• About

burningmanagementblog

~ Life imitates management..management imitates life

burningmanagementblog

Tag Archives: Jessica Hische

Your SCHEEME is Rad Man

30 Monday May 2016

Posted by Burning Manager in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

analogue digital, BCEC, Charles Dickens, Copurnicus, Design Conference 2016, EduTECH, Einstein, Gradgrind, Jessica Hische, Powerhouse Brisbane, procrastaworking, rad, SCHEEME, STEM

keepfresh

I’ve been putting my mind to the whole notion of innovation lately. It’s really easily to jump on board the innovation bandwagon. As this train departs the station I can, hand on heart, say I was an early passenger. That said, I feel somewhat fraudulent up here in first class. To transition our economy we have been told we must innovate. No arguments there…but how?

96fd5e_c4346ff955bd49459a6cc5858c41bd18

I’ve been to two conferences lately, one being the Design Conference at the ever funky Powerhouse in Brisbane and the other the massive EduTech conference at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. They couldn’t have been more different. The former was an exploration of issues of creativity and how to marry this with client demands and the latter was all things education with a real push on promoting STEM. STEM seems to be everywhere at the moment. You could be forgiven for thinking that STEM is the new black. It would appear we have too few students taking these subjects through school and higher education and this is a roadblock to the transitioning of our economy and our nation’s future prosperity.

STEM-logo

What’s remarkable about this assertion is that it is in and of itself putative i.e. it has no evidence base. Clearly our future can only be measured when we get there and when we do if STEM didn’t deliver the transition or prosperity we envisaged how can we disaggregate that cause from other causative factors, known in science as variables? Truth is we can’t. Just seems odd to me as the STEM community should know better than to promulgate their cause with such poor advocacy. I’m lucky; I’m not a scientist. I believe much more nowadays in intuition and based on my gut feel (becoming increasingly scientific by the way) I think STEM is not the way to go at all. Let me explain.

I attended by neighbour’s son’s BBQ on Sunday. He’s a really smart young man with a good mature head on his 6ft 9inch shoulders (yes I’m already looking up to him) and he’s just turned 15. He has just decided on the subjects he will be taking for his Year 11 and Year 12 (final two years of high school). The three key electives he has chosen are Maths C (the really hard subject), Physics and Chemistry. The STEM community will be chuffed as this is the calibre of candidate they want – smart, focused and hard working.

Given I had just attended a conference that did not use the acronym STEM once, but was constantly using the word ‘rad’ as a key descriptor in their lexicon, this got me reflecting. A quick trip to Google perfectly argued my point in the kind of succinct way I never could. ‘Rad’ is defined in the Webster Dictionary (around since 1828) as:

‘A unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.’

‘Rad’ is further defined in the Urban Dictionary (I suspect established a lot more recently than 1828) as:

‘An abbreviation  of ‘radical’ – a term made popular by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Still primarily used by people on the West Coast who find words like ‘cool’, ‘awesome’, and ‘tight’ to be tired and overused; ‘rad’ is generally considered to be a much higher praise than the aforementioned superlatives. Also used as a general expression of awe.’

You get my point. Two opposing sides of the brain with a completely different view of things, with a differing lexicon. So which direction should you take? Clearly those of a left-sided brain bent will, of necessity, gravitate to the more science-based subjects. Those more creative, drawing on the right hemisphere, will take the more ‘arty-farty’ route. Those trying to influence Governments in terms of education and industry policy are clearly pushing a left-hemisphere agenda to the potential detriment of those not of this persuasion. I think this is not only wrong but may have a deleterious impact on our economy. Here’s my reasoning (and intuition). STEM is unashamedly based in the world of science. Einstein though, perhaps the foremost scientist ever, suggests that creativity is essential when he says:

‘It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.’

pull-quote-jessica

So I’m going to posit a new acronym that I think is a much better recipe for success or subject line-up for year 11 and 12 students. I’m calling it SCHEEME. It works too because it is so catchy! It stands for Science (yeah I’m not dissing it entirely), Creativity, History, Engineering, Economics, Mathematics and Environment.

In more detail here is my pitch for each.

Science – of course we need science to keep pushing the boundaries and improve the lot of humankind. Also without the scientific method we can fall prey to all manner of charlatans and opinion, however expressed, can become the abuse of power. It was only in the 16th Century that the earth was the centre of the universe. Without Copernicus and colleagues we would still be laboring under this misapprehension. Perhaps the modern day analogue is the denial of climate change. That’s why we need scientists.

