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bollocks
Dr Simon Brown
Despite the relatively low profile stance I have chosen to adopt regarding this blog site, vis a vis such things as the level of user interaction supported (which is essentially none), and the level of advertizing (which is decidedly none), and the links to elsewhere (which are few in number), or the level of shiny photos, video clips and the like (which is also none), I do nevertheless exist. After all, I blog, therefore I am.
Rather, my focus here is simply on sharing my views, opinions and ideas, on a few different but not unrelated topics. All else is relative noise compared to the signal. However, if I am to be paid riches beyond belief (as apparently people do get paid for writing blogs), then I may need to revise my philosophical stance on this matter.
This blog is not about ‘my life story’, although clearly anyone’s blog must fundamentally reflect their life. To this end I give a very brief account of what I have done, workwise that is. And en route, I have seen, as in read, and heard, as in listened to, a load of bollocks. This blog is about the bollocks of it all.
Of course some, maybe many or maybe all, may read this blog and themselves say that it is I who is talking bollocks. If so, then so be it. Presently we live in a world where one may still relatively freely express their views, opinions and ideas, albeit with some obvious caveats, and not be ‘in trouble’ for doing so, although I’m sure some may fear we are not so safe in this regard.
Having studied earth sciences, itself an expression of my underlying interests, I went on to work in the oil industry, in turn, working and living in a few different places and for a few different companies. During this time my interests evolved, or rather perhaps better expressed as ‘transgressed’, from science stuff towards management stuff. There were reasons for this, which at some point I will cover in an inevitable blog post.
In order to release myself from the overburden (some may call baggage) of my earlier working existence and the expectation that went with this, and to allow myself to develop my new interests in management stuff, I chose to move out of the oil industry. This itself was an experience, and again the fuel of some commentary I will later make. In essence I ended up working in the dreaded public sector, employing my generic skills, initially related to information management, and then to applying process improvement ideas.
My public sector experience was actually very valuable. It included having a proper job working for a large council, and subsequently working for myself as a contractor, almost exclusively for a variety of public sector organizations. And whilst I would hold some respect for the vast majority of the troops, I can not afford such to the vast majority of management. Again, such experience has fuelled a good number of thoughts, some of which I will actually put down.
Following the above, there came a point in time at which it was clear my job was done, or rather, there were no more jobs for me to do. This ushered in yet another new era, the end of which I reached. Again, more fuel.
I am now setting my compass in a whole new direction, and starting to walk along a whole new path. But before I lose sight of all the bollocks seen and heard, I thought I would share my own personal insight into management and related matters, gained en route from where I was to where I now am. Actually, I made notes en route, so don’t worry, I won’t forget, unfortunately I won’t forget. If only I could forget. I think I am psychologically scarred for life. Back to therapy then.
Perhaps one point from all the above, is that through experiencing a large number of different organizations and different types of organization, and playing different roles, and working in different subject areas, and meeting a variety of people and types of people, and in having international experience, comes some insight. And it is this which fuels this personal blog.
raison d'être
The purpose of this blog is simply to share my personal views, opinions and ideas about management and related matters, gained and developed over many years of experience. No proof or evidence per se is offered – these thoughts are simply inspired by my own personal experience, both felt and observed. I can probably reasonably safely say, you won’t learn this at Harvard.
'But why ?' I hear you utter. To what avail, for what purpose. There is no mission or purpose here to somehow compel anyone to do anything. We must each live and learn and make our own decisions, all based on our own experience, our education, our knowledge, our own world views, and so on. In turn, this is a very iterative process, driven by feedback. No one can or should be able to make anyone do anything. We choose to do or not do. And we take responsibility for whatever choice we make. And we each strive to make the best choice we can at the time, based on what we know, and what we believe, and on what real constraints exist. The point of this then, is simply to share my personal views, opinions and ideas for your information only.
At a personal level it is probably the anguish and frustration of seeing and hearing so much bollocks that has compelled me to share my thoughts here. And perhaps in reading this blog (if that is the right word), one may get some comfort from realizing you are not alone. I have a working principle, which is, if there is at least someone else who shares your thought, and who is not otherwise a nutter or the like, then that is comfort and encouragement enough to hold the thought. In essence, the thoughts here either resonate or they don’t.
In order to protect the guilty no names are named here. No individuals, no specific organizations, nor necessarily any specific times and places. You see, it’s all the same bollocks whichever place you are, or organization you work for, or indeed, time you are in. That’s the beauty of it, management bollocks is such a universal thing. We can all relate to it. I suspect we have all (or at least most) of us experienced it, and no doubt, we each have been perpetrators of it, to one degree or another.
So in part perhaps, talking about bollocks might at least help provide a means by which to recognize it, and perhaps to help immunize and maybe even defend against it – but as I’ve said, these things are your choice. Lest one gets accused of sedition or the like. Remember, just because you are paranoid doesn’t mean they are not out to get you.
Coming out of this, for me at least, after having followed a very circuitous route to get from where I started to where now I am, and given what I’m probably more about than not, I have to say, the only thing that is real is physics, and even then, apparently we all exist as a holographic image on the surface of a black hole, so there’s really no hope.
VALUES
We all appreciate that values are not just important, but vital. We live by the values we choose, whatever they may be. We conduct business by our values. Arguably, values are relative, although a belief I hold is that in some way certain values must be considered pretty well fundamental, a bit like the laws of physics. Our values are shaped by our experience and by our education, and to some extent, simply by who we are.
It would seem appropriate to set out here a few key values that I happen to hold. This is like a ‘frame of reference’, and an expression of my own world view. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list as they say, but rather the essence of a few values held, that hopefully act to reflect where I’m coming from. Indeed, I will reflect on some of these things through later posts. These are not listed in any particular order.
EQUALITY Equal rights, and equal opportunity should apply to all.
NON-DISCRIMIATION There is no basis upon which anyone should be discriminated against.
FAIRENESS Whatever the ‘rules’ may be, may they at least be applied fairly.
FREEDOM OF THOUGHT We must be free to hold our own thoughts.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH We must be free to express our thoughts, whilst being respectful of others.
TRUTH Where there is an underlying truth, we should seek it and not deny it.
OBJECTIVITY We must strive to understand things from an objective, rational, reasonable perspective.
GAIN NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS Live and seek advancement, but not at the expense of others.
RESPECT Go about business in all respects with respect shown to others, including accepting that different views, opinions and ideas exist.
DIVERSITY Embrace differences and variety.
INTEGRATION Work together to tackle the things that affect us all.
Such things are no good, or at least, there’s no point espousing them unless one at least tries to operate by such values. A point I shall share at some time, is that alas, it’s a bit like unilateral nuclear disarmament, it doesn’t work so well compared to multilateral disarmament.
It’s not that any given blog post on this site somehow necessarily maps to each or any one of these values per se, but rather, that the views, opinions and ideas expressed in a given blog reflect experience gained that comes from trying to conduct life/business in accordance with such values.