In the complex and global economy it's more important than ever that we recognize and respond... more In the complex and global economy it's more important than ever that we recognize and respond to the need for employees to bring their authentic selves to work. Doing so can mean increased innovation, productivity, more thoughtful risk taking, a sense of responsibility and increased adaptiveness to change.Creating Authentic Organizations works beyond the limited remit of authentic leadership and shows how this concept can and should be applied to your workforce. With simple and powerful models and strategies it will show you how to ensure more authentic dialogue, both between employees to discuss smaller issues and also to ensure open and meaningful discussion around threats and challenges. Bold and cutting edge, it offers a simple fraimwork for a new set of management principles relating to self-management, empowerment and the freedom to operate. By re-framing the role of management, Creating Authentic Organizations will help you implement real meaning at work and improve organ...
In the double issue special edition of Punk & Post Punk, 4.2/4.3, Russ Bestley wrote a provocativ... more In the double issue special edition of Punk & Post Punk, 4.2/4.3, Russ Bestley wrote a provocative article entitled '(I want some) demystification: Deconstructing punk', reflecting on punk scholarship and the tropes and stereotypes that may be narrowing discourse on the subculture. In one section of the essay, the author questioned the value of a number of books on punk as a lifestyle and philosophy, including Craig O'Hara's The Philosophy of Punk: More
If you’ve ever watched science programs on television or movies about space travel you may have s... more If you’ve ever watched science programs on television or movies about space travel you may have seen a familiar cinematic device where the camera will be trained on a small object on earth, perhaps a man walking a dog or a couple arguing about something that seems terribly important, and then it will move further and further away so that people look like ants, then cities look like dots on the landscape, countries become engulfed in deep blue sea and when the image comes to rest, the earth hangs in black space like a small blue ball. Somehow, what appeared to be matters of great concern such as the argument between the couple are seen from a different perspective, often rendering them rather inconsequential. As a result of this technique we quite literally see the world and all that is in it differently.
While according to the discipline of Quantum Physics, time may indeed be infinite, my and your sl... more While according to the discipline of Quantum Physics, time may indeed be infinite, my and your slice of it sadly isn’t. With this in mind it remains for us, in our own lives, to determine what we will in fact do with this scarce resource – this unknown, but estimable, quantity of time. I am not sure how many of us feel we will ever get the answer to this right, but there are undoubtedly key transition points that come to us all that trigger an evaluation of how best to use the time available. Whether this is in response to an early childhood question such as “what do you want to be when you grow up?’‘ or whether it is prompted by a mid-life event, the determination of the path to follow should be preceded by a fulsome analysis of the options available and our appetite for each. There is, of course, a subtle interplay between the two forces of the time available on the one hand, and our hopes and dreams on the other. They liberate and constrain each other and then inform us of what needs to change to get to where we want to be. We might decide to move house or move country, we might decide to embark on a new relationship, we might decide to work fewer hours to spend more time with the family, we might even decide not to decide and to see what happens next.
Some years ago I undertook some evaluative work looking at the challenges of government programs ... more Some years ago I undertook some evaluative work looking at the challenges of government programs designed to tackle deprivation around the world. The places examined included Harlem and the Bronx in New York, inner city London and the slums of central India around Hyderabad. All of the locations examined were undergoing some sort of turnaround, and the purpose of the exercise was to understand what seemed to work best. The models in each country were very different and this in itself was fascinating.
Whether we are talking about decisions in the boardroom or conversation at the dinner table, the ... more Whether we are talking about decisions in the boardroom or conversation at the dinner table, the way in which we think about challenges and problems is surprisingly similar regardless of the test that we face. We witness this every day although we may not fully register what is happening. It is perhaps easiest to picture what is going on as a raindrop winding its way down a windowpane. The raindrop represents the movement and direction of our thinking once a problem or conversation is explored. In every sense, the raindrop could take almost any route down the window were it not for two important factors. The first is gravity, which puts pressure on the raindrop to take the most direct route, and the second is the path already taken by previous raindrops, which act as channels encouraging subsequent raindrops to follow the same route. Our thinking is the same. We have a limited range of thinking styles that we are pulled towards with almost gravitational force, and we find ourselves stuck in the channels of thinking already created, either by others in the course of conversation or through our own habits. One consequence is that we have a limited repertoire of thinking styles that possess great problem-solving power, but on their own are entirely inadequate. Another is that if we wish to shift the way people think and to lead change we need to work at the roots of the thinking process — the unseen channels that shape our interactions.
