Poker, The Game of Life & Leadership

In the beginning there was Poker; at least for me. This post has been brewing inside my head for the last 30 years. Only now and through this medium can I finally explain an odd parallel that has accompanied me throughout my waking and working life.

As a child I recall having been introduced to the game of poker by watching my father play, for fun, with friends and colleagues. As I matured so did my knowledge of poker and by the time I started my first job I was quite in love with the game. The fact is that I’ve always found strong associations between poker and life in general.

Smartphones 360° – Work, Rest & Play

Intro

For starters, a quick rant. Is it just me or does everybody and their dog have a smartphone nowadays. It is frightening just how viral this trend has become. I see people of all ages glued to their devices; mesmerised and oblivious to their surroundings…no wonder there are a lot more accidents than before. Incredulous, I read just a few days ago that by the end of 2012 mobile devices could outnumber the world population…I did say everybody and their dog!

I grew up in an age when there were no cellphones so I find these little gems of technology to be utterly fascinating. Luckily, I’m a bit of a technophile so I naturally adopted this new technology and have adapted it to meet my needs.

For this reason I want to share what I’ve learnt and help others who may be struggling up the steep learning curve needed to get the best from their smartphones. From what I’ve observed it is not a question of age; I see both young and old struggling with their devices and I know it can be frustrating. Therefore, with this guide I’m targeting past, present and future owners so that everyone can learn something new.

A Waste of Time

Links to hi res poster at end of article

I’ve come to a conclusion; perhaps we are not working long enough hours and we should be making better use of our time at work!! I can hear the cocking of hammers and pulling of triggers as I write this; please don’t shoot the messenger and hear me out.

I keep reading everywhere how unproductive employees are; especially in the public sector. On the other hand, I hear moaning and groaning from people who lament their long working hours, tedious weeks, never-ending months and even of complete Anni horribilis.