Creativity – this is the way I see it. You can have the best looking, most advanced TV with the most rad streaming service but if the content’s shite then what’s the fun in that? We need creativity for our well-being but more fundamentally we need it to help solve problems by thinking outside the square. My experience at the Design Conference last week showed me a whole world of bright, focused and gifted people with so much to offer from their particular right-sided brain perspective. We ignore this demographic at our peril. Gradgrind, after all, is not one of Dickens’ heroes.

History – Simply put we will commit the sins of our forefathers if we have no understanding of what went before us and the context in which such events unfolded. The current rise of fascism in Europe and America is a reminder that the horrors of not that long ago could re-emerge if we do not keep a weather-eye on whence we have come. A few more Wall Street types could have fared better if they had just done some economic history instead of throwing dwarves.

Engineering – we are in the post-industrial age so engineering is a core plank of how we progress. Key health breakthroughs will involve engineering whether it be genetic or robotic. You will get no argument from me here.

Economics – Economics is at the art-science nexus. Part science with a set of laws, it also requires a more expansive mind to really understand its full complexity. In economics one will find their core beliefs in terms of social policy. To know that is to begin to know oneself.

Mathematics – I guess maths sits as the immutable laws underpinning science so let’s throw it in there. About time we got some of the art teachers to teach it though. Kids learn mathematics (or not as the case may be) in different ways. I suspect we need a different modality to teach left-sided concepts to right-sided people. I’ve heard mathematical geniuses describing numbers in colours in the same way as artists might of a work of art. Surely there is something further to be explored here?

Environment – I’ve not seen anyone throw this into the mix. Climate change is real and it’s happening now. If we cannot imbue in our STEM students an appreciation for and love of our planet then solutions that might be in science may not come to the fore. Biology is that poor cousin subject in the sciences that often gets dropped because the curriculum calendar can’t stretch to one more. The mathematically-minded struggle more with the natural world, which is a real shame. Einstein himself recognized the need for a deep contemplation of the environment.

Einsten

If there is no planet the STEM versus SCHEEME debate becomes arbitrary anyway.

So next time you see STEM being advocated in our schools and learned institutions, it is worth considering the motivations of those pushing this agenda. The key question to ask is what are they trying to achieve by pushing us headlong into a future world that looks overly dispassionate? When all is said and done what do most famous scientists do of an evening? I suspect it’s to put on a great record or go to the theatre where the breadth and complexity of the human spirit is laid bare. For it is only through this can we continue to grow as individuals, community and a nation.

Asleep at the Wheel with the Bard and the Bankers

21 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by Burning Manager in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

AirBnB, AlphaGo, Arriana Huffington, banks, Chariot for Women, Dan Siegel, Fran Kelly, Jessica Hische, Lister, SafeHer, Shakespeare;, Taxis, The Sleep Revolution, Timon of Athens, Uber

huff
shakespeare-portrait_1-large_trans++9efUTdtp0deNY3K7C-RsKfvQMWxqL8ua9E9NLVzoNlc
siegel

I always thought writer’s block was an excuse for a lazy break in the Bahamas but now that I’m a ‘committed’ blogger I get it. It’s been two weeks and, guess what, I have a touch of writer’s block. It’s strange really given there is so much on. But perhaps that’s the problem? My mind has been flitting from one topic to another, it’s been hard this last couple of weeks to reflect and go a bit deeper. So, listening to my ‘go to’ broadcaster (Fran Kelly) in the car this morning on the way to work, I resolved to write about what is happening right now and see if firstly I can make any sense of it and, much more challenging, see if I can integrate this into a meaningful blog.

On the matter of integration I’ve just signed up for the Dan Siegel visit. He’s coming to Sydney to do a seminar on Optimal Leadership. Siegel is a Harvard trained UCLA paediatrician and psychiatrist who is one of the world’s foremost experts on mindfulness. His Mindsight Institute focuses on, guess what, integration, which he describes as acknowledging the differences and celebrating the linkages. A bit like my blogs! Given we have just had a double dissolution trigger in the Australian Parliament this week, let’s hope the 2016 Australian Federal election campaign embraces some of Siegel’s principles and we can have a campaign unsullied by rancour that focusses on policy debate. Let’s acknowledge the differences and celebrate the linkages as a voting public.

