Thursday, 8 September 2011
130 Green Fields
Some people are never happy. It took me a few days before I got my new EMC laptop. I then complained about the fact that my email account wasn't set up correctly meaning I couldn't read my emails. Another few days later I finally managed to get access to my mailbox. My heart sank as the very first time I opened Outlook 130 emails fell into my lap within the first 30 seconds of being connected. The grass isn't always greener and I really need to be careful about what I wish for.... Thankfully I am a quick learner so I am making much less of a fuss about my as yet to be delivered Blackberry phone....
Sunday, 4 September 2011
The times they are a changing...
I talk not of the second Greek bail out nor the increase in the US debt ceiling. I am also not referring to the recent toppling of Tripoli. The times that are changing relate to the fact that for the first time in over a decade, Sandie has cooked (not pre-heated) two (genuinely) delicious meals today. In the past she has been known to cook one delicious meal in a day (rare), or to cook twice in the same day (rarer still and empirical evidence suggests that quality quickly diminishes with quantity).
What has brought on this drastic change? Long term “Sandie-Watchers” suggest that it might be the fact that having an au pair live with us has prompted the need to do things a little differently. In any case, the markets are bullish about the change, and shareholders are encouraging her to continue. Aides close to Sandie have indicated that her intrinsic value has increased. However as the saying goes, one fallen Arab dictator doesn’t make a democracy, so we’ll have to monitor the situation carefully - it’s almost a shame that I have to go back to work this week with Monday in Paris and then three days in the Big Smoke in London. Next weekend will be telling indeed.
What has brought on this drastic change? Long term “Sandie-Watchers” suggest that it might be the fact that having an au pair live with us has prompted the need to do things a little differently. In any case, the markets are bullish about the change, and shareholders are encouraging her to continue. Aides close to Sandie have indicated that her intrinsic value has increased. However as the saying goes, one fallen Arab dictator doesn’t make a democracy, so we’ll have to monitor the situation carefully - it’s almost a shame that I have to go back to work this week with Monday in Paris and then three days in the Big Smoke in London. Next weekend will be telling indeed.
Friday, 2 September 2011
Lipstick on a Pig
Despite it being highly unfashionable in a culture such as that of Accenture where the next promotion point is never more than 3 years away, I’ve always said that you learn more from the projects that go wrong than those where everything goes smoothly. In a similar vein, I’ve consoled myself this show jumping season with the thought that whilst there have not been many clear rounds, the amount of experience that I (and Mr. Pich de Toulven) have acquired is significant.
For some reason these thoughts came back to the fore of my thinking whilst reading a couple of recent Economist articles.... The first contended that “the extraordinary success of Homo Sapiens is a result of four things: intelligence, language, an ability to manipulate objects dexterously in order to make tools, and co-operation”. The second contended that individual success is dependent on how much you have of four different types of capital and how you use them: economic capital (what you have), human capital (what you know), social capital (who you know) and erotic capital (your level of sex appeal).
Conclusion: I am now going to choose a lipstick that I think Pich will like before going to the stables tomorrow morning.
For those (mainly non parents) who are not having as exciting a Friday evening as I am, you can read the full articles using the following links...http://www.economist.com/node/21524698 and http://www.economist.com/node/21526782
For some reason these thoughts came back to the fore of my thinking whilst reading a couple of recent Economist articles.... The first contended that “the extraordinary success of Homo Sapiens is a result of four things: intelligence, language, an ability to manipulate objects dexterously in order to make tools, and co-operation”. The second contended that individual success is dependent on how much you have of four different types of capital and how you use them: economic capital (what you have), human capital (what you know), social capital (who you know) and erotic capital (your level of sex appeal).
Conclusion: I am now going to choose a lipstick that I think Pich will like before going to the stables tomorrow morning.
For those (mainly non parents) who are not having as exciting a Friday evening as I am, you can read the full articles using the following links...http://www.economist.com/node/21524698 and http://www.economist.com/node/21526782
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Different and Good
The other big news of the day - the new au pair, Kathrine from Denmark, is extremely polite and well brought up, owns three horses, loves kids and likes to get up early in the morning. I think we've found ourselves a winner.
Different but Same
I am just back from two days of 2012 planning with my new EMC colleagues. Overall the verdict is positive, although it is clear that a bit more clarity in some key areas is required and that there is lots of work to be done.
The whole leadership team plus a few special guests were there in Spain to talk about what needs to be done next year. There are definitely some smart cookies in the team, including Maxime’s godfather, and I am very much looking forward to working with them. On the first day I did my best to not be myself insofar I spent most of it not saying anything and just listening to the others.....It seems like many of the challenges they are facing are similar to those I witnessed in Wipro e.g. unqualified and ridiculously large pipeline, insufficient good people, unclear job descriptions, not enough focus on various topics etc., but I was reassured to see that it seems like our destiny really is in our own hands. The power of decision seems to sit with my direct boss so that is refreshing.
