Delivering a Healthy Scotland

The Beardmore Hotel in Clydebank was the site of the final Masterclass for the third cohort of NHS leaders on the Delivery through Leadership programme. The programme directed by Hazel Mackenzie uses masterclasses, coaches and action learning to transform senior NHS managers into leaders who make it happen. Professor Eddie Obeng ran the final masterclass on Delivering the Future. This very practical session covered many of the challenges of real leadership in the NHS

How do Germans Finnish in Namibia?

By launching business innovation. Jon Foster-Pedley has been invited to be a visiting Professor at the new Namibian Business Innovation Centre. The Namibian government has a particular interest in creativity and innovation and has assembled a multinational team to grapple with the issues and ensure it is well designed and executed. The initiative is being funded by Finnish and German Aid Funds. Jon's role will be to advise on creativity and innovation - so they should not have a shortage of R.A.B.B.I.T.s there then!

Welcome to World After Midnight

Pentacle has just released a short 9 minute video clip which will change your perception of the world around you. It will explain why no one saw the credit crunch coming, why we have such difficulty aligning to stop climate change and why you are having to work so hard... With thought provoking comments and humour take a second look at the world we really live in... View here There is also a supporting website at http://worldaftermidnight.com/

Inspiring Dragons to Lead to Results

The packed 250-seat arena at the University of Wales Newport was host to Lead On 2008. Over the course of the day Managers and Entrepreneurs from across Wales were challenged, inspired, provoked and allowed to network, in an event sponsored by the Wales Management Council and chaired by Christopher Ward CEO. Introduced by a member of the Welsh Assembly, Eddie Obeng delivered the first keynote on Leading to Results. Within minutes it was obvious to all present that he himself had been inspired by dragons. Over 45 minutes, he put the current financial crisis firmly in its place as a simple 'event' in a bigger pattern of change. He then went on to explain how to deliver results in our world which changes faster than we can learn. He used a short story about a money making machine shop to demonstrate how to set clear priorities in the health service and other public bodies. The session became more and more interactive as the dragons stirred and demonstrated their determination to learn to lead like never before. Eddie furiously drew and scribbled (his notes are here). Together with the Eddie, the participants went on to explore how they could lead through their behaviour, emotions, actions and thinking. No sleeping dragon was left to lie.

Mr Bean smashes the glass barriers to strategy at Pilkington

Pilkington Executives were treated to a challenging session on what 'Strategy' means in the current turbulent times. Starting by referring to Porter and other traditional strategists as 'old fellows', Christophe Gillet led a romp through ideas and modern practice. He pointed out that less than 5% of 1950's Fortune 500 are discrete entities today and then went on to explain what differentiates Old and New World strategy. He illustrated the need to focus on strategic events (irreversible and organisation wide) rather than strategy, by describing the antics of Mr Bean ending with an explanation of how all trade comes from what he termed a 'misunderstanding of value'.

Nero still fiddling

Weaving a future which suits us best.

In a 50 minute 'tour de force' Eddie Obeng completed the round of speakers which included former German Chancellor Schroeder and the Prime Minister at the Turkish Textile Employers Association Conference, Marti Hotel Antalya. Eddie's presentation on Thriving by Making sense of the future covered all the New World fundamentals. He took time to explain how to apply the New world rules such as chunking - to manage uncertainty, going virtual - to give emerging societies and economies a level playing field with the rest of the world and Stakeholders rule! OK. as a way of identifying customer led business innovation in a demanding environment. The conference which concentrated on Globalisation, Energy and the current Financial crisis was well attended and reported on CNN Turk along with an interview by Professor Obeng

Conduire un changement d'organisation à l'échelle européenne

Comment faire aboutir un projet de changement d'organisation à l'échelle européenne dans un grand groupe international tel que Johnson &Johnson ?
Comment engager la totalité des parties prenantes pour assurer l'aboutissement du projet ?
Telles étaient les questions auxquelles Johnson &Johnson a répondu en organisant un séminaire dans le cadre prestigieux du Chateauform de Faverges-de-la-Tour.
Animés par Denis Rieu, un travail en profondeur sur les différentes dimensions du changement et ses aspects émotionnels puis un retour sur le projet en cours, ont permis de répondre aux attentes de tous.
Dans un ambiance conviviale, faite de discussions et d'échanges les participants ont pu enrichir leur perception du projet et le replacer dans la dynamique du monde complexe dans lequel nous évoluons. Ils sont repartis avec des outils pratiques et pragmatiques pour eux mêmes et leurs équipes.

