The Undutchables

Recently, in fact last Friday, I gave a workshop called "The Undutchables". It was a workshop for a Dutch audience introducing them to German and British business styles.

The agenda:
1. Stereotypes
2. Geert Hofstede's Dimensions of Culture
3. Patterns of Multicultural Business Behaviours
4. Group Work: Business Styles
5. Group Work: Entertainment
6. The English Class System
7. Language Barriers

The workshop lasted from 14.00 to 19.00 and there were 14 people present. The audience were Dutch management consultants; their company wants to go abroad and the target was to sensitise them for foreign ways of behaviour.

New Project in Derbyshire

My blog entries have become rather "limited" in the last few months, but I am on a new project now and obviously cannot give out any information about it. One thing though, it is a supply chain excellence project where the focus lies on procurement as the core process with all the other neighbouring process around which need looking at.

For a change the project is in the UK and not abroad; in fact, it is in Derbyshire where I am spending most of my time these days. Nice area, extremely nice people, and a very challenging project.

Once I have a bit more time I shall come back and write about a subject more in detail.

Wroclaw, September 2009

This week I am doing the same as last week in Budapest. It is the same holding, but a different local client; the business is the same, but somehow the 2 sites are completely different.

I am doing the audit - Supply Chain Planning, Supply Chain Operations, and the Distribution Centre.

Budapest, August 2009

I visited my client in Budapest for the week and undertook an audit of the management system I installed 2 years ago. The management system basically comprises the 2 main parts - an organisational separation from planning and operations, and the implementation of lean management tools which would help them to manage the operation efficiently.

I am flying to Budapest again in 2 weeks and continue and follow-up on the audit. I am also presenting a tool for stock management which will help them to make their stock situation visible and act accordingly.

The Bill - Week 4

The training is finally over. I must say it was one of the most intense experiences I have had in a while. Apart from lvarious egal bits we learned how to fight fires and yes, I passed my last exam with 92% which made me smile.

I am very glad I did the course and joined the MET, and I am very happy I managed to pass all exams, practical and academic ones, successfully. Once one is in his late 30ies, learning must be learned again.

The teams of trainers and trainees were great. We had an extremely good time, and with many of them I became good friends. Facebook helps to stay in touch because most of us will be allocated throughout all London boroughs.

Anyway, my real life has me back now. This coming week I am flying out to Hungary where I am going to analyse a company at which I installed a management operating system a few years ago. More of that in a new blog entry at the end of this coming week.

The Bill - Week 3

Week 3 is over and I am absolutely exhausted. Not that the material we learn is overly difficult, but maybe, since it is all new, one feels a bit overwhelmed. Anyway, we got to feel CS gas this week, which was "interesting". I got a full load blown right into my eyes by the wind when they sprayed it. And then I was blinded for a while. One thing is for sure, it is a good and effective tool.

And then we had 2 days of life saving training. That was extraordinarily good and important to have. Thinking about my last first aid training, which was back in 1984, I have forgotten literally everything!!!

The team has grown together even more now. It is fun to attend classes. People are great. Shame is, by mid week this week, it will be over and we are all being dispersed into our units. So far I suspect the whole of the MET is probably a big team and I am sure it will be fun getting finally out and do some work.

Anyway, 3 more days left and a final exam.

The Bill - Week 2

In week 2 we, the trainees, certainly became a team. This was particularly clear after 2 days of Officer Safety Training where we had to "get physical" and beat each other up, well, pretend to at least, so that we could learn how to defend ourselves. Admittedly, these 2 days were one of my best I have ever had. I was on a 2 day high, and my body must have released adrenalin like there was no tomorrow. Self-defence should be taught at schools I think, especially in London and other metropoles like this one. Our trainers are absolutely spot-on.

For the rest of the week we got our uniforms and learned several legal bits such as theft, offensive weapons, etc. We also had 2 exams - one in handcuffing techniques and the other one was an academic one and comprised all subjects taught so far. I managed to achieve 88% which is quite nice.

So, all in all, I still think joining the MET was the right thing to do. The training is absolutely fantastic, the curriculum enables us to learn all important matters in an extremely structured manner, and in fact, it is very funny and relaxed. Well done Training Department! Looking forward to week 3 now.