My weekly posts
We are not living through a shift of ideology. We are living after ideology
I believe we’re no longer living through a shift in ideology but beyond it, surrounded by the remnants of once-meaningful frameworks. Words like ‘transformation’ and ‘impact’ have lost their shared meaning, leaving hollow rituals. I see the way forward as rebuilding purpose through honest collaboration, relationships, and local sense-making, stitching meaning back into everyday practice rather than clinging to new jargon or ideology. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_systemchange-complexity-culture-activity-7353314060563611649-_kWj?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAACuq-oBecVFDW6PCf3lkoG-peMeuLBeoho
Courses and events
Financial Times expert survey on management consultancies – vote now!
If you’re a consultant then you can vote in the peer survey to find Britain’s leading consultancy. RedQuadrant has done well for the past eight years. Usually, we’ve been listed in the public and social sector, organisation and change, people and performance, or in strategy. https://engage.statista-research.com/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=358489&lang=en.
Commissioning Compass: systems assessment for change
Our newly launched tool, the Commissioning Compass, helps you to assess your commissioning system and form an action plan for improvement. It’s available for free via our Teachable site – try it now! link.redquadrant.com/commissioningcompass
This September – Outcomes-based commissioning: a ten-step introduction
We’ve announced new dates for our introduction to commissioning course at the PSTA, perfect for early career commissioners in police, justice, health, care, children’s services, or other commissioning disciplines. Register your interest now. https://link.redquadrant.com/10step0925
Next National Commissioning Academy
We’re building our cohort for the next national commissioning academy – our flagship commissioning programme from the PSTA. Register your interest now: https://link.redquadrant.com/nextacademy25
Level 7 Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship
Work in England or Wales? Want to develop your systems thinking skills? Sign up now for the next cohort of the Level 7 Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship — Cherith Simmons, with experts from SCiO (including me). It’s funded by the apprenticeship levy to the end of the year. https://app.sli.do/event/pJLVg5fZ4NZocjSi8uEqim
The 5 Core Practices Challenge:
August 18, 19, 20 2025, 5pm-6pm BST. What if 5 simple practices could shift your organization from stuck to strategic – without adding more complexity? Adapt Faster. Lead Better. Deliver More. Join the five core practices challenge now. https://5pchallenge.openeyescollaborative.com/5-core-practices-challenge
SysPrac25 – The Systems Thinking Practitioner Conference.
3-4 September, Milton Keynes. SCiO, The Open University, and the International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR) are excited to invite you to SysPrac25 — the essential conference for systems thinking practitioners, learners, and leaders. Join us on 3rd and 4th September 2025 at the Open University campus in Milton Keynes for two dynamic days of insight, interaction, and innovation. Book your place now: www.sysprac25.org
Things I shared on socials:
Look out – enforced invoice factoring coming soon to an NHS institution near you – as pioneered by various councils.
How it works: – they partner with an invoice factoring company; they ‘offer’ you an ‘opportunity’ to ‘get paid early’ at a slight discount to your bid price (sometimes this is, in fact, mandated); they price this discount into the tender evaluation process; you discount (say) 2% if paid on 25 days (often it’s a sliding scale – so payments can still be slippery), for tender evaluation points; the invoice factoring company pays you your fee, splits the difference with the council, who pay (say) 99% on 40 days; they count the 1% as ‘income’; so you balance the pricing evaluation scoring against the discount scoring evaluation, you price up by x%, and offer the discount that maximises scoring, and might even get you paid within the legal timeline (we’ve never, since 2009, had a year when our average time to payment approached 30 days). …and everyone’s…. happy? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_nhse-tells-cash-poor-providers-to-defer-activity-7354439552167464962-XeS1?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAACuq-oBecVFDW6PCf3lkoG-peMeuLBeoho
RIP Joanna Macy
I do not know Macy’s work terribly well – and the best place to go for references and remembrances is probably Phoebe’s post. From Facebook posts, I understand that Phoebe – a great and appropriate student of Joanna’s – was helping to care for her and live for her in her final weeks. I’ve attempted with some LLM help to assemble some links and connections which people might find interesting. https://wp.me/p8QJZw-6Dj
Sarah Jane Owen at the commissioning academy
Last week I was grateful to RedQuadrant and the Public Service Transformation Academy for inviting me along to meet a fantastic group of Commissioners at a Commissioning Academy session. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sarah-jane-owen_last-week-i-was-grateful-to-redquadrant-and-activity-7353074939576397824-dBP-?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAACuq-oBecVFDW6PCf3lkoG-peMeuLBeoho
The Informed Life podcast (with transcript and links) – Jeff Sussna on Cybernetics (2019)
Huh, haven’t heard from Jeff Sussna in ages – used to love his stuff – hope you’re doing well Jeff, if you read this! https://wp.me/p8QJZw-6Dg
Collaborate: Tenant Influence in Boards and Governance
Pleased to be collaborating with Tpas and some other amazing folk on this! https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_tpas-collaborate-tenant-influence-activity-7353531382934949889-oak0?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAACuq-oBecVFDW6PCf3lkoG-peMeuLBeoho
chosen path 