Flattery or Fashion at the Cutting Edge?

Do you notice any similarity between the new Pentacle Navigator and a younger but larger organisation? Amazing how lightning strikes several times in the same place. I guess that's what animated the primordial soup....

Totally Absorbed

Christophe Gillet and Denis Rieu rolled out their new design of the innovative Experienced Manager's program in Strasbourg for one of the world's leading energy companies. Over the course of a week the participants had a chance to learn about the global economy from Jean-Francois Richard formerly of the World Bank, Yves Henry award winning pianist on Music and Leadership, emeritus Professor Youssef Bissada and Hoda Bissada, and an amazing string of the Pentacle Team
One participant was overheard to remark, " It seems that you have assembled only geniuses to teach this course!" The participants were totally absorbed
The course was developed in close partnership with the client. The teaching rules were no death by powerpoint, real pragmatic stuff and participation.

Doh! Learning Transforms the Future... not the Past

Words of wisdom from a key character from The Simpsons cartoon series. Pale-ed (aka David Lomas) got the message to Project managers from the Open University Estates Department at Burke Lodge Beaconsfield UK. It is pretty common for people in organisations with a public sector bias to have missed the big transition to the New World and as a result to assume that what has been will always be. David charmed the group with a clear rendition of the Project Type Blues in a style similar to that of one of his neighbours Homer.

Big smile melts the hearts of of hard project managers

Project managers from The Open University Estates department are used to delivering tough projects. From security, through new offices to IT infrastructure all these must be delivered to a highly challenging stakeholder base. Michael Anaman worked closely with 18 of them at The Virtual Business school demonstrating through his warm approachable manner in small group work how to gain commitment from the toughest and most cynical of stakeholders

Stopping the Indians turn into Cowboys

Doing business should be simple. If you want the supplier's product or service more than you want your money, and they want your money more than they want their product, then everyone comes away happy.
But this can also be hard work, and shortcuts that economise with sound ethics can look appealing, especially when business is growing at over 20%.
Will Stevens was in Mumbai last month, spending time helping young salespeople in Dow Chemicals adopt sound principles of selling that conform with honest values, and turn these into winning traits. Working with over 30 managers and sellers, Will took them on a journey to understand how people buy, how decisions are made, how to communicate an accurate and compelling business case, and how to make sure that both supplier's and customer's interests are served in a business relationship.
"...great learning experience for getting to know more about strategic selling." "...gave a thorough insight on various buying influences and their perspectives." "...the instructor was very motivating and encouraging."
This was Will's second trip to India this year. He came across no cowboys, but did eat lots of curry.

Sleeping Volcano Showers Actuaries with Sparks

In spite of having had only a couple of hours sleep because of ATC problems at Heathrow, Eddie Obeng closed the Institute of Actuaries 2008 GIRO Conference in Sorrento, across the bay from Vesuvius, with a series of loud bangs and flashes! The five hundred strong audience of leading actuaries were challenged to look at the world through 'New World' eyes. Eddie's presentation covered the basic drivers of the 'credit crunch,' the impact of climate change and the need for new thinking and leadership. the tripple whammy of; pace of change> learning, interaction>movement and emergence>linearity. "In a world which changes faster than we can learn, what do we need to do differently?" he asked. He introduced them to Karl Fisch's "Did you know?" video, challenged them to develop non-linear models to match the reality of our complex world

How Project Management Saved the World

At the Project Expo in Olympia London the worlds leading project event, UK delegates were treated to a very, very high speed presentation on how to deliver 'perfect projects' interlaced with an explanation of global change, environmental challenge and financial crises. Explaining that, "a speech never implemented anything", Eddie Obeng got the delegates chatting amongst themselves animatedly. He also told the now famous 'Alien Story.' After the session there was a rush for the stall selling copies of the New World Book series - All Change (listen to mpeg)and The Complete Leader (see video) proved the most popular

Rank and Xerox merge!

