Step up to the plate, and use the mic

For me to put you the right frame of mind, I need to paint a picture. Windhoek Country Club, the scene of many beauty pageants since Michelle Mclean was the Namibian beauty crowned as Miss Universe.

It is a few years ago, I am on stage for the annual Miss Namibia event. The question is: If you could have one wish, what would it be. I wont answer ā€œworld peaceā€, although I do wish for that. I would answer ā€œfor accountability to be intrinsically part of our human natureā€.

Now the fact is, that I was on stage, more than once, but I was that black suited arm in the corner of the television screen, handing ā€œTHE ENVELOPEā€ to Michelle to announce that yearā€™s winner.

Even though I was not asked that awkward politically correct question, I would still have no qualms to give the same answer.

And this brings me to the title of todayā€™s blog. Too many conversations over the last week, have had the same spottled vein of tenets running through as a consistent thread. Too many examples exist of where too many people try their luck, once, twice, and before you know it, we have another Fishrot.

And it is not even just people trying their luck. A fair amount of simply not stepping up to the plate to do the right thing, because its ā€œnot my problemā€ (even though it actually is), or because ā€œIā€™m waiting for so and so to do this and thatā€ as if someone else not stepping up gives you the excuse that you too need not step up to the plate. There was also a fair amount of S-curve answers to direct questions. You know the type of answer, when the person does not want to give you a straight out response, because they know you are not going to like it, and you end up being dragged around the bush several times, believing you still have an opportunity for the answer you want thus robbing you of the time and effort to bring about alternate solutions.

So that is the rant part of this blog, and it is over. As I had said before, I have a limited capacity for pessimism. I also need to point out examples of where many other people have expressed the theory, and the practise, of doing the right thing.

Take Dr Matthias Ngwangwamaā€™s article in the Namibian last week, titled ā€œBlending Everyday Life with Scienceā€. He was conveying the principles of attuned leadership, and the one that resonated the most with my conversations over the last week, was

ā€œbeing attuned to the moral imperatives of integrity, probity, humility and a sense of efficacyā€.

I am not going to delve into the dictionary meaning of each of these words but want to leave with you a sense of the ā€œimperativeā€. Crucial, urgent, essential, important, must, need.

Another brilliant example of accountability in practise, is the apology from Velchamy Sankarlingam, president of product and engineering for Zoom, after a service failure in August. Long story short, personal accountability was beautifully illustrated by the excerpt from his apology

ā€œI am personally disappointed that we have let you downā€¦. Iā€™m here to get this right and will personally do my best to prevent ā€¦ā€

https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/zoom-just-failed-its-biggest-test-its-apology-is-an-extraordinary-example-of-emotional-intelligence.html

And now I must borrow from another colleague, who acted as muse for this post. After sharing some profound words on the nature of modern-day illiteracy

Anyone can, and must relearn

with our leadership group (admittedly, not my words), Salomo responded with ā€œuse the MICā€. So I am going to ask you, in your week ahead, please loudly and proudly declare the need for each one of us to continue (and in some cases start) doing the right thing not for our own best interest, but because it is the right thing to do in the interest of us all. And I am going to ask you to challenge all those in your circle of influence to make sure they are doing the right thing, not the easy thing. And I am going to ask you to celebrate the occasions where someone did the right thing, especially if it was difficult.

Then we can spend less time policing compliance with laws and regulations that can never even hope to catch all those who are intent on their venal ways. And we can ā€œapply a sense of efficacyā€ to our productive ventures intended to repair our economy, and our world.

Base case dinners: Mid-week Popeye risotto

Spinach Risotto with meatballs

I think Iā€™m going to write a ā€œbase caseā€ recipe book. You start with one ingredient, and add to it what you can find in the cupboards. In this case, the base was spinach harvested from my own vegetable teepee. A teepee is what you get when you place a goal (a place to keep my veggies safe from the critters) in front of your able bodied farm worker, and leave execution up to him.

Infamous Veggie Teepee

Anyway, back to the recipe. What can one do with spinach, other than a flash dry with olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper, and a dash of lemon juice? Which is a perfectly good recipe by the way.