For many, the thought of a long election is enough to send them to sleep. And it was on the matter of sleep this week that got me interested in the new Arianna Huffington book The Sleep Revolution. Huffington’s latest advice is to get more sleep. Wise words that are sometimes harder to achieve than we might think. I’m putting my sleep deprivation down to Netflix. I’m finding the urge to watch the next episode straight after the one I’ve just watched sometimes too much of a temptation. It’s like a bag full of lollies. It will still be there the next day but hey…just one more.

It’s the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death this weekend. Many school students would list Shakespeare as their number one cure for insomnia but he has always been my ‘go to’ bloke. In my early career I went for a job interview and midstream one of the panellists interrupted everyone else and asked me to tell them a joke. I was so focussed on the interview questions and process  I couldn’t disengage my brain to bring a joke forward; needless to say I didn’t get the job. Henceforth I have always had a joke up my sleeve. It goes thus:

‘Shakespeare walks into a pub totally inebriated (I may occasionally say ‘pissed’ if I get the feel that the panel is warming to me and wants a bit of moxie) and the landlord shouts at him ‘you’re bard’.

Silly, sure, but it is very fit for purpose. It is rapid fire so sounds like you are quick on your feet, everyone gets it, it’s totally inoffensive and it gives a suggestion that you can be intellectually highbrow without the associated snobbery.

As it happens I studied Shakespeare all my way through university so am familiar with quite a few of his plays including many of the seldom studied ones e.g. Troilus and Cressida and Coriolanus. My all-time favourite though, is the lesser known Timon of Athens. A short synopsis is warranted:

Timon, a friendly and generous Athenian nobleman, has many friends because of his generosity, often lending money to his friends with no expectation placed on them to pay it back. He loves to spend money and holds frequent parties. A day comes, however, when he falls into debt and his many creditors put pressure on him to pay them what he owes. His steward, Flavius, tells him that he’s completely out of money. Timon sends servants to his friends to ask whether they can lend him the money he needs but they are met with excuses. Timon is disappointed and angered. He invites all his friends to a final feast where he presents them with only warm water. He makes a speech denouncing them, and also harangues them with a bitter tirade against mankind generally.

My favourite line of Shakespeare’s is what Timon says to his onetime friends as they gather at the tables to gorge themselves on his supposed hospitality. They lift their individual cloches at the same time and the hot water steams in their face. He shouts the unforgettable line:

‘Uncover you dogs and lap.’

The Banking industry is very much in the news at the moment. Calls for a Royal Commission by the Labor (sic) opposition have so far fallen on deaf ears. Banks are interesting organisations. I’ve had friends who have worked in them and they have a sort of ‘cultish’ feel. It used to be true at least that banking staff only really socialised with banking staff. You only got your friends back when they left that industry. Scientology – not quite – but on that spectrum for sure. An analogue might be the police socialising with other police. Only other workers in the same industry can understand the issues is the suggestion. I get it with the Police having to deal with the horrors that often make up that job but the horrors of banking …really?

But think again – there have been so many horror stories lately perhaps the bank staff are right. Only other banking staff can ever understand the duplicity/two-facedness, the wild nights out, the crazy remuneration, the adrenaline rush, the desperate desire to get your business and the immoral speed at which they then cut you off. I don’t hate the banks. At times I despise them for some of the things they do. One of my biggest bugbears is the shameful advertising that they do. They are obsessed with presenting this friendly face to woo you as a customer but really if you don’t keep up the repayments they are dispassionate to the point of cold-blooded ruthlessness. Ask my mate recently made bankrupt in New Zealand by one of the big four Australian banks. He’s in commercial leasing like me and when he got into a spot of cash-flow difficulty the banks called in his loan and did a fire sale on his property. A property valued by a professional valuer at $1.7m was sold in rapid time for $500k.

It can only be rationalised as a decision that totally takes the humanity out of the equation and looks purely in dollar terms. An economic rationalist model stretched to its breaking point. I still am no supporter of a Royal Commission into the banks though. I’d rather load up Google’s AlphaGo (the one that beat the Korean Master at the almost impenetrable game of Go) super computer with some block-chain rules, feed the banking data in and just email out the results to the banking executives, which may or may not contain their ‘pink slips’ (aka P45s, separation certificates). After all, the banking sector is leading the way on automation and taking humans out of the loop. What goes around…..

