Interviews and Clippings

How Blockchain will change construction

Blockchain technology is among the most disruptive forces of the past decade. Its power to record, enable, and secure huge numbers and varieties of transactions raises an intriguing question: Can the same distributed ledger technology that powers bitcoin also enable better execution of strategic projects in a conservative sector like construction, involving large teams of contractors and subcontractors and an abundance of building codes, safety regulations, and standards?

Four tenets to build a workforce that can turn ideas into reality

Many people around the world have been shocked by the gridlock and uncertainty that has crippled the Brexit negotiations between Great Britain and the European Union. Ricardo Vargas is not among them. As the Executive Director of the Brightline Initiative, a think tank operated under the auspices of the Project Management Institute, Vargas has spent most of his professional life studying the gap between ideas and execution. When he looks at the Brexit situation, Vargas sees a classic example of failing to find the ways and means to deliver on an idea.

Learn from experts at People Matters TechHR certification workshops

People Matters TechHR has always experimented with the new-be it formats, speakers, or experiences. Continuing our journey of six years, with two large events, one in India and one in Singapore, at TechHR, we continue to bring in the most progressive speakers, the most experimentative companies, the most relevant products to provide you with an immersive experience like no other conference in the world. Why should this year be any different?

Zaatari documentary

The scenery of Zaatari - Memories of the Labyrinth is one of the largest refugee camps in the Syrian War, located in the Mafraq desert, on the Syrian border with Jordan since 2012. In just four years, Zaatari became the third country and the fifth largest center in financial transactions. The documentary focuses on the human side and seeks to understand how more than 80,000 refugees attempt to rebuild their lives, overcoming the traumas of war. The film chronicles the day-to-day lives of characters struggling to keep their memories alive. The idea is to show how these lives are being redone.

Work and live your passion

Work isn’t just a job—it’s your life. It’s how you spend your days, weeks, months, and eventually years. If you don’t feel personally invested in the outcomes of your work, it will suffer and so will you. For me, there is no such thing as a “work-life balance.” At the end, there is no work and life. There is only life. Period.

Take note: A great idea is not enough for your start-up to succeed

Having a great idea isn’t everything. It takes work—not to mention guts, patience, dedication, and grit—to transform an idea into a viable business. Yet, founders can be blinded by excitement for ideas they’re passionate about. A common mistake of start-ups is adopting a way of thinking that says if you have a great idea, you have everything. Perhaps that’s one reason why only about one out of every 10 start-ups actually make it, while the other nine fail.

Brightline Initiative is recognising the need for people-related solutions

When pursuing a change of strategy direction, leaders can often overlook the people already within their organisation. However, with the need to close the gap between strategy design and delivery more important than ever, it appears necessary to rethink the ‘people gap’

Strategy is not a linear, two-step process, It is interconnected, iterative, and intertwined says Ricardo Viana Vargas

What, in your experience, is the state of strategy implementation in organizations worldwide?

Research indicates that a lot of work has been done towards identifying and defining the best strategy possible for a particular organization. In my experience working and talking with senior leaders, there is a common understanding that having a perfectly designed strategy won’t be enough to deliver great results. Organizations need to invest in the development of their strategy delivery capabilities.

Interview for the Business Debate (Reuters) at Davos about Brightline Initiative mission

Interview Ricardo Vargas gave to Reuters Business Debate channel talking about Brightline's mission and reason for existing.

Ricardo Vargas on "Humans 2.0" | WEF 2019 in Davos

The Economist Facebook live speech directly from Davos at The Economist panel on Humans 2.0. The panel was a partnership between the Project Management Institute, BCG and Brightline Initiative to discuss the future of work.