Wait & Speak Podcast

#11 Special episode - Karate as a martial art: Lessons for life & business

I spoke with Senseis Lars Niehaus and Stephan Steyn about karate as a martial art. The discussion covered the purpose and development of karate, the focus of traditional karate, the guiding principles of karate (dojo kun), advice for parents and adult beginners, what it takes to be a good karateka and much more!

Sensei Lars Bio: I started karate in or about September 1981 while studying at University in Pietermaritzburg.  I joined the university karate club which was headed up by an instructor called Peter Schoerie who, in turn fell under Sensei Rob Ferriere. My introduction into the martial (and fighting) arts began at age 8 or 9 when my late father, a judoka, took me to boxing at the Hugenote Amateur Boxing Club under the tutelage of the late “Oom” Naas Botes.  Oom Naas was a very strict and hard taskmaster but he loved his boys and taught us good values.  The club was (and still is) situated at the Brixton Recreation Centre in south-western Johannesburg.  I loved boxing.

It was during this time that I met Sensei Stan Schmidt at the home of some boyhood friends of mine.  Their father was also a judoka. It was then that the seed was planted that I wanted to do karate and remain involved in the fighting arts scene for the rest of my life. I had no idea how I would get there or anything like that, but I just knew it would happen.  Why I stopped boxing (something I was very upset about) is because I had to go to boarding school in Kwa-Zulu Natal at the age of 11. Fast forward to sometime during 1981 and the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Pietermaritzburg Law Library – I was sitting next to another guy studying.  During a short break, we introduced ourselves to one another and he turned out to be Peter Schoerie.  For some reason, the conversation turned to fighting and karate.  I told him that I wanted to start karate and had no idea where.  He told me he was the one to talk to and that is where my karate career started.

I was terrible at the beginning.  In fact, when it came time to attempt my grade for 8th kyu (yellow belt) a few months later, Sensei Rob Ferriere – who scared the hell out of me with his Mexican Zapata-style moustache and French-Mauritian accent – I failed.  Sensei Rob’s comment “not ready yet…”. I did soldier on and, subsequent to moving to Johannesburg and being told by the late Sensei Derrick Geyer to report to the morning class (Sensei Stan Schmidt’s Early Birds class) while I was still a purple belt in 1986, I attained the rank of shodan (first dan) in March 1987. I have continued training over the years and currently hold the rank of Godan (fifth dan) and run my own dojo (school) in Rivonia, northern Johannesburg.

Sensei Stephan Bio: Stephan is a Japanese registered 4th Dan (Yondan) instructor in the World Shotokan Karate-do Federation with both national and international competition experience. His karate career spans over 26 years of training with top class senior Shotokan instructors. Highlights of the almost three decades include Shodan grading at the age of 16 (Malcolm Dorfman Sensei), representing South Africa at the KWF World Championships in Norway (2009), being part of the Student National WKF team competing at the student World championships in Slovakia (2012) and receiving Yondan from Hitoshi Kasuya Sensei in 2016.  Stephan teaches at their Potchefstroom dojo with his wife, also a Yondan instructor. They believe in not only teaching the physical aspects of karate but also the use of karate principles to improve each student's abilities and the application of these principles in all areas of life.

The dojo kun (training hall rules) - Guiding Principles of Karate:

1) Character

Hitotsu, jinkaku kansei ni tsutomeru koto

Strive for the perfection of character

2) Sincerity

Hitotsu, makoto no michi wo mamoru koto

Protect the way of the truth

3) Effort

Hitotsu, doryoku no seishin wo yashinau koto

Foster the effort of spirit

4) Etiquette

Hitotsu, reigi wo omonzuru koto 

Respect the principles of etiquette

5) Self control

Hitotsu, kekki no yū wo imashimuru koto

Guard against impetuous courage

“Karate is in your head”- Sensei Rob Ferriere: Some reading on psychology and getting into the “zone”:

Karageorghis, C. I., & Terry, P. C. (2011). Inside sport psychology. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Evans, C. (2019). Perform Under Pressure. HarperCollins.

YouTube resource:

Jesse Enkamp: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRIeMHsEdzA9RroG19kXdYg

 

#10 Antibiotic resistance: crisis or opportunity?

I spoke with Stephan Steyn about antibiotic resistance.

