening lines for your next talk

[01-Feb-24] My elevator experience

You can experience technology more, when it is not working ...

I am working at the 14th floor of our Campus Tower. Some sporty colleagues are using the stairs, but the majority is depending on the 6 elevators we have available. Intelligent technology - you first select the floor you want to go to and how many people are going with you, then the system tells you which elevator to use.

All people going in the same direction are assigned to one elevator, as long as the maximum capacity is not reached. Works well, only during lunch time you have to wait a little bit longer.

• 4 Best Elevator Brands That Are Revolutionizing The Industry

• Elevator Technology Trends: What to Expect in 2024

After yesterday's lunch all 6 elevators had been broken at the same time. Take the stairs or make use of the two fire brigade elevators were the options. The elevator was simple technology, press the button and go to the floor you have selected. When somebody steps in and presses a different button on the way up, the elevator changes direction. In the moment we found out, we told any new joiner to keep the fingers off the buttons. So you had to be patient during the ride or step out and take the stairs when it just did take too long.

The moment to appreciate the better technology in the 6 main elevators.

• Dan Rockwell: 7 TIPS TO SUCCEED WITH DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS

• SUPER-CHARGE Your Learning With These 8 AI Tools

• Reality is what we choose to make of it

• Pick your “Circle of Influence.”

• 3 Ways Generative AI Is Making Our World A Better Place

[31-Jan-24] A good day

Unexpected positive feedback did make my day today, several times ...

The Intern who had the last day today was happy with the Internship and my administration of the process. When I returned the Intern's laptop to the IT service desk the agent was positive about my preparation work. My coaching of a colleague did show first promising results and we discussed next steps today. And my teams were happy that I did protect them against outside requests for more administration, reporting and unnecessary changes of the status quo --> Agile Values and Principles

More days to celebrate:

• On 29-Jan-2019 the counter of my BLOG did show the 1st time 100,000 readers, today it is 1,439,376
• 28-Jan-2024 was International Lego Day
• TED Talk: How I'm using LEGO to teach Arabic

Coming to the Peter Drucker quote picture. The statement in general is right no doubt about this. But the question is where do you start? Does the Senior Management team agree, how to manage the organization and what good and supporting KPIs could be to do this - Top Down?

Or is the organization proposing all possible KPIs, especially with the latest technology and AI you can measure everything, Bottom Up to the management team?

I think the Senior Management Team does not need more than 3 - 5 KPIs to drive the organization. And you should be very clear WHY, HOW and WHAT are you measuring before you do it. Be clear about the purpose (see the Golden Circle).

• How To Set Goals from Presence

• Random Acts of Wiseness

• ‘Take Just One Step’—Debra Benton and Doug Conant on Leadership Courage

• 5 Ways to Get Unstuck, 9 Workplace Trends to Watch, & More – The Leadership That Works Newsletter

• Dan Rockwell: NOTICE THE THINGS YOU NOTICE

• How to Use AI Tools to Boost Your Productivity

• A majority of workers want AI training from their companies. We must empower them

• 4 Ideas to Explore in 2024

• Discover the Power of Python Automation with "Python Automation Cookbook"!

• 10 Things That Make A Boss Great To Work For

• Here is the fully illustrated draw a dinosaur day list of business clichés.

[29-Jan-24] Be a Good Listener ...

#10 of the 16 Quick Leadership Lessons

The two Sprint Demos today did go really well and offered a lot of opportunities for good listening, what the colleagues are doing in their teams. We found commonalities, overlaps and future areas of collaboration. Still some way to go, but a good start.

I bought a new laptop for my father in law today and did afterwards find out that there is no LAN cable connection possibility anymore, what a surprise. You either use a WLAN connection or get an e.g. USB-C to RJ45 Ethernet adapter. We go with the WLAN for now, but good to know that you have alternatives. Thinner laptops do not allow all kind of connectors anymore, welcome to 2024.

