MESSING  UP  CHANGE

The effort to introduce something new into a complex organisational context can be undermined for a variety of reasons, of which two are prominent:

• there are those that will find an excuse for not being able to introduce it (e.g. not following procedure). Henry Ford described experts as people who find a reason why something cannot be done.
• there is lack of top management commitment to support the new venture (e.g. providing leadership). So when the status quo collapses in on itself, who is there to prevent desertion?

Change is an intrinsic feature of organisational success. Complacency the route to extinction.

read my working paper "ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE REVISITED" written in 2003.

Communities of collaboration

'Communities of collaboration' offers a useful metaphor to explain the manner in which people with, perhaps not obvious commonality, can organise themselves to achieve, not only a goal, but by sustaining their ongoing viability, achieve a succession of goals. A good example is a destination marketing organisation, of which, a good exemplar is HolidayMull.

Edinburgh Street Art

Edinburgh: Capital of Scotland, Home of the Scottish Enlightenment, Host to one of the world’s biggest festival jamborees and a World Heritage site. For a city that has only around 600,000 residents, it offers one of the richest cultural feasts that one can subscribe to, with every form of Art to be found…. Well nearly every form.

I would like to raise the issue of Street Art, viewed by some as Graffiti and others as Vandalism - see Evening News, 4th Oct 2013, is this not one of the more acceptable forms of expression rather than the crude tagging that might have been visible? How is this LEGAL expression to be viewed – such as to be found in Carlton Road or Old Tolbooth Wynd?

(Examples of Edinburgh Old Town Street Art are to be found on another page)

The skills of those that produce works such as this, have the potential to improve the dead spaces that can be found, especially in the Old Town. To answer critics - is this 'Vandalism’ not a more contemporary expression of earlier modern art forms (e.g. cubism, surrealism). Moreover, could Fleshmarket Close become a visitor attraction as a result of quality Street Art?

Could there be a visitor trail? 

Having visited and photographed all 76 Royal Mile closes over the last month, I have found a number of hidden treasures. I have also seen the eyesores. Could controlled Street Art transform?

I do not propose a free-for-all. Instead, that there is an opportunity to provide local artists with space to express themselves in the unconventional manner of their specialised art form. ‘Legal’ spaces in controversial spaces. Street Art has artistic existence in other cities.

A version of this was published in the Evening News, 9th Oct 2013 link

WHAT MAKES A PLACE? WHAT MAKES A PLACE AUTHENTIC?

A new project about Edinburgh and Scotland. Follow the links in the sidebar.

A new view on leadership by Dr. Frank Dick

I attended the STA's 2013 Scottish Tourism Conference on the 5th March and listened to a presentation by Dr. Frank Dick. Memorable as it was, the highlight was his reference to a quote by footballer Ronaldinho:

“My role in the team is to create plays, to provide the last pass before a goal is scored. To assist: this is my role. To put a team-mate in a position to score. That is my biggest concern”. (Observer Monthly)

The message is powerful.

From JOHN O'GROATS to THE MULL OF GALLOWAY

What is your most interesting itinery between John O'Groats and the Mull of Galloway?... please leave details