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… there is a strong community feeling and the passions of the givers are genuine. “We can achieve more by giving together than we can by giving alone“, is tangible.
Read Tom’s article in The Guardian Professional. Former MP Tom Levitt is author of Gower’s Partners for Good
In Nick Obolensky’s interview he highlights Exhibition Road in London as an example when asked about the practice of distributed management. Imagine taking a busy road and making it a shared space for pedestrians, bicycles, cars and busses. What if that road had few markings, no traffic lights, no curbs, and instead was sprinkled with benches, trees and lamps? Too chaotic? Would it work? Would each person, driving or walking, be conscious and take responsibility for what he or she is doing without an authority enforcing rules? So far, it looks like Exhibition Road works fine. But can a business successfully run in a similar model of distributed leadership rather than in a hierarchy?
Do watch the video to hear Nick’s thoughts on this and read the comments thread afterwards.
Nick is the author of Complex Adaptive Leadership.
If you are a facilitator, a change manager … even a program manager, then check this out! The idea of Open Space (a form of large group facilitation) has been going for over 20 years. Michael Lindfield, one of the champions of the approach, described it as ”a simple and effective way of creating an environment where things are possible”. That may sound slightly pink and fluffy but, goodness me, doesn’t it also describe the kind of thing that most organizations need in the struggle to keep a head above the economic crisis and keep in touch with the breakneck speed of social, technological and business change? This year’s World Open Space event is in London, between 11th and 14th October. Gower’s contribution to the concept is Kerry Napuk and Eddy Palmer’s Large Group Facilitator’s Manual, which will be on show at the event.
On Saturday 23 June 2012 Gower author Anne-Marie Quigg (Bullying in the Arts) will be one of the contributors at A free workshop for students, teachers, researchers and cultural workers
The arts and media sectors thrive on devotion born of their workers’ passions for art and culture. This one-day workshop investigates the conditions in which cultural workers pursue their passions by bringing the theoretical, historical and practical aspects of ‘creative work’ together.
Location: Birkbeck College, University of London
The event is free, but space is limited.
Please register your place here: http://passionindustries.eventbrite.com/
Antonio Nieto Rodriguez is author of The Focused Organization published by Gower, and an expert in strategy execution and project management. He currently works with BNP Paribas as Head of Transversal Portfolio Management. Previously he was Head of Post Merger Integration at Fortis Bank, and Global Lead Practitioner for the Project and Portfolio Management practice at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. He is a visiting professor to the MBA courses at Solvay, and Nyenrode Business Schools where he teaches strategy execution and program management; a founder member of the PMI European Corporate Council; and an active speaker and presenter on strategy execution and project portfolio management. Here is his speaker schedule for May/June:
22 May 2012 - ’The Focused Organization at Solvay Business School – Brussels.
13 June 2012 – PMI London Chapter meeting (Thomson Reuters) – London.
19 June 2012 – Gartner PPM & IT Governance Summit – London, UK
26 June 2012 – European PMO Symposium 2012 – Berlin
A free case study chapter can be downloaded at: www.gowerpublishing.com/focusedorganization
Have a look at Benny White’s story The Focused Organization – Benny White – Part One – by Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez.mov on YouTube. 100 years ago he wrestled with the problem of focussing on what his business needed and how to realise effective strategy in a way that resonates completely with what you’re experiencing today. The Focused Organization is Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez’ take on how to do fewer projects but achieve more in terms of strategy execution.
For all managers out there…
Jane Sparrow, author of the forthcoming Gower book The Culture Builders has set up a survey to help gather information relevant to the book and the themes/topic within it.
The survey is specifically for those of you who manage 1 or more person/s. If you have a spare few minutes to complete the survey, it would be very much appreciated.
Please click here to take part in the survey. You can also visit Jane’s Facebook page for more information.
Having recently been involved in the due diligence phase of an acquisition process Phil Jones discusses his experiences with communication during this uncertain time. Read about it in his April 9th blog post
Phil is the author of Communicating Strategy and Strategy Mapping for Learning Organisations
