terça-feira, fevereiro 28, 2023
Nunca deixaram de ser crianças
segunda-feira, fevereiro 27, 2023
"a hypothesis waiting to be tested"
"There's a failure to understand that you can run an organization thinking like a scientist. By that I mean, just recognizing that every opinion you hold at work is a hypothesis waiting to be tested. And every decision you make is an experiment waiting to be run.So many leaders just implement decisions. It's like life is an A/B test, but they just ran with the A, and didn't even realize that there was a possible B, C, D and E. Too many leaders feel like their decisions are permanent. [Moi ici: E ignoram aquela lição de vida - O que é verdade hoje, amanhã é mentira - as alterações do contexto tornam obsoletas as boas decisões do passado] As opposed to saying, "We're going to test and learn."...If you have a skeptical or resistant audience, it's not effective to go into prosecutor mode. It just invites the other person to bring their best defense attorney to court, and then we're just butting heads and nobody learns or opens their mind or changes anything. I think there are some good alternatives, including motivational interviewing, which is to just say, hey, I'm excited about this change. I'm anticipating some resistance. And I'd love to know what would motivate you to try this? Is there anything that would make it worth considering for you? And then you actually learn what motivates people by interviewing them as opposed to trying to shove your idea down their throats."
Trechos retirados de "Why CEOs Should Think Differently- and Experiment" publicado no WSJ do de 23 de Fevereiro último.
domingo, fevereiro 26, 2023
"Ciência" e certezas
Para quem confunde ciência com certezas absolutas:
"Taking a model literally is not taking a model seriously.
...
Models can be both right, in the sense of expressing a way of thinking about a situation that can generate insight, and at the same time wrong - factually incorrect. Atoms do not consist of little balls orbiting a nucleus, and yet it can be helpful to imagine that they do.
...
Nobel Prize-winning economist Peter Diamond said in his Nobel lecture that to me, taking a model literally is not taking a model seriously'. There are different ways to avoid taking models literally. We do not take either wave or particle theories of light literally, but we do take them both seriously. In economics, some use is made of what are called stylised facts: general principles that are known not to be true in detail but that describe some underlying observed or expected regularity. Examples of stylised fact are 'per-capita economic output (generally) grows over time', or people who go to university (generally) earn more', or in the UK it is (generally) warmer in May than in November'. These stylised facts do not purport to be explanations or to suggest causation, only correlation.
...
We might think of models as being caricatures in the same sense. Inevitably, they emphasise the importance of certain kinds of feature - perhaps those that are the most superficially recognisable - and ignore others entirely.
...
Thinking of models as caricatures helps us to understand how they both generate and help to illustrate, communicate and share insights. Thinking of models as stereotypes hints at the more negative aspects of this dynamic: in constructing this stereotype, what implicit value judgements are being made?
...
Since each model represents only one perspective, there are infinitely many different models for any given situation.
...
When the models fail, you will say that it was a special situation that couldn't have been predicted, but force equals mass times acceleration itself is only correct in a very special set of circumstances. Nancy Cartwright, an American philosopher of science, says that the laws of physics, when they apply, apply only ceteris paribus - with all other things remaining equal. In Model Land, we can make sure that happens. In the real world, though, the ceteris very rarely stay paribus."
Trechos retirados de "Escape from Model Land" de Erica Thompson.
sábado, fevereiro 25, 2023
A janela da desgraça (parte II)
"To understand the right way to get a project done quickly, it's useful to think of a project as being divided into two phases. This is a simplification, but it works: first, planning; second, delivery. The terminology varies by industry-in movies, it's "development and production"; in architecture, "design and construction" - but the basic idea is the same everywhere: Think first, then do.
A project begins with a vision that is, at best, a vague image of the glorious thing the project will become. Planning is pushing the vision to the point where it is sufficiently researched, analyzed, tested, and detailed that we can be confident we have a reliable road map of the way forward.
Most planning is done with computers, paper, and physical models, meaning that planning is relatively cheap and safe. Barring other time pressures, it's fine for planning to be slow. Delivery is another matter. Delivery is when serious money is spent and the project becomes vulnerable as a consequence.
...
Planning is a safe harbor. Delivery is venturing across the storm-tossed seas.
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Put enormous care and effort into planning to ensure that delivery is smooth and swift. Think slow, act fast: That’s the secret of success.
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But "Think slow, act fast" is not how big projects are typically done. "Think fast, act slow" is. The track record of big projects unequivocally shows that."
Isto faz sentido. Contudo, penso logo no perigo da volubilidade de alterações ao âmbito do projecto. Talvez seguir melhor o conselho de Frank Gehri, começar pelo "Why" e nem chegar a abraçar o projecto se o cliente não aceitar as regras do jogo logo à partida.
Trechos retirados de "How Big Things Get Done" de Bent Flyvbjerg
sexta-feira, fevereiro 24, 2023
Podem limpar as mãos à parede
- "Lives of quiet desperation" - Julho de 2020
- "Lives of quiet desperation" (parte II) - Setembro de 2021
- "Lives of quiet desperation" (parte III) - Outubro de 2021
- "Lives of quiet desperation" (parte II) - Janeiro de 2022
- "Lives of quiet desperation" (parte III) - Outubro de 2022
Pena que não veja nem um comentador a retratar-se sobre o que escreveu sobre a empresa estratégica, sobre o know-how, sobre… mais uma ilustração de que a maioria não passa de Sarumans fechados em torres isolados da realidade. Portanto, ignorantes https://t.co/qULsM6omxa
— Carlos P da Cruz 🇺🇦🚜🇳🇱🇬🇪 (@ccz1) February 22, 2023
quinta-feira, fevereiro 23, 2023
Incerteza e riscos, ou oportunidades
"Apesar do recorde de exportações alcançado em 2022, os empresários do calçado e das peles já esperam tempos mais desafiantes para este ano. O piso ainda é escorregadio em várias frentes.1 "Receio de encomendas a longo prazo"Primeiro a pandemia, depois a guerra e, pelo caminho, peças da economia global desalinhadas. Os últimos anos têm sido duros para muitas empresas, mas não impediram o "cluster" do calçado de recuperar rapidamente, com resultados animadores. Só que, no inicio de 2023, o medo ameaça entranhar-se. "As pessoas estão com receio de fazer encomendas a longo prazo", reconhece José Afonso Pontes, fundador da empresa familiar Cruz de Pedra"
Ontem, durante uma viagem de comboio, apanhei em "Strategic Leadership: The Essential Skills":
"THE STORIED BRITISH BANKER and financier Nathan Rothschild noted that great fortunes are made when cannonballs fall in the harbor, not when violins play in the ballroom. Rothschild understood that the more unpredictable the environment, the greater the opportunity if you have the leadership skills to capitalize on it. Through research at the Wharton School and at our consulting firm involving more than 20,000 executives to date, we have identified six skills that, when mastered and used in concert, allow leaders to think strategically and navigate the unknown effectively: the abilities to anticipate, challenge, interpret, decide, align, and learn."
Ainda ontem, numa empresa, repetia que os factores externos do contexto não são intrinsecamente positivos ou negativos. Cada vez me vou convencendo mais e mais de que tudo depende da postura da empresa perante o que acontece.
quarta-feira, fevereiro 22, 2023
O momento anti-Midas
terça-feira, fevereiro 21, 2023
Tudo vai depender do tal jogo de forças (parte VI),
"IT's been a tough year for manufacturers, with supply-chain snags, inflation and fears of a recession. Yet a shocking 95% of manufacturing executives said they were optimistic about the future, according to a recent poll by Forbes, Xometry and Zogby.The nationwide survey of 150 manufacturing executives in late December found that three-fifths (60%) of executives said "the future looks bright," while another one-third (35%) said they "see the light at the end of the tunnel?"
segunda-feira, fevereiro 20, 2023
A janela da desgraça
"Most big projects are not merely at risk of not delivering as promised. Nor are they only at risk of going seriously wrong. They are at risk of going disastrously wrong because their risk is fat-tailed. Against that background, it is interesting to note that the project management literature almost completely ignores systematic study of the fat-tailedness of project risk....smaller projects are susceptible to fat tails, too....major corporations on the hook for runaway projects may be able to keep things going by borrowing more and more money. Governments can also pile up debt. Or raise taxes. But most ordinary folks and small businesses cannot draw on a big stockpile of wealth, run up debt, or raise taxes. If they start a project that hurtles toward the fat tail of the distribution, they will simply be wiped out, giving them even more reason than a corporate executive or government official to take the danger seriously. And that starts by understanding what causes project failure....Projects that fail tend to drag on, while those that succeed zip along and finish. Why is that? Think of the duration of a project as an open window. The longer the duration, the more open the window. The more open the window, the more opportunity for something to crash through and cause trouble, including a big, bad black swan....From the dramatic to the mundane to the trivial, change can rattle or ruin a project—if it occurs during the window of time when the project is ongoing. Solution? Close the window. Of course, a project can’t be completed instantly, so we can’t close the window entirely. But we can make the opening radically smaller by speeding up the project and bringing it to a conclusion faster. That is a main means of reducing risk on any project.In sum, keep it short!"
Como reduzir a janela de oportunidade para a desgraça?
Resposta rápida, simples, mas errada: Começar já, começar depressa.
Continua.
domingo, fevereiro 19, 2023
Um número infinito de nichos
Ao longo dos anos tenho escrito aqui sobre as plataformas e o "não é winner-take-all". Por exemplo:
- “It’s a difficult proposition to be all things to all people, as opposed to doing one thing really well” (Agosto de 2021)
- Estratégia em todo lado - não é winner-take-all (parte IV) (Junho de 2021)
- "Scale vs trust" (Janeiro de 20219)
- Estratégia em todo lado - não é winner-take-all (parte V) (Abril de 2017)
- Estratégia em todo lado - não é winner-take-all (parte IV) (Janeiro de 2017)
“The opposite of broadcast: the distribution economics of the internet favor infinite niches, not one-size-fits-all.”
— Jim O'Shaughnessy (@jposhaughnessy) February 18, 2023
~ David Shields
Um número infinto de nichos ... afinal o que é Mongo? Pois, E porque não somos plankton (parte VII)
sábado, fevereiro 18, 2023
Acerca da produtividade
"Our research found striking variations in productivity among leading and lagging firms within each sector. Manufacturing provides a particularly stark example, where leading firms operate at 5.4 times the productivity of laggards. Academic researchers have documented similar trends in services, particularly information and communications, which show wide disparities between leading firms and the rest.
Not only are productivity disparities within sectors quite wide — they’re also getting wider. Our research shows that in manufacturing, the gap was 25% wider in 2019 than it was in 1989.
...
These productivity gaps also suggest that firms can raise their own ambitions. Doing more with less, or doing more with the same, shows up in corporate income statements as higher margins and stronger revenue growth. And in aggregate, those performance improvements lead to economy-wide changes in productivity.
...
From 1989 to 2019, our research finds a strong correlation between sectors’ productivity growth and their level of digitization.
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Frontier firms go beyond technology investments and also place bets on complementary intangibles such as R&D, intellectual property, and the capabilities of their workforce.
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Frontier firms also disproportionately secure the skilled talent they need to get the most out of technology, either by attracting top talent or by an in-house investment in employee skills.
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Frontier companies are typically system thinkers, looking for opportunities to access new markets or collaborate creatively with stakeholders.
High-performing firms tend to be more connected to global value chains, giving them access to global markets, ideas, and talent. They collaborate with suppliers and customers to form new ecosystems that benefit from agglomeration effects and create shared pools of value."