• E-scooter that converts to 3 wheeler van or tuktuk

• Video: THE POWER OF DISCIPLINE by Daniel Walter | Core Message
• Video: What It Takes To Be a Great Leader | Simon Sinek

• Are Performance Reviews Dead?

• 11 Surprising Habits of Truly Powerful People

• Leveraging key frameworks can profoundly impact a leader's career trajectory

• Important AI and Data Terms explained

• Porsche, Stuttgart, SAFe and Agile Ways of Working

• Attaining Happiness as a State of Being: A Journey of Self-Deconstruction and Rebuilding on Pillars of Positive Emotion

• Welcome to Super Bowl LVIII! - SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS versus

  KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (26-Jan-24)

[28-Jan-24] My week 04-2024 highlights

About team collaboration ...

The German handball team finished 4th at the EURO 2024 in Germany today. The very young team just had to accept that they are on a good way, but there are still teams with more experience who have been to several finals before. They just have to wait and learn, their time will come ...

• How to Improve Team Collaboration (9 Strategies)

• Trust and collaboration go a long way

Tomorrow also team collaboration at work, in the middle of our three month project phase we are having the Sprint-3 demo of two Agile Release Trains (ART) directly after another. On the one side an opportunity for the teams to see, what their colleagues are doing. And also for the customers and stakeholders, to see the full picture, content of work and capabilities in all involved teams. Will be fun.

Have a great week and enjoy the unexpected!!

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (26-Jan-24)

• Building sustainable governance – why the CFO and the CPO have key roles to play

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (26-Jan-24)

[22-Jan-24] NFL: Two game days left

Conference Championship games next Sunday

The Detroit Lions with a German player in the one final and Travis Kelce with the Kansas City Chiefs on the other side of the playoff picture.

As the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce story is very often of more interest than the football game, here my discussion with ChatGPT 3.5 about the topic. Interesting, very open and honest.

My daughter had a hard day today. She wanted to travel to southern Germany around noon time and her mobile phone was broken. The only working alternative at home was a Nokia 6210, some of you might remember my story, a phone just 24 years old with reduced functionality, but a great battery. And the Snake game was still working.

On top of this the German railway is on strike again from Wednesday this week until next week Monday, Germany blocked for 6 days. The union is asking for a 35-hours week for shift workers with no salary reduction.

It is a valid request when other people ask for a 4-Day Work Week, but how fast do you want to accomplish your final goal and, what impact on the industry and general public is still acceptable? 6 days is just too much and not appropriate!!

The senior management presentation did go really well, we are on the right track and proceed as planned. We just need more data, details and conclusions, to better serve our customers.

[21-Jan-24] The week 03-2024 summary

You always meet twice ...

My Tuesday workshop in our network operating center was on the other side of the street of my previous work location, when I was still active in the Automotive industry back in 2016. The facility is closed now and the activities have been moved to Southern Germany. On the one side it was like coming home to a location where I did work for 2 years, on the other side I am really happy to work in my current company now, where I am much more appreciated.

You always meet twice and I was super happy to be on the other side of the street now.

Tomorrow we will do a re- and pre-planning with the whole team in the middle of the 3-month project period, as we need to find some additional resources for the main, top priority task. Later in the day we will present the current status of a special assignment to the senior management team. Could be a great future activity when we get the buy-in.

On Thursday we say goodbye to a 60+ year old colleague, not to retire but to take on a new opportunity. A bold decision that has my deepest respect.

• Reskilling Revolution: Preparing 1 billion people for tomorrow’s economy

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (19-Jan-24)

• Sketchplanations: The Normalisation of Deviance
• Simon Sinek video: Leadership in the Era of AI | Full Conversation (52 minutes)
• Video: 6 Tips to Boost Your Confidence

• Too Scared to Collaborate? Why Teams Struggle with Asking for Help

• 8 Product Management Hacks

• Indigenous leaders bringing their knowledge to Davos 2024

• The Unmissable Highlights From CES 2024

• Explore the World of Artificial Intelligence with Python!

