A Semester in Review

"The aim of life is self-development. To realise one's nature perfectly - that is what each of us is here for."

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) from The Picture of Dorian Gray

What Have We Done? What Will We Do? & What Can We Do?

Afternoon All,

We are halfway there and of that which remains there is nothing but project work in our future. As the heading suggests we now have three ways of looking at the coursework we have completed, what have we done, what can we do and what will we do? Three very important questions for some of us, for others less so as the plans are made and the BIP Bus is but a waypoint on the route to our destination. This is very important, we must at all times remember that the course, the BIP, is just a vehicle to help us get to where we want to go, at times it felt like a 'funky Ford Cortina' (old, but perfectly functional) and at other times it resembled more a 'hybrid Lexus' (lean, green and really sexy) but as with any journey it was made on Irish roads so at times inevitably it became very bumpy! But this is something to remember and if you take nothing but this next point from my somewhat untimely and irreverent ramblings its this;

It's always important to enjoy the journey, as the destination sometimes disappoints!

- The Blipping Student 2012

With me and I am sure with everyone that has lasted up to this week the first few weeks were a mixture of excitement, nerves and novelty. Everything was relatively new and we all wanted to impress and be impressed at the same time. Most of us have experience of college of some sort and everyone of us a wealth of business experience to call on and after a while some of us(me included) found it hard to be taught! Listening to someone else contradict or question the way we have done business or not listen to the points we raised made for a few very interesting 'Debates' into which at one time or another Dave Staunton, Frank Munnelly & Co and Geraldine Lavin got involved in! Even during Dr. Theo Lynns guest lecture we reached a point where I very much felt like I was back in second year and was caught talking down the back.But I put these down to 'Growing Pains' we all became teenagers of sorts, we knew everything and couldn't be told anything, there were cliques in the class (good and bad) and this gave us one great lesson as to how life works. Every work place, club, society or group is the same, get us together in numbers and sub groups will form, cliques and rumours, conversations etc etc etc, and its amazing as life goes on we get older and we can still see the same behaviour. The lesson is that we recognise this and learn how to use it to our advantage apply it to our life and work, which is all that matters. Recognise that sometimes there are things we can't change, learn how to play the game and play the game well or else expect to beaten from time to time ,we have the choice!

We have completed our projects, what a stress inducing nightmare! During my career post school I myself have worked on several large projects within companies etc, but when your back in school the competition and fight for marks is unbelievable, I now understand and remember what secondary education was actually like! During the semester we also had many workshops and guest lectures of which my top 2 were, the Dyson Experiment!

Missed a bit Anne Marie!

Where we saw who the cleaner was for the first time! No wonder she was adamant the place be kept tidy!! The other guest lecture that really hit the spot was Theo Lynns - Techspectations presentation which opened I think all of our eyes to the importance of social media and the internet in business today.His Nazi style of presenting was refreshing if not a little bit disturbing.

I think overall I can safely say, with certainty of contradiction, that the most interesting yet least educational lectures through out the semester were that of Batman and the Boy Wonders! Frank and Jezmond! When I say least educational, I mean in a traditional sense, it was very much forward thinking and out of the box learning. It gave a very fluent look at the way we all new the product development or marketing department really work everyday, 'We'll make a cup of coffee and Ideate for a bit, then lunch and Brainstorm and then possibly another coffee break followed by drawing several mind maps or heck lets just write on the wall. Then get paid a zillion euro for an idea that some poor soul has to try and build/sell/execute!

As we came closer to the end of the semester the 'Stupid Question Squad' dissipated somewhat in to the background as more and more of us missed bits and pieces any question was nearly a welcome one! Then finally we came to the last lecture of the year with Darling Cocktails, thanks Frank! You know what good Chef's say about a meal, make sure the service & dessert blows them away as that's the most likely to be remembered  I think that credo applies here, make sure we leave pissed and we are sure to think of it as a great experience. Overall I believe it was a great learning experience, if nothing else it opened my eyes on how to do business differently and think outside the box (I would love to see that box someday) a bit more.

What will we do with it, hey that's a whole other course guys! As is was said at the start, we will only get out of it what we put in! I think that's very true those that engaged and involved themselves have probably learned more than they know, presenting, working effectively (or not) in teams, politics,(although Andy could teach anyone a lesson there - amazing Class Rep campaign, followed by being assigned to SNAP for the project - there will be a tribunal!!) and so much more. It would be very easy for me to be a cynic and say it was a money generating exercise for the academy or a project in self justification, but I think it fulfilled a real need for most of the participants. I for one am glad I took part, I met some great people and enjoyed the learning experience I got from each and everyone who participated in the course.

From here What Can We Do? its a good question and it won't be on any exam, I believe we can do anything we want and set our minds to! We are a bunch of great, experienced people put together in one room, who can help each other and help ourselves achieve what we want! We have already achieved plenty in our lives and have plenty to be thankful for, after the BIP can only get better. So I ask the question again,

What can we do? YOU tell me? I say Anything!

Until Next Time

The Blipping Student

dcublip@gmail.com

OH THE PAIN

How Embarrassing!

Morning All,

I know I haven't written in a while, for a couple of reasons, the lack of material from the class', the volume of assignment work and life in general just got in the way. But I was exercised yesterday by the sheer lack of respect some of the class have shown towards the course itself. I know there will be confusion and misunderstanding and some of this not helped by the sometimes murky and garbled information provided by the BIP Team themselves.

However, not withstanding the few instances of misinformation from the course organisers, WE ARE NOT BABIES, If I was a lecturer who walked into a class full of MATURE STUDENTS (average age supposedly 48, not me) I wouldn't expect to be met with questions about areas already very clearly covered in the course material already provided or covered in lectures dedicated to the subject, namely the projects. I also would not expect to be met with a group speaking over itself, there were so many voices at one stage yesterday I don't know how any sane person would have been expected to deal with it! Example, the majority of the class were contradicting each other and also the lecturer despite not having read their emails which clearly clarified the Project Management matter, now put this into a work situation (which we are all supposed to be working towards) and we went into a business meeting without all the facts, FIRED is a word that comes to mind. Nobody has the right to contradict or confuse the situation without reading the information provided by the course whether that be Assignment Brief's, Schedule's or indeed Course Emails. There will be some of you out there who will say I don't have access to my email/computer/course details all the time, fair enough, but then don't waste my time and your classmates time arguing the toss about a project or other subject when you know already that you haven't read the information provided.

Finally, KUDOS to MICHAEL REGAN, who may at times be a pompous ass, but showed more backbone than our elected representatives (surprise surprise, similar to that of real life TD's) to stop the infuriating madness yesterday. He voiced the concerns of an overwhelming amount of the class that had in fact read the information provided and understood it. He, like me, was frustrated to the point of madness with the lack of understanding shown by a class with a 'wealth of experience' like we are supposed to have in the way they blatantly displayed their lack of knowledge of provided course/project materials.

Rant Over, but take note, I, like Michael Regan et al, am here to learn and there a significant amount of the class that would rather bitch and moan than actually take some self responsibility and act like a MATURE STUDENT and get on with it, we wonder then why the country is the way it is, a perfect mini example of it's the STATE's FUALT SYNDROME!

Until Next Time

The Blipping Student

Follow The Leader

Class REP's Voted In

Morning BIPlings,

Apologies again for my mysterious lack of posts of the last few days, but I started one of our textbooks last wednesday evening and I have just finished the first chapter this morning it's like wading through porridge!

Last week we had our local elections and voted in our Class Representatives, Dave Bushe, Irene Bergin and Andrew 'Red Pants' Kinsella! The Sunday Independent is rumoured to have a breaking news story about the elections for the front page this week, it all centres around the financial reporting during one of the candidates campaigns. But I digress more on the breaking news as we have it!

I attempt on a daily basis to take the temperature of the class so to speak and to understand the daily feelings, for want of a better word, of the room as a whole. With those 'feelings' in mind I have put together a 'wish list' for the reps!

1. Printing Station - I am sure with the resources at the disposal of the academy that a simple pay per use printing station could be made available! Before someone screams 'environmentally friendly' if the cost was slightly higher than average and a recycled paper was used, also a recycling bin at the printer I am sure the carbon footprint wouldn't be anything that would keep us up at night! I am quite sure DCU main campus has several areas available for students to print.
2. Moodle & Non Related Class Questions - Could you please for the love of God, get the message out that anything unrelated to the class in front of us, the lecturers won't (shouldn't) answer! Our face time is limited and sometimes seems to be caught up with someone who can't log on to Moodle or can't find coursework! There have been several occasions over the past 2 weeks where the lecturers have been visibly annoyed by the questions of some of our peers, there are plenty of people in the room that do know and can help! There is also a bloody helpline, use your new found power and position to influence this please!
3. COFFEE - I cannot function without coffee and as we have the facilities, can a FUND be put in place to get some real coffee! I would gladly give a euro a week (and I am sure others would as well) to ensure we don't have to endure any more Maxwell House warm water!
4. Social Events - It was discovered and shared that there was over 2000 years of experience in the room and the average age was 49 (my God we're old (except me!!)), I think it would definitely be no harm for you to arrange some sort of social event where in a comfortable setting the social minded among us could meet and network/chat about things other that innovation SIDEBAR: I am now constantly bombarded by the word innovation on a daily basis anybody else getting that!.