The other thing that struck me is that Air France are going to love me over the next couple of months....it looks like trips to Paris, London, Geneva, South Africa, Denver, Boston, Paolo Alto (California), Bangalore and Amsterdam are all on the cards. Next week is already going to be Paris and London to meet some of the new guys and a large part of the team that is in the UK. Easing myself into things? Er, maybe not.
The whole leadership team plus a few special guests were there in Spain to talk about what needs to be done next year. There are definitely some smart cookies in the team, including Maxime’s godfather, and I am very much looking forward to working with them. On the first day I did my best to not be myself insofar I spent most of it not saying anything and just listening to the others.....It seems like many of the challenges they are facing are similar to those I witnessed in Wipro e.g. unqualified and ridiculously large pipeline, insufficient good people, unclear job descriptions, not enough focus on various topics etc., but I was reassured to see that it seems like our destiny really is in our own hands. The power of decision seems to sit with my direct boss so that is refreshing.
The other thing that struck me is that Air France are going to love me over the next couple of months....it looks like trips to Paris, London, Geneva, South Africa, Denver, Boston, Paolo Alto (California), Bangalore and Amsterdam are all on the cards. Next week is already going to be Paris and London to meet some of the new guys and a large part of the team that is in the UK. Easing myself into things? Er, maybe not.
Post Match Analysis
It seems like Maxime’s first day at school has been a success - i.e. they have accepted him back tomorrow. Job done.
That said, there did however seem to be a few discrepancies in the respective accounts of the day..... Maxime said that he had pushed over the little children. Thankfully the headmistress disagreed with this account of events. Maxime also said that he had listened to the teachers and had done what they had asked. Unfortunately the headmistress said that he did pretty much what he wanted.
In an effort to put us at ease, she did say that this was not uncommon.... although it sounds like another call for some more discipline at home to me. I shall now go and dust off the bamboo cane and wooden spoon.
That said, there did however seem to be a few discrepancies in the respective accounts of the day..... Maxime said that he had pushed over the little children. Thankfully the headmistress disagreed with this account of events. Maxime also said that he had listened to the teachers and had done what they had asked. Unfortunately the headmistress said that he did pretty much what he wanted.
In an effort to put us at ease, she did say that this was not uncommon.... although it sounds like another call for some more discipline at home to me. I shall now go and dust off the bamboo cane and wooden spoon.
Dringgggggggggggggggggg
The school bell has sounded for the first time for Maxime today. As Sandie rightly pointed out, we’ve completed the first of twenty “rentrées scolaires” - it’s not every day that you start something that you know you are going to do for the next two decades!
Over the last week or so Maxime has been wonderfully behaved (not just because we bribe him with chocolate eclairs), and Sandie has started to feel more comfortable about going out and showing her face in public again with him (note: this is completely separate from any discussion about her removing her burka you understand). Thankfully Maxime continued this good run of form today as he happily trundled the 200 metres or so to l’Ecole St. Joseph which is within spitting distance of the stud farm.
The whole event was completed in 4 stages: (1) the walk to the school - top marks; (2) the initial introductions with the headmistress and other teachers and children - 8/10 because he was extremely polite although understandably a touch clingy; (3) the initial exploration of the school (where the total number of pupils is 23) - top marks again because he managed to find all the toy stores, run around screaming without being told off by his mother, find four taps which he took great delight in turning on, and then he even managed to finish this phase of events by finding a mini croissant to stuff into his little face; and (4) the departure of the parents who were summarily dismissed by the headmistress at 9.15AM - 1/10, because he was the only little child who cried (in the other cases it was typically the parents who were crying).
Once he’s eaten the school out of house and home this lunchtime, we’ll pick him up at 1PM before he has his siesta at home. Watch out for further updates - no doubt I will be looking to compare Maxime’s version of the morning’s events with that of his teachers....
Over the last week or so Maxime has been wonderfully behaved (not just because we bribe him with chocolate eclairs), and Sandie has started to feel more comfortable about going out and showing her face in public again with him (note: this is completely separate from any discussion about her removing her burka you understand). Thankfully Maxime continued this good run of form today as he happily trundled the 200 metres or so to l’Ecole St. Joseph which is within spitting distance of the stud farm.
The whole event was completed in 4 stages: (1) the walk to the school - top marks; (2) the initial introductions with the headmistress and other teachers and children - 8/10 because he was extremely polite although understandably a touch clingy; (3) the initial exploration of the school (where the total number of pupils is 23) - top marks again because he managed to find all the toy stores, run around screaming without being told off by his mother, find four taps which he took great delight in turning on, and then he even managed to finish this phase of events by finding a mini croissant to stuff into his little face; and (4) the departure of the parents who were summarily dismissed by the headmistress at 9.15AM - 1/10, because he was the only little child who cried (in the other cases it was typically the parents who were crying).
Once he’s eaten the school out of house and home this lunchtime, we’ll pick him up at 1PM before he has his siesta at home. Watch out for further updates - no doubt I will be looking to compare Maxime’s version of the morning’s events with that of his teachers....
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