Wikipedia defines a buzzword as “a word that has begun to be used in the wider society outside of its original context by nonspecialists who use the term vaguely or imprecisely. Labelling a term a “buzzword” often pejoratively implies that it is now used pretentiously and inappropriately by individuals with little understanding of its actual meaning who are most interested in impressing others by making their discourse sound more esoteric, obscure, and technical than it otherwise would be.”

The latest and greatest buzzword is Innovation, (henceforth to be known only as the “i” word in this forum.) It seems that everyone is now talking-up the “i” word which is not a bad thing I guess, however it all stops at the talking. A while back, the phrase the “bureaucratisation of Innovation” (darn, I said it) popped into my head. Now I don’t know where it came from, whether I unconsciously plagiarised it or I dreamed it up myself it matters not, it’s appearance was timely.

It comes at a time when the use of the “i” word in business and government is at its peak. I’ve known few words during my previous life in the public sector that have invoked such consternation, misunderstanding and outright fear. When we speak of the “i” word, we speak in glowing terms of the potential it offers but we forget the other side of the implementation equation involving the change it engenders, and as a result we go no further than talking about it.

We’ve all heard bureaucrats in government spruik the “i” word and tell us that we need to think differently and that we need to be challenged, however when the challenges come, very little changes in the modus operandi of dealing with them. We default to the linear and structured approaches of the past. New and creative approaches are shunned and when this occurs, the “i” word is little more than a buzzword.

The use of the “i” word in many cases amounts to little more than a form of ‘bureaucratic chicanery’ in which words and talking about action, substitute for action itself. The Federal Govt’s not so recent 2020 summit proved a nice example of the bureaucratisation of the “i” word. I just don’t know that many of the thousands of ideas generated there have been appropriately harvested or moved to impactful action, but wow, was the event talked up!

When you can look under desks in organisations and see rolls of butcher paper containing post-it-notes of ideas gathering dust, you know that the “i” word is a buzzword.

If we can put the “i word” into enough speeches, documents, ppt presentations, glossy brochures and action plans though, we must then be doing the “i” word. Right?

In environments where everything is first viewed through a lens of risk it is extremely difficult to gain the permission required to undertake the thinking, experimenting, probing and prototyping needed for the “i” word to happen. In large organisations too, those more likely to challenge the status quo and attempt to do things differently are the ones most likely to be sidelined and disempowered, and again where this happens the “i” word is just a buzzword.

So, while Rome continues to burn and our intractable problems remain intractable, our bureaucrats continue to talk innovation.

(Darn, I said it again.)

Permalink| Comments(2) | ->

I have just read “Bouncing back with Changes” by psychologist and former Treasury & Finance – Director of People & Culture, Tony Vickers-Wilis. Given an ongoing interest in positive psychology and a disappointment with the often overly theoretical training offerings we get in this space, I was compelled to see what Tony had to say.

Born out of an intense curiosity about what it is that makes some people bounce back from severe adversity and others capitulate with seemingly lesser challenges, Tony has set out to not only describe the science behind being resilient but also too provide real life narrative against which the principals can be demonstrated.

The book is one in two parts. The first dealing with the extraordinary life of Jim Vickers-Willis. I won’t go into details here for fear of spoiling the narrative for future readers, but it is a home-grown and truly inspiring story. The tremendous obstacles that fortune had placed in Jim’s way and the means via which he overcame them provides real meaning to the word “resilience.”

The second part provides a simple and practical set of seven principals to enable individuals to bounce back when adversity strikes, as it almost invariably will for each of us at some stage. The principals account for the CHANGES in the title of the book, and form a simple but powerful recipe for addressing anxiety, depression, stress and providing an appropriate perspective on surviving and thriving.

A third component of the book is the range of practical exercises provided to the reader for self-reflection as the science behind thriving is explained. These provide the reader the time and space to pause and reflect upon how the science might apply directly to their own lives and associated problems. Through simply undertaking these reflective practices in the book, I’ve made a couple of decisions that will not change the course of history, but will certainly benefit me going forward.

I think what I like the most about the principals, is that they are not simply a means of addressing psychological problems, they are a ready made practical recipe for building a happier and more resilient life, even in the absence of major issues.

“Bouncing Back..” is a book about individual resilience and I hear through the network that Tony is currently working on a new book looking at organisational resilience. One which is sure to be in great demand.

“Bouncing back with Changes.” purchase a copy

Permalink|Comments(0) | ->

Remember that old quote about those who fail to learn from the mistakes of history are forever doomed to repeat them? I just finished listening to a series of four podcasts on the war on the Eastern front during WW2 which has quite literally blown me away. No normal person who listens to these fascinating narratives can possibly view human conflict in the same light again.

Ghosts of the Ostfront I-IV

While I’m no war buff, I do have a great historical curiosity and I concede that of the 3000 or so podcasts that regular populate my ipod, Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History is by far and away my favourite. iTunes describes these podcasts with In “Hardcore History” the very unconventional Dan Carlin takes his “Martian, outside of the box” way of thinking and applies it to the past. Not only are these podcasts extensively researched and passionately presented, it’s done so from multiple perspectives which allows for a very compelling picture of events to emerge.

We tend to have a slanted view of history and if asked what were the key battles and struggles of WW2 I wonder how many of us would be able to look beyond D-Day, Dunkirk, El Alamein, Anzio, Midway, Iwo Jima, etc etc. By far and away the biggest and perhaps the most significant battles happened on the Russian front between the Soviet and the German armies. It’s perhaps an indication of the degree to which our view of the world is dominated by American perspectives and popular culture.

When I think about it, my primary source of reference to the Russian front came from Hogan Heroes, in which reassignment to the Russian front was the omnipresent threat for Col Klink and Sergeant Shultz. A sad reflection on our (my) knowledge given the enormity of what transpired between Russia and Berlin from 1941 to 1945. The descriptions and first hand accounts offered in these podcasts will leave you incredulous.

Listening to these superbly researched and presented podcasts has made me look at WW2 with a very different perspective. The ability to get people to do this cannot be understated because by altering our perspectives the way we feel about things changes, and altering the way we feel is the only genuine way of altering how we react to them.

These podcasts are a great example of the perspective shifts and insights that can be gained by stepping around a complex subject and examining it from multiple perspectives. Do yourself a favour and download the four episodes of “Ghosts of the Ostfront”. Whether you are a history buff or not, you cannot help but be impacted by these narratives.

Permalink| Comments(2) | ->