Monthly Archives: October 2017

A Civil Society?

Posted on October 31, 2017 by julianstodd

From the macro, to the micro: i was in Oxford yesterday, on a cold night, walking through the city. I ended my journey walking past half a dozen rough sleepers, bedded down for the night, sheltered under cardboard boxes and … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Four Aspects of the Socially Dynamic Organisation

Posted on October 27, 2017 by julianstodd

I found myself reflecting on the plane to Las Vegas about some of the key aspects of the Socially Dynamic Organisation: it will be reconfigurable, hold a diversified strength, strongly tribal, and highly authentic. When an organisation is reconfigurable, it … Continue reading →

Posted in Social Capital, Social Leadership | Tagged , , , , , | 36 Comments

Prototyping the First Trust Tool

Posted on October 26, 2017 by julianstodd

I’m very excited (although, admittedly, easily excitable) that i’m ready to prototype the very first version of the trust diagnostic. This will be a tool built out of the Landscape of Trust research. I shared recently what i had in … Continue reading →

Posted in Trust | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Learning 2017

Posted on October 23, 2017 by julianstodd

I’m speaking at two large learning conferences this week, each with a unique focus, but both exploring aspects of what learning really means in 2017, and, probably more importantly, what we do about it. Some of this is old news: … Continue reading →

Posted in Learning | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

#MeToo

Posted on October 19, 2017 by julianstodd

Except not me. In fact, i would rather it was me. But it’s not. It’s my friends. And i’m dreading every one. The last few weeks have seen the explosion of the Weinstein story: allegations of sexual harassment, and worse. … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

The Scale of Social Systems: Tribes, and Tribes of Tribes

Posted on October 18, 2017 by julianstodd

Formal systems scale forever: just add more teams, more hierarchy, more structure. Draw more lines. The largest organisations in the world are triumphs of formal structure: executive teams, functional teams, engineering teams, logistics and legal teams, distribution networks, innovation centres, … Continue reading →

Posted in Community | Tagged , , , , , | 22 Comments

The Post Hoc Rationalisation Fallacy

Posted on October 16, 2017 by julianstodd

I suspect it’s true that many organisations are highly successful almost despite everything that they do in the formal space to make themselves so. They are successful not because of hierarchy, rules, systems, or control, but rather because they are … Continue reading →

Posted in Failure, Measurement, Success | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Story Sharing: The Perils of Power

Posted on October 12, 2017 by julianstodd

As organisations try to harness the power of communities, there is a real risk that they kill them. Well meaning, well intentioned, organisations, but ones who carry existing power dynamics into social spaces. I thought i’d try to illustrate that … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Aggregated Cultural Failure

Posted on October 11, 2017 by julianstodd

This sketch is imperfect, but i’m trying to find a way to represent the aggregated effects of culture: how is it that cultures fail, when the individuals within them cannot all desire that failed outcome. It’s an exploration of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Commuter Communities

Posted on October 10, 2017 by julianstodd

I spend a lot of time on trains. As transport goes, trains are my favourite: mountainous Swiss railways, trundling and erratic rural English ones, the wonderful grandeur and quaintly outdated American system, they all give you both function and aesthetic: … Continue reading →

Posted in Community | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments