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Entries from July 1, 2011 - July 31, 2011

Margaret Atwood - The Publishing Pie: An Author's View

You may know Margaret Atwood.  I have heard of her, but never read any of her work.  I did, however, listen to a fascinating talk she gave at the Tools of Change Conference from O'Reilly Media  Funny and, as best I can tell from my limited experience in the field, deep insight into the changes in publishing that are being wrought by technology.  This is 34 minutes and 13 seconds that's worth a listen.

The abstract:

Author Margaret Atwood, creator of fictional dystopias, speaks on the plight of the author in the face of changes to the publishing industry today. She takes it down to first principles, in a partly historic, partly autobiographical way, how the "publishing pie" is divided. She warns the publishing industry against eliminating the author's piece of the pie in their mad rush to an electronic publishing future.

http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail4862.html

Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 06:58AM by Registered CommenterJames Drogan | CommentsPost a Comment

Ten Principles to Live by in Fiercely Complex Times 

The title is the title of a post by Tony Schwartz on the HBR Blog Network.  While Schwartz isn't explicit about the origin of these principles, I suspect they, like Drogan's Laws, are the product of experience. 

As experience changes, so ought the principles.  "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?"  John Maynard Keynes.

Be sure to peruse the comments on the Schwartz post.

Posted on Friday, July 22, 2011 at 07:28AM by Registered CommenterJames Drogan | CommentsPost a Comment

Comment on Bureaucracy

The Financial Times produces excellent coverage of relavant news and often incisive commentary.

I call your attention to Kay, J. (2011, July 13). Lessons from History for Rebekah Brooks. Financial Times, 11.

Words that caught my attention are:

The extensive use of meetings, the compilation of long lists of people copied into every communication, creates an environment in which there is no personal commitment to any course of action, and everyone feels relieved of obligation to acquire the knowledge to judge effectively.

John Day, the commentor, argues that this represents bueaucarcy at its finest.  I agree.

Day then goes on to characterize the culture of "good organisations."

Day concludes with these words:

Good management means appointing good people, delegating to them, and creating an environment in which they can give their best. This is almost all that good management is about. Failure in that is a failure of management, not of subordination.

Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 08:41AM by Registered CommenterJames Drogan | CommentsPost a Comment

Trajectories for Spaceship Earth

"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."  Heraclitus (c.535 BC - 475 BC).

We awake each day to a different world than the day before.  It behooves us too give some thought to how the world may develop, what role we might play, and how we prepare to play that role.

Complex Global Issues Explored in the World Brain Trust’s Annual Reports from the World Eonomic Forum blog is a gateway to insight that may help us wrestle with this issue of the future.

Posted on Friday, July 8, 2011 at 06:16AM by Registered CommenterJames Drogan | CommentsPost a Comment

What Good Are Generalists, Anyway? 

As you ponder what you should do with yourself and how you can survive, thrive, and make a difference in this increasingly complex, fast-paced world, I call our attention to What Good Are Generalists, Anyway? from the Resurrecting the Renaissance Man blog.  Related to this is a previous post on this blog, Homer, Great Books and Modern Life.

Career decisions are difficult decisions, requiring deep, comprehensive, honest thought.  One ought, in my view, consider an array of outside views bearing on the decision.  I've suggested two.

Posted on Friday, July 1, 2011 at 07:15AM by Registered CommenterJames Drogan | CommentsPost a Comment