Thats all my suggestions for now, but my fingers on the pulse of the BIPlings every day I am sure it will not end here.

We have just received some breaking news on the Blipping Student's desk, Fianna Fail is looking to appoint Andrew Kinsella campaign manager for the next election. This comes on the back of rumours that Andrew Kinsella was supported through the campaign by Snap Printing CEO. This allegation has been strongly denied and Andrew has stated very clearly that the campaign funds were donations from 'Friends' and the money was only 'resting in his account'. Andrew refused to comment this morning but fears are now raised that he could be removed from the Technical Group similar to the way Mick Wallace was earlier in the political season! More as this story progress'!

If you have news that the BIPlings should be aware of drop me a line at BLIPPING STUDENT , as you can see we will print unfounded allegations about anybody and anything in an unprofessional loose cannon sort of way. We will have a review of last week up before too long and will get down to the issues posed this week before the weekend.

I will be back soon with some more vital news for all of you, but I better start to concentrate here!


The BLIPPING STUDENT
dcublip3@gmail.com

p.s. Comments welcome but often ignored!

More Creativity & Innovation

Top 10 Ways to Be More Creative/Innovative

Morning All,

It is a fact that if over our careers/lives we have been in an environment that has failed to foster Creativity or Innovation then it is highly likely the process may be quite alien to most of us! But like many skills a lot can be learned to improve our ability to think & act creatively in college, work or life in general.

Here are my Top 10 Ways to Foster an Innovative Mindset;

1. BRAINSTORM
This is very important ideas and thoughts clashing and being thrown up in the air highlights strengths and weaknesses that would otherwise go unnoticed. This includes asking colleagues and customers their ideas or go for a brainstorming walk!
2. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS MORE
Your inner feelings are based on your life experiences and can very often be a great guide to successful ideas! Have lunch with a different person each day and don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it!
3. KEEP AN IDEA JOURNAL
Write down all your ideas you never know what idea or thought could make you your first million. Another way to use it is to spend 5 minutes writing down as many ideas as possible, it's amazing when you force yourself to do it what can be achieved!
4. COPY, PASTE & IMPROVE
Plenty have thread these roads before us and most of the time a lot of the hard work has been done for us, so as the heading suggests! But use it wisely as there is no excuse for plagiarism that's just Lazy!
5. USE DEADLINES & GOALS
Without these there is no urgency or target for the creative process! Also not having something to aim for can make us Lazy and we extend our own expectations and get nothing done!
6. LAUGH MORE, WORRY LESS - HAVE MORE FUN
Ask yourself 'What's the worst that could happen IF I fail' and then understand the risks & relax! The work environment is vastly more productive when it's happy.
7. ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY BUREAUCRACY & ADMIN
During the Creative/Innovative periods avoid mundane and dreary tasks that are not helping to achieve goals.
8. ASK FORGIVENESS, NOT PERMISSION
Be careful with this one, but its very effective! Avoid 'NO' at all costs, management, owners tend to be more cautious with the uncertainty of ideas and plans.
9. DIVIDE UP YOUR TASKS
It's easier to solve small problems instead of trying a big project in one go!
10. KNOW IT IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Acknowledge all your success' and reward yourself.

This will be especially helpful when looking at our group projects.

Until next post,

The Blipping Student

Myers Briggs - Simpsons Powerpoint

Which Type Are You?

Evening All,

Below is a link to the PowerPoint we had today on Personality Types!

Simpsons PowerPoint

It's a funny example but gets the point across. 

Good Night

The Blipping Student

Week 2 Review - Not as Easy as it Looks!

And So It Begins

Never As Easy As It Looks!

Evening All,

It seems this evening my identity has been uncovered by a few members of the course, if this is the case, ALAS, this may be my last post & chorus so to speak. I have tried in vein to keep this blog a vestitute of anonymity and ability that lay therein to challenge the thoughts of the course from day to day may now be gone! If not HAPPY DAYS see ye all tomorrow night!!

My apologies for not getting a meaningful review of last weeks "action" up sooner, it was so draining I was asleep until just after 2pm today! When Brendan's Nazi style personality analysis started. It was very subtle but you just know the weak among us could be led to the Gas Chamber at any stage!!