Trechos retirados de "What the Most Productive Companies Do Differently"
sexta-feira, fevereiro 17, 2023
"Tudo depende do valor (relativo) por que se vendem"
"Não querendo ser redutor, a produtividade - especialmente ao nível empresarial - não está no quanto se produz, mas antes no valor do que se produz. Servir cafés à mesa não tem necessariamente menor produtividade que fabricar BMW. Tudo depende do valor (relativo) por que se vendem [Moi ici: Tão raro encontrar este apelo à aposta no numerador da equação da produtividade] cafés à mesa. Simplisticamente, é uma questão de modelo de negócio! Talvez seja porque em Portugal se dá pouca atenção ao modelo de negócio - i.e. o valor do que se produz - que a mão de obra mais qualificada procura oportunidades na emigração. A nossa sina parece ser a falta de um tecido empresarial que valorize as competências da nova geração, tida como a mais bem formada. [Moi ici: Não sei se será a melhor maneira de colocar o tema. As empresas não existem para dar trabalho, as empresas dão trabalho como instrumento para ganhar dinheiro. O ponto é mais a dificuldade, ou a não necessidade de subir na escala de valor (satisficing) para sobreviver. Só a aposta na subida na escala de valor traz como consequência o recurso a gente com mais competência. Não para fazer caridade, mas por puro interesse próprio] Se a maior realização é encontrada no estrangeiro, o sistema educativo fez um bom serviço. Não há como o negar A questão central talvez seja outra, relacionada com avarias noutros "elevadores sociais" de origem nacional."
Trecho retirado do artigo "Elevadores nacionais" de Álvaro Nascimento e publicado ontem no JdN.
quinta-feira, fevereiro 16, 2023
Fugir do lero-lero
Que questões externas podem afectar a sua empresa em 2023?
Como auditor vejo, como diz um conhecido, "muita conversa para boi dormir", ou como se diz no Twitter, "muito lero-lero". Por isso, achei interessante este artigo, "The 10 Biggest Risks And Threats For Businesses In 2023".
Claro que o que o artigo relata não são riscos, são elementos do contexto externo que se podem concatenar com elementos do contexto interno e fazer emergir alguns riscos. Quando há uma tragédia há os que choram e há os que vendem lenços. O facto das taxas de juro subirem pode ser um risco para um certo tipo de empresas, mas também pode ser uma oportunidade para quem não tenha dívida e trabalhe para um certo tipo de clientes.
"“The raised interest rates will continue to burn working capital for businesses across the economy,” Salvatore Stile, chairman of Alba Wheels Up International, an international shipping and customs clearance company, said via email.
“Because retailers are concerned with consumer demand, they will likely be more cautious in purchasing inventory to prevent over-supply in the retail market,” he predicted.
“This will burden small and medium-sized companies, who will have to be de facto warehouses for the retailers, as they hold products for more extended periods. We expect freight rates to reduce in 2023 when compared to 2022, as demand for overseas goods has reduced across the board,” Stile observed."
Que questões externas determinou? São do mesmo calibre que as relatadas no artigo? Ou são a treta do costume? Louvar o chefe, louvar a equipa, ao estilo miss mundo, dizer que a concorrência é maldosa, dizer que os fornecedores são malandros, e que o governo é a fonte de todos os males.
Como as traduziu em riscos ou oportunidades?
quarta-feira, fevereiro 15, 2023
Cuidado com as burrices!
Lembram-se dos políticos, como Paulo Portas, muito preocupados com as importações e a exortarem as empresas exportadoras a trabalharem para substituir as importações?
- Burrice!
Recordo de 2017 - "Dedicado ao bicicletas" onde escrevi:
"Quando eu era estudante o paradigma era outro. A exportação era para ocupar capacidade residual e, por isso, bastava que pagasse os custos variáveis como recordo aqui."
Frequentemente leio a mesma tolice de Paulo Portas ou do bicicletas, aqui e acolá.