My final reflection is on innovation, which will be a theme for future blogs as well. In Queensland this week we have outlawed Uber and other ride share companies. Those caught driving Uber cars face substantial fines. As many are migrants and students looking to make some extra bucks, then this will be a big disincentive for them to keep driving. I can’t square the notion of disruption and innovation, which is being encouraged at the Federal level, with State protectionism. Some of the argument is that ridesharing is an unregulated service. Fact is I can’t think of anything better regulated than Uber, perhaps other than eBay or AirBnB. Regulation comes through the rating of the service which is where the app and its disruption comes into play. The ability of me to rate my Uber driver, which I always do, means that any misbehaviour has a direct hip-pocket consequence for him or her.

Our State regulated Taxi monopolies on the other hand are apparently stringently regulated. My daughter recounted stories to me of her and her friends being not infrequently ‘propositioned’ by their regulated taxi drivers that there might be other ways of paying their taxi fare that did not involve a financial transaction. Do this on Uber and you lose your rides. In fact, I heard this week that the situation has got so bad that a company in the US called Chariot for Women is starting a ride service by women for women, primarily to deal with this issue. We simply have to think smarter to address disruption. Outlawing it strikes me as counter-productive and ultimately futile. We all know that in the long-term the collaboration (share) economy is here to stay; our asset hungry acquisitive Baby-boomer lifestyles have seen to that.

The other interesting thing that happened this week at work was some internet surfing that took me to Jessica Hische’s website. OK you might think what has this got to do with work, but it so happens Hische, who is a letterer, coined the phrase ‘procrastiworking’. It’s something I do most days between 3.30 and 4.30pm when my blood sugars are low. What is drawing me to street artists and people like Hische is that they seem to embrace the paradox between being radical individuals raging against the machine and great collaborators. A lot, not all, are young but they are all bloody talented. How, I ponder, do they manage to be so ‘anti’ but so ‘together’? So creative but so organised? I have a feeling if we are to unlock the huge potential in Australia and create true innovation we need to understand what makes individuals and teams like D-Face, Hische, Smits Lister and their cohorts tick.

Therein lies a rich seam of knowledge that can reap reward. If we fail, we may well find ourselves asleep at the wheel of a downward spiralling economy. No-one wants this except possibly Adrianna Huffington….the sleep bit I mean!

 

Recent Posts

  • Happiness Can’t Buy Healthy!
  • Self-improvement is all the rage!
  • You Snooze…you win!
  • What’s In a Number?
  • Big Pharma – it’s time to cook!

Recent Comments

Your SCHEEME is Rad… on Your SCHEEME is Rad Man
joshymaters on Mystics and Statistics on the…
joshymaters on The Match Before the Matc…
Cool Offices | Const… on Cool Offices

Archives

  • June 2021
  • April 2021
  • November 2020
  • June 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • March 2019
  • January 2019
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • February 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014

Categories

  • communications
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Recent Posts

  • Happiness Can’t Buy Healthy!
  • Self-improvement is all the rage!
  • You Snooze…you win!
  • What’s In a Number?
  • Big Pharma – it’s time to cook!

Recent Comments

Your SCHEEME is Rad… on Your SCHEEME is Rad Man
joshymaters on Mystics and Statistics on the…
joshymaters on The Match Before the Matc…
Cool Offices | Const… on Cool Offices

Archives

  • June 2021
  • April 2021
  • November 2020
  • June 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • March 2019
  • January 2019
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • February 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014

Categories

  • communications
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Recent Posts

  • Happiness Can’t Buy Healthy!
  • Self-improvement is all the rage!
  • You Snooze…you win!
  • What’s In a Number?
  • Big Pharma – it’s time to cook!

Recent Comments

Your SCHEEME is Rad… on Your SCHEEME is Rad Man
joshymaters on Mystics and Statistics on the…
joshymaters on The Match Before the Matc…
Cool Offices | Const… on Cool Offices

Archives

  • June 2021
  • April 2021
  • November 2020
  • June 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • March 2019
  • January 2019
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • February 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014

Categories

  • communications
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • burningmanagementblog
    • Join 27 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • burningmanagementblog
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...