Stephan is a qualified pharmacist with a PhD in pharmacological neuroscience. Stephan is a senior lecturer in Pharmacology at North-West University, Potchefstroom. His research interests include the lasting effects of early-life, central-acting treatment strategies and the role that mitochondrial function plays in these effects. Being a karateka for more than two decades, Stephan has incorporated the discipline of karate into his professional life, making him critical of his own performance, always willing to learn from others, broaden his knowledge and improve his skillset.

Context for this episode:

Antibiotics are a core tool of modern medicine. However, the emergence of antibiotic resistance is a growing concern. According to the World Health Organisation, antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development. A growing number of infections are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used in treatments become less effective. This resistance leads to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs and increased mortality.

Further background:

Ted Talk: Maryn McKenna: What do we do when antibiotics don’t work anymore? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3oDpCb7VqI&feature=youtu.be

Trafton, A., (2020). Artificial intelligence yields new antibiotic - A deep-learning model identifies a powerful new drug that can kill many species of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. MIT News Office: http://news.mit.edu/2020/artificial-intelligence-identifies-new-antibiotic-0220

Yeh, Y. C., Huang, T. H., Yang, S. C., Chen, C. C., & Fang, J. Y. (2020). Nano-Based Drug Delivery or Targeting to Eradicate Bacteria for Infection Mitigation: A Review of Recent Advances. Frontiers in Chemistry, 8, 286. https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2020.00286

The South African Antibiotic Stewardship Programme: https://www.fidssa.co.za/SAASP

 

Disclaimer: Please note that this discussion is for information purposes only and it does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor for any medical advice you may need.

#9 Applied Systems Thinking

I spoke with Dr Lize Barclay about applied systems thinking. We touched on: systems thinking as a lens to look at the world and specifically for decision making, mental models, complicated vs. complex systems, key systems thinking tools, how to practice your systems thinking skills, the links with design thinking and futures studies, as well as gaming simulation.

Lize studies emerging issues, trends and alternative future scenarios for business, places and spaces and map paths to adapt in order to thrive and not merely survive, often through simulations and gaming.

On the 1st of December 2017 Lize joined the University of Stellenbosch Business School as Senior Lecturer in Futures Studies and Systems Thinking. Her current research explores gaming, cyberpunk, gentrification, hipster culture, gender, the 4th Industrial Revolution and indigenous knowledge systems. Previously she spent 12 years as lecturer in Town and Regional Planning.

She has a PhD in Town and Regional Planning with a focus on the use of scenario-based gaming simulation in higher education. Lize has 7 years’ experience working for local and provincial government, predominantly in Forward Planning.

She also runs a boutique consultancy called Question Unknown Infinity.

Further reading:

• The Systems Thinker - https://thesystemsthinker.com/
• What are mental models? - https://thesystemsthinker.com/what-are-mental-models/
• 15 Systems Thinking Guidelines to Live in a World of Uncertainty - https://medium.com/constraint-drives-creativity/15-systems-thinking-guidelines-to-live-in-a-world-of-uncertainty-b07d5a478e6

Recommended books:

• Senge, P. M. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York: Doubleday/Currency.
• Meadows, D. H. (2008). Thinking in systems: a primer. London: Chelsea Green Publishing

#8 The Rise of Behavioural Economics

I spoke to Maura Feddersen about behavioural economics. We discussed the field’s growing relevance and practical applications, behavioural economics frameworks, opportunities to use big data, the use of “nudging” and the broader ethical considerations, especially for policy interventions.

Maura is an economist at Swiss Re, focused on behavioural economics. She develops solutions that enhance prediction and improve the value that insurance offers consumers. Before joining Swiss Re, Maura was a behavioural economist at the UK's Financial Conduct Authority. Maura's background is in economic consulting. At PwC's Strategy& and KPMG's Financial Risk Management practice, Maura developed economic and behavioural science insights to help organisations position themselves strategically in view of continuous shifts in their environment

 

Defining behavioural economics: “An approach to economic analysis that incorporates psychological insights into individual behaviour to explain economic decisions. Behavioural economics is motivated by the observation of anomalies that cannot be explained by standard models of choice. It provides an explanation for the anomalies by introducing human and social cognitive and emotional biases into the decision-making process.” See Oxford Reference.

