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I am off to order my next read recommended by our new associate Mark, who says: “I have been enjoying an elegant little book called Gentle Action by David Peat; I think it fits well with dialogue matters' approach and ethics.  It captures a lot of things I have learned about complexity and uncertainty, feedback in systems, not being constrained by rigid frameworks - and a realisation that the urge to rush in and provide solutions is not the best approach, when 'creative suspension' will help actions to emerge.”

I have recently finished reading David Boyles book The Human Element: Ten New Rules to Kickstart Our Failing Organisations, and its BRILLIANT!  This book deserves to be read widely.  I would like to afford a bulk order and send it to key folk in our large environmental organisations to inspire them.

David’s book sets out ten new rules for organisations.  These address some of the current flaws including an overreliance on systematised procedures that appear to deliver efficiencies of scales and protect against human error, but end up stifling and underusing or even quashing knowledge, creativity and endeavour.  The result is frustration.  And more seriously, leaves front line people feeling disempowered and unable to make innovations and adaptations to complex situations, unforeseen challenges or new opportunities. 

In workshops we often facilitate creative solutions finding and then, to everyone’s frustration, a key player will say something along the lines of “that is a great idea and I wish we could do it, but it doesn’t fit with our way of doing things”.    I even had a meal recently with a Director of one of our major environmental organisations who said how much he himself had to game the procedures to get things done – but at least had the seniority to get away with it!   Something is seriously awry when Director level people feel thwarted by their own organisations.   

According to David “There is a growing understanding, not that people are infallible, or that they are endlessly trustworthy and benevolent - but they are nonetheless what makes change possible” and change is what we need.  His book sets out the “People Principle: If you employ imaginative and effective people, especially on the frontline, and give them the freedom to innovate, they will succeed. If you don't, they will fail”. If some of our public, private and charitable institutions came to understand this book and implement its recommendations, people and nature would benefit.   Chapters include:

• Rule 1: Recruit Staff for their Personality not their Qualifications
• Rule 2: Dump the Rulebooks and Targets
• Rule 3: Put Relationships at the Heart of Organisations
• Rule 4: Demerge Everything
• Rule 5: Obliterate the Hierarchies and Empires
• Rule 6: Give People Whole Jobs to Do
• Rule 7: Chuck Out the Big IT Systems
• Rule 8: Give Everyone the Chance to Feel Useful
• Rule 9: Make Organisations into Engines of Regeneration
• Rule 10: Localise Everything
• Conclusion: Finding a New Horse

I am delighted to say that David is speaking at our forthcoming conference in London - if you haven’t already booked, please do so, so you can come and hear the ideas straight from the man himself

We have a new associate, Mark Goldthorpe.  Mark has an unusual background starting out with a degree in Physics and Astrophysics, before shifting to Environmental Management and then spending 20 years working on climate change research and practice.  He first trained in stakeholder participation back in 2003 and refreshed his skills with us recently by attending our three day training course in November 2011.   Mark has now helped run the first of two workshops focused on sustainable fisheries management in the SW Sole Fishery.  We look forward to having Mark work with us more in the future.

We now have virtually all of our conference speakers confirmed.  Some fantastic and inspirational speakers again this time - the conference in February is set to be another good one!  See more information here

We see with interest that David Boyle has a new book out: The Human Element: Ten New Rules to KickStart our Failing Organisations.  We've ordered this from Amazon today and look forward to reading it very soon! See the book here

Another meeting today for our new project, which is around sustainable fishing.  Things are going well and really starting to look interesting

Diana was speaking at the ACES conference in August and heard some inspirational speeches herself, particularly by Mark Van Vugt, Mark Reed and Ben Davies.  Presentations are expected on the ACES  website soon but in the meantime, you can see the abstracts here

We were pleased to have been involved with this: Marine protection bids unveiled - dialogue matters made the original recommendations to government on an approach to achieve it

Here's an article about decision making in a networked world, which we found interesting

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