Thinking out loud…
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On being a systems entrepreneur
How do we move forward in an uncertain world? A systems entrepreneur recognises that whatever their interests and various areas of expertise, they are moving forward into an unknown world.… Read more
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On the 6 Ps of England’s poor performance
In the previous blog I unpacked the challenges of diagnosing institutional failings in a culture that generally seeks to pin the blame on an individual. Yet organisations are a collection… Read more
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On failing organisations – the case of the England men’s cricket team
From the outside-in it can be hard to diagnose the failings within a team or organisation, particularly in those where success is not obvious – such as where the real… Read more
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On GP surgeries as a social A+E
Reading about the current government’s scheme to embed employment advisors into GP surgeries to help people back into work is another example of a well-intentioned initiative that is nothing but… Read more
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On the arguments against investing in locally-led innovations (part 2)
Attracting funds for innovation work can be hard enough, but to sell the concept that these innovations will be designed, developed and tested by communities themselves elevates donor1 risk aversion… Read more
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On the arguments against investing in locally-led innovations (part 1)
There are several arguments made against locally-led innovations1 in the humanitarian sector – or any other community programme invested in by (mostly) western Governments and donors.2 Certainly this logic holds… Read more
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On four perspectives of change
Picture the scene: your leadership team announces to the whole staff body of your purpose-driven organisation that they are going to introduce a performance related pay scheme to ensure that… Read more
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On conflicting incentives (stories from the frontline)
I wish I had collected these stories and vignettes over the years as I came across them. This most recent example came up in recent conversation. It’s a simple, yet… Read more
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On the devolution white paper: diamonds in the rough or fool’s gold?
What are we to make of the recent devolution white paper1? On the one hand there is bold ambition in the expansion of a sub-regional level of governance and a… Read more
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On making things worse while hoping for better.
Some things never change. Sometimes something you consider long gone resurfaces when you least expect it. It’s even worse when all the evidence suggests that its demise was a good… Read more
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On reorganising local government (questions of scale) – part 5
So the critical challenge remains: who gets to draw the lines on a map? Give the task to a bureaucrat and you might get standardised lines, under assumptions of effectiveness.… Read more
Categories:
- Autobiographical + Spiritual (22)
- Behaviour + Incentives (25)
- Change + Innovation (69)
- Collaboration + Teams (31)
- Geography+Community (61)
- Governance + Decisions (37)
- Outcomes + Evaluation (33)
- Performance + Productivity (31)
- Strategy + Foresight (45)
- Systems + Complexity (60)
Ian Burbidge. 