Conference 7.286::digital

Reading this and other conference streams over the last few months, I have
been struck as much by the attitudes, as I have by the views expressed;
from seemingly helpless hand-wringing to brisk, practical no-nonsense
advice, from angry cynicism to wry humour, from ho-hum detachment to
an almost mystical evocation of the Digital culture. Pretty much as you
would expect from an reasonably adjusted society under stress. But we
are a commercial organisation, subject to the normal, well-understood,
checks and balances of business practice and the market. So why all the
emotive stuff ? It's practicality that counts, right ?

Or maybe, with the coming of instantaneous electronic communication,
organisations such as ours are becoming societies, (tribes, if you will),
with all that that entails. Certainly, the war and sporting metaphors which
have been used to describe our present predicament make more sense when
viewed 'tribally'.

What follows is YAM (yet another metaphore), which was triggered by an
illustration of a bewildered Mongolian shaman of 74, who had no apprentice
and who was fast forgetting the rituals.......real sad. The tribe, meanwhile,
was considering getting out of reindeers into something more permanent......

                            -----+-----

The crops were good, good for a long time, and now the crops are failing.

Both elders and the priests are convinced that the problem can be overcome
providing the correct rituals and codes of conduct are observed; an increasingly
strict observance of the rules and a stricter measurement and recording of
that observance.

The elders and the priesthood are united in their determination that the
good times should return, and to this end have already imposed curfews,
higher taxes, travel bans and food rationing.

In the temple, as the light fails, a dimly perceived group of priests and
acolyts attempt to appease the gods by offering sacrifices, often of the
bravest and the best, and by an ever increasing ostentation in their own
conduct and behaviour, whilst loadly chanting with increasing desperation,
newly learned and untried incantations which are little understood.

In the gloomy confines of the sanctuary, favoured members of the tribe look
on, knowing, vaguely, that it is important to be there, but understanding
little of the ritual being enacted in front of them.

In the anterooms, and on the temple steps, less favoured tribespeople converse
in low tones, the more timid among them frequently glancing worriedly at the
closed temple doors, in the hope that someone will emerge, enlighten them, and
make it right again. True, from time to time, an official will appear on
the balcony and make a pronouncement, but each pronouncement contradicts the
previous one, and some are unintelligible. No enlightenment.

Others compile petitions and documents of intercession which they submit to the
priests by any means available to them. Most are stunned and almost immobile.
A few, braver than the rest, are starting to mutter angrily about taking the
situation into their own hands, but no-one knows how and no-one wants to be
first. On the fringes of the crowd, zealots, knowing exactly what is wrong,
offer their conflicting solutions to anyone who will listen.

In the palace, the elders initiate marriages of convenience and gifts are
offered to visiting envoys in the hope that it will enhance the tribe's dimmed
reputation and restore it's fortunes.

Meanwhile......somewhere in the desert, beyond the dusty fields, someone
says, "Hey, I wonder if you can eat this cactus ?", takes a bite and spits
it out. But someone else says "Maybe if we mash it like this?".........

                            -------+----------

No instant solutions, just the suggestion that sometimes emotion is stronger
than intellect, and what we need right now is a leader (not leaderSHIP, not
directions, missions, visions and all due processes of ritual corporate
democracy), but a leader. Leaders don't have to be right (although it helps
if they are), they just need to lead.

Let's shout at the world for a while.

Dave

    The metaphore implies that true vision only comes from those of us out
    here trying to eat mashed cactus. Those back at the palace are silenced
    by the many shouting voices. 
    
    Where does the metaphore say we need a leader and not a vision? 
    
    And why do we need more shouting?

    re: .0
    What is the polite expression for "bullshit" ?
    /fred

	... where the country bumpkin learns to say


		"Fantastic!"

when they really want to say "B^&*%$^T!"

.3>    What is the polite expression for "bullshit" ?
    
    The way I've heard it stated lately:
    
    "I'm not entirely convinced that that will have a clear fit with our
    current objectives..."
    
    Jon

.3>    What is the polite expression for "bullshit" ?
    
    or, how about,
    
    "This turns out not to be the case."
    
    - Larry.

    ``It is important that the employees embrace the company's culture,
    its values, its mission,'' he said. ``They should be able to wrap their
    arms around what they do and identify with the company's core
    beliefs.''
    
    Have you hugged your company today? 
    
    Good thing he didn't say "legs" as well, or the next thing you know, we
    might wander off into social intercourse.
    
    /jack

    

    Astonishing
    

    How about "Merde de Toro" which is Spanish for "Shit of the Bull..."
    
    Jay
    
    
    
    

Works for me.