Had a very interesting day yesterday (3rd Dec 09) – in the afternoon facilitating the launch of ‘Dundee Wave of Change‘ – part of the ‘Scottish Wave of Change‘ then, in the evening attending a book launch for ‘Dundee: Renaissance to Enlightenment.
Almost forty folks from various backgrounds in the city gathered in the Central Library to engage in a conversation about how we might engage the various communities and groupings across the City of Dundee in a conversation. A ‘big bleather’ – enabling folks of all ages, backgrounds, genders to creatively re-imagine their city in 2020.
I’m working with Gerry Hassan and the Go Dundee team on this two year project. Check out the website if you want to get involved.
Giving Dundee her memory back
I had a very enjoyable time at the launch of Dundee University Press new book ‘Dundee: renaissance to enlightenment’ edited by Charles McKean, Bob Harris and Chris Whatley. I got the chance to connect with some friends I hadn’t seen for a while, and also hear an inspirational short speach by Charles about the Book.
Charles started his talk saying that Dundee was a hidden city – that almost no history exists for the city pre the age of Jute. And that this was astonishing, given that at that time Dundee was Scotland’s second city!
His purpose in writing this book was ‘…to give Dundee her memory back.’ I was very struck with this, and how it linked to what I was part of just an hour earlier. Facilitating the start of some conversations on how we engage people in a process of mass imagination. The purpose? To let people tell their own stories – finding creative ways to link these stories to re-imagine Dundee in 2020.
Charles went on to share how he was part of the group that developed the DCA in 1995, and he kept the notes of the early consultations. The narrative was all around how ‘Dundee was a dump’ and how ‘I can’t wait to get out of here.’ Of course the DCA has just celebrated it’s 10 yr anniversary, and has been an outstanding success. He clearly linked this pessimism and negativity abut the present to the disconnect of Dundee’s magnificent history!
Other highlights for me was how Dundee had no prisons – it didn’t need any!! When, in the 1800’s, there were three public executions a week in Bristol, there was one in 50 weeks in Dundee!
He said Dundee was like Hamburg in the 1800s. An international city, a city that welcomed incomers.
His hope for the book? ‘That this would play a part in giving Dundee it’s confidence back.’
I was in conversation with a leading CEO in Scotland recently who’s business is all about innovation. We began to speak about innovation and he asked me if I knew what WD-40 was & where it came from.
Of course, I knew, as an ex-engineer, that is is a water dispersant, hence the term WD. And, as a proud owner of old bangers, it was a vital part of my ‘toolbox.’ As I had to constantly spray it on my wet spark plugs and HT lead (remember them?) when my car refused to start…
“Yes, you got that right, it is a water dispersant, but where did it come from?”
I had to confess I didn’t know. He then told me that it was developd by NASA. They were trying to find ways of getting rid of moisture before takeoff in rockets – moisture in the wrong place could be disasterous! Ok, i got that.
“But what does the 40 mean in the name” he asked.
I was stumped.
“It was the fortieth attempt at creating an effective solution – hence WD-40!”
Made me think of some innovation workshops I’ve been running with my colleague Niall recently, where the Chief Executive of the Company has challenged the organisation to get rid of the ‘treacle’ that slows down or stifles innovation. We need the opposite of treacle – and someone came up with WD-40!
This story reinforces both the challenge that stimulates innovation – a real problem to be solved. Also, innovation requires hard work and resilience. Not giving up. Being willing to fail.
What if they had stopped at WD-39? I’d never have got my old bangers to start…
Came across this quote on the dangers of extending facebook style connections in social networking in business – i.e. just adding someone who has added you as a ‘friend’ or contact.
Can these LinkedIn megalomaniacs really know hundreds upon hundreds of people so well that they’d be willing to put their reputations on the line and vouch for their entire network’s professional competency? –Jon Picoult, founder and principal of Watermark Consulting, writing for The New York Times
sobering eh?
(photo credit – LinkedIn MerlinWizard by 4_EveR_YounG)
For me, the jury is still out on the value of Twitter to my work – i’m still experimenting. However, for some things Twitter has demonstrated quite amazing power.
The Guardian has been prevented from reporting parliamentary proceedings on legal grounds which appear to call into question privileges guaranteeing free speech established under the 1688 Bill of Rights.
Today’s published Commons order papers contain a question to be answered by a minister later this week. The Guardian is prevented from identifying the MP who has asked the question, what the question is, which minister might answer it, or where the question is to be found.
The Guardian is also forbidden from telling its readers why the paper is prevented – for the first time in memory – from reporting parliament. Legal obstacles, which cannot be identified, involve proceedings, which cannot be mentioned, on behalf of a client who must remain secret.
The only fact the Guardian can report is that the case involves the London solicitors Carter-Ruck, who specialise in suing the media for clients, who include individuals or global corporations.
and this book has one of my favourite quotes from Hemingway, although when I came across it first it was in the 1958 movie starring Spencer Tracy, so it was good to get the exact words.
It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready. Hemingway, the old man and the sea. p22
Been a while since I’ve read any of his books – he writes so succintly and yet packed with meaning. Not one word wasted. His style often copied but never bettered.
Hemingway was once challeged to write a story in six words. Impossible? His response demonstrating powerfully that limitation can enable creativity:
Really chuffed with the Lifetree ‘pull-up’ done for us by Andy and the [ wideopenspace ] team.
It took a while to settle on the right image – one I took in Chicago of the amazing public art sculpture by British Artist Anish Kapoor – ‘the Kidney Bean.’ If you look closely, you can see me lying down as I took the photo looking up & captured the complex multiple refections.
Also, worked hard crafting the language – it’s not easy to condense down what you want to say, but it’s great discipline!
Creating some handouts and preparing for a leadership programme Lifetree is facilitating and found this quote in Simon Western’s book ‘Leadership – A Critical Text‘ which has such a resonance to the philosophy of learning that Alan and I have developed for this work together with the client group.
Leadership formation steps back from the grandiosity and the hubris of the Messiah discourse, which aims at the transformation of organisations and followers. Transformation will be a by-product of Leadership Formation; seeking transformation before formation is premature, it reflects (western) societies’ preoccupation with immediate gratification. You cannot buy leadership from a quick course, or a popular manual. Leadership exists all around us, but so much of it present goes unnoticed and it uncherished, at the expense of organisational success and social well-being. It takes time, the right conditions and the right support to nurture the ‘leader within’. The leader within oneself, and the leadership within the organisation, both need nurturing and sustaining. Leadership Formation will reveal many manifestations of leadership that are currently hidden, if we are open to new forms of leadership, like creativity, it will surprise us.
Today’s leaders need to urgently address the question of how to prepare the way for the next generation of leaders; a way that enables leaders to engage ethically, with the whole ecosystem, and with leadership spirit.
This also reminded me of the amazing Go Dundee Learning Journey I was part of a few Saturday’s ago. We came across many what I termed ‘hidden heroes’ in the City. People who were carrying out significant acts of leadership, often in the face of real personal risk, to make a difference in others lives. And the ethos of the Go Dundee group to nurture some of these leaders by making opportunity to connect with others of like mind, like heart.
Mary Brooksbank – a risk taking Dundee leader from another era…
In Alistair Harkness’s review of the movie (500) Days of Summer in the (4/9/09) Scotsman, he says this about a moment in the movie:
It’s a beautiful moment that nails the way movies can sometimes penetrate a desire for escapism and get at the truth of a situation, even when you don’t want them to.
Reminds me of why I love movies so much, and appreciate the power of movies such as the Matrix (pic above).
My friend and colleague Alan and I have ’set homework’ for a leadership course Lifetree is facilitating. Unusual homework – to watch either or: The Straight Story, or Twelve Angry Men, and to come to the learning event with what struck you about either of these movies relating to their reflection on leadership and leadership acts. Be interesting to see what emerges from the dialogue.
I watched the Straight Story last weekend – such a powerful movie – and am looking forward to watching Twelve Angry Men this weekend.
At the Go Dundee Learning Journey last Saturday, Stuart Waiton, from Abertay University in Dundee gave a short and provocative talk on ‘young people and risk’ to the group in the beautiful setting of the regenerated Baxter Park Pavilion.
In brief, he was arguing that this excessive focus on ‘risk’ and ’safety’, is a new way of thinking that has crept in over the years. By seeking (with good motivation) to protect children, we are in danger of actually undermining their own development as they learn to take risks and learn from their own experience. He also went on to argue that this focus destroys community!
The Time Magazine has run an article which reinforces this point.
In a paper just published in PLoS ONE — a journal of the Public Library of Science — a team led by psychiatrist Gregory Berns of Emory University in Atlanta shows that adolescents who engage in more dangerous activities have white-matter pathways that appear more mature than those of risk-averse youths. White matter is essentially the brain’s wiring — the neural strands that connect the various gray-matter regions, where the actual nerve cells reside, that are otherwise independent of one another. Maturation of white matter is important because it increases the brain’s processing speed; nerve impulses travel faster in mature white matter.
See also this artcile from the Telegraph: ‘Let children learn by taking risks, says RoSPA’
Bumped into fellow Go Dundeer Jacqui on train to Edinburgh this afternoon & we were sharing stories.
She mentioned a fellow student she met at the Edinburgh book festival. He was speaking about his new book: “What’s the point of school?” by Guy Claxton. Not to spoil the plot, it’s learning, or more accurately, the process of learning. Learning from experience, from mistakes, not passing exams!
This lead us to trade quotes: where does knower belong? In the Ark! And the learner will inherit the earth. The knowers will find themselves perfectly equipped for a world that no longer exists!
Of course, this is not only about school, but has much wider application. As Arie de Geus once said: “The ability to learn faster than your competitors may be only sustainable competitive advantage.”
Link to the theme for the Go Dundee meeting in November 09 in Dundee on “Learning city: Learning for Life”.
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