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| Adapt to Experience |
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John Stephen Veitch |
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| John Stephen Veitch was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1942. He attended Otago Boys' High School, and Dunedin Teachers College, before beginning a first career as a teacher. |
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| The Veech Journal is a development that was prompted by the long hours of waiting for customers in a coffee bar that John and his first wife Shirley opened in 1970. This first business was a social success, but it never produced satisfactory financial rewards. The experience caused Mr Veitch to begin business studies at Massey University, and helped to develop a long standing interest in innovation. |
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| "It's clear that innovation is a driving force in successful companies because it gives them a way to have a unique product in the market place," says Mr Veitch. He studied the innovation myths in NZ and the received wisdom on innovation from the USA. Mr Veitch believes that most of the people writing about innovation don't understand it. Mr Veitch has been involved in a number of innovative ventures, the website "New Zealand Dances" (Now closed) was one example. NZ Dances became the largest dance and dancing site in the world in terms of the number of pages (1300+). It was the only dance site that maintained a viable letters section. Quite by accident it was also a well developed example of a community based web site. However, innovative ideas, even good ones, don't always find a market niche. N.Z. Dances was never going to find the financial support necessary to sustain it. Closure was inevitable. |
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| John Veitch completed a degree in Business Studies at Massey University and worked for five years as a business consultant in Invercargill. "The managers I worked with finally taught me how irrelevant most of the theory is," says Mr Veitch. He believes that the isolation of managers and decision makers is their greatest problem. "The greatest danger is believing too strongly in a single fact or outcome, based on some faulty assumption. Positive thinking is a sure source of destruction if you choose the wrong objective. That some expected outcome doesn't happen might be a warning sign. Persistence and trying harder isn't always the right thing to do. The issue that needs to be dealt with is often put in the too hard basket. Talking to people is an excellent way get that issue back on the work-bench." |
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| For 30 years Mr Veitch has kept a journal. There was an extensive web site for the "Journal Writing", but that site has been closed. Mr Veitch is currently trying to research the use of journals by people in business or in research work. It is intended to republish a revised journal site some day. |
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| In Christchurch since 1990 Mr Veitch has worked mainly as a business consultant, first by running an innovative business creating Management Circles. That idea was helpful to other businesses but was not self sustaining. The group work demanded too much of Mr Veitch's personal time, and to be fair too much of the business managers time too. Lots of talking works, but it's not easy and cheap when you take the time required into consideration. Since 1996 the main focus has been on self development and learning a new specialist skill as a web site developer and Internet Consultant. We can't be sure where that interest will lead. This site has several directions based on Mr Veitch's experience. There are many concepts in the site that offer future business potential. |
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| Mr Veitch has been involved in the following services. |
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| Staff Training |
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| The production of training courses from developing a course outline to producing the resources staff trainers might use. Mr Veitch has a special interest in unlocking the interest, knowledge and hidden talents of people. |
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| Innovation Theory and Training |
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| Developing a culture that supports innovation is critical to the success of most firms. There is no pill or capital injection or seminar that will produce that change within a company. It will help to run a series of workshops and seminars on the topic and to get everyone keeping appropriate records. It will help if people understand that innovation is a team effort and that good leadership is something that every member of the team contributes towards. Successful teams learn how to deal with the reality of living with uncertainty and yet sustaining hope and optimism and effort. |
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| Internet Consultant |
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| There is a wealth of experience and good sense available free on the Internet itself. Mr Veitch was fully involved as a web site developer from 1996 to 2000. There was much to learn, many of the lessons were both personally and financially painful. Basic mistakes are still being repeated over and over. Mr Veitch stepped aside from the Internet for a year from 2001 until early 2002, to take stock, to get a larger view of what was happening, and to find some new directions. "Adapt to Experience" is the result of that work. If you or your board of directors want a packaged solution or specific training, Mr Veitch may be an excellent source of advice. |
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| In 2003 Mr Veitch participated in a series of discussions to help develop a statement from "civil society in New Zealand" for the World Summit on the Information Society. Out of that developed an interest in the way people are actually using the Internet, and some in the suburb of Bryndwr, Christchurch |
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| Learning Consultant |
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| Mr Veitch has become an expert on the process of learning from what you are currently doing. "Adapt to Experience" is entirely based on that ideal. Every member of your business, team, club or society, needs to become both a knowledge gatherer and a data source for others. Knowledge is only useful when the hard work of "thinking it into use" has been done. Commonly that process is called learning. Many of us in the modern world have jobs where we "learn ourselves a living". |
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| More Background |
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| Social Dancer and Dance Advocate |
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| Mr Veitch developed the web site New Zealand Dances, which was a brave effort, but was doomed to failure. 20 years ahead of the market maybe. In everyday life Mr Veitch and his wife Carolyn regularly attend dancing classes, and 2-3 times a week can be found social dancing in Christchurch. |
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| Strong interest in Economics |
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| Mr Veitch has a long term interest in economics. That was the driving reason for doing a business studies degree at Massey University. Sadly the science of economics has always been dominated by the politics of economics. Economics combined with political influence is the tool by which the powerful become powerful and maintain their dominance. |
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| Journal Writing |
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| Mr Veitch has maintained a journal for more than 30 years. His journal began by accident, it was just some notes about things that interested him and things that needed investigation and perhaps changing. At the time in New Zealand the political situation was very stable, but locked in a post war dream that couldn't last. New Zealand badly needed to stop being a colony of Britain and to learn how to become a small independent country. Economic and political change wasn't happening, and social situation was slowly declining. The motivation for the journal was never personal, yet in a strange way it's very personal, it's about the things that are important. |
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| Westside Toastmasters |
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| Mr Veitch joined Toastmasters in Invercargill at the Foveaux Toastmasters Club. In his 15 years as a Toastmaster Mr Veitch has been a mentor to many people and has started three clubs, Grand, Bishopdale and Westside. |
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| Advocate for Internet Newbies |
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| Mr Veitch sees the possibility of people getting personal and community benefits from the internet. But to achieve that each person needs certain basic skills. "For a long time I assumed that everyone learnt those skills quite quickly. I now understand that the contrary is true. People need help to get the best out of the internet." |
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| Advocate for a Peer to Peer Internet |
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| Because of the lack of confidence and real skills the true potential of peer to peer contact on the internet is not being used. People either never join peer to peer groups, or if they do, all they do is "Lurk". That isn't very helpful. To get benefit from the internet you have to start to contribute your own ideas as well as try to understand what other people are saying. It's the process of exposing your own thinking that helps you to learn, and the responses from others are a good reality check on your progress. |
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| Go back to my Ryze Homepage Here |
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| Return to my Geocities Page Here. |
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| Business Web Site Here. |
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Written by John S Veitch |
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[email protected] |
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