Who wants to become an organisational Jedi?

Over several posts, I’ve outlined a dozen ways the Force operates in organisational life. The unseen energy that permeates all living things, that binds our working galaxy together. If you can’t see these forces – the dominant/other patter, the essential Viable Systems organisational logic, the impact of trauma and the lust for power – they … Continue reading Who wants to become an organisational Jedi? →

Have you heard of ‘commissioning’? Here’s why it’s important in all our lives

'Commissioning' is misunderstood, denigrated, reduced to something else, and important. Often seen as just procurement, outsourcing, or a commercial activity, in fact it is about really achieving our goals as a society. There are three versions of commissioning 1.0 started as a way to try to buy things effectively, thinking about the real needs, and … Continue reading Have you heard of ‘commissioning’? Here’s why it’s important in all our lives →

Are you playing the real human game, or are you being seduced by the Dark Side of The Force?

The surface game in organisations is theatre of change, decision-making, reorganisation. Strategy. Most of the time, it’s pure pantomime; a show of effort is more important than real results.The alternative – dealing with the actual the people and real change needed – would mean reckoning with human needs, and the impact of trauma, shame, and … Continue reading Are you playing the real human game, or are you being seduced by the Dark Side of The Force? →

Are you a naive enthusiast, an oversimplifying populariser, a gooroo, or a curmudgeon?

These are the ego traps that lie in wait as you enter into any powerful field of knowledge. - The naive enthusiast thinks that this new thing they've found will change the world! And is incredibly frustrated that they can't be allowed to run wild and just apply it to make *everything* better. They don't … Continue reading Are you a naive enthusiast, an oversimplifying populariser, a gooroo, or a curmudgeon? →

Are you fit for your job? Are you stretched?

The Force in organisational life creates a crackling, positive energy around organisations where work *fits* the people and *stretches* them - and a crackling negative energy which will create dangerous lightning strikes where this is off. Work - roles and tasks - needs to make a space which fits and stretches you in these dimensions:- … Continue reading Are you fit for your job? Are you stretched? →

I sabotaged the plan, and it was one of the best things I’ve done

We had all the experts in the workshop - lead policy officer, police expert, survivors' charity, community reps. Our job: design a £200k/year clinic in the middle of the borough, helping the most serious of subjects - domestic abuse. The big breakthrough was when we realised, with all those experts in the room, we didn't … Continue reading I sabotaged the plan, and it was one of the best things I’ve done →

Organisational Jedi Knights have to confront themselves with love

We're all subject to the drive to impose our models on the world, and the drive to divide the world into 'better' and 'worse'. When the world breaks down our models which allow us to act and understand what happens, the pathological response is to force the world to act in a way which matches … Continue reading Organisational Jedi Knights have to confront themselves with love →

There are ‘only’ seven ways to make savings and improvements in service organisations

1. Shape and manage demand: effect behavioural change, reduce failure demand 2. Create economies of flow: match capacity, capability, contact points to demand 3. Reduce waste: re-engineer processes or develop a lean whole system 4. Optimise the use of resources: buildings, IT, vehicles, other assets, people (scheduling, downtime, contracts and management), income generation 5. Effective … Continue reading There are ‘only’ seven ways to make savings and improvements in service organisations →

How can we change the world? Exactly – join us and we’ll see!

How can we change the world? Exactly — join us and we’ll see! ‘to understand is to know what to do’ Wittgenstein ‘I can only know what I should do if I can first answer the question: of what story, or stories, do I find myself a part?’ MacIntyre If you follow me, you might have heard this … Continue reading How can we change the world? Exactly – join us and we’ll see! →

Are you trapped in a tractor beam of The Force?

Stuctural coupling is the natural, incremental process by which organisations become better and better fit to their environment - and their environment becomes more and more fit to them. Gregory Bateson makes the point that flat grasslands and large herds of hooved animals evolved together, not separately. So if you want a nice lawn, you … Continue reading Are you trapped in a tractor beam of The Force? →