Taking a look back at last week, I suppose its best to continue on from my last post where I looked back at Geraldine's rubber ducky and De Vito's project! That brings us swiftly on to David Staunton on Tuesday afternoon! (Would it not be better to give the "social drinker's" among us the Monday morning off, instead of Tuesday! just a thought)

David started on a rather funny note talking about 'Fuzzy Front Ends' (projects wise) now I am not the fussiest of listeners, but I tuned out for about 5 minutes after that opener! Also during this presentation I was slightly frustrated by David going back to the old teaching mantra of 'There's no such thing as a stupid question'! Sorry David, you're a smart guy', but yes there f***ing is and its compounded by the fact that the 'stupid questions' had often been answered in either the slide on the projector or the last 5 mins of the lecture! And yes it could be a Corporate Governance issue (you know who you are), but that's like Father Jack once said 'that's an ecumenical matter'!! Venting over! Of course we were reminded as possible future Project Managers of our 'Sacred Responsibility to Disappoint' when has that happened in Ireland except after the proverbial horse has bolted!

"There are no Stupid Questions, only Stupid Questioners!" - Anon

We move on to the final day of the week, Wednesday, where we have a Geraldine - Frank double header and where you must have your wits about you! It's a long day! We started with Geraldine who began by outlining the tools required for the business analysis process. The importance of interpreting your business analysis findings and also the context in which they are arrived at.

The importance of context was no more ably demonstrated than by Geraldine's comment:

"If they are straddling each other, it's Ok"

Now those of us in attendance knew she was talking about the factors in PESTEL analysis, but hey if you just walked in!!! We moved on to review Key Success factors in business and also Key Drivers for change! Overall a great lecture & plenty of food for thought!

We move on reluctantly to Frank Munnelly's appearance with his trusted sidekick in tow!

Now I am sure Frank can do a lecture on his own, but then who would carry his Ego! After Frank had finished his impression of a stripogram by emptying all but his clothes onto the desk we began by exploring Innovative Thinking and after a cautionary tale of the Tragedies of Logic we began to drift to the Men-A-Porche (male version of the menopause!!) Frank are you trying to tell us something!

Key Points;

1. Defer Judgement
2. Strive for Quality
3. Seek Wild Ideas
4. Build on Other Ideas

Our final task of the week was to solve world hunger and oh the Irony McDonalds mentioned more than once!!

Until my next bout of verbal diarhea,

Good Night & Safe Home,

The Blipping Student

Week 2 - Down to Business

Down to Business

A Day for Searching the Soul!

Afternoon All,
Firstly thanks to Brendan today for putting the details of the Blog and Twitter feed up for the class to see, this is an opportunity for the whole class to interact and comment on the days events. While I will attempt to throw my opinion on the days info, I am far from infallible and always be receptive to the critical and constructive views of my peers! Plus this is meant to put a lighter point of view across.

We started the day with Innovation Management, with Geraldine. Today's class had much more of a college feel to it and I was immediately aware of the more focused approach to the course content and the stark realization that we were in fact here to learn! But I have a bone to pluck with Geraldine, Archimedes with a Rubber Duck in the Bath, c'mon! See Below the picture relevant to Archimedes discovery of Mass,

The picture of Archimedes with the Rubber Duck shows him discovering the Law of Buoyancy, attention to detail! Despite this rather discommoding cock up the rest of the lecture went pretty well, with us discovering more Eureka moments from inventions past, Thomas Eddison and the Lightbulb (eventually) & Pringles among them.  

The afternoon saw the introduction of Brendan Martin to proceedings a man with an enigmatic charm comparing to that of Danny DeVito , our research project leader for the course. He started his presentation with his own introduction, straight forward enough, he went on to look for the class' support in his pursuit of personal  constructive criticism with regard to his presentation slides and also reminded us to be very critical indeed of all the lecturers PowerPoint slides. He was insistent that we at every opportunity ensure that his work is of the best standard, outlining that slides should be no more than 35 words long, clear concise and without too many bullet points to ensure the reader has clarity of the message being delivered.

BRENDAN,

SLIDE 1 - 63 Words +

SLIDE 2 - 65 Words +

However when we got down to business proper Brendan gave us the QUOTE OF THE WEEK,

"Get out of yer Box"

We went on to explore our personal profiles and were sent on our way today with HOMEWORK!, now that's a new one. We have the Jung/Myers psychological profile to complete which will give us a guide to how well we play with others and interact at work. For more insight into this pretty common HR tool CLICK HERE, it will give you a guide to your responses and the Personality Type you are. It is definitely a bonus to understand the results of this test and how you can apply it in teamwork, career and interviewing. 

