Allan Harsmann

The theater and how to get there

This Sunday I was at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen, to watch “Store balletskoledag. When a Danish ballet school is to show their best, this is the place to be. It gives even the youngest students an chance to try the stage and experience what life as a performer can be like. Great fun.

But first we had to get there, and that turned out more exciting than planned. It seemed so simple, and that is a reminder to always be careful about making assumptions. When planning it is not enough to know “when” to meet (or make delivery), the “where” also matters, be that a physical place (or a site or server somewhere). Also, accounting for delays in the overall plan can save the day if you stay cool and pragmatic.

This was first posted on LinkedIn

Summer reading 2023

Weather is getting better, so I will also do a summer book post.

‘How Big Things Get Done’ by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner, and ‘The Worlds Worst Warships’ by Antony Preston. Both take an interesting, readable and enjoyable look at mega projects and how they succeed or fail. Flyvbjerg and Gardner look forward at how we can do better; Preston’s view is more historical, but at a complex subject “…which encompasses engineering, economics, sociology , and even psychology”, with outcomes that may be ridiculous, often tragic and sometimes change the path of history.

As an IT manager of people and projects I particularly enjoyed these books because they provide an outside perspective on the challenges I meet in my daily work, including that IT projects aren’t worse or better than others (actually it depends: Flyvbjerg and Gardner got statistics).

Next up in my reading list in non-fiction must be ‘In Search of Stupidity’ by Merrill Chapman which is now out in a 3rd edition, with a fresh look at the latest mistakes within technology marketing.

This was first posted on LinkedIn

Summer storming, norming and performing

Posterity repost
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/allan-harsmann-517762_summer-time-for-vacation-at-the-sea-and-activity-7091665764432130048–mQQ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Summer: Time for vacation at the sea and a great opportunity to catch up with friends and family.

When I met with an older relative, I was reminded that Tuckman’s model (cf. this previous post) can apply whenever groups are formed and reformed. So there was a bit of storming too when the experienced view that nothing ever changes (at least not for the good) met the optimistic view that new concepts and technologies always bring salvation.

Both parties are right and wrong: Experience tells what issues should be addressed and ensures that history does not repeat itself; and new technologies and ideas may provide solutions if done right. If the two views are combined successfully (norming, that is), then optimism can be transformed into progress.

(About the picture: A reminder that what looks like a storm may just be windy weather – still, the pier in Nr. Vorupør at the Jutland North Sea is always worth a look)

This was first posted on LinkedIn

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.

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

Garden Update – Winter 2021

Garden Update – Fall 2020

Garden Update – Summer 2020

Key Events in the garden

Featured Image

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