Monday, April 15, 2013
" Designing Urban Space " by Richard Senett . ET 15.April.2013.Monday
" Designing Urban Space " by Richard Senett . ET 15.April.2013.Monday.
------------------------------------------
" The basic principle of a closed system is - ' overdetermined form'. They keyword in this principle is ' overdetermined', rather than ' form'.
Some measure of definition and determination is necesaary to give form to things in build enviornments as in the naural world. In a closd system, however, structures cannot modulate in response to changing conditions, or do not allow experiment in their procedures and processes ....
In the human environment of the city, over determination , both of the city's visual forms and its social functions can have a simiilar ' dinosaur-effect'. This danger is particularly acute in th rapidly growing cities today of the developing world ; the placement, shape and function of many buildings and streets in Shanghai 10 years ago often makes little sense a decade later as the city has expanded ; the buildings have to be torn down, streets, erased.
In some cases, it's simply too expensive, and in all cases, wasteful ; the dead dinosaur that human beings have built then begins to deaden the space around it. Overdetermined form in human society is usually the results of rgimes of power, seeking permanent control. Rigidity is equated with the regime's security ... one result of overdetermination is that , modern urban environments decay much more quickly than the urban fabric inherited in the past . The average life span of new public housing in Britain is now 40 years ; that of new skyscrapers in New York is just 35 years.
Excerpted from " The Public Realm "
------------------------------------------
" The basic principle of a closed system is - ' overdetermined form'. They keyword in this principle is ' overdetermined', rather than ' form'.
Some measure of definition and determination is necesaary to give form to things in build enviornments as in the naural world. In a closd system, however, structures cannot modulate in response to changing conditions, or do not allow experiment in their procedures and processes ....
In the human environment of the city, over determination , both of the city's visual forms and its social functions can have a simiilar ' dinosaur-effect'. This danger is particularly acute in th rapidly growing cities today of the developing world ; the placement, shape and function of many buildings and streets in Shanghai 10 years ago often makes little sense a decade later as the city has expanded ; the buildings have to be torn down, streets, erased.
In some cases, it's simply too expensive, and in all cases, wasteful ; the dead dinosaur that human beings have built then begins to deaden the space around it. Overdetermined form in human society is usually the results of rgimes of power, seeking permanent control. Rigidity is equated with the regime's security ... one result of overdetermination is that , modern urban environments decay much more quickly than the urban fabric inherited in the past . The average life span of new public housing in Britain is now 40 years ; that of new skyscrapers in New York is just 35 years.
Excerpted from " The Public Realm "
" Is it time for Mutiny ? " by Patrick French
" A change of guard " by Patrick Murphy . ET. 12.April.2013.Friday
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
" Perhaps you have dreamed of mutiny. Perhaps you serve under a boss, whose grasp of what is important to the organization's success and ow to achieve it - is so shaky, that he or she should be dispatched as an incompetenet. Or, may be that, leader's treatment of subordinates os so uncaring - as to be abusive.
When do mutniies acually succeed ? Interestingly, we find that, mutinies go differently fo different kinds of bad leaders ! When leaders are technically weak, for example, but well-liked, members depose them via fast, tactical mutinies.
Members depose technically and functionally efficient but not well-liked leaders with careful, strategic mutinies.
When leaders' actions threaten the values the members share, an organisation becomes a social powder keg ...
In a modern organisation, an assault on a work group's shared values more liekly threatens higher0order needs for meaning and esteem. Because , a mutiny requires a coordinated, energised action, the role of the ringleader is essential. Inspiring ring leaders are as vital to teh mutinies as founders are to the entrepreneurial ventures.
From : " Is it time for Mutiny ? " by Patrick Murphy.
Amazon link for the book :
http://www.amazon.com/Mutiny-Its-Bounty-Leadership-Discovery/dp/0300170289/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366012813&sr=1-1&keywords=mutiny+and+patrick+murphy
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
" Perhaps you have dreamed of mutiny. Perhaps you serve under a boss, whose grasp of what is important to the organization's success and ow to achieve it - is so shaky, that he or she should be dispatched as an incompetenet. Or, may be that, leader's treatment of subordinates os so uncaring - as to be abusive.
When do mutniies acually succeed ? Interestingly, we find that, mutinies go differently fo different kinds of bad leaders ! When leaders are technically weak, for example, but well-liked, members depose them via fast, tactical mutinies.
Members depose technically and functionally efficient but not well-liked leaders with careful, strategic mutinies.
When leaders' actions threaten the values the members share, an organisation becomes a social powder keg ...
In a modern organisation, an assault on a work group's shared values more liekly threatens higher0order needs for meaning and esteem. Because , a mutiny requires a coordinated, energised action, the role of the ringleader is essential. Inspiring ring leaders are as vital to teh mutinies as founders are to the entrepreneurial ventures.
From : " Is it time for Mutiny ? " by Patrick Murphy.
Amazon link for the book :
http://www.amazon.com/Mutiny-Its-Bounty-Leadership-Discovery/dp/0300170289/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366012813&sr=1-1&keywords=mutiny+and+patrick+murphy
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
Promoters & Skill profiles - Bill Bonnstetteraa
" Entrepreneurs are a unique group of people, but they behave in patterns ... Reaserach shows that, most serial entrepreneurs display persuasion, leadership, personal accountability, goal orientation and interpersonal skills.
