Some things should never change
By Gregory Ronczewski, Director of Product Design at Ibbaka. See his skill profile.
There was a small resale shop on the main street in the town I grew up. It was on the north side, and I vividly remember the steps leading to the door passing on the left display window, where from time to time, one could spot the most desired toys every boy wanted - Matchbox or Hot Wheels cast-iron cars. It was around 1968 or 1969 when my mother bought me a red-painted Volkswagen 1500, the Monte Carlo Rally edition. I still have it, or rather, my son has it now. I loved this little car so much. Probably because there was a personal connection evoked by the fact that my parent's friend owned the exact vehicle. He was kind enough to spend some time showing me the object of his pride, especially considering that Poland was in the tight grip of the ruling party and the Soviets. Western technology was not welcomed, and the shiny metallic-painted car stood out from the otherwise grey landscape. So obviously, he, too, was drawn to the timeless design of the Volkswagen Beetle.
Fast-forward and around 1986, I drove a yellow Beetle 1303 with an opening roof which leaked and should never be touched. The car wasn't just mine - it was a joint venture between a few friends. After purchasing a barely drivable Volkswagen, the car was driven to West Berlin, where it was "replaced" with a much nicer version and brought back across the border. The three of us shared the yellow Garbus (Polish name for Beetle meaning hunchback). The battery was dead most of the time, but placing it in reverse and with a little push, the engine started effortlessly with the air-cooled sound one will recognize anywhere. The connection never left me, and although I have never owned a Beetle, I keep it close to my heart. In 2017, I wrote a post, Waymarking - skills chart a course for your future, using a VW Beetle for a cover image.
Fast-forward again. On Thursday, we drove to the University of British Columbia to drop off my son for a class, and on our way, on 4th Avenue in Vancouver, we passed an old Beetle parked on the North side of the street, close to Dunbar. It looked tiny compared to the surrounding vehicles. But something was captivating in its shape, or perhaps, it was just memory at play. Then, in the evening, my son told me about an assignment which is part of the informatics course he is taking. "For this assignment, you will search for, select, organize, and present a collection of items in a particular form or topic. The collection must have clear criteria for inclusion and exclusion. The items are to be curated," reads the outline. He said that for his collection, he would dig out a box where he keeps his Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars. And, of course, the little red VW 1500 will "make the cut," placing a big smile on my face. Would I consider owning an old VW Beetle now? No, I would not. But it doesn't change the fact that I admire this car.
The assignment is a part of a wider body of knowledge dealing with data, data sets, curation and organization of data. Although very different, the notion of curating, organizing, and presenting the data in a certain way is very close to Ibbaka Talio Skill Management. Therefore, the guiding questions from my son's assignment work perfectly in the skill organization:
What were key decisions about selection, organization, and presentation?
Who were the creators of the items selected?
How were items searched for and evaluated?
What didn't make the cut and why?
So what does it say about a person who likes the shape of an old Beetle? What skills, if any, could be drawn out of such a statement? Design, Design Thinking, or is this pushing it? Still, a skill profile opens a window into the mind of its owner. The same goes for a team or company. So what did make the cut and why is an important question. Is it natural to imply that because of my attraction to the 1968 Beetle, I will automatically like the air-colled Porsche 911? Actually, I do. Is it the timeless shape, the sound, and the simplicity that make those cars attractive to me? Can the same principle be applied when a collection of skills is organized? I think it can. I know it can. Ibbaka Talio is far more than an intelligent way of documenting a "collection." See it for yourself. Request a demo of Ibbaka Talio and drive into the world of skills.