 

Navigating ethical considerations:

• Sunstein, C. (2016). The Ethics of Influence: Government in the Age of Behavioral Science. Cambridge University Press.
• Lades, L., & Delaney, L. (2020). Nudge FORGOOD. Behavioural Public Policy, 1-20.
• Jachimowicz, J., Matz, S. & Polonski, V. (2017). The Behavioral Scientist's Ethics Checklist. The Behavioural Scientist.

 

Frameworks & models:

• EAST framework by Behavioural Insights Team: This model for behaviour change suggests making actions Easy, Attractive, Social and Timely (EAST) through a 4-step process: 1. Define the outcome, 2. Understand the context, 3. Build your intervention, and 4. Test, learn, adapt. Also see MINDSPACE.
• Dual-system theory: “Dual-system models of the human mind contrast automatic, fast, and non-conscious (System 1) with controlled, slow, and conscious (System 2) thinking.”
• COM-B model: The COM-B model ('capability', 'opportunity', 'motivation' and 'behaviour') recognises that behaviour is part of an interacting system involving all these components. Interventions need to change one or more of them in such a way as to put the system into a new configuration and minimise the risk of it reverting.
• Tools and Ethics for Applied Behavioural Insights: The BASIC Toolkit by OECD.

 

Further reading:

• Classic behavioural economics books to get started:
  • Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Penguin.
  • Thaler, R.H. & Sunstein, C.R. (2008). Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. Yale University Press.
  • Ariely, D. (2008). Predictably irrational: the hidden forces that shape our decisions. HarperCollins.

 

• Online reading:
  • Behavioural Scientist
  • Behavioral Economics
  • Habit Weekly

 

• Great behavioural economics/behavioural science podcasts, for example:
  • Behavioral Grooves
  • Choiceology with Katy Milkman
  • The Brainy Business
  • Brainfluence
  • The Human Risk Podcast
  • Freakonomics

 

• Behavioural Economics in Action - online learning presented by Dilip Soman at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management

 

More behavioural science and insurance insights:

• Nabholz, C. (2020). Behavioural economics: Predicting the irrational in a data-driven world. Swiss Re Blog.
• McLean, A. (2020). Will our behavioural change from COVID-19 help us fight climate change? Swiss Re Blog.
• Tamma, F. (2020). Five ways behavioural insights can improve COVID tracking apps. Swiss Re Blog.
• Güntner, A., Lucks, K. & Sperling-Magro, L. Lessons from the front line of corporate nudging. McKinsey Quarterly.

 

More reading on some of the examples used in the podcast:

• Behavioural Insights Team (2012). Applying Behavioural Insights to Reduce Fraud, Debt and Error. Cabinet Office.
• Nieboer, J. & Feddersen, M. (2019). Paying attention or paying charges? It’s all in the timing. FCA Insight.

 

 

#7 Ethics in the time of COVID-19: How to be good at the end of the world

I had an engaging conversation with Schalk Engelbrecht. We discussed ethics in the time of COVID-19. 

Schalk is an ethicist, the Chief Ethics Officer at KPMG in South Africa, and a student of philosophy. He is responsible for KPMG’s internal ethics programme, and assists client companies to identify ethics risk, develop Codes of Ethics, design ethics management programmes and facilitate ethics training.

Schalk is also a research associate with the Centre for Applied Ethics at Stellenbosch University. In 2010 he completed his PhD in Philosophy with a thesis on the need to revive utopian thinking in an anti-utopian age. He has presented papers at national and international conferences on topics that include "radical business ethics", "the problem of the commons in organisations", and "ethics and utopian thinking". He is published in academic and popular journals and has been an invited speaker at conferences and provincial Anti-Corruption events.

Before joining KPMG Schalk lectured Philosophy and Ethics at the University of Stellenbosch and North-West University. He has lectured Business Ethics as part of the University of Stellenbosch Business School's MBA programme, and was the previous editor-in-chief of the African Journal of Business Ethics.

Notes & Resources:

Defining Ethics: “Rules for the human zoo” - Peter Sloterdijk

Dictionary definition: “the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation”, “a set of moral principles: a theory or system of moral values” - Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

The Framework:

Key point: Context matters. The framework for being ethical has stayed the same, but the content has changed (changes over time) – for example, comparing ethics in the Victorian era and the era of climate change.