[20-Jan-24] Beer Garden weather ...

A wheat beer in the garden with snow today

Blue sky and sun, an Olive and Nispero tree in the background, only some snow and temperatures below zero degree celsius. Not the perfect beer garden weather, but a great picture opportunity for my post today.

Are you a beer lover searching for some variety? Look no further, as we have listed 10 different types of beer for you to explore. Each one offers a unique flavor profile, making them stand out from one another. Whether you prefer a light and crisp brew or a rich and malty pint, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Let's dive into the main differences between these beer types:

1. IPA (India Pale Ale): Known for its hoppy flavor and higher alcohol content, IPAs have a bitter and citrusy taste.

2. Stout: Dark and creamy, stouts have a roasted malt flavor with hints of coffee or chocolate.

3. Lager: Light and refreshing, lagers are known for their clean and crisp taste, perfect for a hot summer day.

4. Pilsner: Originating from the Czech Republic, pilsners have a golden color and a balanced hoppy flavor.

5. Wheat beer: Brewed with a significant proportion of wheat, this beer type offers a hazy appearance and a refreshing taste with notes of banana or clove.

6. Amber ale: With a reddish-brown color and rich maltiness, amber ales strike a balance between hoppy and malty flavors.

7. Pale ale: Coming in various styles, pale ales feature a hop-forward taste, which can range from mild to bold.

8. Belgian tripel: Typically high in alcohol content, tripels offer a complex flavor profile with fruity and spicy undertones.

9. Porter: Similar to stouts, porters are dark and have a rich, malty taste with notes of chocolate or caramel.

10. Saison: Originally brewed in farmhouse breweries, saisons are spicy, fruity, and often have a dry finish.

Now that you know the main differences between these beer types, you can try them all and discover your personal favorite. Cheers to exploring the world of beer! -- text generated by OpenAI

Have a great weekend. We are expecting a dramatic weather change in the next two days, Tuesday with 12 degrees celsius plus coming from minus 4 in the moment. First Spring-time waves.

[18-Jan-24] Three rounds to go ...

NFL Divisional Round next weekend

Eight teams left and only one team of the 2023 Super Bowl is still on the run. The pressure is increasing every weekend now.

In the office today we had three main topics, I am using the FourWeekMBA webpage for references:

1. Time Management Frameworks

2. 30 Frameworks For Decision-Making

3. Psychological Safety

There are many more references available and you can also search in my eBOOKS, up to you.

The German team did just win the 1st game in the main round of the

Men’s EHF EURO 2024. Another 3 games to go, the final is on Sunday 28-Jan-24. As the tournament is in Germany, definitely a small advantage for us.

• Do we spend too much time trapped in our thoughts instead of moving forward?

• Dan Rockwell: WHY YOU NEED TO STOP “WHY QUESTIONS”

• How do you recognize a healthy culture? And how do you distinguish it

• Fuel Your Growth Cheat Sheet, we dive into six key strategies that can turn your negotiating skills into a world-class asset

• “Learning is free, education is expensive” -- Naval Ravikant

[17-Jan-24] Winter wonderland

Finally the snow did arrive ...

The whole day yesterday the weather forecast did warn about the weather conditions today. Around 12.00 PM noon time the snow was supposed to be starting, with major impact on flights, public transport and the traffic. Some schools had been closed today and in the more southern areas of Germany the people had been asked to stay at home.

In the Duesseldorf/Cologne region no issue in the morning. Our Indian colleagues and visitors from Portugal did ask about the snow before 12.00 PM already. Finally it started at 12.30 PM, first a small amount and then much more during the afternoon. A lot of photos had been taken and even some live video calls with the kids back in India. Could be the 1st and last time in their lifetime to see some snow. As you can see on the picture, a really nice view.

My way back home with the public transport was no issue, all trains on time. Well done. I will see, if it is still okay tomorrow morning.

