Ralf Lippold
Hello, my name is Ralf
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Pasion: #Processimprovement #Communication #PerformingArts
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Anything seen as „impossible“ is a positive challenge
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Don’t hesitate to follow me on http://twitter.com/RalfLippold
Location Dresden, Germany
Activity
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@MichaelCordingley Hi Michael, thanks a lot for your thoughts on my question. Especially your answer to my second question (which got you triggered) sounds so familiar to my own experience. Working together with colleagues who are not aware of the whole picture, and how their own actions might have 'unintended' impacts on outcomes often brings me into...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
My challenge definitely is to communicate my thought process behind solving complex challenges step by step (with appropriate learning and eventual failing along the way), especially toward people higher in the hierarchy.
In general it is rather difficult to answer to the audit. Some examples would be very beneficial on how this exercise should look like,...
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Ralf Lippold replied to Michael Barkl
Hi Michael, honestly I feel similar overwhelmed. How to start, what evidence to pick? A challenge to take - for both of us, I guess ;-)
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Thanks for conducting this short course. I just at the very end realized that I have taken a similar course at Deakin some years ago.
Many thanks, and see you soon,
Ralf -
Ralf Lippold made a comment
The course once more taught me that communication is a complex multi-facetted challenge. Sometimes your message is easily perceived by the other side, and then the same message gets stuck getting in meant way to another.
Just lately I fell into that "trap" when mentioning the value of doing a "test" installation together with a client in order to learn...
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Hi Michael, You write that teamwork is a difficult task for you to develop in the work context as you are the only person in this role. Who are the people that I directly impacted by your work? In which way do you communicate with them to adjust your role in order to fulfill their needs?
Curious to hear as I face the similar challenge, a non-IT guy amongst...
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Ralf Lippold replied to Angie G
Hi Angie, Struggling with same myself. Often my skills have developed and honed out of standard work environments, or in private actions/challenges. Does it make a difference to share learnings about setting up a startup (that in the end miserably failed due to bad timing)? What would a potential employer think of that?
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Ralf Lippold replied to Ofonime Brown
Hi Ime, I am working on Safari as well (worked to download files). Have you tried to export as PDF-file?
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
The mentioned program sounds like a great opportunity to enable personalization between people at the company. However, it seems to me too much based on hierarchy, upper levels questioning lower levels.
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Ralf Lippold replied to Lynda Carroll
A pity, as employees sense very quickly that there is nothing in it for them, and the employer has lost another chance to engage with its workforce in an authentic and genuine way. Made similar experiences in the past.
There must be a reasoning that makes sense to everyone.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
The model gives a suitable method to practice on a daily basis. Through mindful practice we will soon notice that certain patterns of behavior in our response to certain events reoccur. Once we notice that and take action to see what we can consciously make different next time we are in a similar situation true personal learning kicks in.
Anyone, who have...
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Ralf Lippold replied to Paul J Fisher
Thanks @PaulJFisher for your well-structued post, inspired me to do similar!
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Uncertainty
Setting: a company is growing, projects scale, and uncertainty evolves as teams working on their specific tasks don't know about the others' work/challenges. This has the effect of eventual uncertain outcomes/delays/last minute changes
Approach:
1. observe whether there is a common reason for this happening
2. engage individual workers... -
Ralf Lippold replied to Nataliia Hluboka
Hello Nataliia, thanks for sharing, and your struggles to answer the questions from a work-related point of view. What majors/field are you studying? What pulled you into that?
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Ralf Lippold replied to Ofonime Brown
Hi Ime, You are making me curious. What has been the initial driver/impetus for your to go onto this path?
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
(WHY) My position in the workplace pretty much stems from a time early in childhood. At the age of four I got meningitis, and struggled with life and death. This event led to later getting into school, being the smallest (which is with 6' 4'' not really the case nowadays) and lightest. Being an "outsider" not really being at par with schoolmates, led me learn...
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Ralf Lippold replied to Paul J Fisher
Hi Paul, One of the best pitches I have heard. Reading from your story and profile, you have quite some experience in this direction. May I ask you to have a look on my pitch? Many thanks, Ralf
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Hi, my name is Ralf Lippold. I am an economist, working at a startup in the new mobility sphere.
