December’s newsletter: Today is the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, that time in the year when the nights are longest and the days are coldest. In the forest around where I live, the holly trees are at the height of their powers, with leaves that are dark-green and shiny, whilst the oaks and other Read more about Winter solstice – the still point of the turning world[…]
Here’s a fascinating article about Handelsbanken, the Swedish bank that has over 200 branches in the UK and is the fastest growing bank in the UK. The article explains how the bank has a very different approach from the typical large banks, which are very focused on finding the benefits of large-scale. Handelsbanken is much Read more about The bank that cares about more than money[…]
Sometimes, I forget I am an animal. Carried away with my ability to think, to calculate and analyse, to plan and strategise, I forget that I have a body with its own urges and needs, its own intelligence and ways of experiencing the world. I forget to honour my body’s need to move, to breathe Read more about Humans – simply imperfect machines?[…]
It is a rare thing to hear a Conservative prime minister call for more responsible capitalism. Theresa May’s remarks at the recent party conference of the UK’s Conservativeare party are a sign that large corporations are breaking the unwritten contract they have with society. Corporate scandals that regularly hit the headlines (most recently Sports Direct and BHS, Read more about Farewell to feudalism? Time to change company law![…]
Here’s some reflections I had after the first Human Organising Festival in June: Firstly, here’s a selection of comments from participants: “what a great festival it was! Congratulations! And thank you for the inspiration.” “Well done on organising an inspiring gathering.” “Thanks so much for this extraordinary festival.” “I think there is a huge need Read more about Reflections on the 2016 Human Organising Festival[…]
For years I have been working in the field of organisational structures, driven by a fascination with how business is organised, what our social structures do to people and what implications that has for society and the planet. In this post I give an overview of developments in this field and how the Human Organising Read more about Human Organising?[…]
A few years ago I interviewed John Bannister, who spent over 27 years with Mars confectionery. He was general manager of the Slough factory in the 1980s, responsible for over 3000 staff. I had heard some interesting remarks about the company, which is one the largest privately owned companies in the world. What lessons might Read more about Lessons from Mars[…]
What does success look like and how do you measure it? Is it about numbers alone? If so, the gathering of the Human Organising Project at St Ethelburgas earlier this month was a failure, Two of us turned up, compared to 11 previously. But numbers don’t serve to measure anything interesting or complex. A kilo Read more about Notes of gathering – 8 September 2015[…]
Present: Debbie Warrener, Marc Pell, Patrick Andrews Discussion: Mark: I have been exploring this question of organising from a spiritual perspective for many years. I am now realising with excitement that a lot of thinking has gone on elsewhere during that time that I was unaware of. Debbie: Just before coming here I spoke to Read more about Minutes from gathering 5[…]
There is a lot of interest in business in the concept of “agile” or “responsive” businesses. Some people have got interested enough to set up a website and write a manifesto. See here www.responsive.org Here are some extracts from their manifesto: “The tension between organizations optimized for predictability and the unpredictable world they inhabit has reached Read more about Responsive? Agile?[…]