Well, you can make a spinach risotto. In the middle of the week!

Blanch spinach and parsley.

Zirts it with olive oil and butter. Ps – rather donā€™t use the parsley stalks. Letā€™s just say itā€™s strings donā€™t go well with the blade, and leave it at that.

Fry raw rice (yes, even speko long grain rice will do), with freshly harvested leeks (yes DBP leeks) and garlic, until translucent.

šŸŒ¾

Add a good glug of dry white alcohol (martini, dry white wine, or in this case, some Chinese liquor left over from a New Yearā€™s Eve party several years ago. Thanks Brian, thanks Claire.)

Then comes the trickiest part. Add a ladle of stock (or water if that is what you have). Continually stir (if using martini. Because that it what James Bond did. And if you are using something else, still stir, because that is what is required). Until liquid is absorbed. Then repeat, and again, and again, until the rice is done.

Add your blitzed spinach purƩe, season and add a blob of butter.

Bob’s your uncle.

šŸ™„
šŸ³

Top with anything of your choice. Parmesan is nice, but not a common fridge ingredient. You can add stir fried chicken, crispy bacon, or game meat balls as per illustration.

And that is what was for dinner last night, ala #popuprestaurantdreams. Now Iā€™m off to collect that cheque that was in the post as mentioned in same captioned blog https://thegreatreset-thorn.com/the-cheque-is-in-the-post/ of few weeks ago. Wish me luck!

Taking time to take stock – Take a knee soldier!

Picture the scene, our space faring descendants have just crash landed on a hostile earth. And the earth has good reason to be hostile, because we are not very kind to it right now, are we?

Anyway, in the movie ā€œAfter Earthā€, Cypher (played by Will Smith), instructs his son, Kitai (played by his son), to ā€œTake a knee soldier!ā€

Obviously there are hordes of dangers intent on taking revenge on human kind, and the scene I need you to recall, is where Kitai is scared *&^%!less, and is just running blind, not aware whether he is running away from, or towards, even greater danger.

So, it is time to take a knee, and take stock.

I am sitting here in my most favourite Ginger Mary T-shirt, (and if you know me, you have seen it many times over the last decade), wondering whether this should be a blog about our metaphysical existence and growth during this change that COVID has brought, or, whether it should be about the progress of my living off the land experiments.

I guess it will be a little bit of both. After all, life is about balance, correct? You may not be fantastic at all levels in your life, but if you pay attention to all aspects in your circle of life, your wheel balancing will be optimal. I was going to try and sound clever, by quoting the ideal wheel balance as 20ĖšS-0.1, but instead I found some fitting life lessons at https://www.liveabout.com/the-what-why-and-how-of-wheel-balancing-3234378.

  1. Balancing is necessary.

Just like no tyreā€™s weight is perfectly distributed, lifeā€™s pressures and stresses are not evenly spaced out. It takes resolute action to take stock; and adjust.

2. Balance changes over time.

Todayā€™s oh-so-important and urgent task may very well be trivial tomorrow morning. So, what works today, will not work tomorrow. But before you sink into the doom and gloom of things are only going to get worse from here, there is a 50/50 chance that it will get better, not worse. Back to step 1 ā€“ take stock; and adjust.

3. Balancing only fixes balance.

There is no one size fits all solution. Sometimes it is going to take a more than just a few tweaks here are there.

After those few tweetable statements, all is right in the world again. There is simple and clear logic. Yep, now if only everyone would be logical. Now that I have addressed the existential questions and our future, lets tackle the next taking stock item, with reference to the content promised in my first blog. https://thegreatreset-thorn.com/sugar-spice/

Growing vegetables

After all these months of non-performance, the beets have decided to become “mother beets”. The drop irrigation is partially in. The “Green Thumblets” are kicking in. Micro greens have been harvested already. Pinpointing that this sprout IS NOT a vegetable – that barefeet scourge – “duwweltjie”, and some gifted wild garlic.

Menu planning for an odd assortment of ingredients

Base case salad

The reason that this salad is called “Base Case”, is because I started with lettuce that I found in the fridge. From there it was a case of “what else can I add” given that we dont have any of the salad staple tomatoes, feta, cucumber.