The workshop yesterday was very well received, the speed feedback session was the highlight for the team. At the beginning it takes some time to adjust to the situation, but after some minutes all is fine and people appreciate the feedback of their colleagues. A great experience and learning.

• Frank Sonnenberg: What’s More Important, Perception or Reality?
• PwC: Thriving in an age of continuous reinvention

• Deloitte’s State of Generative AI in the Enterprise Quarter one report, January 2024

• Fairphone: 10 Lessons We Learned in 2023

• Generative AI And The Future Of Jobs

• 14 Psychological Forces That Make Good People Do Bad Things

[14-Jan-24] My week 02-2024 highlights

A different perspective of proper time management 

You might know my 5%-theory about the average usage of tools, frameworks and processes? Taking Excel as one example, the average user might know between 5 and 10% of the available functionality, based on regular usage and assuming no dedicated training has been taken. Kind of the least effort to best output ratio.

When you meet a colleague with just 10 to 20% knowledge about this tool, what is still 80% below the maximum, you will be impressed and have a new goto expert. The same applies for Time Management as another example. By just doing, what you have ever done in the past, you might be surprised about the additional time that colleagues have available, who apply some of the well known Time Management Techniques and Tools?

I use my additional time for hosting workshops and to do some Feelgood Manager tasks, like sharing experience and offering small learning bites. To help my colleagues to go beyond 5 - 10% knowledge in some areas, all voluntary no pressure. An innovative approach, possibly unfamiliar for a lot of people?

Are you still following or working on your 2024 resolutions? Or did you give up already, as two days ago was Quitters Day? I do not believe in resolutions and long-term planning, so nothing to be concerned about.

Another small topic - Is it All Just a Joke? Ethical Considerations of Lying and Half-Truths in Humor - with a short OpenAI explanation:

What is the motivation behind jokes? Humor serves various purposes, and there are several explanations for why we find jokes amusing. Firstly, jokes provide a sense of relief and help us cope with stress and difficult situations. Secondly, they serve as a form of social bonding, facilitating connections and building relationships. Additionally, jokes allow us to express taboo or inappropriate thoughts in a socially acceptable way. They also serve as a tool for criticism, helping us address sensitive or controversial subjects. Lastly, humor can offer an escape, providing entertainment and amusement in our daily lives.

Have a great week, I will have the combined Sprint1&2 demo tomorrow and host my 1st workshop in 2024 in our Network Operating Center on Tuesday. 

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (12-Jan-24)

• Future of jobs 2023: These are the most in-demand skills now - and beyond

• Video: REVOLVE AIR | How it works

• Are you recently promoted to a Product Manager position? - Here are a few pitfalls to avoid

• How Cloud Networking Helped Aston Martin F1 In Its Best Season To Date

• Say Goodbye to These 5 'Harmless' Team Habits This Year
  

• Roberto Ferraro: Ten visuals on the topic of innovation

• If we don't understand or believe in what we're doing, there's nothing to leverage toward our organization's success

[10-Jan-24] Try new things more often ...

It is okay to make mistakes, when you learn something out of it 

Between the PDC World Darts Championship and the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl the Men's EHF EURO 2024 started in Germany today. The opening game of the German team in a soccer stadium with a closed roof in front of a 53,586 people audience. 10 times the crowd of standard games, a new world record.

In the business world we have CES® 2024 — taking place Jan. 9-12, in Las Vegas AND the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 15–19 January 2024 in Davos. LinkedIn did ask selected people to feedback one of their articles about WEF:

• Here the link to my comment
• And the reference to my discussion with ChatGPT about the 4 key themes of WEF 2024

“I have noticed several times that people don't think I know how to behave even when I'm trying as hard as I can.” ― Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking

• Sahil Bloom: The Letter to Your Future Self

• 4 Resolutions Every Recruiter Should Make This Year

• 11 best new personal growth books to read in 2024

• Dan Rockwell: HOW TO USE BRAGGING

• How Generative AI Will Change All Of Our Jobs In 2024

• Three pieces of advice for your Digital Transformation

• When should you automate a task? And how much time should you spend writing the scripts?