Well not really. Only within Pentacle. Eddie Obeng's diary told the story of two sequential events. One with Rank - now one the world's most formidable gaming businesses, with several channels to market from casino's, through bingo halls, to online offerings. The breadth and depth of understanding of the gaming market is quite awesome. The next was another world. A conference for Xerox in Barcelona, where Eddie delivered three keynote sessions to audiences fascinated by the new addition to Xerox's iGen family of printers - the iGen4. Eddie explained how he had recently used online publishing to produce his most recent book The Complete Leader and how being allowed the flexibility to produce just one copy of a high quality colour book opened up the opportunities available - from customised versions for specific clients, to versions finished with the notes from a specific course. He explained the NewWorld rules, 'do nothing of no use' and 'chunk it or junk it!'

Show & Tell and Wow the Audience

Eddie Obeng has been wowing audiences around the globe during his three month, pre-sales trial of the newest and coolest gadget, PaperShow from Oxford. Using a bluetooth enabled pen and a pad of specially printed paper he has worked audiences at events as diverse as Xerox iGen4 Conference in Barcelona, the Desmond Tutu African Leadership Foundation and the International Association of Conference Centres in Warwick . The kit allows him to get up close and personal, often even sitting in the audience to drive his dynamic interactive presentation. And then he put it to use in the office by illustrating a thought leadership article he was writing on Service Innovation. If you haven't put your name on the waiting list do so NOW. You can register at http://writeitshowit.com/ and quote the code UK008 so that they know where you heard about it. There's more noise about this by other bloggers

Do a million Glances make a stare?

Pentacle has received the accolade of having hosted the millionth session on Glance.net. Glance which allows easy remote desktop sharing has been a staple tool for virtual working at Pentacle for five years It is used for internal meetings, on-line coaching of course delegates, new client sales conferences and perhaps most well known the Inspiration Monthlies.
In future we're just going to have to stare.

Service Innovation - Formlessness follows Free thought

Form Follows Function has been a designer's mantra for decades. But what if the 'thing' being designed has no structure and instead is the journey of a customer:- the meandering, emotional rises and falls experienced by a customer who comes into contact with your organisation? Professor Colin Burns will lead an exciting session on the 18th of September. This Inspiration Monthly will explore how to extend the role of innovation to reinvent service delivery.

It will be a journey to remember. Find out more. Register now

Dodgy Deals?

In collaboration with the World's No 1 Ranked Executive training outfit, Duke Corporate Education, Pentacle has been working to help the 'Tiger' deal makers at Shell even more effective. Eddie Obeng's i2o (Integrate to Operate) session featured the key New World frameworks of CradleGraveTM OpenChainTM and the famous PackOfDealsTM Typology model

Growing the Pentacle Network

First rain, then sun then a deluge over the 'Growing the Pentacle Network' weekend at Pentacle UK. The virtual guests, Denis Rieu, Will Stevens, Jon Foster Pedley and Christophe Gillet brought the sessions to life with their descriptions of various aspects of life in Pentacle. This introductory session covered Pentacle staples for diagnosis, teaching and facilitating. Hopes&FearsTM led on to Killing aliens and FixItNowTM by BlowingBubblesTM through Foggy Projects to learn how to CO.A.C.H.TM .

The new members of Team5 learnt all about the customer's Learning2TransformTM journey whilst on their own transformational journey.

If you can't get your point accross... Shout!

Do you want to watch Eddie Obeng shouting about Rabbits?

Brighton Rocks!

500 Technical Managers from American Express gathered at the Metropole Hotel in Brighton to discover they were the talent of the future. Prof Eddie Obeng's one hour on "Enabling Business Growth" was described as 'refreshing, powerful and motivational' and the delegates 'appreciated the different perspectives offered which cut through to the real issues in the workplace with great humour and energy'

Leading to results...

The Complete Leader ...Latest from Eddie Obeng & Christophe Gillet Laced with Humour... Scottish Leadership Foundation A pragmatic approach... Danone Brilliantly Different... Dorset Police Practical, applicable. relevant... Lexmark ADD TO BASKET Published by London Business Press

The Future is a Blank So Use The Right Printer

Lexmark the global printing giant have turned to Pentacle to help to boost the leadership of it's major change program. 30 managers from across Europe are spending time at The Virtual Business School UK

Learning2Transform?

