My very first Blog...
My name is Craig Chance (Chancey by nickname) and this is my first ever 'real' blog.
I hope you enjoy reading my ramblings but to be honest this is more of one-way street where I get to regurgitate the things on my mind and read them later to see if I was onto something or just in one of my notorious moods.
If you enjoy reading this, it was not my intention nor is it my objection :)
A little about myself... for context...
Let's get the obligatory stuff out of the way first. I grew up mostly working class on a council estate and now live with my small family in Hampshire, England. I am a qualified Economist (Degree from Portsmouth University) who works as a Senior Account Director for a large global technology company.
I have a range of interests but most of them tend to centre around the human condition. I find the psychology of individuals and groups fascinating. Sport, in particular, is a fitting arena to observe these dynamic social interactions which is why I spend a lot of time watching and partaking in most sports - although I don’t claim to be good at many of them! I have played Football and Rugby most of my life -in various degrees of competition- and I firmly believe that those experiences have had a very positive impact on my life and have greatly shaped my character.
Leadership (not in the formal guise) and Collaboration are also two things that I spend a lot of time thinking about. We live in a very connected world with endless possibilities for collaboration and creativity. Leadership is a very impactful skill that can lead to great accomplishments in business, politics, creation and sport but it is also a skill that has to evolve with time, cultural changes and the introduction of new technologies. Most formal leaders (particularly in business and politics) struggle with change -because of the risk it represents to their invested position- which is why I am more interested in the informal aspect of leadership and the effect it has on our ability to invent, create and improve lives around the world.
This brings me nicely onto Technology. I don’t find the workings of Technology itself the most interesting aspect of Technology (although this is cool too). It is the application of technology and the results of that application on everyday people’s lives that I find most intriguing. I am somewhat of a technology guinea pig myself and use all manner of devices to collect information, automate tasks and to provide feedback on my activities (business, sport, health, nutrition, etc). I like to think that I have a good relationship with technology and that I generally use it to enhance my life rather than take over it! You should probably get my wife’s opinion on this first before taking that to the bank!
Finally, I should probably tell you about my wonderfully supportive family. I am married to a teacher by the name of Louise who has the patience of a saint and if a scientific study was conducted on her genetic make-up they would conclude that she is made entirely of happiness. At the time of writing this blog, we have a daughter by the name of Amelie and dog by the name of Winston. We love spending time together outdoors, usually walking Winston in the woods or taking Amélie to the park. My mother, my sister and my in-laws also live nearby in Waterlooville - but they probably wish they didn't with the amount we lean on them for help with Amelie and Winston (the emphasis being on Winston here - a 35 kg chocolate Labrador with more energy than a Warp reactor and less-self control than new-born baby).
So, you can probably predict -from the above- that my blog will make relatively eclectic reading (putting it politely).
Next Post: likely to be about the new Nike+ Fuelband that I have just started using or Winston's penchant for eating his own poo and discarded pot noodles.
Take Care!
Chancey
I hope you enjoy reading my ramblings but to be honest this is more of one-way street where I get to regurgitate the things on my mind and read them later to see if I was onto something or just in one of my notorious moods.
If you enjoy reading this, it was not my intention nor is it my objection :)
A little about myself... for context...
Let's get the obligatory stuff out of the way first. I grew up mostly working class on a council estate and now live with my small family in Hampshire, England. I am a qualified Economist (Degree from Portsmouth University) who works as a Senior Account Director for a large global technology company.
I have a range of interests but most of them tend to centre around the human condition. I find the psychology of individuals and groups fascinating. Sport, in particular, is a fitting arena to observe these dynamic social interactions which is why I spend a lot of time watching and partaking in most sports - although I don’t claim to be good at many of them! I have played Football and Rugby most of my life -in various degrees of competition- and I firmly believe that those experiences have had a very positive impact on my life and have greatly shaped my character.
Leadership (not in the formal guise) and Collaboration are also two things that I spend a lot of time thinking about. We live in a very connected world with endless possibilities for collaboration and creativity. Leadership is a very impactful skill that can lead to great accomplishments in business, politics, creation and sport but it is also a skill that has to evolve with time, cultural changes and the introduction of new technologies. Most formal leaders (particularly in business and politics) struggle with change -because of the risk it represents to their invested position- which is why I am more interested in the informal aspect of leadership and the effect it has on our ability to invent, create and improve lives around the world.
This brings me nicely onto Technology. I don’t find the workings of Technology itself the most interesting aspect of Technology (although this is cool too). It is the application of technology and the results of that application on everyday people’s lives that I find most intriguing. I am somewhat of a technology guinea pig myself and use all manner of devices to collect information, automate tasks and to provide feedback on my activities (business, sport, health, nutrition, etc). I like to think that I have a good relationship with technology and that I generally use it to enhance my life rather than take over it! You should probably get my wife’s opinion on this first before taking that to the bank!
Finally, I should probably tell you about my wonderfully supportive family. I am married to a teacher by the name of Louise who has the patience of a saint and if a scientific study was conducted on her genetic make-up they would conclude that she is made entirely of happiness. At the time of writing this blog, we have a daughter by the name of Amelie and dog by the name of Winston. We love spending time together outdoors, usually walking Winston in the woods or taking Amélie to the park. My mother, my sister and my in-laws also live nearby in Waterlooville - but they probably wish they didn't with the amount we lean on them for help with Amelie and Winston (the emphasis being on Winston here - a 35 kg chocolate Labrador with more energy than a Warp reactor and less-self control than new-born baby).
So, you can probably predict -from the above- that my blog will make relatively eclectic reading (putting it politely).
Next Post: likely to be about the new Nike+ Fuelband that I have just started using or Winston's penchant for eating his own poo and discarded pot noodles.
Take Care!
Chancey
The books I wanted to recommend: The Master & His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist & Human Instinct by Robert Winston. Not that it was your purpose but I have enjoyed reading :)
ReplyDeletenow on the 'Kindle' reading list :)
ReplyDelete