Author: Allan

Repost: Tuckman’s model

I always find inspiration in Tuckman’s model of group development, which states that whenever a team is formed to resolve a task, the team will move through the stages of forming, storming, norming and finally performing. That is, some level of conflict (aka “disagreement” or “misalignment”) is inevitable when a team is created/changed, but once differences have been sorted out and a common ground has been found, the group can work and perform efficiently. I am so fortunate as to be working with highly competent and passionate people in different contexts, and while we may not initially agree on our direction, great things happen once we find it. Of course, meeting your collaborators with a professional, respectful, and open attitude is the shortcut to high performance.

This was first posted on LinkedIn

Garden Update – Spring 2023

<- Winter 2021

Blame it on the weather…

…and something else too. The garden hasn’t received the attention it deserves in the last couple of years. That is, we have actually had some major work done around the house, such as a lot of new tiling. Perhaps it is just that while those projects were underway, we couldn’t really focus on other things, garden-wise. Add to that some busy periods at work, and we barely got the basic gardening done. I hope to improve in 2023.

Also, the weather. It really has been a cold spring, and I don’t get as much done when it it is sub-5°C and either windy or raining. Hopefully I can share a better tale soon.

At least I am on track preparing chilies for the greenhouse. We missed that last year, probably because our usual source of seeds stopped shipping to Denmark post-Brexit. Such a shame, and then we didn’t find a good alternative before it was too late to sow. This year we simply went to a local nursery, and got enough seeds to get started.

YearChiliesTomatoesNotes
2023Feb 26
2022Didn't sow
2021Feb 21
2020Mar 6Apr 7
2019Mar 10Apr 13
2018Feb 24Apr 7
2017Mar 20Apr 9
2016Feb 22Mar 27
2015Feb 19
2014Mar 2Mar 2
2013Didn't sow (kid)
2012Mar 17Apr 1
2011Didn't sow (vacation)
2010Feb 28Mar 21

Key Events in the garden

  • Feb 26: Chilies sown:
    • Padron
    • Chiluacle Negro
    • Cayenne Long Slim
    • Hot Lemon
  • Apr 4: Chilies Replanted

Featured Image

A snowy day in late March – for the record, in case anyone thinks it “weather” is just a bad excuse for me not going outside working my garden. It is the picture of the cold spring in 2023.

Related Posts

Garden Update – Winter 2021

Garden Update – Fall 2020

Garden Update – Summer 2020

Last Days of Fall / Blogging again

One of my recent posts was inspired by the sales of Twitter to Elon Musk, and now I am at it again – once more with inspiration from John Scalzi, who is reiterating his point about taking ownership of one’s own content and generally encouraging people to start blogging again. I used to like Twitter, but am currently disillusioned with the entire social media thing. LinkedIn and Instagram still make sense to me, and I hope the events at Twitter will not drive LinkedIn further away from its professional networking purpose (I do see some Facebooky content, but no cat-pictures yet, so I am hopeful); nor that it will reduce the picturesque experience at Instagram.

So here I am again. If the blog is to be alternative to Twitter and maybe Instagram, then the posts may also be shorter and more graphical, rather than the usual essay-like thoughts about this and that. Let’s ser – every journey begins with the the first step.

Feature Image

Last weekend my employer hosted the annual Christmas Party for employee children at Ledreborg Castle. A great day where the kids had fun and we opportunity to experience the castle park enjoy a sunny, late-fall day before the last leaves are gone from the trees.

(The) Berry Week (After)

The ‘berry week’ returns. Last year (2021) we didn’t pick anything – we started a major house renovation during that week, so we were busy adapting to a life without kitchen and bathroom, and picking/cleaning berries, let alone pickling cooking anything out of them just wasn’t a priority.

But that was then. Now is a new year, with new opportunities and new berries to be picked.

We almost missed it though – we were travelling the week the berries were ready and we returned to hot weather and a long to do list of other work to do – the sort of house work we currently don’t get done in normal weekends. Excuses, excuses. At the end  I think it took less than an hour to pick a bowl of still OK (just ripe) gooseberries, clean them and cook five jars of marmalade this way.

Numbers:

  • Gooseberry (green): 1252 g
  • Black currant: 1005 g

Featured image

Red gooseberries waiting to be picked – on a drier day

Related posts

Berry Month 2020

Berry Week, 2019 Edition

Bæruge 2018

Bæruge! (2017)

Berry Week! (2015)

Check-in at my own, personal place on The Internet

This week Twitter accepted a buyout offer from Elon Musk. Much about that has been been said and posted around the net – will it make the platform a better or a worse place? Time will tell, but regardless it is strong reminder that I should appreciated this, my own little place on the Internet. At least inspect it, perhaps dust it off, give it a fresh coat of paint and maybe even post some fresh content 🙂

Time will tell, but no matter what it is up to me to decide what and when it happens, and this week is a particularly good week to appreciate that.

Thanks to John Scalzi for sharring his thoughts on the on the matter of the twitter deal and the importance of owning your own space on the ‘net.

Feature Image

A willow blossom in Wildpark Eekholt (Germany), the willows perhaps being the least interesting thing to see there, which shows just what a great place it is.