Learning2TransformTM New solutions for a complex world - in a box! Pentacle's L2T product is becoming more and more popular. designed to provide all the great Pentacle tools like StickyStepsTM and new world concepts such as The R.A.B.B.I.T.TM model in a targeted and manageable way to large and medium sized organisations L2T will in time transform how consultancy and business management courses are delivered accross the world Read more

Inspiration? Monthly...

Want to keep up with the latest NewWorld Thinking? Join us at an 'Inspiration Monthly'...Every Third Thursday of the Month New World Thinkers and Practitioners meet up to share the latest thinking why don't you join us from 18:00 UK - 20:00 UK

Web: Register for Inspiration Monthly

Lost the ability to think for yourself?

Pentacle in the Media
Lost the ability to think for yourself?

Pentacle takes B-Schools by storm

Over the past month Christophe Gillet has been demonstrating Pentacle's thought leadership position in a series of sessions at CEDEP, HENLEY and ESC. The topic to shake them up? Innovation more....

Ever asked yourself "How do I...?"

Well now the answers are available from the new SolutionGuide and WorkPad portals...More answers to questions than you can shake a stick at! We have been collecting the questions asked in teaching sessions and now have written up answers and provided WorkPads for the most popular Click here

Best Practice Showcase and beyond

Eddie Obeng was the lunchtime keynote speaker to 750 of the most knowledge hungry programme project and change managers around who attended the Conference at the London Hilton Metropole They were definitely hungry because the lunchtime keynote was sandwiched between their first course and dessert! They heard Eddie speak about subjects as diverse as the "anxiety gap" through to learning about "risk management" from extra terrestrials. He finished off Eddie's Project Survey Map a guide to prevent project managers getting lost in their projects, More.....

New Rules for New Emerging markets - Eddie's Cornerstone book now in Chinese

Get a great deal on New Rules for the New World Eddie Obeng's classic on how and why great strategies and plans never deliver as planned, is available to you if you have the right language skills - Chinese
Click here for the more...

Double Decker or Double Act?

When your team needs revitalising in the face of a publicity onslaught who are you going to call? No not the Ghostbusters but the Obeng and Gillet Double Act!
The A380 freightliner team were subjected to two days of provocation, inspiration and education by Eddie and Christophe.

Meet the World

Collaborating with de Baak in the Netherlands Eddie Obeng provided the Keynote to their global celebration. Portrayed WITH "Dreadlocks" folliclely challenged Obeng provided the virtual fireworks to energise the event. 'Rastaman education, Yeah!' by the Prof.

More...Podcast of interview About the event

Great Relationships ... at a distance!

Pentacle's Will Stevens continues his record of great applied training for Cadburys with his latest offering on Relationship Management - the twist was to deliver the training completely virtually. Many said it couldn't be done but with patience (with the technology) and dedication Will did it! Participants commented on what a new but extremely useful experience it had been. Will's work demonstrates how one of the UK's Most Admired Companies should have on its products a Pentacle Inside icon!

London Develops Creatively

AndyBurnett has proved that small businesses - can beat the big boys at creativity. Through a lively session he helped participants at an event sponsored by The LDA and London Innovation
Listen to the webcast

Virtual Working or Virtually Working?

Pentacle's Christophe Gillet snapped at work.
How many computers?

Design Your Business

David Kester CEO of the Design Council is passionate about transforming UK business through good design. However at the heart of the Council's organisation is a classic Pentacle Design - the OrganoWebTM. Pentacle's framework for ensuring that you 'never have to reorganise again because the focus, flexibility and joined-up leadership modern organisations need is at the heart of the OrganoWebTM

Success Manufactured!

The Success Factory is again helping up and coming Industry Leaders to take on board real challenges in 3rd party charities. Graham Wilson and Eddie Obeng kicked the programme off at the Factory in Cheshire More...

Partners learn about C21st Management

June Sebly of Henley Business School kicked off the session to 30 learning partners who had gathered to explore and understand more about what the challenges and solutions or the 21st century were More...

Tosca builds Trust

Eddie Obeng joined a consortium from Cisco, Unilever, Zurich and many other top companies in their exploration of how trust influences business performance

Not the Royal Academy!

The Royal Mail Academy Pentacle has been involved in helping the project team for get up and running

Project management in 21st Century - go to Delphi!