Main ethics theories/frameworks:

1. Deontology (Duty)
2. Utilitarianism (Consequentialism) (Maximising happiness for the world)
3. Virtue Ethics (character)

Also see:

Blackburn, S. (2002) Being Good: A Short Introduction to Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

https://www.oxford.co.za/book/9780192853776-being-good-p-a-short-introduction-to-ethics#.XsowcGgzbIU

Bregman, R., & Manton, E. (2018). Utopia for realists. New York: Bloomsbury.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/utopia-for-realists-9781408893210/

Bregman, R., & Manton, E. (2020). Humankind: A Hopeful History. New York: Bloomsbury.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/humankind-9781408898932/

Dalio, R. (2017). Principles: Life and Work. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2017.

https://www.principles.com/

Painter-Morland, M., & Ten Bos, R. (Eds.). (2011). Business Ethics and Continental Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139013338

https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/business-ethics-and-continental-philosophy/34A80BD91724193969CA10EF86D675A4#fndtn-information

Rachels, J. & Rachels, S. The elements of moral philosophy (9th Edition), New York: McGraw-Hill https://www.mheducation.com/highered/product/elements-moral-philosophy-rachels-rachels/M9781259914256.html

Raworth, K. (2017) Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-century Economist. London: Random House.

https://www.kateraworth.com/

Skidelsky, R., & Skidelsky, E. (2013). How much is enough? Money and the good life. Penguin Random House.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/216918/how-much-is-enough-by-robert-skidelsky-and-edward-skidelsky/

Van Niekerk, A.A. (2002) Can more Business Ethics Teaching Halt Corruption in Companies? Ethics thought pieces, The Ethics Institute. Available Online: https://www.tei.org.za/index.php/resources/articles/business-ethics/2219-can-more-business-ethics-teaching-halt-corruption-in-companies-prof-anton-a-van-niekerk

Van Niekerk, A.A. (2011) Ethics theories and the principalist approach in bioethics. In Medical Ethics, Law and Human Rights: A South African Perspective, ed. K. Moodley. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers. https://www.vanschaiknet.com/book/view/394

#6 The SA economy: status quo and new realities

I spoke to Prof Waldo Krugell about the South African economy: the status quo and new realities.

Waldo is Professor of Economics at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences (SAJEMS) and the President of the Economic Society of South Africa (ESSA).

Useful Links: @WaldoKrugell , SAJEMS , ESSA ; Covid-19 Economic Ideas

Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, Michael Kremer: The Nobel Prize (Economics 2019) winners mentioned in this episode: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/2019/press-release/

#5 COVID-19 in South Africa: Work & the “new normal”

I spoke with Jahni de Villiers (https://twitter.com/JahniDeVilliers) about work & the “new normal” under COVID-19.

Jahni is the Head of Labour and Development at Agri SA. Before joining Agri SA, she was a union organiser at Solidarity for 12 years and served as sector-head of the union’s branches at all the major commercial banks, Armscor, the Agricultural Research Council and universities.

She has an LLB degree from Nelson Mandela University and an LLM degree, specialising in labour law, form the University of South Africa (UNISA).

She represents organised business on the following structures:

• National Minimum Wage Commission.
• Nedlac Development chamber.
• Various task teams at Nedlac, including the national minimum wage task team and the comprehensive social security task team.
• Member of the Jobs summit sub-committee on Public Sector Programmes, Labour Market Reform and Anti-corruption initiatives.
• Represents Agri SA as a member of the AgriBEE Charter Council.
• Completed the AOTS Employee Relations and Human Resources Management training program in Tokyo, Japan in March 2018.

Useful resource: Return2Work Initiative - https://www.return2work.co.za/

“The Return2Work Initiative is facilitating collaboration between government and business to provide tools and guidelines to enable sectors to expedite a safe, effective and structured return2work plan.”

#4 Assessing the Coronavirus’ Impact on Your Business Model

A business model helps to describe how your business creates, delivers and captures value. Whether you are a start-up or an incumbent, your business model needs to be fluid – your strategy needs to consider how your business model might look over multiple time horizons and how it will need to adapt to external shocks.  In the context of COVID-19, it is crucial to assess the impact on your business model, both immediately and over the longer term.

I spoke with Prof Thomas Ritter and Prof Carsten Lund Pedersen (Copenhagen Business School) about their framework for assessing the Coronavirus’s impact on your Business Model.