The practical research project represents over half the marks for the course so in reality we will be depending on the lectures and guidance of Brendan over the next couple of months to help us all get across the line with this one. I am sure I am not the only that does not know quiet what to expect from the placement phase of the course and the Team work aspect of same! I have worked in productive and destructive teams in the past and can find it very hard to conform to the politics of the workplace and the dynamics of teams, I say what I mean and mean what I say and if that upsets or offends (which it often does) then Tough Sh*t. I have a feeling the competitive nature of  teams & people and necessary confrontation that will bring about will be new to some of our class mates, but if it is taken that it will be a personal development tool we must embrace it and as Brendan highlighted we rarely get the opportunity to select our workmates and that may be similar for the tasks ahead.

With all that said it may be prudent to take the Personality Profiles a little more seriously and then evaluate ourselves and those around us to ensure where possible we create balanced teams. Ensuring all the necessary skill-sets are addressed within your team. Napoleon Hill's famous early 20th Century book 'Think and Grow Rich' highlighted the importance of 'Mastermind' groups where we ensure that we pull together people around us that will help, advise and develop us personally and professionally to ensure success. This is a task we must complete here.

We move on to Tuesday with the enlightening lecture in Project Management from David Staunton, a little bit more information on our project management lecturer HERE.

Until my next bout of Verbal Diarrhea,

A BLIPPING STUDENT 

Guerilla Attention Test

Count the White Team Passes Again

Focus - Focus - Focus - AAAAAHHHH Guerilla!

Hi Guys,

Just for those of you who may have missed the attention test posed by Mick Rock last week during our Induction Day, here it is again below! Post a comment on how many passes the White Team makes during the clip!!

The key points Mick highlighted during his Attitudes & Belief session were;

1. Change your Mindset
2. Control your Focus
3. Be Persistent
4. Mind Your Language
5. Take Action

The mindset and aptitude for changing one's mindset is a very important tool, in fact people have made millions just teaching/preaching this i.e. Anthony Robbins and the like. This culminates in what Henry Ford said;

"Whether you believe you are right or whether you believe you are wrong, you're right!"

Until Next Post,

A BLIPPING STUDENT

A Baptism of Fire - Now Thats Innovation!

Week 1 Down  - Innovation Now That's New, is it?

A 'Frank' look at how we got here!

Evening All,

After the first few days of DCU's Ryan Academy course on Innovation it is inherently apparent that even after years of work and study, my perceptions of Project Management, Innovation and after today even Evolution have been shattered. It has been revealed today by Frank Munnelly's distinct view and enlightening outlook on Innovation that in fact nothing can be considered new anymore it is but a reincarnation of that which already exists. Confused? I am! But then we should be or so we have been told.

I have a feeling already that perceptions will be destroyed and that the 'fundamentalists' will be rooted out by Frank's powerful views on Innovation and the practicalities of Innovative thinking. While our effervescent Academic Director Geraldine Lavin provided an 'Apprentice' feel to her inaugural proceedings where teams were created, managed and observed for their creative brilliance on a project more vague than that of the E-Voting machines (although I feel we may have accomplished more in less time and spending but a minute fraction of the cash), and like the E-Voting debacle in the end no one was wrong and certainly nobody was fired!

And that is where the early confusion, frustration and attempts at understanding have come unstuck by the (plus 35 - Thanks Frank) class of 2012/13 in the Business Innovation Programme, Innovation in and of itself is quite vague & up for interpretation! Despite David Staunton's excellent personally preferred definition of the concept of Innovation in Tuesday afternoons session it is inherently apparent that the brilliant minds of our day and that of the recent past have failed (somewhat) to come together on an overarching, all encompassing definition of 'What Is Innovation?', that they all can agree on! It's creativity - no it's not, sort of! It's invention, not really but kinda! It's Change - Yes & No! It's being New, but not!

It's early days and this immature student is far from getting weary of the debate, interaction and questions posed by the course. In fact I would come back Thursday to continue to digest opinion and shatter perceptions but I fear the flame doth burn too brightly and thus too quick and I must temper my enthusiasm and hunger for my innovation fix until Monday hence!

I share the above musings with you all as a way to review my first few days experience. As most of us returned to the classroom for the the first time in quite some time, it was obvious the nerves, trepidation and anxiousness throughout the class, which is of no surprise. Our BIP team however led by the beaming smile of Anne Marie Scott made sure that everyone was welcome and settled in neatly, it reminded me of my time in Junior Infants in primary school. All we have to make sure now is that we all play nice, for my part I will post intermittent musings and observations here weekly and also through my Twitter Account throughout the course or until I am silenced by the powers that be for the careless, sarcastic and sometimes caustic spin put on events over the term.

Until my next bout of verbal diarrhea, 

A BLIPPING STUDENT