Somos um país pobre com fraco poder de compra, exportamos artigos a um preço mais alto do que o mercado interno pode suportar, e importamos artigos baratos que as empresas nacionais não conseguiriam produzir com lucro. Recordo:
- Live and let live (Fevereiro de 2022)
- Como se pode ser tão burro e cometer sempre os mesmos erros??? (Agosto de 2020)
"Empresas que exportam têm mais capacidade para aumentar lucros do que as que não o fazem. BdP estima que, com exportações, margens preço-custo aumentam entre 1,2% e 2,7%, com destaque para o setor não transformador. Maiores ganhos estão nas atividades científicas, comunicação e construção....As empresas portuguesas que exportam para o exterior conseguem mardens de lucro superiores até 2.7% face às empresas que vendem apenas no mercado nacional. A conclusão é de um estudo do Banco de Portugal (BdP), que indica que as margens de lucro aumentam assim que as empresas iniciam a atividade exportadora"
terça-feira, fevereiro 14, 2023
"but some are useful"
"Distinguishing between Model Land and real world would reduce the sensationalism of some headlines and would also encourage scientific results to clarify more clearly where or whether they are expected to apply to the real world as well.
...
As statistician George Box famously said, 'All models are wrong.' In other words, we will always be able to find ways in which models differ from reality, precisely because they are not reality. We can invalidate, disconfirm or falsify any model by looking for these differences. Because of this, models cannot act as simple hypotheses about the way in which the true system works, to be accepted or rejected.
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Box's aphorism has a second part: "All models are wrong, but some are useful.' Even if we take away any philosophical or mathematical justification, we can of course still observe that many models make useful predictions, which can be used to inform actions in the real world with positive outcomes. Rather than claiming, however, that this gives them some truth value, it may be more appropriate to make the lesser claim that a model has been consistent with observation or adequate for a given purpose. Within the range of the available data, we can assess the substance of this claim and estimate the likelihood of further data points also being consistent.
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The extrapolatory question, of the extent to which it will continue to be consistent with observation outside the range of the available data, is entirely reliant on the subjective judgement of the modeller."
Trechos retirados de "Escape from Model Land" de Erica Thompson.
segunda-feira, fevereiro 13, 2023
Mex-ina
"It was January 2022, and Mr. Chan's company, Man Wah Furniture Manufacturing, was confronting grave challenges in moving sofas from its factories in China to customers in the United States. Shipping prices were skyrocketing. Washington and Beijing were locked in a fierce trade war.
Man Wah, one of China's largest furniture companies, was eager to make its products on the North American side of the Pacific.
"Our main market is the United States," said Mr. Chan, chief executive of Man Wah's Mexico subsidiary. "We don't want to lose that market."
That same objective explains why scores of major Chinese companies are investing aggressively in Mexico, taking advantage of an expansive North American trade deal. [Moi ici: Os pró-Biden demonizam a trumpeconomics, os pró-Trump demonizam tudo o que Biden faz, mas na economia Biden segue e amplia o que Trump fez. Como diz Zeihan México, Estados Unidos e Canadá formam um bloco doméstico] Tracing a path forged by Japanese and South Korean companies, Chinese firms are establishing factories that allow them to label their goods "Made in Mexico," then trucking their products into the United States duty-free.
The interest of Chinese manufacturers in Mexico is part of a broader trend known as nearshoring. International companies are moving production closer to customers to limit their vulnerability to shipping problems and geopolitical tensions." [Moi ici: O movimento é muito mais motivado pela economia do que pela política, em minha opinião. Num mundo mais incerto é cada vez mais racional ter a produção perto do consumo. Claro que a erosão da diferença de custos também ajuda.]
Trecho retirado de "Why Chinese Companies Are Investing Billions in Mexico"
domingo, fevereiro 12, 2023
"issues are left unresolved that will resurface during delivery"
"what’s less well-known is that the Guggenheim Bilbao also set a management standard that very few large projects have attained: It was delivered on time, within just six years, and cost $3 million less than the $100 million budgeted.