• 9 Signs Your Perfectionism Is Out Of Control

[09-Jan-24] The underlying problem

How to simply explain the agile ways of working? 

In the 2nd Agile Release Train (ART) that I am supporting we have customers as Product Owners (PO) - The Product Owner (PO) is the Agile team member primarily responsible for maximizing the value delivered by the team by ensuring that the team backlog is aligned with customer and stakeholder needs. - with a really good understanding of their requirements and the underlying problem, but less awareness of agile ways of working.

• The XY Problem

• Erik De Bos: What is Agile? Agile is a concept we all continuously talk about, but what is it really?

In summary it is much easier to explain the agile ways of working to the customer than to gather business understanding, expertise and experience for technical people in a short period of time.

• Read 3000 Books Annually & Watch Long YouTube Videos in Just 1 Minute

• Dan Rockwell: SYMPATHY, EMPATHY, OR COMPASSION – WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT

• 22 Best Team-Building Activities and Games to Try in 2024

• Digital Transformation Tales from Ten Industry Giants

• These are the 13 most common leadership styles

• Discover the blueprint to unparalleled leadership excellence through 10 exceptional courses – knowledge for FREE.

[07-Jan-24] The week 01-2024 summary

"If You Always Do What You’ve Always Done, You Always Get What You’ve Always Gotten"

My 6th eBOOK covering the whole year 2023 on 138 pages is already available for Download since 31-Dec-23, but I did not tell you yet. My fault. When you are interested it is available for FREE download. Any kind of feedback is very much appreciated, just use the email address on the page header. Thanks a lot in advance.

Related to the quote of today two links:

1. GUSTAVO RAZZETTI: The 10 Best Canvases for Culture Design and Team Building

2. The Art of Improvement video: Trick Yourself Into Doing Anything (How-To Guide)

And what does OpenAI think about the quote?

"If You Always Do What You’ve Always Done, You Always Get What You’ve Always Gotten" is a thought-provoking quote that urges us to reflect on our actions and their consequences. Taking a closer look, there are both pros and cons to this familiar saying.

On the positive side, this quote encourages us to break free from our comfort zones and try new approaches. By doing things differently, we open ourselves up to new opportunities, fresh perspectives, and personal growth. It serves as a reminder that if we desire change and different outcomes in our lives, we need to take action and adopt new strategies or habits.

However, on the flip side, blindly following this quote without critical thinking can lead to stagnation and repetitive mistakes. Sometimes, what we've always done might be working well for us, and making unnecessary changes might disrupt the harmony we've achieved. It's important to evaluate the effectiveness of our current actions before hastily discarding them in search of something new.

In conclusion, this quote serves as a call to self-reflection and action. It reminds us that if we want different results, we must be open to change. Nevertheless, we should approach this idea with caution and weigh the pros and cons of our actions before deciding whether to break away from our familiar ways.

Have a great start into week 02-2024. I will pick up the activities of the last 3 weeks, what might not be a lot due to the holiday season?

Interested in - Japanese habits that'll level up your life (in 2024 & beyond) - here are 20 examples:

1. 10 Japanese habits that'll level up your life (in 2024 & beyond)

2. 10 more Japanese habits that'll level up your life (in 2024 & beyond)

• Grant Snider: In Proportion
• McKinsey & Company: What matters most? Eight CEO priorities for 2024

• Promoting yourself vs promoting your ideas. Teambuilding through laughter yoga. The idea maze.

• Dan Rockwell: SENTENCE STARTERS FOR YOUR JOURNALING JOURNEY

• 9 Motivating Books That Will Supercharge Your 2024

• How AI and the Metaverse Will Impact the Datasphere

• James Clear: Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.
• German special, but with a lot of pictures: Die besten Business-Visualisierungen im Jahr 2023

[06-Jan-24] Be a positive role model ...

