'Many are stubborn with regard to the once-chosen path, few with regard to the goal' -Nietzsche
There are two fundamental outlooks on life: ➊ To regard the Universe as a gigantic machine hurtling through time and space to its final destruction: individuals in it are but tiny organisms with private lives that lead to private deaths: personal power, success and fame are the absolute measures of values; the things to live … Continue reading There are two fundamental outlooks on life
Naturally and instantly, like a reflex, human groups connect — and part of their connection is to see themselves as different from some other group. As soon as the concept of Otherness is introduced — and one group has superior access to resources, rule-setting, and opportunity — the dynamic sets in. The Dominants see the Others as not quite right. The … Continue reading The Force in organisational life: how dominant/other cultural patterns create system fragility…
Human responses in organisation tend to produce patterns of separation and resentment which destroy partnership.It's natural, instant. And it builds more... more separation,more resentment. Less and less partnership. As we begin to work in partnership, with good intentions,something turns up. One party takes on the burden, the other is grateful. Asthe burdened party takes on … Continue reading The Dark Side of human responses – The Force in organisation, part VI
Epistemic status: a curiosity, part of an exercise done with one of the groups that began as a cohort of the RedQuadrant tool shed Dear tomorrow I remember 2020 as tsunami — wave after wave of crashing overwhelm to deal with — Covid, collapse all around, ultimately of the ecosystem, and grasping systems for attention and energy of all … Continue reading A letter to the future from some little time after 2020
A photoshopped images of a large stack of tortoises on each others' backs We want the world to be manageable, organisational life to be simple... ...so we can apply ‘best practices’. Or even complicated – so we can simulate, model, and plan. We want this so bad, we’re prepared to break everything that’s living and … Continue reading Irreducible complexity: The Force in organisational life
Originally published on Medium: Aug 28 · 3 min read A quick summary of my series on the Force in organisational life so far. Which one of these do you think has the greatest impact on organisations, and why? 1) The purpose of the systems is what it does — there’s no point talking about … Continue reading The Force in organisational life — the story so far
Originally published on Medium: Aug 5 · 8 min read Image of Yoda action figure with a lightsaber ‘The Force’ in organisational life is the unseen energy that can shape and control you and your organisation — often towards the Dark Side — or you can learn to use that power to shape things positively. In this piece, … Continue reading The Force in organisational life and becoming a Jedi — part 2: the Dark Side
Originally published on Medium - Jul 8 · 3 min read Definitely not the opening image of Star Wars part III: A New Hope, with the quote below superimposed over it “Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates … Continue reading The Force in organisational life and becoming a Jedi — The Beginning
Originally published on Medium: Jun 12 · 2 min read What the world needs now is *not* another management fad. Everyone is looking for the ‘new agile’ — some impressively deep thinking which can be simplified, commoditised, and sold. The smarter sharks in the ocean are preparing the accreditation programmes… Yet we do need something. … Continue reading Only Requisite Agility can save us now
Originally published on Medium: May 12 · 3 min read Deep dream Like many people in these weird, liminal times, I’ve been doing some introspection. I’m not very good at it. I’m better at doing, challenging, thinking out loud, working. But a realisation of how little I am ‘essential’ to the world at these time of crisis … Continue reading Who am I, and what do I care about? @antlerboy reflects
chosen path 