...
With such a clearly defined project, another architect may have treated this as a simple choice: either accept or pass. Gehry did neither. Instead, he did what he does with every potential client. He asked questions, starting with the most fundamental: “Why are you doing this project?” [Moi ici: Faz-me recordar as obras que são para a JMJ, ou para a requalificação da zona oriental, ou para ...]
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By starting projects with meaningful questioning, and by carefully listening to the answers, Gehry figures out what the clients really want rather than what they think they want. [Moi ici: Faz-me recordar o "When you get what you want, and not what you need"]
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When prospective clients come to Gehry’s firm, they are walked through the development of past projects so that they understand Gehry’s process. That’s crucial because the discussion to shape the project’s initial conception is not the end of their involvement. It’s the beginning. “Some people aren’t up for it,” notes Lloyd. “It takes a brave person to work with us.”
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Gehry’s process asks much of everyone involved. It also consumes a great deal of time.[Moi ici: Então!? Assim, como conciliar com ajustes directos e a mentalidade do desenrasca? Planear com tempo? Pensar antes de começar a fazer?] For project proponents eager to have something to show for their efforts—and get to the finish line—extended planning can be frustrating, even unnerving. For them, planning is pushing paper, something to get over with. Only digging and building are progress. If you want to get things done, they think, get going.
This sentiment is easy to understand. But it is wrong. When projects are launched without detailed and rigorous plans, issues are left unresolved that will resurface during delivery, causing delays, cost overruns, and breakdowns. A scramble for more time and more money follows, along with efforts to manage the inevitable bad press. With leaders distracted in this manner, the probability of further breakdowns—more scrambling, more delays, more cost overruns—grows. Eventually, a project that started at a sprint becomes a long slog through quicksand." [Moi ici: Este "issues are left unresolved that will resurface during delivery" tem-me acontecido algumas vezes ao longo da vida como consultor. Sou subcontratado por entidade com quem quero ficar bem, mas apanho empresa que não está preparada para o projecto, que quer fazer o projecto sem recursos. O que me salva a sanidade mental é ter ao mesmo tempo outro projecto que com recursos adequados se executa em 5 meses ao lado de dois com mais de 18 meses]
Trechos retirados de "How Frank Gehry Delivers On Time and On Budget" de Bent Flyvbjerg, Dan Gardner na Harvard Business Review (Janeiro 2023)
sábado, fevereiro 11, 2023
"following the science"
Quantas vezes já senti esta suspeita ...
"As I will show, reliance on models for information tends to lead to a kind of accountability gap. Who is responsible if a model makes harmful predictions? The notion of 'following the science becomes a screen behind which both decision-makers and scientists can hide, saying the science says we must do X' in some situations and 'it's only a model' in others. The public are right to be suspicious of the political and social motives behind this kind of dissimulation. Scientists and other authorities must do better at developing and being worthy of trust by making the role of expert judgement much clearer, being transparent about their own backgrounds and interests, and encouraging wider representation of different backgrounds and interests.
...
Taking models literally and failing to account for the gap between Model Land and the real world is a recipe for underestimating risk and suffering the consequences of hubris. Yet throwing models away completely would lose us a lot of clearly valuable information. So how do we navigate the space between these extremes more effectively?"
Trechos retirados de "Escape from Model Land" de Erica Thompson.
sexta-feira, fevereiro 10, 2023
Por que engonhamos tanto?
Aqui no blogue em Abril de 2007 - "Estava escrito nas estrelas ...". Depois, em Abril de 2008 "Um caminho para a farmácia do futuro?" e esta série até Janeiro de 2018 - A farmácia do futuro (parte VII).
Por que engonhamos tanto? Tanta gente a defender o passado, tantos responsáveis com medo de abraçar o futuro. Tanto tempo perdido, tantos recursos desperdiçados, tanta gente prejudicada.