Carsten Lund Pedersen is assistant professor at the Department of Marketing at the Copenhagen Business School. Being an expert in autonomy, business development and strategy, his research interests cover data-enabled business development, frontline employees’ behavior, and the role of projects in strategies. His work is widely published, including Harvard Business Review (hbr.org), MIT Sloan Management Review, Strategic Management Review, Industrial Marketing Management, amongst other outlets. He is a highly appreciated executive educator and involved in several applied research projects.

Thomas Ritter is professor of market strategy and business development at the Department of Strategy and Innovation at the Copenhagen Business School. He works with customer insight, value creation, market-driven strategies, data-enabled business models, and business development through strategic projects. Current research projects focus on product, service and data integration and business model analysis. His work is widely published, including Harvard Business Review (hbr.org), Journal of Product Innovation Management, Strategic Management Review, Industrial Marketing Management, amongst other outlets. He is a frequent speaker at industry events and highly appreciated executive educator.

Further resources:

Preparing Your Business for a Post-Pandemic World (HBR.org): https://hbr.org/2020/04/preparing-your-business-for-a-post-pandemic-world

Assessing Coronavirus’s Impact on Your Business Model (HBR.org): https://hbr.org/2020/04/assessing-coronaviruss-impact-on-your-business-model?ab=hero-subleft-2

Workbook: https://research.cbs.dk/en/publications/the-impact-of-the-corona-crisis-on-your-business-model-workbook

Video: https://cbs.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=5ac06562-7228-40d9-95eb-ab8e00b5960d

Alignment Squared book: https://research.cbs.dk/en/publications/alignment-alignment-squared-driving-competitiveness-and-growth-th

 

IMM first paper by Henry Chesbrough: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001985012030300X

IMM special issue call: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/industrial-marketing-management/calls-for-papers/managing-through-a-crisis-managerial-implications-for-b2b-fi

#3 COVID-19: Food System Impact in South Africa

I spoke to Dr Tracy Davids about the impact of COVID-19 on South Africa’s food system. Tracy heads the commodity markets and foresight division at the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP).

Tracy is an established specialist in agricultural market analysis, her focus includes commodity market modelling, price formation and spatial price relationships, competitiveness and international trade. Tracy has an extensive record of international collaboration, contributing regularly to international market outlook publications and conferences. She has a consistent publication record in peer reviewed journals. She holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Pretoria.

BFAP, founded in 2004, is a non-profit organisation. BFAP exists with the distinct purpose to objectively inform and support decision-making by stakeholders in the agro-food, fibre and beverage sectors of Africa. It provides independent, rigorously tested, research-based market and policy analyses. BFAP consists of a network of 45 employees, including associates and researchers at universities spanning the African continent.

Resources - South Africa:

BFAP COVID-19 Information Page: https://covid19.ivis.africa/

Agri SA COVID-19 Information Page: https://www.agrisa.co.za/covid19

SA Department of Agriculture: https://www.daff.gov.za/daffweb3/Home/COVID-19-updates

Resources – International:

FAO: http://www.fao.org/2019-ncov/q-and-a/en/?fbclid=IwAR2IUaATf9w3EOn6sCkjhFpvzAmQXYFBlT1Se5Yhe_v57MXHGruYHMPkhB

UNSCN: https://www.unscn.org/en/news-events/recent-news?idnews=2040

CGIAR: https://www.cgiar.org/news-events/all-news/our-response-to-covid-19/

#2 Big Data

I spoke to Prof. Carel van Aardt, Research director at the Bureau of Market Research (BMR) at the University of South Africa (UNISA) (www.unisa.ac.za/bmr). Our discussion touched on various aspects and insights of big data, for example: consumer behaviour, happiness, financial inclusion and economic development.

Show notes:

Defining Big Data:

Gartner: “Big data is high-volume, high-velocity and/or high-variety information assets that demand cost-effective, innovative forms of information processing that enable enhanced insight, decision making, and process automation.”

Lexico (Oxford): “extremely large data sets that may be analysed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to human behaviour and interactions”

Cambridge dictionary: “very large sets of data that are produced by people using the internet, and that can only be stored, understood, and used with the help of special tools and method”

Resources on big data:

Google trends: https://trends.google.com/

Simply searching for big data will deliver numerous useful results – also search for big data courses, there are many free options available. Resource examples: 

Stanford University Presentation: Overview of Big Data Tools and Techniques, Discoveries and Pitfalls: https://web.stanford.edu/class/cs102/lecturenotes/Overview102.pdf   

Data Science Central: https://www.datasciencecentral.com/