The ‘organisation as orchestra‘ metaphor has long been used to evoke the concept of functionally arranged clusters of people harmonising in their delivery of a work program. In a recent presentation to a regional group of IML (Institute of Managers and Leaders) members, I used a choir metaphor for similar purposes. While singers in the… Continue reading Singing from the same song sheet
Author: polgov1
Agents, Proxies, & Servants – Agency Part 2
Agency Theory was highlighted in Part 1 of this two-part series, along with personal and organisational agency, but this offers only an economic perspective on how we use agency in governance and management. Across the fields of economics, psychology, sociology, law, and political science, five distinct agency theories can be identified – each with relevance… Continue reading Agents, Proxies, & Servants – Agency Part 2
Promoting Personal & Organisational Agency – Agency Part 1
In its simplest form, ‘agency‘ can be defined as the ability to take action. We refer to a person’s agency in terms of their capacity to influence the course of events that shape their lives. By extension, we describe organisational agency in terms of the collective capacity of its people and resources to effect changes… Continue reading Promoting Personal & Organisational Agency – Agency Part 1
Good Change: Bad Change
Selected change propositions Not all change is good.Whether a change is good or bad is both a moral and a practical judgment.Not all good change overcomes resistance.Successful change requires more than a good idea. Reflections related to these propositions are offered below as a catalyst for your own reflection on how change decisions are taken… Continue reading Good Change: Bad Change
Looking back or projecting forward
I was recently interviewed on Jeremy Irvine’s podcast ‘Dear 21 Year-old Me’, which employs the device of ‘Now and Then’ perspectives – and invites us to reflect on the question ‘What if I knew then what I know now?’ While I’m not comfortable with either self-aggrandizement or self-blaming, I have long been a staunch advocate… Continue reading Looking back or projecting forward
Tools and Their Users: plus parable
Various books and websites use a ‘toolkit’ metaphor to describe a collection of resources they offer to leaders and managers. This metaphor invites readers to think about the addition of new or more specialised tools helping expand one’s skills and abilities, and so being more productive and/or promotable. For some, the toolkit or toolbox metaphor… Continue reading Tools and Their Users: plus parable
Are We Managing Human Resources or Human Beings?
Some of the fatalistic and dystopian predictions of recent years about robotic futures and the elimination of the need for human workers were overblown. On the other hand, there remains a strong imperative in some quarters to push forward with workforce substitution using a range of technologies. It would be hyperbolic to call this a… Continue reading Are We Managing Human Resources or Human Beings?
Slips of the ear & tongue: eggcorns, mondegreens, & malapropisms
A ‘slip of the tongue’ is one way we refer to an error in our speech, but a ‘slip of the ear’ can catch us out as well. Directors or executives who have spent long hours in board meetings over many years are likely to recall numerous incidents where a speaker used the wrong word.… Continue reading Slips of the ear & tongue: eggcorns, mondegreens, & malapropisms
Making the seconds count – rather than counting the seconds
We sometimes speak of our need for split-second timing, where a decision or action must be taken very rapidly, and at precisely the right moment. We also occasionally refer to something happening in an instant, usually unexpectedly. Few nonprofit organisations, however, would see themselves depending on super-fast timing such as might be required for emergency… Continue reading Making the seconds count – rather than counting the seconds
Hurry Up and Slow Down
Tempo – yet another dimension of temporality Many years ago my piano teacher introduced me to the metronome, and its use as an aid to practicing. I started slowly at first, and then sped up as I grew more confident with either my sight reading or my familiarity with the particular piece of music I… Continue reading Hurry Up and Slow Down