What does ‘the power to transcend paradigms’ mean?

Epistemic status — just a rushed response when what I wanted to say became too long for a tweet stream. On Twitter, Simon Parker asked: https://twitter.com/SimonFParker/status/1232946521752186881 (Simon's tweets are protected, but you can join the thread on Matthew's response below). Matthew Mezey (and others — worth a look a the tweet thread) replied: https://twitter.com/MatthewMezey/status/1232951665285832704 My … Continue reading What does ‘the power to transcend paradigms’ mean? →

@antlerboy’s podcast plans

Originally published in Medium: Dec 10, 2019 · 1 min read I’m finally announcing the launch of TWO podcasts in 2020: Transduction: the systems, complexity, and cybernetics podcast and Joy and work: the (public) service transformation podcast, leading transformation who *must* I have as a guest? Let me have names — and email addresses — please — or email … Continue reading @antlerboy’s podcast plans →

Look on the local government fees and charges, ye Open Data people, and despair!

Originally posted on Medium: Oct 2, 2019 · 5 min read Or… I didn’t need flying cars, but is a coherent and consistent data schema really too much to expect? my frustrated tweet Well. I have literally not got words strong enough to explain my sincere and deep dissatisfaction at the state of local government data. It’s, not … Continue reading Look on the local government fees and charges, ye Open Data people, and despair! →

public service — who’s in charge?

Originally published on Medium: Apr 13, 2018 · 6 min read By Eugène Delacroix — Self-photographed Sailko 2016–11–05 22:26:31, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64515646 I’ve been thinking about this a lot, lately. We are doing a small piece of work on local systems change, and I wrote this a long, slow journey home from a PSTA transformation academy where we are … Continue reading public service — who’s in charge? →

What is ‘commissioning’?

many models of commissioning Originally published on Medium: Oct 31, 2017 · 6 min read Jeff Sussna asked this as a ‘dumb question’. Which is a great question. Commissioning means many things to many people — it’s probably a bit like asking ‘what is agile’. Much of the value of commissioning, I believe, is that it is an emerging … Continue reading What is ‘commissioning’? →

Meta-contextuality, Bongard games, systems thinking, consultancy, transformation

Originally published on Medium: Oct 16, 2017 · 1 min read I presented at SCiO (www.scio.org.uk) on Bongard games and concepts of meta-contextuality — slides (with spoilers!) at the dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jvsv50okntx6tw6/2017-10-16%20Metacontextuality%20and%20bongard%20games%20v1.1BT%20for%20circulation.pdf?dl=0 This is an element of the RedQuadrant Leading Transformation blended training — watch this space! Vide-o: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI5sFwR1dCc& This was a curated and stirred presentation drawn mainly … Continue reading Meta-contextuality, Bongard games, systems thinking, consultancy, transformation →

On the new guerrilla initiative hype/enthusiasm cycle, the uses of naivety, and becoming a Jedi

Originally published on Medium  Aug 11, 2017 · 2 min read A couple of recent conversations, and noticing a recurring pattern, have got me thinking. I have observed loads of movements come and go in public services, enthused usually by a methodology or similar ‘thing’: TQM, KM, joined-up government, eGoverment, zero based budgeting, lean, service design, agile, digital, etc … Continue reading On the new guerrilla initiative hype/enthusiasm cycle, the uses of naivety, and becoming a Jedi →

Why I was wrong to call John Seddon ‘you old bastard’, even though he probably deserved it

Originally published on Medium: Mar 9, 2017 · 5 min read TL: DR even being ‘clever’ and calling out bullies on their own terms creates a negative atmosphere for public debate. It can feel fun, but it lowers us all. Hmm, I wonder if there are any lessons on a world level here? John Seddon has intentionally used … Continue reading Why I was wrong to call John Seddon ‘you old bastard’, even though he probably deserved it →

Making Change That Matters

Originally published at http://www.human-current.com/blog/2016/9/1/making-change-that-matters September 2, 2016 by Benjamin Taylor “You never understand a system until you start to try to change it.” — Lewin “It is easier to act yourself into a new way of thinking than it is to think yourself into a new way of acting.” — *(See Footnote) These two quotes rounded … Continue reading Making Change That Matters →

What is Control? Do Leaders Have It?

Originally published at: http://www.human-current.com/blog/2016/9/1/what-is-control-do-leaders-have-it September 2, 2016 by Benjamin Taylor Control is probably an ‘essentially contested’ concept – which is to say that not only does it mean many different things to different people, these meanings are grounded in concepts of rationality, human communities and practices, which may make it impossible for proponents of different meanings … Continue reading What is Control? Do Leaders Have It? →