Many years ago, I noticed a cartoon in a magazine relating to a family – what each family member thought of when one suggested that the family should get a dog. The mother had a picture of a little Chihuahua sitting on a cushion. In the dad’s mind, he saw a Great Dane walking as…
The A-Team was an American action-adventure television series, running from 1983 to 1987, about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as “soldiers of fortune”, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a “crime they didn’t commit”. The A-Team was portrayed as acting…
David Thomas was born in 1932 to an unmarried mother that he never got to know – he was given up for adoption at 6 week’s old to Rex and Auleva Thomas. Auleva died when Dave was just 5 years old and he moved with his father (a distant man) around the United States of…
I love drawing and painting, especially out in nature. Sitting down with a canvas or sheet of water-colour paper, choosing an optimal vantage point to capture the scene or parts of the scene that I want to paint, setting up the materials and relaxing in the environment that nature so generously offers – the thrill…
Augustine “Og” Mandino was born in 1923, was once the editor of his high school newspaper and planned to attend the University of Missouri’s journalism school. Unfortunately, before he was able to enrol and enter college, his mother died of a heart attack. As a result of this loss and ensuing circumstances, he decided to…
In my travels to a variety of organisations, both locally and abroad, I have been amazed at how much training actually takes root amongst management and staff in spite of mitigating circumstances – almost as if people in general actually do want to grow and develop themselves to take on new tasks and become more…
On a rainy night in Edwardian London, the opera patrons are waiting under the arches of Covent Gardens for cabs, when a little Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, runs into a young man called Freddy. She admonishes him for spilling her bunches of violets in the mud, but cheers up after selling one to an…
There seems to be a tendency amongst most people to notice when things go wrong – we are very observant when it comes to mistakes that are made, being quick to point out the faults of others (doing what they should not have done) or noting their neglectful behaviour (not doing what they should have…
In our current turbulent business environment, organisations worldwide are finding it necessary to adapt to ever-changing financial circumstances, revisit product offerings for more nuanced customer needs and strive for innovation and creative solutions to stay ahead of the game. The quest for sustainable growth requires the adoption of new technologies, process re-engineering, restructuring, culture change…
One of the most striking features of my interactions with companies all over the world is the lack of performance from many teams. Of course, some teams excel and do their respective organisations proud, constantly producing great results and moving their companies forward. Many teams, however, even with bright and industrious team members, don’t seem…
I have a huge appreciation for the photographer that manages to capture the “perfect” shot. Not happy with just taking pictures of subjects, these great photographers manage to find a worthwhile perspective of even a mundane subject and transform the subject into a glorious representation of its potential. The potential was always there, but the…
There is a story that is read to many children all over the world – some of you may have had a deprived childhood not having this classic read to you when you were young (tongue in cheek), but here it is – a railroad story, the story of a train carrying toys. Now, the…