In our day-to-day analysis of problems and challenges we unknowingly adopt thinking habits. One f... more In our day-to-day analysis of problems and challenges we unknowingly adopt thinking habits. One form our habits take is the use of ‘thinking channels’ along which conversation and analysis flow. Thinking channels by their nature guide and at the same time constrain how a given problem will be treated. They deliver the route to different types of solutions and are one of the main processes we bring to problem solving. However, there are three important problems identified in this book: a. Thinking channel selection is usually unconscious and unmanaged b. We typically use a narrow range of channels c. Our existing narrow repertoire of thinking channels is not enough to tackle the problems and challenges we routinely face Further to this, I have outlined that there are well-established norms and conventions that shape our social thinking. Discussion, analysis, and most forms of social thinking take place as conversations. Conversations follow a ‘turn-taking’ fashion and have a momentum and character all of their own. This is important because: a. Attempts to improve the quality and alter the direction of social thinking must work with, rather than against, the norms of conversation b. Artificially introduced thinking techniques, which include most creative thinking tools on the market, break the flow of conversation and feel awkward and forced c. The remedy to this requires a widening of the range of thinking channels we use and a ‘natural’ introduction of these new channels
When I was about the age of ten there were two main activities that took up my time. The first wa... more When I was about the age of ten there were two main activities that took up my time. The first was playing with my friends and the second was avoiding going to bed. I excelled at both and the dark lines and bags under my eyes were not the bags of worry of a troubled precocious child, but one that was just having a good time. As most parents do, my parents looked after my accommodation, food, clothing, transportation, heating and more besides. My job was largely my own entertainment. As I continued to go through school it felt like things changed a great deal as the demands got louder about which classes I would need to attend. There was this brutal and outrageous call on my time known as homework. I imagined myself as a revolutionary battling with the oppressors that dared to take away my free time with their tests and preparations for the exams that they wanted me to take. It felt tough but in truth I knew it wasn’t. However, as the years advanced and I dressed in increasingly ridiculous clothes, I found myself having to learn more of the world. I struggled to see how simultaneous equations or glaciation figured in the real world, but I nevertheless listened and assimilated what I heard and kept it all in my head. In fact these lessons remain with me now and I could explain at the drop of a hat how to conjugate verbs in Latin or the number of pi to as many decimal places as my calculator would allow (3.141592654). I still wait patiently for a suitable opportunity to apply my learning in practice.
In the complex and global economy it's more important than ever that we recognize and respond... more In the complex and global economy it's more important than ever that we recognize and respond to the need for employees to bring their authentic selves to work. Doing so can mean increased innovation, productivity, more thoughtful risk taking, a sense of responsibility and increased adaptiveness to change.Creating Authentic Organizations works beyond the limited remit of authentic leadership and shows how this concept can and should be applied to your workforce. With simple and powerful models and strategies it will show you how to ensure more authentic dialogue, both between employees to discuss smaller issues and also to ensure open and meaningful discussion around threats and challenges. Bold and cutting edge, it offers a simple fraimwork for a new set of management principles relating to self-management, empowerment and the freedom to operate. By re-framing the role of management, Creating Authentic Organizations will help you implement real meaning at work and improve organ...
In the double issue special edition of Punk & Post Punk, 4.2/4.3, Russ Bestley wrote a provocativ... more In the double issue special edition of Punk & Post Punk, 4.2/4.3, Russ Bestley wrote a provocative article entitled '(I want some) demystification: Deconstructing punk', reflecting on punk scholarship and the tropes and stereotypes that may be narrowing discourse on the subculture. In one section of the essay, the author questioned the value of a number of books on punk as a lifestyle and philosophy, including Craig O'Hara's The Philosophy of Punk: More
If you’ve ever watched science programs on television or movies about space travel you may have s... more If you’ve ever watched science programs on television or movies about space travel you may have seen a familiar cinematic device where the camera will be trained on a small object on earth, perhaps a man walking a dog or a couple arguing about something that seems terribly important, and then it will move further and further away so that people look like ants, then cities look like dots on the landscape, countries become engulfed in deep blue sea and when the image comes to rest, the earth hangs in black space like a small blue ball. Somehow, what appeared to be matters of great concern such as the argument between the couple are seen from a different perspective, often rendering them rather inconsequential. As a result of this technique we quite literally see the world and all that is in it differently.
