Day 27 - Harvard Kennedy School - John F. Kennedy School of Government

Today was a late start. I headed to Harvard University around midday as I had a meeting at the John F. Kennedy School of Government with Zackary Tumin. This was the proverbial contact of a contact. Before I headed of for my meeting I thought as the weather was improving from when I first arrived I would try to attend a tour of Harvard.

Statue of John Harvard of Charlestown. The statue was one John Harvard as all record of his image was burnt  in a fire that destroyed all records and images and books that he donated to the University. The 1668 was the year he died and left his library and half of his estate to the University.

The Buildings at Harvard or as the local say (HAHVAD) are build in the architectural style of the time. They have a policy of not building to make things look old. These building are the dorms of 1st year students. The guide indicated that one year at Harvard is worth $57,000, most stay for 4-6 years.

Our guide in the hat

 This is Massachusetts house, the bottom two floors are the presidents offices and accommodation and the top two are 1st year students.

One of the University Club Houses

Veritas Latin for Truth many schools use this term

After the tour I then headed off to get something to eat and drink before heading over to see Zachary Tumin. The school is at 75 JFK Street, in Cambridge and on one of the pillars was JFK's famous quote " And so my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man" signed John F. Kennedy Inaugural Address January 20, 1961. 


Still very important words and sentiments we should never for get. My meeting with Zackary was reasonably short as but quite informative. He informed me of a number of programmes and people associated with those programs that I should consider within my research. We discussed his new book of which he felt a number of chapters within the book would have some relevance. The book being Collaborate or Perish, I indicated I would love to obtain a copy on the Amazon site but they only had hard cover which is a little impractical while travelling. A digital version was available but due to copyright laws not in Australia. ?? I could though by the hard cover??  I read the first chapter which was free on-line and will wait until my return. Looks to be an interesting book and some lessons worth considering for my work at DCP (Department for Child Protection - Western Australia).


As I recorded the session there are more details to be found after reviewing that recording. 


Tomorrow I have a day with the Microsoft Team that build SharePoint. I am looking forward to see what they have in store for wave15.


Signing off 7:06pm

Day 26 - No interviews

Today I had no interviews but I had arranged a tour of Boston at 5:30pm. As well as some night shooting. I went into the city earlier and took a hop-on and hop-off tour of the city before meeting up with Toni. Toni took me around Boston first to see the sights around the city and then we drove North out of town for some night shooting.


Before we headed off Toni took me to a pastry shop to try one of the local delicacies which is called a lobster tail. This is a pastry filled with a sweet cream cheese.

Toni advertised her services on a site called Vayable.com

Vayable is another service similar to airbnb.com but offering tours by locals. Great service I have used it in NY, Boston and London.

Grand Lodge of Massachusetts

Paul Revere's House

Steaming Fountain

The real location of Cheers, where everyone knows your name.

Tomorrow I will be catching up with Mr Zachary Tumin Special Assistant to the Fac.Chair & Dir., Science, Technology & Public Policy Program, Harvard Kennedy School. Zachary came recommended by Alan Merrihew from Microsoft. Zachary in conjunction with William J.Bratton recently published a book called "Collaborate or Perish"(2012).

Zachary Tumin

In Collaborate or Perish! former Los Angeles police chief and New York police commissioner William Bratton and Harvard Kennedy School’s Zachary Tumin lay out a field-tested playbook for collaborating across the boundaries of our networked world. Today, when everyone is connected, collaboration is the game changer. Agencies and firms, citizens and groups who can collaborate, Bratton and Tumin argue, will thrive in the networked world; those who can’t are doomed to perish.


No one today is better known around the world for his ability to get citizens, governments, and industries working together to improve the safety of cities than William Bratton. At Harvard, Zachary Tumin has led senior executives from government and industry in executive sessions and classrooms for over a decade, burnishing a global reputation for insight and leadership. Together, Bratton and Tumin draw on in-depth accounts from Fortune 100 giants such as Alcoa, Wells Fargo, and Toyota; from masters of collaboration in education, social work, and the military; and from Bratton’s own storied career. Among the specific strategies they reveal:


   • Start collaboration with a broad vision that supporters can add to and make their own 
   • Rightsize problems, and get value in the hands of users fast 
   • Get the right people involved—from sponsors to grass roots 
   • Make collaboration pay in the right currency—whether recognition, rewards, or revenue 


Today companies and managers face unique challenges—and opportunities—in reaching out to others, thanks to the incredibly connected world in which we live. Bratton and Tumin provide practical strategies anyone can use, from the cubicle to the boardroom. This is the ultimate guide to getting things done in today’s networked world.


I look forward to our meeting.


Singing off 12:31am 7th June