Unify The First Task Hollande Ps: Le Figaro ! http://newish.info/88256-unify-the-first-task-hollande-ps-le-figaro
No Choice But to Change
It’s easy to get into a rut and just follow the status quo that we’re used to.People do it all the time. It’s doing what we know. It’s comfortable. It’s less challenging. It feels less risky. It doesn’t “cause waves” with various stakeholders.
Don’t we often hear people say, “don’t fix it, if it ain’t broke”?
Here’s another more arrogant and obnoxious version of the anti-change sentiment: “don’t mess with perfection!”
And finally, the old and tried and true from the nay-sayer crowd: “we tried that one before.”
Unfortunately, what many of these die-hard obstructionists fail to acknowledge is that time does not stand still for anyone; “Time marches on.” Change is a fact of life, and you can either embrace it or make a futile attempt to resist.
If you embrace it and moreover become a champion of it, you can influence and shape the future—you are not simply a victim of the tide. However, if you resist change, you are standing in front of a freight train that will knock you out and drag you down. You will lose and lose big: Change will happen without you and you will be run over by it.
In short, it is more risky to avoid change than to embrace it.
Therefore, as a leader in an organization, as The Total CIO, you have an obligation to lead change:
- to try to foresee events that will impact the organization, its products/services, its processes, its technology, and its people.
- to identify ways to make the most of changing circumstances—to take advantage of opportunities and to mitigate risks, to fill gaps and to reduce unnecessary redundancies.
- to develop and articulate a clear vision for the organization (especially in terms of the use of information technology) and to steer the organization (motivate, inspire, and lead) towards that end state.
- to course correct as events unfold; the CIO is not a fortuneteller with all knowing premonition. Therefore, the CIO must be prepared to adjust course as more information becomes available. Sticking to your guns is not leadership, its arrogance.
- to integrate people, process, technology, and information; the CIO is not siloed to technology issues. Rather, the CIO must look across the enterprise and develop enterprise solutions that integrate the various lines of business and ensures true information sharing, collaboration, and streamlined integration and efficiency. The CIO is a unifier.
- to institutionalize structured planning and governance to manage change. It’s not a fly by night or put your finger up to see which way the wind is blowing type of exercise. Change management is an ongoing programmatic function that requires clear process, roles and responsibilities, timelines, and decision framework.
- to bring in management best practices to frame the change process. Change is not an exact science, but we can sure learn from how others have been and are successful at it and try to emulate best practices, so we are not reinvesting the wheel.
Change is a fact of life, even if it is often painful.
I’d like to say that maybe it doesn’t have to be, but I think that would be lying, because it would be denying our humanity—fear, resistance, apathy, weariness, physical and mental costs, and other elements that make change difficult.
But while the CIO cannot make change pain-free, he can make change more understandable, more managed (and less chaotic), and the results of change more beneficial to the long term future of the organization.
Brussels Aims To Unify Network Regulation : http://newish.info/17622-brussels-aims-to-unify-network-regulation
Taiko Troubles
I didn’t blog about Taiko practice yesterday. I guess there was no point. Just a regular practice — nothing spectacular. I did lose my interesting during Omiyage because it wasn’t “lively” enough. I don’t know… maybe I’ll upload the Obon performances and see what everyone else thinks. But compared to the way Omiyage should be played, ours isn’t very exciting. It feels forced and awkward.
I miss the older members and their… non traditional Japanese nature that made them so approachable and so outgoing and lively. This rubbed off on the junior members and would lighten up the atmosphere so much. The spontaneous kiai was uninhibited and abundant, whereas now I feel awkward if it’s not written in the song.
It’s funny considering I’m the most socially awkward person in the group. How the hell are you going to expect me to be the one to initiate kiais? Even if other members look up to me. Even if I’m the only guy in the Junior group. I’m not ready to step out of my comfort zone or be a leader. But you know what, maybe I should — to honor and keep alive the lessons our President has tried so hard to instill in us.
I didn’t hold back when the older members gave me tips. I would stand on my tip toes for emphasis. I would look up while doing large arm swings backwards to bring the story behind the songs to life. I kiaied loud. I was proud. I was inspired. They were animated. I became animated. But now, being that I’ve always been a “chameleon”, I have to suppress what I learned in order to be unified with the rest of the more traditionalist members group. I hate that. I feel so out of place.
I wish we would play Isami again. That song really unified us. There was so much kiai and we would get really into it. Sure it was repetitive and we played the verses through 6 times at faster speeds, but it was always fun. The song was always half played on flat stands and half on sidestands, but as it “evolved” into a sidestand song we played less of it. It’s not even played at performances anymore. I’m going to push for that song, even if I have to play it on sides or on Tori stands, it’s worth it. It’s not like I haven’t played songs I haven’t been ready to play before *cough* Korekara, Kakegoe, Hisami (RM), Omiyage *cough*.
I can’t really explain it, but I just miss the abundance of enthusiasm and energy that there use to be. One member once said that I have a cheesy smile that I would flash during practices and performances. I don’t do that anymore… It’s just… different now. I hope I see the older members at the upcoming Obons. Maybe just seeing and talking to them will reignite my passion.
