jan de man

Improv Everywhere - Lunch Musical

2009-11-07T23:07:48+01:00

jandeman

Jim Collins interviewed by Bookhouse Publishing

2009-11-03T17:08:15+01:00

As part of the launch of the Swedish version of How the Mighty Fall Jim Collins agreed to be interviewed by the Swedish publisher Bookhouse Publishing. You can find the clips here. About 13 minutes in total.

If you're in Stockholm Nov 27 I'll be running a seminar on the book with my good friend Mikael Brander. More info here shortly.

//jan

Remembering summer

2009-11-02T10:16:04+01:00

I emptied my iPhone of pictures today and pulled out a couple of memories from this summer. A stormy fall day like today it is nice to remember the warmth and the sunlight.

//jan

Itay Talgam at TED Global - Perspectives on Leadership

2009-10-23T08:25:12+02:00

I'm in awe over this presentation. What a gem!

//jan

Unbelievable

2009-10-21T22:17:59+02:00

This film made me want to cry.

I can't blame IBM for wanting to make the reel. But I do find it offensive that civil servants that clearly have massively overspent the budget for the toll system so blatantly will play into its supplier's hands and help make this propaganda video. They probably think all is forgiven. They probably think it will spill over positively on the brand of Stockholm. It might even do that. But they should have the courtesy of extending thanks and apologies to the patient taxpayers of Stockholm.

For the record: I'm all for the toll system in itself. I just feel this film is so arrogant towards the taxpayers.

//jan

Longing for time to consolidate

2009-10-20T18:11:27+02:00

The down sides of being a free agent are relatively few I'd say. But the last couple of days have become quite frustrating. The reason is in essence really doubly or triply good. But it becomes frustrating and ultimately a little bad. On the one hand I have lots of interesting work to do. A variety of projects that bring in income to support me and my family. Which is good.

New projects are incoming at a pace which is engouraging. Also good.

At the same time I have this entrepreneurial thing that is in the making which brings together so much of what I've done in recent years with old and new ideas and old and new business partners. That is even awesome.

The frustrating bit is that this entrepreneurial thing is coming together in my head and in practice, but I'm so locked up in deliveries that I can't get my shit together and produce a business plan. The business plan is the necessary next step. It is what I need to move ahead with ideas, partners, etc. It is what I really want to do now, but delivery gets in the way. This is not good.

I'm already using as much of my spare time as I allow myself. Not good.

Luxury problem you might say. I agree. But also the curse of being a free agent with an entrepreneurial drive. This happens once in a while. No way around it, only deal with it. And I find that just expressing the frustration is the best way for me to deal with it.

Thanks for "listening" to my gripe.

//jan

Death to the conference venue!

2009-10-13T22:16:33+02:00

Why are modern (or actually unmodern) conference facilities so dreadful???!!!

I know, this is no new discovery. But I have been in and out of these places for more than 15 years now and NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. It is a f**king discrace and an insult to people's intelligence.

Face it. The average conference facility is a lousy learning environment, a mediocre meeting space (at best), and a very bad design experience. On top of things most places are ugly, have insanely uncomfortable furniture, sport lousy technology and are extremely ugly.

And worst of all, the staff see themselves as in the facility management business and not in the learning enhancement business.

Arrgghhh.

Still, we continue to go to these places and pretend they are actually useful.

How long shall the charade go on?

//jan

Nobody cares

2009-10-11T19:23:43+02:00

On average, nobody cares about your work.

On average, nobody cares about my work either.

Perhaps good to ponder a little before the new work week kicks in.

//jan

Trains + Twitter = awesome

2009-10-08T09:05:58+02:00

Yesterday I was in south Sweden and about to take the train home to Stockholm. Standing at Lund's station I checked Twitter to see what was going on. One of the first things I saw was at tweet from @johanhedberg that his train just was coming in to the same station. We actually never have met in person and this was a very freaky chance to meet him. This didn't work out though. His train arrived at one platform and mine left from another within a few minutes. Still, a virtual wave was given and I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the whole thing.

I got on my train and enjoyed a meal. Roughly an hour later I get a message from @saltakvarn. "I just got on the train to Stockholm at Alvesta, which train are you on?". Turns out we are sitting 8 rows from each other in the same car. Wow. So Johan and I have an improvised Tweet-up and had a wonderfully inspiring conversation for an hour or so.

Just as we were rounding off to go do some work, @matspertoft showed up. He had seen Johan's tweets. And Johan knew he was probably on the same train. I've met him earlier, but were not following each other on Twitter. So, the conversation expanded and continued for a while more. I obviously started to follow Mats and he now follows me. Also sent Mats the cool TED-video with Ken Robinson about creativity in school. Mats is the spokesperson for the Green Party in school issues and it turned out he had never seen Sir Ken.

So, as far as Twitter and train experiences goes this one was out there. A true intersection of people, ideas and events.

//jan

Three days with Alan

2009-10-05T10:31:28+02:00

Last week was a bit surreal. Alan Webber was in Stockholm for three days to launch his book Rules of Thumb in Swedish. (Read more about Tumregler here.) In the course of his visit he did 7 interviews, 5 meetings, one leadership seminar, one guest lecture at Berghs and three dinners. And before his visit he produced 2 columns for online media.

Bookhouse has collected some of the media coverage here (check the right column).

It was a great three days for me also. Hanging out with Alan is very easy end inspiring. He is wise and very generous with his time and thinking. Also he is genuinely curious!

Extra thanks to Alf Rehn for making a great contribution as moderator for the leadership seminar. Just perfect.

//jan