I ended up with the finest slivers of picked ginger, crispy green apple, some sesame seeds for panache, and chickpeas for substance.

The combination worked well. So if you are going to create a dish out of what you can find in your fridge, I would suggest one element of zing (ginger usually is a good option), and one element of sweet/sour (crispy green apple in this case). Let’s see what you tried, leaf a comment. (Did you spot the wordplay there? šŸ˜‰

Creativity

Sister-in-law’s family blanket.

Sorry, the Christmas box surprise is now spoiled. But it will be a surprise if I can finish it before the Chicago winter is done.

Contrasted collections observations

Just check out the titles of my posts. From corporate governance, to menu planning. I know, you should see what it looks like inside my skull!

Produce from Stone Store by DBP

Here is just a small selection of farm fresh sourdough breads. One of the best experiments, was the olice and caramelised onion bread. One of the healthiest ones I was happy to share with overnight guests, was a pumpernickle style seed bread. And nothing, but nothing beats that first slice, slightly warm, with farm fresh butter……

Taking stock is all good and well, but now I have to go do some weeding. Good week ahead to all my friends, colleagues and followers.

N=1

Itā€™s 1.37am, and that old 80ā€™s tune is rolling around in my head like marbles in a glass jar. Paranoimia by Art of Noise, featuring Max Headroom. You remember? That cartoon style blond newsreader? That so clearly rolled his eyes in exasperation ā€œplease let me sleepā€. Google it, for a blast from the past.

Talking about googling it, I was listening to an audio book on Neurogeneration this morning. Or rather yesterday morning. They kept on referring to N=1 as if it is a common term. Like I said before, I like knowing how things work, or at least the basic principles.
It turns out, N+1 is a magazine of literature, culture and politics. It also means means that there is a power backup in place should any single system component fail. The ‘N’ in this equation stands for the number of components necessary to run your system. The ‘+1’ means there is one independent backup should a component of that system fail.

Does that not nicely define the purpose of my blog? ā€œ….Exploring optionsā€.


N-1 on the other hand, can mean many things.

In real life, it means the second-to-last object in a set. Basically, itā€™s the penultimate object/event in a series of events.

In mathematics, itā€™s meaning is similar to what it means in real life. It is just n subtracted from 1.Ā 

I like both these concepts. Simple and clean, like Vulcan logic.

But my favorite has to be N=1. It encapsulates the psyche of all I do on the farm, and in life.

N=1. A science experiment with a sample of 1. You.Ā 

LeCheffre – Ketogenics forum

Ps – the reason I canā€™t sleep is that I am very excited. I managed to swing a deal at the office. Itā€™s work related, so I canā€™t share the detail. But itā€™s huge šŸ¤—.

Good night, let me šŸŽ¼ count šŸŽ¤ thosešŸŽ¹ barsšŸŽø onšŸ„ the window.


Corporate governance ā€“ by law or by principle?

I had the dubious pleasure to assist as a panel member in the interviews for board members this week. This introduction is purposefully vague, because of professionalism. The principle of transparency is not applicable here, because the purpose of todayā€™s blog, is to educate, not to expose.

If I take it a step back, most of the candidates mentioned transparency and honesty as attributes of good board members. That certainly is true.

The best definition I could find for transparency, is that trusted ā€œgo toā€ site, Wikipedia.

ā€œTransparency as used in science, engineering, business, the humanities and in other social contexts, is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed.

Transparency implies openness, communication, and accountabilityā€.

I have a need to communicate that the principle of corporate governance is poorly understood. To my surprise. I deal with the theory and practise of good corporate governance on a daily basis. Everybody deals with the principles on a daily basis, but they have not necessarily been formally introduced to the theoretical framework. I wish to change that. I wish for Namibians at all walks of life, to know it, to feel it, to practise it.

Fishrot se ma seā€¦ā€¦

An introduction to corporate governance.

