Trail’s End: What does this paper mean?

You don’t, and that”s the point.
It’s the contract that holds you together. Not your history. Not your friendship. Not anything else.

The contract. Offer. Acceptance. Consideration. That’s it.

And what does that paper mean when things start moving fast, when you jump from one meeting to the next?

And what does it mean when the client, or perhaps a representative of the client, has ideas? Where does the contract end?

Fourth episode in a series on the ins and outs of tech consulting.

Trail’s End: When the Client Leaves the Premises

You don’t, and that”s the point.

We have a company. We have a consulting team. And we believe we have a client, though it would seem that the client is not sure that he would have us. Days after the HWMS team arrived at BKL, it’s owner decided to go hiking in the Swiss Alps. It could be the confidence of a secure leader. It could be a brilliant strategy to get a new perspective on the business. It could also be a poor choice by a misguided manager. We take a moment to get the owner’s point of view as he walks with his friends in the Alps.

A short episode to give us a little insight into the challenges of tech consulting.

Trail’s End: Do You Indeed Know What You Are Doing?

You don’t, and that”s the point.

None of know what we are doing when we going into a new organization.  We don’t know the history.  We don’t know the power structure.  Sometimes, we don’t even know the goals.  (And this will lead us to one of the key questions of this series: “Who are Leena and Klara?”)  Occasionally , we don’t even know ourselves.

Our podcast consulting team has beens starting work in Hamburg.  Anna’s replacing a key staff member and thinking about the future.  Trouble is, she does not know all that the client is thinking and might not know what to do if she did.

Second episode in a series on the ins and outs of tech consulting.

Trail’s End:The Beginning is Chaos

How do you begin a consulting job?

In thunder, lightening or in rain?

It is chaotic at the start. You move to new offices, meet new people and start to appreciate new responsibilities. Our podcast has been hired by a German firm – a logistics provider to the coffee industry – to review their software systems and make recommendations. They arrive on site, after a long flight, and quickly discover that they did not fully appreciate the environment in which they would have to work.

 

Commentary: Harassment at the Workplace

In an invited commentary, the CEO of Embisivile Frien’ addresses the problem of harassment. It is a general problem that needs to be addressed in the tech industry but it is a specific instance that Madison wishes to discuss.

Trail’s End: A Story of Consulting

The heart of the matter. Do don’t know what it is until you’ve done it. You don’t understand why it is hard, until you’ve done it internationally.

The crack cast of How We Manage Stuff prepares to depart for Germany. At one level, the problem is simple. A small German logistics firm needs some help. It’s a drama of course. But dramas are good at the exposing the heart of the matter. Almost as good as doing it yourself.

We Read It So You Don’t Have To: The Great Convergence

Globalization.  It seems to be a term  of another era.  Simpler.  Less chaotic.  Quieter, perhaps.  Civil, if that remains a relevant concept.

In this episode, we return to that idea as part of our recurring series “We Read It So You Don’t Have To.”  Specifically, we look at the role of technology in linking national economies together.  Our intrepid reviewing team considers The Great Convergence by Richard Baldwin.

SidePocket: Backstage

Things are never as clear as they seem.  Never as obvious.  Never as straightforward as you would like.

It should be simple.  You get an idea.  You make a product.  You take it to the market.  Let your customers decide for good or for ill.

But that simplicity masks the fundamental conflict.  A conflict over goals.  A conflict that is often deeply hidden in the acts and decisions of daily life.

Cast members Caraid O’Brien and Josh LaForce talk about the current series of the podcast and the challenges of preparing a podcast while driving through the streets of San Jose, California.

We Read It So You Don’t Have To: The Second Machine Age

You’ve intended to read The Second Machine Age, by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAffee but just haven’t found the time.  It’s an important book, to be sure, and explains a lot about the future of work.  But it’s fat.  And it’s say on your Amazon wish list for what, three years?

This is how we can help.  Sulley from our Policy Office and Maddie, our in house entrepreneur have carefully read the book (more or less) and present a detailed and careful summary for your edification.  Remember, we read it so you don’t have to.