Back from the short holiday trip, back to work on Monday

After a full day of rain yesterday it started to snow today morning, good to go home as planned anyway. Today a collection of pictures to motivate you to be a positive thinking role model.

Back to work on Monday after 3 weeks and directly 3 days at the Campus in Duesseldorf. Weather is supposed to be cold but sunny, good for traveling with public transport, hopefully not on strike again?

[04-Jan-24] Holiday greetings ...

Living in a "barrel" like Diogenes of Sinope

Our holiday location is a half tube like tiny house with everything you need (bath, kitchen, bed), but no TV and WLAN (has a technical issue). With enough GB for data usage and a 5G connection, no problem.The sauna outside really looks like a barrel, so we are back to - The Genius Absurdity Of The Greek Philosopher: Diogenes The Cynic

“You will become a teacher of yourself when for the same things that you blame others, you also blame yourself.” — Diogenes, taken from 50 Diogenes Quotes From The Cynical Philosopher

In the 2-Lukes World Darts Championship final yesterday Luke Littler lost in the end, but he started a great career anyway. Two interesting facts:

1. The two Lukes did play against each other the 1st and last time 4 years in a bar tournament for 250 British pounds, yesterday it was 500k
2. The first World Darts Championship final of Luke Littler yesterday and Michael van Gerwen in 2013 was pretty similar

Some links to check out:

• The New Happy: When you’re overwhelmed

  The AI Periodic Table

[02-Jan-24] Starting the year 2024 ...

Time for New Year's resolutions - YES/NO?

Are you ready with your list for 2024? I do not believe in this, as Iongterm planning is not my type of business. The every 3-month planning in my project is the longest timeframe I am okay with. So for 2024 I will find out on the way, what is happening and required. Nothing to worry about today!!

Before starting a 3-day holiday in the Netherlands tomorrow, I did some administrative tasks today. One was to open the 2023 JAR and to read all the notes from last year:

Business:

• 15+ workshops with 200+ participants, even four times at our training location in Koenigswinter (I will be back there end Feb-24 and do another workshop in Kerpen before)
• A successful 3rd Data & Analytics Meetup
• Good progress in my project, given the changing influences during the year
• Taking on a 2nd Release Train Engineer (RTE) assignment

Private:

• Several short and longer holidays in Germany and the Netherlands
• Concert and Musical visits
• Another great school workshop hosted
• My grandniece was born in Feb-23, the next family generation started

Just 30 minutes ago Darts history was written, because Luke Littler the 16 year old teenager made it to the final of the PDC World Darts Championship. He started to play when he was 18-month old, now he is nearly perfect and just at the beginning of his professional career. More to come, maybe even the 1st World Championship title in the final tomorrow?

Interested in great short book summaries on Youtube by Productivity Game? Here what they plan this year:

• January: Achievement (Goals & Habits)
• February: Fulfillment (Career & Happiness)
• March: Energy (Health & Motivation)
• April: Focus (Deciding & Executing)
• May: Mastery (Learning & Performing)
• June: Innovation (Thinking & Creating)
• July: Organization (Managing Time & Tasks)
• August: Influence (Persuading & Leading)
• September: Entrepreneurship (Starting a Business)
• October: Business (Growing a Business)
• November: Money (Saving & Investing)December: Mental Toughness (Being Resilient)

• The Best Leadership Advice for 2024 – The Leadership That Works Newsletter

• Adam Grant: Your highlights of 2023, and overcoming helplessness in 2024
• The New Happy: Happy 2024!

• 20 Charts That Will Change Your Viewpoint On AI’s Growth

• Why Encouraging Time Off Should Be Your Company’s No. 1 Resolution This Year

• Plan 2024 before it's too late (using ChatGPT)

• How To Exceed Your Goals In 2024

• James Clear of Atomic Habits says: "Real hashtag#change doesn't come from making a single big decision particularly with New Year resolutions. It's the result of hundreds or even thousands of small choices that add up over time through the year."

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