  1. The purpose of corporate governance

To paraphrase professor King, who I have had the pleasure to host on various occasions for a range of conferences and panel discussions:

Myself, with the darling of Corporate Governance, Professor King himself, with ex-PwC colleagues Chantell Husselmann and Lorraine Holland-Muter.

Corporate Governance is akin to Steering a vessel across sometimes clear, but often stormy seas. The art of navigating and steering a ship through whatever conditions arise carries with it a grave responsibility to all on board, the cargo, the ship owners and all those affected by the ship in any manner.

The Chief Value Officer ā€“ Mervyn King (with Jill Atkins)

So some of the uncertainty in the world we live in today, can be faced with a sense of direction and preparation.

That is the best practical illustration, and I wont go into any further debate right now, other than to say: it is not about sitting fees, and those board members or potential board members for whom that is the first question, miss the point completely. PS ā€“ none of the interviewees asked that question, but I do know of other instances where board members ask that question as they leave the meeting.

  1. The framework of corporate governance

There are several formal frameworks across the globe, that serve as a kind of manual to those steering ships of all shapes and sizes. The best known ones in our local context, are:

  • The King code (versions I, II, II, IV)
  • Namcode (which is based on the King code, and Namibianised for our context,

Others include the Cadbury code and so on.

These frameworks exist, and are mandatory for certain companies (such as entities listed on the stock exchange), and strongly recommended for all entities, whether private or public sector. It is not a law, gazetted or otherwise.

Here is the point that I most strongly feel about. I was asked once, I forget if it was a panel discussion or a radio interview, whether Namibia should have corporate governance legislation.

No matter whether you define corporate governance as a framework of rules and procedures by which decisions in an enterprise is made, or a collection of guidelines or values by which one can properly and dutifully discharge your obligations, what is at the essence of good corporate governance, is doing what is right. What is right for the company, and not ā€œwhat is right for meā€. Most of the interviewees were able to bring that message across. So why do we have such issues with fraud, corruption and Fishrot?

Corporate Governance will not work better if it is legislated. Corporate governance will only work better if the individuals accountable, believe and behave in a manner that is honest and transparent.

Talita B Horn

And to prove that point: Most of us are generally law abiding citizens, right? I certainly consider myself so. Yet, how many of us should by all accounts, have speeding tickets, or parking violations, or jumping the queue because I am so very busy and so very important, I canā€™t stand in the queue for my ID/passport/bank card/etc.

There are other complications in these examples, which complicates the example, but also serves the point very well. If I myself, expect to bend the rules to suit me, how can I point the finger at others who are not giving their best to their job.

Donā€™t even get me started on all those fireside stories, told by the culprits themselves, of a fifty dollar note in the ID when they were caught speeding.

Fortunately, I also have a few stories about some culprits admitting that they were wrong, and willing to face the music, adamant to not be baited into a bribe offering. Kudos!

Now if you are like me, and are always asking how things work, or how they are constructed, let me just list the chapter headings of the Namcode here. It is really principles driven, and just by looking at the headings, you will be able to impress upon any interview panel, that you understand good corporate governance as a principle, and therefore abide by the value, that as a board member, you will be on the lookout for the best sustainable outcome for the company, which includes the environment it operates in, and not just sitting there to collect sitting fees.

http://nsx.com.na/index.php/about/namcode/namcode-index
  • Chapter 1 ā€“ Ethical leadership and corporate citizenship (my favourite chapter)
  • Chapter 2 ā€“ Boards and Directors
  • Chapter 3 ā€“ Audit committees (also my favourite chapter)
  • Chapter 4 ā€“ The governance of risk (most interviews were on unfamiliar territory here)
  • Chapter 5 ā€“ The governance of IT
  • Chapter 6 ā€“ Compliance with laws, rules, codes and standards
  • Chapter 7 ā€“ Internal audit (I wish to see more of this, and more meaningful functions throughout the corporate citizens on our economy)
  • Chapter 8 ā€“ Governing stakeholder relationships
  • Chapter 9 ā€“ Integrated reporting and disclosure

PS ā€“ as a board member, please prepare for your board meetings. If you are not receiving your board packs in time to prepare thoroughly, you have bigger problems that you donā€™t even know about yet.