Welcome -

Keen math buffs, and readers of Dan Brown, may recognise this week's headline as the Fibonacci sequence of numbers. Once you know the pattern, it's easy to understand what comes next.

The economy and your business are somewhat more complicated than this sequence, but that doesn't mean there aren't patterns. If you've attended one of our introductory workshops, you will be familiar with the powerful tool Shirlaws has developed which maps all businesses against the Stages of their life-cycle.

Similarly, the material we've been presenting as part of 'Thrive, not Survive', has observed that the general economy usually follows behind the stock market - observing the market can help predict what happens next in the economy.

So my question is, Do you know where your business is right now, as a business and within the economy? And if you don't, would one hour having a coffee and a discussion with a Shirlaws coach be worth finding out?

Stages of a Business

Having worked with more than 2000 businesses and operating out of six countries, Shirlaws knows business as much as we love business. One tool we continue to use is our Stages Framework; after all, every one of those business has mapped along the Feelings path in a predictable manner, and our clients know the value in knowing what comes next.

The CIA can't crack this code

Now here's an organisation that wants to know 'what's next' - the CIA. The fact that they can't crack this code is made maddeningly frustrating by the fact that the code was created for them by a sculptor, and for an installation within the CIA's Virginia complex.

Relevancy, with a buried puzzle inside

I love this story. Turns out that last month the guest editor of Wired magazine (J. J. Abrams) included an interactive puzzle game throughout the issue - without telling readers. In an industry that is hurting more than most, what a great way to prove that 'online content' does not make offline media redundant.

Swine Flu on Google Maps

And lastly another puzzle we'd like to crack, and another cool - and timely - application of new technology. Updated regularly, this map shows where the Swine Flu is spreading, and where it's been confirmed as negative. Experts remind us that this may just be a slightly-worse-than-normal flu, not a pandemic.

Intranet Joke of the Week

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson went on a camping trip. Some hours after falling asleep, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend awake.

"Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."
Watson replied, "I see millions and millions of stars."
"What does that tell you?" Holmes questioned.

Watson pondered for a minute. "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?"
 

Holmes was silent for a minute, then spoke. "Watson, you're an idiot. Someone has stolen our tent."

Until next week,

Jacob Aldridge and the Shirlaws Team

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