Scratchpad / Blog

Standing on the shoulders of Giants

"Standing on the Shoulders of Giants"

This phrase best captures the idea that our achievements are built upon the foundations laid by those who came before us.

Looking back on my 2 decades of experience, there is absolutely no way I would have learnt and grown if not for the patience and support these ' Gentle & Intelligent Giants' showed me in my earlier years as an engineer.

This is post #1 of my series titled "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants" in no particular order and in no set frequency - just as & when we're able to meet for a chat.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants - #1

I've been incredibly fortunate to have worked for Kelvin Ransley as a manager during my tenure with the Todd Group.

When faced with the situation of risking a critical failure of an unsupported legacy PLC running a 100MW power station, the pressure further mounted when a 14 day-pre-approved shutdown was revoked due to NZ's high energy demands during that period. Performing an online PLC replacement while generating 100MW on NZ's electricity grid, seemed to be the only option to eliminate business risk (of the legacy PLC) and simultaneously meet NZ's energy demand.

In such high-stakes scenarios, tensions often escalate. However, Kelvin's exceptional leadership stood out. He not only expertly navigated the conflicting demands and risks but, more importantly, his personal conduct fostered a team environment of positive collaboration, meticulous technical rigor, clear communication, and shared celebration of achievements.

Kelvin, your leadership made delivering this complex project an absolute pleasure and I'm ever so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you.

"I disagree and commit" - Jeff Bezos

Skip to 3:05 in the above video to grasp the full context of this statement... or the whole video for 9 minutes of non-stop Bezos wisdom.

I just love Jeff's thought process and approach when there isnt 100% certainty about whether the next move will deliver the desired outcome or not - this could be in a work environment or even in personal life.

Indecision or delayed decisions may cost future opportunities but almost certainly cost ⌛ and 💲 now.

Decisiveness & Velocity - vital for achieving outcomes ... and ultimately success. Amazon employs 1.5 million people and are still able to act fast.

Reminder to self...

Be decisive & maintain velocity.

Friday 9 February' 24

Love the problem...

And no I wasn't rephrasing Jesus's words "Love thy enemy..."

In my last week's scratchpad scribble, I talked about chasing down a problem that bothers you. This endeavour may not always land a solution right away; in fact in most cases, it won't. This quest will, however, give you deeper insight into the problem; and you may even find that the real problem (and therefore the solution) is far from your original assumptions. This is real gold!

Stay curious; the solution is nearer that you think...

This is my quest... I've noticed that digital self-check in / access control solutions are commonly seen only at large corporate accommodation businesses like The Rydges, Novotel & Hilton, with a few exceptions among small & medium operators.

The problem:

Small & Medium enterprises (the life blood of our economy) and especially (retired) mum & dad owned and operated accommodation businesses are forced to:

Compromise security for convenience (lock boxes, door mats & flower puts); or
Give up a massive daily chunk of their personal life (time/money/peace) to keep up with unpredictable check-in times; or
Sink a bag of $$ and adopt one of the access control solutions currently available.

My mission:

Democratise digital access control.

Ditch the Desk & Check-in Woes: FREE YOUR STAFF, FREE YOUR TIME & Watch Guest Smiles Grow

Hiring out spaces (event venues), holiday homes (bachs, airbnbs) or motels and keen to explore a digital access/check-in solution?

Seguro Access may be able to help.

No way does Seguro Access equate to other mature solutions in the market that have all the bells & whistles (and a corresponding price tag).

At Seguro, we don't have all the frills, but I believe we have the essentials.

If any of that resonated with you then please do reach out.

Now go and Love a problem!

Friday 2 February' 24

What is better? EQ or IQ?

Despite science, technology and innovators persistently challenging the "impossible", there is still a multitude of problems we face.

Problems = Opportunities to create/add value. I would bet that there are more among us that are capable of fixing cars & flying planes than those who are currently mechanics & pilots. Often the IQ we possess exceeds the IQ required to solve the problems we or others around us face.

The real question is, do we care enough to do something about it?

This, I believe, is EQ - the real differentiator between those that choose to accept the problem as 'way fo life' and those that dont. When we are able to empathise with another person and the problems they face, even in some diminished dimension - you WILL find motivation you never knew you had, to solve that problem - and the experience is utterly fulfilling/liberating.

So when you find a problem that has nagged you more than once, try locking the target and chasing it down. PREPARE TO BE AMAZED.

Friday 26 January' 24

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse