A630.2.4.RB_SchreterPaul

After watching Matthew Tayler’s video on 21st Century Enlightenment, I can say that it brings up some interesting points about how we think and how it could potentially inhibit us from reaching out maximum potential. Given this week’s theme around organizational renewal, I’ll talk about two quotes from Matthew and how they could potentially tie into our text by Donald Brown. The first quote I’ll comment on is “to live differently, involves thinking differently” and the second quote is “to resist our tendencies to make right or true that which is merely familiar and wrong or false that which is only strange.” (The RSA, 2010)

Matthew Tayler goes on in his video to say that “to live differently, involves thinking differently.” (The RSA, 2010) Leaders need to remove the blindfolds which hold them back and to take on the challenges that require change, commitment, and a new way of thinking. Brown’s Model of Adaptive Orientation explains that in an environment which offers such little stability, only the most adaptive can survive. (Brown, 2011) This type of subset of the model is what’s known as the Renewing/Transformational Management. Organizations and leaders not only need to adapt to change, but they need to embrace and be prepared for new opportunities and innovation.

"To resist our tendencies to make right or true that which is merely familiar and wrong or false that which is only strange” means to learn to try new things and new ideas. (The RSA, 2010) Google for example makes public their efforts for trying new ideas and establish new boundaries of innovation. In a short excerpt in Brown’s test it is said that at Google, “engineers are also encouraged to spend 20 percent of their time working on their own research projects, no matter how esoteric and offbeat.” (Brown, 2011) This gets rid of biased ideas and narrow mindedness of middle management who could potentially shoot down perfectly legitimate prospects.

These two quotes are what hold the most meaning from the video I watched, in terms of organizational renewal and trying to adjust to an ever changing environment. The ways of the old need to get thrown out as technological advancement is made and ways of the new need to be invented and adapted into today’s culture. There is no “one size fits all” with this subject and no simple answer, but being self-consciously aware of one’s own decision making is the first step towards enlightenment.

References

Brown, D. R. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organization Development. New Jersey: Pearson.

The RSA. (2010). RSA Animate - 21st Century Enlightenment. Retrieved from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC7ANGMy0yo&feature=youtu.be