by Kiah MD John Glenn He was inspirational, a hero, in many so many ways. Clearly, I have an affinity, if only through the name. I was six years old when he was the first American to orbit the earth on Friendship 7, as part of the Mercury space program and the space race. I recall my…
As published in The Mandarin September 5, 2023 by Kiah MD John Glenn Enough with the noise about the ‘Big’ 4, and the parallel Defence MSPs. Few would disagree that ‘Big’ has a stranglehold on the professional services government spend. Even with a greater in-house capability in our public service they can’t and shouldn’t replace…
As published in The Mandarin August 7, 2023 by Kiah MD John Glenn. Do you want another PowerPoint pack with more methodologies, another answer to someone else’s problem being squeezed into your space? Perhaps a dozen more hard-working and enthusiastic grads who just lack experience, sprinkled with revolving door contractors? Experts at what you do…
As published in The Mandarin on February 20, 2023 by Kiah MD John Glenn I fear the Defence Strategic Review, now in the hands of the prime minister and defence minister, will be a fizzle — not a flash and a bang. There is no strategy without execution, and I am afraid the department does…
As published in The Australian February 13, 2023 by Kiah MD John Glenn The old saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but hoping for a different result is pretty apt when it comes to Australia’s defence. The latest Defence Strategic Review is due shortly, one of…
Negotiation is the process of trading something of value for something you value more. Deadlock is where there is no movement. It happens when creating a contract, during delivery, around change proposals. It happens within organisations – particularly where groups must work together but have different agendas or outcomes. Sometimes deadlock is real – there…
After decades as a military officer, followed by decades in industry, I have often pondered the incongruity of clearly physically brave individuals who always lean towards safe choices in business and bureaucracies, seemingly lacking the courage to make the tough decisions. Worthy of a read is “Cultivating Everyday Courage” (James R Detert, Harvard Business Review,…
*Warning, it’s unsafe Any conversations that suggest alternative contracting models can engage companies to deliver social outcomes, acting in the public interest over their own, are based on a false premise that industry will subjugate their own interest in favour of their clients’ interests. Businesses do not exist for the public good. They may do…
Some years ago I did a Harvard program called “strategic deal-making for business”. I followed on with a master’s unit in strategy at Edinburgh Business School that focused on strategic deals. I started to talk about it with our, mostly, public sector clients. Almost all of them said they “don’t do deals” because they are…
It’s what you deliver. I recently participated in a Government project review. I really liked the project manager – young, dynamic, articulate, driven – absolutely brilliant until asked what she thought her job was. To which she replied, “…to make sure this process works”. She had been captured by the process, not the project. Projects…
