There are many forms of communicating, depending on the audience and the topic.
Books
Understanding Creativity
This book will show you the different mechanisms, enablers and blocks, through which new ideas come to life. And it’s all backed by solid science! Learn to understand and hack your creativity. Find out more about this great upcoming book (and get your free first chapter) on www.understandingcreativity.org
Ten steps to conquer the world
Everybody has a dream. But some people have more trouble turning it into a reality than others. In this book, we make sure you end up with the mindset you need for that! Are you planning on starting a business? Do you want to organise an event? Do you want to do the next killer app? Whatever it is that you set out to do, we’ll be seeing simple tricks and tools that you’ll be able to apply right away. Prepare yourself for a feet-on-the-ground guide on the most important topics of project management and product development… without the jargon! This book is currently under production, stay tuned for the crowdfunding campaign! Interested? Ask me on the comments section below!
Exercising Creativity series
Co-edited (and partly co-authored) and with Hesamedin Ostad-Ahmad-Ghorabi.
Creativity attracts the attention of very different disciplines. But what is it, when put under the spotlight? This book presents the work of the participants to the Creativity Engineering Summer University, with the motto: from a creative idea to its successful implementation. The reader is guided through the common steps and reflections that occur when trying to deliver a solid outcome, out of our ideas. How does the mind behave? Why and how do we have ideas? How do we develop them into tangible solutions? Basic concepts are introduced as well as five inspiring projects facing creativity in different ways. From children to professional work, from products to spaces, from networks to consultancy, creativity has its impact on all fields of life.
Fundamentos de diseño en la ingeniería (Fundamentals of Engineering Design)
Co-authored with Mónica García, Jorge Alcaide, Tomás Gómez, Jordi Peris and Rafael Monterde, from Universitat Politècnica de València.
Design teams solve problems that are complex and multidisciplinary. This requires them to have a good problem-solving strategy: one that is acceptably rigorous but also meets deadlines. This book presents design methodologies for industrial products, as well as the most common techniques and methods. The tools presented take the reader from the very early ideas to engineering concepts, going through concepts related to innovation, marketing, systems engineering and quality.Expect more of these coming up soon!
Keynotes
Since I wear many hats, there are many topics for which I’ve been asked to talk around the world. That’s why I though it would be relevant to point out the different topics for which I’ve been a speaker. You’ll see that some of them overlap with the other pages – the topics are the same that I lecture about, or that I am in close contact with through project management – but here I will include only those that I’ve formatted as a keynote speech.
Diversity in cooperation: how to embrace differences and maximise learning
In collaboration, differences are not easy to deal with. When the collaboration is between startups and corporations, even more so: they see the world differently, they communicate differently, they work at different pace. But both can learn from each other, and benefit from working with each other. This talk will share the insights of surveying corporations and startups, as well as organising 20+ renewal accelerators.
Creativity in the organisation: it’s not only branding, it’s not only innovation
Many corporations engage with startups to deal with uncertainty. Some do it for the branding, renewing their image. Some do it for the innovation, renewing their products and services. But in most cases, it is only a small part of the organisation that gets “infected”. To make the corporation more agile and ready for uncertainty, they need to embrace learning.
Effects of information on ideation processes
Spawning from some of my research, and in particular from a research project I’ve been leading during 2012 and 2013, this talk focuses on how the information we’re fed (among many other external stimuli) can influence our creative output, far more than we’d expect!
Entrepreneurs are human too
Starting a company is an emotional rollercoaster. One day you’re going to conquer the world, and the next day that same world is falling apart. And to be a successful entrepreneur, you also need to be mentally fit. This talk digs on some of these issues, and how entrepreneurs can deal with them.
Leadership in network societies
The world is changing, the way we communicate is changing… and the way we do projects as well, regardless of how much we acknowledge it! In this talk I will connect the concept of network societies with how project management as a discipline needs to evolve. Because we need it, as a planet.
Ecoinnovation: be sustainable and yet creative
This is an evolving talk in which I point out the importance of sustainability, the magnitude of the challenge… and how we are, in some senses, blocking ourselves from performing better in solving it! It’s all about the big picture, and this talk focuses on that.
Leadership in music bands: listen up managers
You might have already heard that managing is like conducting music. But what sort of band are you in? And who are you in that band? In this challenging talk, we’ll dive further into the world of music, to learn more about how people behave… in your team!
Volunteering as a career path
In this talk I bring, through storytelling, some of the advantages that people have out of participating and volunteering in the different projects promoted by IPMA Young Crew
Young Generations of Project Managers
In a slightly provocative discourse, in this talk I tackle the different inter-generational differences, paying special attention to new generations coming to the workplace and their impact (or potential impact) on project management.
If any of these topics caught your attention, and you want me to be a keynote speaker at your event, just get in contact with me using the form below, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible (generally less than 2 days).
If you’re interested in getting me as a speaker about any of the other topics mentioned in this blog, or in the Nestholma blog, I’ll be happy to develop a specific keynote for you. Please specify this in the form below.
Musician
If science is my vocation, music is my passion. I play the the… well, several instruments. Mind you, that doesn’t always mean I play them well!
I used to play in the acoustic band named Oktopus. They’re still going strong, I recommend you check them out!
Oktopus Band is an acoustic trio that plays cover versions. They travel through time to rescue classics, and to adapt them and maky them their own. This band knows no rules, no constraints. The simply do the songs they like, giving them “the Oktopus touch”. Be it with guitar, upright base, keyboard or percussion, they range from soft to naughty, dismembering with their tentacles well-known tunes and taking them to their pesronal sonic ocean.
Oktopus Band, as per their Facebook description
Here are some clips that we recorded together:
And for those of you looking for the tracks:
The guys are going strong (they got an upgrade and got my brother instead) and are playing at events and such. If you need a band for a wedding or other event, you should check them out. And if you’re organizing an event and are not planning on having a band, you should definitely check them out so you change your mind!
Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent
Victor Hugo