Thursday 21 June 2007

A thing to remember


As I thought about yesterday's blogpost in the shower (here) I had a realisation that this was all closer to home than I thought.
I sat through a meeting yesterday afternoon which could have been straight out of David Marr's analysis of how debate is stifled.
It all looked OK. In fact we were constantly told by the chief PB (that could be Pooh Bah or Power Broker depending on your proclivities)...this is your meeting, this is your agenda.
And on one level this was entirely true. Though the agenda was carefully controlled through the timing, and the opening and closing remarks to each section (always by the great Plus himself).
At the beginning of the session there was little comment and he jokingly remarked...well perhaps you are all satisfied and happy.
And I (how naughty I am) cynically said to those around me .....Or just wary and anxious!...At least the lesser Pooh Bah sitting next to me laughed. I am glad that the venerable one may just understand that I am not really disloyal but rather a bit of a sceptic.
Now I suspect that those of you who were at the meeting may understand what I am talking about, and others will be just plain bamboozled....but my reflection is this:
  • Don't just blame the PB if we allowed his controlling to go unchallenged (I have sent him one email already)
I think in the past I have often just been bitter and twisted about a lot of stuff and shot my mouth off with gay abandon, probably to try and be seen as smart or if I was honest just plain hurtful
  • We are probably not alone in our disquiet
I had a phone call from a colleague who I trust and who trusts me and we both were feeling the same thing. We both agreed we could contribute positively to debate and not leave it up to PB to come up with all the ideas, even though he seems to think that is his right and that he is the only one who can. At the very least we can try and develop thought so he thinks he came up with an idea!
  • Resist the temptation to bury your head in the bunker
PB actually named this. "I have never been in an environment where so many people say they just keep their heads down and get on with their jobs" .
I wonder if he reflected on why only about half of those who could have been at the meeting were there!
I thought in the shower...will I go next time? I mean what'sthe point.
And then I remembered yesterday's blog!
It may be hard to challenge and keep on challenging deaf, manipulative leadership. But if we don't then we only have ourselves to blame.

And I doubt that +PB is reading this, but if you are then I assure you that I think you are trying. But we don't feel safe yet!

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