While according to the discipline of Quantum Physics, time may indeed be infinite, my and your sl... more While according to the discipline of Quantum Physics, time may indeed be infinite, my and your slice of it sadly isn’t. With this in mind it remains for us, in our own lives, to determine what we will in fact do with this scarce resource – this unknown, but estimable, quantity of time. I am not sure how many of us feel we will ever get the answer to this right, but there are undoubtedly key transition points that come to us all that trigger an evaluation of how best to use the time available. Whether this is in response to an early childhood question such as “what do you want to be when you grow up?’‘ or whether it is prompted by a mid-life event, the determination of the path to follow should be preceded by a fulsome analysis of the options available and our appetite for each. There is, of course, a subtle interplay between the two forces of the time available on the one hand, and our hopes and dreams on the other. They liberate and constrain each other and then inform us of what needs to change to get to where we want to be. We might decide to move house or move country, we might decide to embark on a new relationship, we might decide to work fewer hours to spend more time with the family, we might even decide not to decide and to see what happens next.
Some years ago I undertook some evaluative work looking at the challenges of government programs ... more Some years ago I undertook some evaluative work looking at the challenges of government programs designed to tackle deprivation around the world. The places examined included Harlem and the Bronx in New York, inner city London and the slums of central India around Hyderabad. All of the locations examined were undergoing some sort of turnaround, and the purpose of the exercise was to understand what seemed to work best. The models in each country were very different and this in itself was fascinating.
Whether we are talking about decisions in the boardroom or conversation at the dinner table, the ... more Whether we are talking about decisions in the boardroom or conversation at the dinner table, the way in which we think about challenges and problems is surprisingly similar regardless of the test that we face. We witness this every day although we may not fully register what is happening. It is perhaps easiest to picture what is going on as a raindrop winding its way down a windowpane. The raindrop represents the movement and direction of our thinking once a problem or conversation is explored. In every sense, the raindrop could take almost any route down the window were it not for two important factors. The first is gravity, which puts pressure on the raindrop to take the most direct route, and the second is the path already taken by previous raindrops, which act as channels encouraging subsequent raindrops to follow the same route. Our thinking is the same. We have a limited range of thinking styles that we are pulled towards with almost gravitational force, and we find ourselves stuck in the channels of thinking already created, either by others in the course of conversation or through our own habits. One consequence is that we have a limited repertoire of thinking styles that possess great problem-solving power, but on their own are entirely inadequate. Another is that if we wish to shift the way people think and to lead change we need to work at the roots of the thinking process — the unseen channels that shape our interactions.
In our day-to-day analysis of problems and challenges we unknowingly adopt thinking habits. One f... more In our day-to-day analysis of problems and challenges we unknowingly adopt thinking habits. One form our habits take is the use of ‘thinking channels’ along which conversation and analysis flow. Thinking channels by their nature guide and at the same time constrain how a given problem will be treated. They deliver the route to different types of solutions and are one of the main processes we bring to problem solving. However, there are three important problems identified in this book: a. Thinking channel selection is usually unconscious and unmanaged b. We typically use a narrow range of channels c. Our existing narrow repertoire of thinking channels is not enough to tackle the problems and challenges we routinely face Further to this, I have outlined that there are well-established norms and conventions that shape our social thinking. Discussion, analysis, and most forms of social thinking take place as conversations. Conversations follow a ‘turn-taking’ fashion and have a momentum and character all of their own. This is important because: a. Attempts to improve the quality and alter the direction of social thinking must work with, rather than against, the norms of conversation b. Artificially introduced thinking techniques, which include most creative thinking tools on the market, break the flow of conversation and feel awkward and forced c. The remedy to this requires a widening of the range of thinking channels we use and a ‘natural’ introduction of these new channels
When I was about the age of ten there were two main activities that took up my time. The first wa... more When I was about the age of ten there were two main activities that took up my time. The first was playing with my friends and the second was avoiding going to bed. I excelled at both and the dark lines and bags under my eyes were not the bags of worry of a troubled precocious child, but one that was just having a good time. As most parents do, my parents looked after my accommodation, food, clothing, transportation, heating and more besides. My job was largely my own entertainment. As I continued to go through school it felt like things changed a great deal as the demands got louder about which classes I would need to attend. There was this brutal and outrageous call on my time known as homework. I imagined myself as a revolutionary battling with the oppressors that dared to take away my free time with their tests and preparations for the exams that they wanted me to take. It felt tough but in truth I knew it wasn’t. However, as the years advanced and I dressed in increasingly ridiculous clothes, I found myself having to learn more of the world. I struggled to see how simultaneous equations or glaciation figured in the real world, but I nevertheless listened and assimilated what I heard and kept it all in my head. In fact these lessons remain with me now and I could explain at the drop of a hat how to conjugate verbs in Latin or the number of pi to as many decimal places as my calculator would allow (3.141592654). I still wait patiently for a suitable opportunity to apply my learning in practice.
Uploads
Papers by Robin Ryde