Welcome to the Cesira Blog
Removing Obstacles
Many of us have found ourselves in situations with others wondering “How can I get them to do it?”. What if we instead asked “How can I make things easier for them?” That is the concept of removing obstacles outlined by Daniel Kahneman, in an interview on the...
A scientist walks into an improv class
How many times have we been given the advice or told ourselves that we just need to “go with it”. How often do we actually put that into practice? Until… I walked into an improv class It was my first improv experience. I decided to try a class based on the...
Cleared to Land: Lessons in communication from Air Traffic Control
Want a great example of succinct communication? Listen to Air Traffic Control (https://www.liveatc.net) When I want a change from listening to music or a podcast, I tune in to air traffic control (ATC), yes there is an app for that. ATC listening isn’t the most...
Baking, unanticipated events, and shifting mindsets
I find baking a very creative activity with a lot of upside. The reward/effort ratio is high, I get to channel my inner pastry chef, and often encounter a useful lesson.
Alliance Entropy
Coordination between alliance partners is essential for turning research and development efforts into valuable assets for both parties. While that may seem obvious, it often does not receive sufficient focus and effort when structuring collaborations.
Potential
I have been hearing the word potential a lot lately in all sorts of contexts. “She has great potential” “They have the potential to be the greatest team in the sport” “The company has the potential to be an industry leader” “Unlocking human potential” “They thought of...
Creative Conflict
“I am going to tell you about my current hypothesis and working model—I welcome your comments and criticisms. Models are meant to be broken”. That is how a well respected researcher from a top academic institution began his seminar. He certainly got my attention. The...
Third Siders
William Ury, coauthor of the well known negotiation book “Getting to Yes”, recently popularized the notion of the Third Side.
The jobs to be done
Over the years, I have prepared a lot of disease summaries that include things like current standard treatments, drugs in development, and unmet needs. We typically think of unmet needs in clinical terms; limiting or stopping disease progression, alleviating...