Stories to illustrate intelligence practices, in intelligence services and in project management. Each story illustrates a different conundrum or problem, and how to address it.
On this page
True-life stories from industry
True-life stories. Some are anonymised after consulting the principal character. They’re 3-14 pages long.
The stories illustrate how to use intelligence practices to improve management. (For more, see Improve management practices.)
- “Fightback” – manage a technology failure – a case studyA technology failure. This is a case study of a quality assurance manager facing his worst nightmare, and how he reacted. It’s an example of intelligence-based project management.
- “Today will be different” – how to achieve chaos resolutionChaos surrounds Libby’s work. She dreams of order. Then a new manager arrives and claims he has a magic wand. … This is story of a chaos resolution.
- Rehan Haque and Metatalent.ai – what makes an entrepreneur?This is an account of the creation of Metatalent.ai and the emergence of its founder, Rehan Haque as an entrepreneur. It’s a true story, written by an insider.
Tales of intelligence workers
Very short stories about intelligence workers, and the people impacted by their actions.
Each of the fictional stories illustrates a different point. The recent stories include explanation and analysis of what was happening.
- Sweet and Sour Chaos – escape from an intelligence agency to industryAn intelligence analyst tries to find a “purpose” after escaping from the “Agency” to industry. Konstantina must save her colleagues from disaster. … The story illustrates challenges of taking intelligence practices and adding them to project management in industry.
- Drumhead Trial – an example, and 6 ways to fight it“Drumhead Trial”. An intelligence researcher is accused of incompetence when investigative journalists outsmart him. The story shows the danger of being a scapegoat – in almost any job.
- An agency man – a story of an ex intelligence officer in industryEx intelligence officers face many challenges adjusting to civilian life. This is a 4 page story to illustrate the transition, and the challenge of hiding their background.
- Spy catcher rivals – using AI in counter intelligenceSpy catchers (counter-intelligence). An intelligence analyst competes against a researcher armed with AI. Who will catch the spy first?
- Donat’s story – choose soft skills vs hard skillsDonat’s going to miss his dream job to more experienced candidates, unless he can work a miracle. … A story of soft skills vs hard skills.
- Too many presidents – how to protect data privacy rightsA young business analyst must confront her feared boss. The 3-page story covers data privacy rights in a large company, and snooping by intelligence agencies. The story also illustrates how to manage unknown-unknowns.
- The secret devil’s advocate – a story of managing the unknownThe Secret Devil’s Advocate is a fictional account of managing “unknown unknowns”. The 7-page story illustrates standard methods, listed here.
- “The 4 Seasons” story – elevator pitch exampleRadha reread her resignation letter. It was a huge step. The Agency had been her home, and her dream.
- The Three Newbies – find your best career pathSaleem wrinkled his nose. “They laughed when we all talked about career goals for intelligence professionals. What’s wrong with a career path?”
- The Poltergeist – an intrusive surveillance examplePoltergeist! The words throbbed in Sabra’s mind as she inspected what had moved. …
- Rage – an intimidation case“Intimidation case.” Hans listened to the man in the red shirt. The man in the red shirt inspected Hans’s mobile then powered it off. “Secrecy first,” he said.
- Person Lurking – story of AI in intelligence analysisPerson lurking by Zone Sierra. Nervous movement, potential improvised explosive device. The automated intelligence analysis flashed on Tessa’s screen.
- Judicial oversight – a 2-page story of illegal interceptsThey arrived without warning in José’s office. A high court judge, a policewoman from Operational Security, and a clear implication of illegal intercepts.
- Wuhan and biological weapons capability – a storyThe professor stared at the words Top Secret on the analysis report. She lifted it and read the title: Wuhan Biological Weapons and Covid-19. She shrugged.
- The assassination – a 2-page story of an ethical dilemma‘Is he actually proposing a kill order? That we should become involved in an assassination?’ The intelligence researcher’s eyes widened.
- Paranoia – a 2-page story of work overload and OSINTThe paranoia was returning. Isabelle’s head throbbed with pain and her eyes were loosing their focus. She had too many types of intelligence feed to research.
- Forced confession – a 2-page story of an analyst’s dilemaThe forced confession was in stilted Arabic with words that the suspect never used, and the recording from the interview had been replaced by a transcript.
- Suicide risk – a story of a failed intelligence officerDeath or the classroom. Mohammed planned to sit at the back of the room and contemplate the appropriate method of suicide for a failed intelligence officer.
- Presumed guilty – a story of intrusive surveillance‘She’s a journalist, that makes her guilty,’ the intelligence officer declared. ‘Get me evidence for intrusive surveillance and we’ll find her dirty secrets.’
- The price of secrecy-first – a 2½-page storyMikael’s secrecy-first speech was cut short by the minister. ‘Tell me more about this cyber-attack. Are they really intending to cripple our railway network?’
- A delicate liaison – a 2-page story of fear and bullying“Francesca will be in danger,” Graziano warned. It wasn’t the role of an intelligence liaison operative to state the obvious but he feared for her.
- A special kind of odd – a 2-page story of intelligence researchJon screamed silently at the quantity of raw intelligence. There were thousands of suspicious persons, highlighted because the AI computers had seen patterns that matched people on the terrorist watch list.
- The intelligence collectors’ AI Awayday – a 2-page storyThe AI Awayday for the intelligence collectors had been in the calendar for weeks, and the mystery had added to the excitement about Artificial Intelligence.
Novels
I’m also working on a series of novels. The first one’s written and seeking representation to publishers. The second I’m working on at the moment.
They’re espionage stories, with the pace of thrillers and the investigative work of crime. So, it’s not a who-dun-it, but a how-to-stop-it. And now the “villain” is after the intelligence officer, too.
I strive for accuracy. That’s technical accuracy, to illustrate the methods currently used in the profession, and why they’re needed. And it’s emotional accuracy, to show how intelligence practices effect people’s lives, and how intelligence workers to do better.
