17Mar 2015 by Ivanka

Go go gadget mummy strikes again…. !

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The last 24 hours have been very exciting for me... I was waiting for Google to release their new web browser so that I could download it and test it! Yup -  I told you that I can be a little bit geeky sometimes? Never mind, I've got it and it works like a charm! (or rather - so far so good.... as you never know with new software). I like the fact that it is very intuitive, that creating a bookmark is simply clicking the star left to the address bar (just like you do with your GMAIL in your inbox) and I like the fact that you can grab a tab and turn it into a separate window. Very easy when you use 2 screens like I do…
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17Mar 2015 by Ivanka

The secret to success? Consistency!

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This morning I am flying to Canberra to meet a few clients and as so many times before, I had to go through the airport security. And you know what happened?? For the first time ever, my bag was taken from the security belt and had to be searched.... reason: an umbrella!! Not an issue, I hear you think - this is just another security measure, one of many as this has become a normal part of airtravel. Well, but what about the fact that this umbrella has been in my bag for the last 12 months (at least!) and I have been flying with this bag/umbrella combination at least 10 times now. (last time was last week) The security guy told me that there had been an issue a…
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17Mar 2015 by Ivanka

The secret of ITIL (hint: it's a virtue)

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Patience. Google was a very good search engine for two years before you started using it. I got my ITIL Managers Certification almost 20 years ago. Many IT Managers and Professionals tried similar routes but it didn't work right away. So they gave up. Blackberry is the most popular "phone" in the world because they never gave up. The irony of ITIL is that the tactics work really quickly. You write a call script for a Help Desk and within a day resolution times are shortened. Bang. But the strategy still takes forever. The strategy is the hard part, not the tactics. I discovered a lucky secret the hard way about 25 years ago: you can outlast the other guys if you try. If you stick at stuff that bores…
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01Oct 2014 by Ivanka

Repeat after me…. software is your friend… software is your friend…

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I need to get this mantra right as currently I am mainly getting annoyed and frustrated by the lack of software performance. The reason for this is quite simple: last week I spent 2 hours on the phone with our IT support guy to see if he can fix our CRM software application (this was effort nr. 58937562! - well, OK... that might be slightly exaggerated but we have been through this at least 5 times so far! that is 10 hours of downtime from my point of view and I'm not even talking about loss of productivity because of the fact that the software doesn't work in between those phone support meetings!) So we decided to change CRM system as this current one clearly isn't working for us. I…
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01Oct 2014 by Ivanka

To do….. must be done

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Don't you find that your TODO list keeps growing and growing? I know mine does... and I noticed that for a lot of people in my office the same was true. Every day we start with a TODO list, only to find that by the end of the day most things are still on the list - and then some! I think this might have something to do with how our brain works... I am no scientist or academic scholar, but I think that our brain tricks us into this false sense of security "it's OK that you haven't done this task yet, after all - it's a TODO... it's to be done sometimes in the future... not necessarily today" My brain tells me this most of the time! (nasty…
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16Sep 2014 by Ivanka

Work at the business, not in it… MAN it's hard!

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Every day, week, month I am trying to work AT the business. I know in theory that as a business owner it is better to work AT the business... grow the business and work on the business processes, control, governance and management. Every book I've ever read about business management shares the same mantra: "work AT the business, not IN it..." And it doesn't matter if you've got a small, medium or large business. The owner should NOT be 100% occupied with working in the business. But you know? It's hard! Example: I have a monthly meeting with my forum and it has now been decided to move that meeting to 2.30pm. Very important meeting and only once a month... BUT... as I am also utilized as a trainer I…
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30Jun 2013 by Ivanka

Chamomile, cough medicine and headaches

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Yes, it is well and truly Flu season here! It seems that everybody in the office is coughing, sneezing, wheezing and in general feeling sick. I feel sorry for  them, but must admit that I am too busy trying NOT to give in to this flu thing that is going around! Makes you wonder: what is better - going to work to finish the job you were meant to do? Or staying home to get better without interfering with other people's health.? You will probably say the correct thing; that you're supposed to stay home so you don't infect other people. And that you're right... but when you've just spent 3 days at a conference interstate there is a LOT to follow up on! And this usually goes better when…
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30Jun 2013 by Ivanka

US Election coverage – I think – it could also be Star trek that I am watching.. I'm confused

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I am in Singapore at the moment and have some time in my hotel room today... very excited about this as I can now follow the US elections! From when I was a little girl political elections have been a big deal in our family: we always talked about the different parties and watched the election night on TV... so you can say I am an election addict! (can't help it, it's in my genes!!) Very frustrating for me as I am not allowed to vote in Australia (where I live) but that doesn't stop me from following the campaigns and elections. But I must say that I am a bit confused about the CNN coverage of the election; they are using holograms when they interview people from other cities...…
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