Building the Future in Twelve Easy Pieces
The five– make that the twelve things you need to build an effective organisation for change:
systems
Working Supple; or, On not taking up the slack
What if an hour (two?) of most of your working days remained doggedly unscheduled? Call it slack, or flex, or room to breathe: space for… Read More »Working Supple; or, On not taking up the slack
Alfred North Whitehead on abstraction and civilisation
It is a profoundly erroneous truism, repeated by all copy-books and by eminent people when they are making speeches, that we should cultivate the habit… Read More »Alfred North Whitehead on abstraction and civilisation
The Wizards (2): Harold Abelson on controlling complexity and real vs idealised systems
So in computer science we’re in the business of formalising this how-to, imperative knowledge. How to do stuff. And the real issues of computer science… Read More »The Wizards (2): Harold Abelson on controlling complexity and real vs idealised systems
Technological Solutions
“This problem can’t be solved with technology.” In one sense, there are lots of problems that aren’t amenable to technological solutions – particularly problems caused… Read More »Technological Solutions
Mrs Crocodile on working for change in a complex system
I had no idea that absolutely everything would be this complicated and take this long.
Binary Oppositions
Does Not Compute These pairs have been on my mind recently. Some are ridiculous, others productive only in tension. Technology is killing us | Technology… Read More »Binary Oppositions
Black boxes
It can be helpful to think of your project or organisation as a black box – not a flight data recorder, but as something that… Read More »Black boxes
“I did my best.”
Great! Was it any good? What are you going to do to make your best get better? This might be about: Improving concrete skills Working… Read More »“I did my best.”
Knotty problems
A good knot: Solves a problem Is easy to remember Is easy to tie Is easy to check Is strong (causes as little reduction in… Read More »Knotty problems