As key user and business developer my passion lies in transforming analog business processes into digital ones. In case e-ticketing is something of interest to your business, let me know.
What about you? What are you doing?----
Dear fellow learners,... -
Ralf Lippold made a comment
One of the biggest successes was entering the University for Applied Sciences Dresden for business administration after I had failed in the final exams in economics at Bamberg University.
The only, minor, challenge was I had to take 9 (!) additional written tests that I literally missed as I stepped into the 3rd year right away. Where to get good scripts to...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Success is a very diffuse concept. It certainly depends on each of us individually, and the context of life we have been through.
Success for me is learning something new and apply it to a greater cause, that impacts my own personality, and others in positive ways.
Six years ago I attended the MOOC "Scaling Up Excellence" and shared here in this...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
(Personal) Fulfillment & Impact
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Ralf Lippold replied to Marek Gagolewski
Thanks a lot, and looking forward to another great week of learning.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
It is always to pleasure to jump back into the learner's space (school and university is a pretty long time ago for me). Learning from others about their personal challenges in different career settings, cultural backgrounds, and other really encourages me to share my own experiences in life in an open way.
I just like learning in relevant ways so that the...
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Ralf Lippold replied to IRMA AER
Dear Irma, What you write reminds me taking a role which I actually liked a lot (digging up root causes of upcoming production process issues) but in the end I had three roles (I inherited the roles of two colleagues who left, and held my own prior role) only to earn the same, and get sooner than later the pressure as all three roles could not be as well...
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Hello Ime, What worked fine and what not back then?
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Hello Karolína, Anything you can remember that you have taken from your temporary job positions?
In a way, I had similar experiences when I was a student. Especially remember the time working in a pancake restaurant in the U.S. - a field I never really touched again. However, what I learned is to adapt quickly to new challenges, such as searching a new...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Oh, yes, I remember the day well when I "messed up". Back then I was responsible for the time quality of production (actually cars). At the plant new models (including new engine variations) were regularly put into production.
One day, the delivery to clients (via our sales department) had to be stopped. The reason was an issue that occurred on the test...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Elon as passionate as he is about Tesla (just one of his ventures) stays very reachable on stage. He reacts instantly on comments being shot to him from the audience.
Putting the presentation down to the very essentials, or first-principle so to say, makes the topic, unknown to most of us at the time of the talk, approachable.
Together with his...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Another moment of genuine communication comes to mind as I read through the other comments.
About ten years ago I attended a workshop led by a well-known and highly respected person in his field. Having experienced similar diverse courses in life, including amazing outcomes, I have stayed in connect over the years. Sending a short note around Xmas or when...
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Ralf Lippold replied to Ralf Lippold
What this story taught me is that often you can't communicate your intention or wish directly (even though it might be the clearest thing in the world). Then you need some other way to get the other side to listen to what you have to say, often through an intermediator or catalyst (the radio station in this case).
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
It was during the time when I was working as head of operations at the crisis first response center in Dresden when the flooding of the Elbe River had haunted the city. People wanted to come and help, and recently they had read that the Deutsche Bahn (German rail carrier) would transport helpers for free.
The caveat was that only people engaged in official...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
One particular way to hone your brand is to comment on posts (e.g. Twitter) that are touching areas of your expertise.
Another way, which actually pulled me right into this MOOC, is the participation of a WOL-circle (WOL, or Working out Loud, https://workingoutloud.com, is a concept developed by John Stepper which focuses on building new networks of trust,...
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Dear Muhammad, You are right. Blended with a collaborative learning experience it will be even better.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Micro credentials enable learners to learn specific topics as they arise in the workplace or need of the learner. Learn as you work along - "The Power of Pull" (great book by John Hagel and John Seeley Brown)
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Ralf Lippold replied to Paul J Fisher
Hi Paul, Thanks for your encouragement to rewrite my profile here on FutureLearn. Learning happens along the way :-) The reason for it:
- your profile pic (not many have one in the course)
- your short personal intro on your profile
Thanks and greetings from Dresden, Ralf -
Ralf Lippold replied to Elle T
Dear Elle, reading into your post I wonder whether you'd like to share one of your social media? I can fully understand the clear putting apart private and professional issues, especially being a private person myself and much older than the "usual" social media user.