Oracle and Pentacle have begun a collaboration through Project Delphi to develop the VERY BEST REAL LIFE working approach to project management for this new century If you missed the webcast on 2 March you can download the interview here or at the Oracle Website join us on 19th May for on for a morning seminar entitled Using C21st Project Management to Improve IT Performance
Peter Sparrow
View Presentation

Rotten Apple Spoils the Barrel!

Building Reputations and Avoiding Risk in the Financial Services industryChristophe Gillet, Prof. Stephen Lee Will Stevens and Eddie Obeng explore the Pentacle Wave and Alien model in getting the message across at Barclaycard. Delegates on the Barclaycard Risk & Reputation Module of the Leadership Essentials programme sharing learning

NHS Scotland leads the way in 'New World care

Leading into no smoking day Andy Kerr MSP opened the Change convention at the Glasgow SECC with a dynamic presentation on the priorities and progress which had been made in Scotland by the NHS. His presentation ended with an upbeat video of the changes and improvements which have been made over the past few years. The session Chaired By Kevin Wood Head of CEO of NHS Scotland was was followed by a plenary session by Professor Obeng to the packed theatre

Best and Growing

Dobbies Garden Centres have achieved the reputation for being the best and are learning with Pentacle how to avoid the growing pains with which they are being rewarded

Playing at making money?

The popular Pentacle Money Making Machine simulation is now down loadable from the Pentacle Works Shop Try the 3Day Version Now!

There is also a Free Screen saver to remind you all day everyday about your Money Making Machine Available here...

Gibraltar Rocks

Change is always in the air - Eddie Obeng joined with the Commander of British Forces and his staff in a seminar on building partnerships for change. A surprise visit by the Chief Minister Peter Caruna and the leader of the opposition added to the relevance of the day

All Change in the NHS

Christophe Gillet helps Medical Management to produce practical tools
Read Article

Project Trouble

Eddie Obeng is still causing trouble at PMI read more...

The Sweet Taste of Success with Business Growth Projects!

Danisco the world leading sweetener and food ingredients company has approved 5 out of 6 of this years' business growth projects. The projects are part of the DIMP Danisco International Manager's Programme designed and Run by the Pentacle team. Last time the Growth projects drove significant profitability in India, China, through new technology and virtual working.
Particular highlights of this year's course were Khalid Aziz and Luc Volatier.
The Programme is sponsored by Alf-Durch Petersen.
Tom Knudsen CEO designate spends time with the participants.

Fourth comedian is not so funny

When Rank Gaming decided to focus it's central services they turned to Eddie Obeng to work with them in Wales . The session was rounded off by three well known comedians

2nd Inspiration Evening in the Netherlands

Did you miss the first inspiration evening? Shame! Shell, Heineken, ABN Amro Akzo Nobel Bausch and Lomb and many others turned up to support the Launch of the Pentacle RABBIT model by Christophe Gillet Hans Le Fever and Eddie Obeng
Read More (re-)Live the Experience there

Pentacle helps launch Staff Development Festival at Leeds Met University

The launch of the Staff Development Festival began with guest speaker Dr Eddie Obeng, Learning Director of Pentacle the Virtual Business School, described as one of the world’s best e-learning businesses. Eddie captivated listeners at the Launch on Wednesday afternoon sharing his knowledge and tips for success in the workplace.

Entertainment? No - Real Innovation!

The audience at Cognis in Germany were electrified as Pentacle's Christophe Gillet with his cordless microphone headset strutted his 'funky innovation stuff' on stage virtually. Eat your heart out Madonna!

Laid Back or Forward Thinking?

Professor Colin Burns, ex CEO of IDEO Europe and now a core team member of Pentacle helps Innovation Champions from Allianz build their capability to 'sparq' innovation. By watching each other eat yoghurt, gaining insights from holiday albums and a host of other techniques the champions have been equipped to lead innovation at one of the worlds largest - and soon to be most innovative insurance companies. More...
Take a look at Pentacle Inspiration Spaces Download a BrochureReserve an Inspiration Space for your team

Organisation follows Incubation

The worlds fastest Foods group Danone, famous spent last year translating Pentacle's R.A.B.B.I.T. model for innovation into Incubator Projects. This year Prof. Eddie Obeng used a session in the a lovely Chateau d'Esclimot 30 minutes from Paris to explain how to maintain autonomy and flexibility and build even greater speed and alignment. More...