It was Heraclitus who is credited with the saying that “it’s impossible to step into the same river twice” in he believed the universe is characterised by constant change. Well if he had been at ‘my’ Business School away-day today, he would have changed his mind instantly. Not only did we step into the same water, we swam about in it for seemly days on end! Parmenides denied the existence of time and took the opposite view that change is not possible. What exists now has always existed, and whilst I do not agree that in his rational approach to thinking change never happens, you only have to consider that I have according to the new Dean (okay she never said this directly) been doing ‘Social Innovation’, increasing Democracy, getting frontline workers empowered, oh er.. for about 10 years. So yep, spot on Parmenides! But you would never know if asking my School.
The message today, albeit a painful replay of the last 6 years, was that revolution is upon us and that ‘Management’ is dead…..
The ability to influence change as it emerges is the most important aspect in todays modern world. Most people now understand that you cannot implement change to ‘get what you want’ but rather the start the ‘chaotic’ period and attempt to influence via, strong, core values. Values here meaning real lived values, which are seen through the passion of peoples action – NOT words in a statement. Social Innovation is seeing change through people, via this influence but never control! Something I am afraid was missed from today’s discussion. Most it seems, feel more comfortable in attempting to hunker-down in known theory or space, whilst the world around shakes, moves and changes beyond most academics recognition as they are still concerned in being the ‘expert’ in their field, even though the field in now a lake, awash with a million twitters, blogs and changes taking it all to a new unknowing level!
Order comes with disorder. The butterfly Effect is we know just a myth in terms of its social impact, but still there is truth that change will happen. The Human System will ensure this happens. One small change in one sector means changes in others, sooner or later. Thinking of ourselves as separate in terms of politics, or class, or economic or cultural will only delay the inevitable. Change!
We were urged today by one speaker to light fires, in the metaphorical sense of course, as these fires will light the landscape. Yet we already have lots of camp fires, with lots of people gathered around, muttering all-sorts. The problem is that we cannot see or hear what the other campfires are doing. The influence is only in the near or we fail to walk off into the dark seeking new fires, new conversations, new ways of doing things! And if anything like the past 6 years is to go by in the Business School, to wander into another tribes camp will be instant demise.
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