The experience with (potential) employers on the mass of achievement sounds very familiar...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
From my experience as a person spanning a variety of fields of interest one digital portfolio tool either is not capturing the diversity of topics/connections or is for a potential employer just too overloaded.
In the past at various occasions I got the feedback that people did not quite get what I stand for. So I diversified whereas the underlying...
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Hello Sabir, I am with you on the importance of communication. Which specific area of communication do you think is most valuable in a professional context?
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Ralf Lippold replied to Elle T
So we are already three with similar experiences in the past.
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Ralf Lippold replied to Jit Yoong Lim
Dear Jit, Is there an underlying interest/passion that has drawn you into your past roles?
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Ralf Lippold replied to Ralf Lippold
Some more background on where I come from:
All started when I returned from Vancouver after a three-month school exchange. What formerly were fixed classes for six years, now had been shuffled into courses focusing on majors. Turned out that in almost no courses I met former classmates. So it was like a "clear reset".
In my physics course there had been...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
There is no profession that captures my role in the workplace. In a language context I'd say "translator" would be it, in a chemical sense it would be "catalyst", and in a cultural context it would be the one of a "boundary spanner" (in case you are not familiar with that term, https://www.oneairspace.com/insights/boundaryspanner).
Currently I am working...
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A pleasure, Michael.
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Communicating, not just amongst peers to get things done, but even more so upwards, so your direct boss gets an understanding of what you do and bring to the team.
Not always this is obvious, like programming code that enables a software to function in new ways, putting together Excel-sheets with complex formulas, or giving a conference speech.
There...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
The MOOC "Scaling Up Your Venture Without Screwing Up" (http://twitter.com/ScalingUpMOOC , https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/events/scaling-your-venture-free-online-course) by Stanford professors Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao I took twice in 2014 and 2016.
It is something I am passionately about: helping organizations to scale a product via real value to customers...
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Ralf Lippold replied to Lyndsay C
Dear Lyndsay, You are right, the report is a bit tricky to get. Searching for the title you will be able to find a copy on the web I guess. In the meanwhile check https://joshbersin.com who is the head behind the report from 2016 and have a look on what he has to say. He also has a Youtube channel where he gives advice on skills in need for the 21st century.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Skimming through the 21st Century Skills Report the most essential (often underrated) skills is a broad K12 education even including fields you might not expect, e.g. economics, arts, or geography.
Putting this in a real-world context by becoming aware of the interdependencies is the next step, e.g. as the world is currently facing the Corona virus...
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Hello Michael, reminds me of "When given a choice take both" (https://www.diamandis.com/peters-laws, No. 2). Time bounds are really helpful, yet acting freely within as well.
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In several positions in regular work environments I had the chance to work literally as an intrapreneur (http://intrapreneur.com/four-definitions-for-the-intrapreneur/) with a lot of freedom on how to do the work. This when I realized that I work best when aspects of both, 9-5 work conditions with a loosely set structure and work that is challenging, new, and...
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Ralf Lippold replied to Yami Chin
Hello Yami, what specific skills in the context of being able to work in teams do you consider most valuable?
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Some points that have encountered over the years to be useful, often with input from others in my various networks:
- apply systems thinking to real-world situations/challenges
- being able to apply knowledge to various contexts effectively (scalable learning, see https://edgeperspectives.typepad.com/edge_perspectives/2019/08/learning-and-strategy.html by... -
Ralf Lippold made a comment
The most striking thing was when overlooking the map of Europe that just a few pins to be seen in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, whereas in the UK there are dozens of pins. Besides, most German participants have not shared more than their city (no name, no background or aspiration).
Wondering what might be the reasons for this.
