Blog (16)

The dangers of facilitation

by Tony Quinlan on Mar 3, 2008 2:45:00 PM

An interesting experience last week in one of my other identities as a school governor. There’s a debate going on regarding whether or not a Trust is formed in Mid-Beds under Samuel Whitbread Upper School and whether we join it or not. So, mindful of wanting to understand different pe …

Topics: Organisational culture Complexity Communications Cognitive science Recommendations

Patience that produces common sense

by Tony Quinlan on Jan 30, 2008 6:15:00 PM

Last week, as part of a visioning/future planning exercise for local education, I ran a Future Backwards exercise with Year 4 – a group of 8-9 year-olds. It reinforced the power of the exercise – but also that if you create the conditions for discussion, allow time for that to happen …

Topics: Organisational culture Complexity Communications

Change requires innovative, intelligent and energetic practitioners

by Tony Quinlan on Jan 9, 2008 4:00:00 PM

How highly do you rate changing your organisation?

Topics: Organisational culture Communications

Boxing up complex concepts

by Tony Quinlan on Jan 7, 2008 1:15:00 PM

Narratives and story in organisations Tomorrow should see the publication of Melcrum’s Practitioner’s Guide to Employee Engagement – in which I’ve contributed the chapter on using stories and narrative. It’s been an interesting experience – having abandoned the attempt to fit a gallon …

Topics: Organisational culture Narrative Narrate news Complexity Communications Cognitive science

My (ineffective) life as a categoriser

by Tony Quinlan on Nov 28, 2007 11:15:00 AM

I realised a couple of years ago that, although I love the concepts of working more with relationships rather than objects and categories, my natural instinct is still to categorise and try to put things in boxes. (Reading Fritjof Capra’s “The Web of Life” opened my eyes to the possib …

Topics: Complexity Cognitive science

The complexity of youth violence

by Tony Quinlan on Nov 27, 2007 9:45:00 AM

I spent last Tuesday afternoon volunteering with WAVE Trust at the conference on Working to Reduce Serious Youth Violence.

Topics: Complexity

Keeping jargon at bay

by Tony Quinlan on Nov 26, 2007 6:45:00 PM

Nice piece in the FT last week that reflects a change that I’ve experienced directly in communications over the past two decades. Currently there’s a move to making organisational communications intelligible and interesting. It’s still not common, but getting better. My favourite from …

Topics: Organisational culture Narrative Communications

Masterclass – Change Management in the Public Sector – 6th December 2007

by Tony Quinlan on Nov 14, 2007 8:30:00 PM

Just a brief note to let you know that we’re managing to squeeze in one last masterclass in 2007. It’ll be in London on 6th December, with details available from Ark Group at the following link:

Topics: Organisational culture Narrative Narrate news Complexity Communications

Mythology, leaders and leadership

by Tony Quinlan on Oct 12, 2007 5:30:00 PM

Normal blogging returns next week, now the book chapter’s done and out of the way.

Topics: Organisational culture Narrate news Leadership Complexity Communications

Organisational guerrillas

by Tony Quinlan on Sep 6, 2007 4:00:00 PM

At the Medinge retreat, Stanley Moss, talking about branded conflict (cf “The Divine Victory”), referred to “Farfour” – a mouse character on Hamas TV. Clearly a knock off of Mickey Mouse – down to many of the design elements – although the ending of the Farfour story wouldn’t be accep …