But in the same study, we also discovered a set of skills they DO NOT possess !
We found 4 distinct skills lacking in most serial entrepreneurs, 3 skills statistically significantly and one other , also noticeably lacking.
' Empathy' is one of the qualities entrepreneurs lack the most ! Entrepreneurs build things and solve problems for people, but this is often, however, also tied to the entrepreneur receiving a RETURN for their time and effort, which people with high empathy do not generally expect.
Entrepreneurial-minded people are not proficient in managing themselves and their time. Since entrepreneurs typically have many projects underway at one time, they simply do not have the time to micromanage each. Often, they need assistance managing every day tasks and should hire or DELEGATE them to someone who has mastered this skill.
This leads to another skills , that entrepreneurs lack : planning and organising. Similar to self-management, if entrepreneurs spent time planning and organising every task or meeting, they would never get anything else done !
Entrepreneurs also do no excel about the control group when it comes to analytical problem-solving !
Excerpted from " The skills, Most Entrepreneurs Lack " by Bill Bonnstetter
But in the same study, we also discovered a set of skills they DO NOT possess !
We found 4 distinct skills lacking in most serial entrepreneurs, 3 skills statistically significantly and one other , also noticeably lacking.
' Empathy' is one of the qualities entrepreneurs lack the most ! Entrepreneurs build things and solve problems for people, but this is often, however, also tied to the entrepreneur receiving a RETURN for their time and effort, which people with high empathy do not generally expect.
Entrepreneurial-minded people are not proficient in managing themselves and their time. Since entrepreneurs typically have many projects underway at one time, they simply do not have the time to micromanage each. Often, they need assistance managing every day tasks and should hire or DELEGATE them to someone who has mastered this skill.
This leads to another skills , that entrepreneurs lack : planning and organising. Similar to self-management, if entrepreneurs spent time planning and organising every task or meeting, they would never get anything else done !
Entrepreneurs also do no excel about the control group when it comes to analytical problem-solving !
Excerpted from " The skills, Most Entrepreneurs Lack " by Bill Bonnstetter
Monday, April 01, 2013
Want to help the poor ; give directly
" Giving in the best way " by Jacquelline Fuller .
" We give money directly to the poor, no strings attached " . I was skeptical of the ideal... I believed, like others, that doing for the poor is better investment than, giving money to them directly.
Data from start up nonprofit called 'Give-Directly changed my opinion.
Paul and Michael started GiveDirectly in 2008 while pursuing degrees in economics at Harvard. Their reserch ucovered reports shwing the effectiveness of cash transfers s a model to alleviate poverty. There wasn't a nonprofit using this approach, so they created their own.
Today, ' GiveDirectly' is the sole nonprofit devot3d to unconditional cash transfers directly to the impoverished. Their lean model uses mobile-based banking technology from M-Pesa to transfer 90% of money raised into the hands of hte poor. Just 10% is spent on transfer fees and the cost of locating enrolling recipients.
Since launching in Kenya, Gve Directly evaluates its approach with randomised control trials. Their data shows , such cash transfers improve health and downstream financial gains. Investments in roads, schools and wells are key to help people out of poverty. But ' GiveDirectly' has a new concept : What if, cash transfers are used to bench-mark to measure aid ? What if - non profit orgs focused on poverty alleviation had to prove they could do more for the poor with a dollar than the poor could do for themselves ?
Excerpted from " Want to Help People ? Just Give them Money ! "
From :
blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/03/want_to_help_people_just_give.html
and
Please join the conversation and check back for regular updates. Follow the Scaling Social Impact insight center on Twitter @ScalingSocial and give us feedback.
" We give money directly to the poor, no strings attached " . I was skeptical of the ideal... I believed, like others, that doing for the poor is better investment than, giving money to them directly.
Data from start up nonprofit called 'Give-Directly changed my opinion.
Paul and Michael started GiveDirectly in 2008 while pursuing degrees in economics at Harvard. Their reserch ucovered reports shwing the effectiveness of cash transfers s a model to alleviate poverty. There wasn't a nonprofit using this approach, so they created their own.
Today, ' GiveDirectly' is the sole nonprofit devot3d to unconditional cash transfers directly to the impoverished. Their lean model uses mobile-based banking technology from M-Pesa to transfer 90% of money raised into the hands of hte poor. Just 10% is spent on transfer fees and the cost of locating enrolling recipients.
Since launching in Kenya, Gve Directly evaluates its approach with randomised control trials. Their data shows , such cash transfers improve health and downstream financial gains. Investments in roads, schools and wells are key to help people out of poverty. But ' GiveDirectly' has a new concept : What if, cash transfers are used to bench-mark to measure aid ? What if - non profit orgs focused on poverty alleviation had to prove they could do more for the poor with a dollar than the poor could do for themselves ?
Excerpted from " Want to Help People ? Just Give them Money ! "
From :
blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/03/want_to_help_people_just_give.html
and
Please join the conversation and check back for regular updates. Follow the Scaling Social Impact insight center on Twitter @ScalingSocial and give us feedback.