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Ralf Lippold replied to Georgie Black
Hello Georgie, this is a really valuable advice.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
It is not my first online course with Deakin, so I am familiar with the code of conduct, and the processes. However, it is always good to get a reminder!
Sharing personal thoughts might not come so easy for newcomers to online courses or MOOCs. The best learnings appear when sharing something personal and ask others in the course questions emphatically to...
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Ralf Lippold replied to Elle T
Hi Elle, seems like that when you have done "too much" in your life potential employers are kind of scared, or not sure whether they get "exactly" what they think they need for the position or the company. In a way what you describe resembles in large my own experience over the years. Communicating that all this learning only benefited us as humble human...
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Hi Jit, What was it that came in the way? I am asking as it reminds me of my own path.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
I have started my work career with an apprenticeship in banking back in the late 80s, then moved on to study economics, and finished with a degree in business administration. My majors were in digital communication, production logistics, and innovation management. Since then my work positions have been closely related to IT and operations (mainly in the...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Even though not living in the UK, I have experienced the weather there at various occasions (home exchanges, holidays, and bike tours). It is quite different to our more continental-like weather here in Dresden, but nevertheless, there is always something to learn.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Looking forward to learning from and with this diverse team!
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Curious to learn more about the weather, which is a complex as humans sometimes. Understanding the dynamics can help a lot.
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Indeed, @DeborahHarrison you're quite right. Experience that myself as well. Never too late to learn and change oneself.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
I started to learn about mindfulness in the context via “Presence“ by Otto Scharmer et.al., “Are you Ready to Succeed?“ by Srikumar Rao, and finally as part of the MOOC “u.lab - Leading From the Emerging Future“ which includes mindfulness practices to collectively innovate.
Even though I am a quiet and introvert person, rather observing the scene, there...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
This MOOC is one of the rare ones I have taken that challenges myself with an unknown topic, lots of learning activity and engagement with the community.
On top the learning are applicable right here and now in daily life, whether relationship, communicating with friends, overcoming stuckness, and solving tough challenges.
Thanks once again to the whole...
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The course has given me some positive guidance, especially with new job and getting into work tune again.
Together with the MOOC “u.lab - Leading From the Emerging Future“ and Adam Kahane's book “Collaborating with the Enemy“ (https://reospartners.com/publications/introduction-collaborating-enemy/) the course is of great value.
Often the moments of...
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I will. There is something that's going to be handled with today.
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Most effective advice. Thanks!
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@JenOpie excellent advice. Thanks for sharing, especially as I am currently in a project that has no fixed or laid-out plan. Starting with the right size of steps is kind of challenging for others and myself. Stopping for a minute gives the foundation to step forward.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Good point with the “blue light“. Will keep that in mind, and act accordingly.
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@stewartwest awesome strategy!
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Less (at a certain moment) is more.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Great reminder. Just returned from another day of work on a project that is in its early start. Having diverse views on it with a collague who started with me on it.
We both have specific experiences in the field (in which the project is based) with local players. And so we both got caught up by the past , and somewhat different views on how best to...
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What I can tell is that this MOOC is one of the best I have participated over the years.
Partly because of the seen engagement of the course staff, and the participants who very engaged.
On the other side, something I am trying to put into daily life practicing mindfulness (mainly in the sense of Ellen Langer's work to which Edgar Schein has made me...
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Quite a challenging exercise - especially to a newcomer to the field.
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Yes, @NeerajBhala your last sentence is a very valuable advice. It does not take much to slow down the conversation, and enable effective conversation (though it is not easy).
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Ralf Lippold replied to Liliana M
It probably highly depends what is commonly understood by “multitasking“.
In my case “multitasking“ is working deeply on a topic, However being sensitive to sense relative changes in the (work) environment that might be of relevance to fulfilling the task.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Excellent course up till this moment. Thanks a lot for providing it in this format.
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Great lesson here. Focus our attention on something mondane like our breathing is a powerful learning tool.
Even though stepping in later than the original course, there is still lots to learn.
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Ralf Lippold replied to T F
@TF sometimes metaphors really make us understand things/processes we don't directly understand.
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Yes @DeborahHarrison , it reminded me of my razing sessions in the morning that are a moment of mindfulness each time.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
This exercise as small as it sounds has a profound effect on my awareness and slowing down my mind activity for a moment from where the life of curiosity can start again from a fresh level.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Curiosity is certainly one of my strong traits. My senses are always somewhat open and alert, making me aware of things around me other people don't notice at all, like house wall paintings/scripts https://www.instagram.com/p/BhUUfj_hhcq/
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Effect of self-criticism is often that your mind gets distracted for some time (either splits of a seconds when missing to catch a frisbee, or longer when your mind wanders off thinking about how bad things are and you are the reason), which holds us back to be present in the moment, sensable enough to see what is happening.
Mindful, objective...
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@SheilaRoss well said!
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@AllieBurton-Doe I can hear you. I am similar. A “well-trained puppy mind“ is probably even better as it enjoys the free time to wander off as it knows to be appreciated on its expected return.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
An excellent practice to cultivate the personal “mind puppy“ to stay in the moment.
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Fully agree as well. The metaphor with the puppy worked for me as we had once a dog (got it at the age of 10 weeks). The process of training her and teaching her good manners just came back into mind when listening to Richard.
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@AnaLúciaOliveiraRibeiro , That is really a good one. Actually, these kind of questions apply elsewhere were results of certain new personal/group practices are not seen immediately or are generally acknowledged by the public at large.
Reminds of a chat with someone years ago whom I helped to solve a tricky challenge. Asking him what it would be worth to...
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@GabrielleDoyle I guess it is never too late. Like it was not too late to start playing Ultimate Frisbee at 34 (an age where most players drop out again).
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Being more mindful (either through short meditative practices or just observing what is happening around me) has taught me to not “snap react“ in occassions where other people had formerly triggered some of my emotional “hot buttons“.
Sometimes it is even enough to do a guided journaling (as proposed in the MOOC “u.lab - Leading From the Emerging Future“)...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Learning to be mindful about what is going on in our own mind/actions and in connection with the broader context is very helpful.
Interesting to see that similar approaches are taken in the work world, e.g. the Toyota Production System where the “chalk circle“ is a method to quietely observe a given process (standing literally in a circle put on the floor...
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@JenOpie thanks for sharing the TED Talk in a pinned comment. Very helpful to find :-)
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Wow, great to see you here @MarjorieHomer and it shows one is never too old to stay young.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
I especially liked to hear about the various fields of impact.
About ten years ago, when the work on Theory U by Otto Scharmer started to spread around, I learned about guided meditation and guided journaling. Both, though not practiced on a regular daily or monthly basis have shown quite positive impact on myself.
When I found myself out of the job I...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Even though original runtime of the course was in February, and most interaction between participants and teaching team happened there, the course format is outstanding, as it pulls me into learning new things.
Thanks a lot!!!
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@KarenGormal , I can feel with you as similar is normal to me.
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
It's been a great journey so far, especially being reminded to practice mindfulness (or at least prototyping ways that go in tune with my personality).
Due to the of being an introvert, often finding myself in a facilitating role between “competing“ groups (whether in an organizational, societal or personal context), I am (too) often in the state of...
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Ralf Lippold made a comment
Really becoming aware of “cutting out“ a few minutes to do a mindful practice (guided meditation, writing a journal or just being present in the moment) can be exceptionally challenging.
Always working on it, even through small steps.
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Regularly kept a small note book joting down the experiences (not so much on specific meditation practices, rather noting the small events over the say where the “mindchatter“ came to action or the different levels of listening as pointed out in Otto Scharmer's approach on Theory U). However, keeping such a journal over time consistently is quite challenging.
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Ralf Lippold replied to Noreen B
@JuliaS. , you are right. This would go with 3. Learned.
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My senses are always in “observing mode“ which seem to others like “multi-tasking“. That skill has led me to establish the role of a boundary spanner in complex work situation (focusing on the moment, and yet being present to what is emerging that might be useful/valuable to the task at hand).
One of the underlying reasons is probably a life-long moving...
