culture

Be the change you want to see

What is mindful blindness?

Mindful blindness is when human beings including institutions turn a blind eye to the truth to feel safe, reduce anxiety, avoid conflicts, and protect their prestige and reputations. There are several factors that contribute to mindful blindness, these may include cognitive biases such as confirmation bias, which leads individuals to seek out information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs and ignore contradictory evidence. Other factors include social pressures, fear of consequences or reprisals, groupthink - a phenomenon where group members prioritise consensus over critical thinking - and the desire to maintain a positive self-image or protect one's reputation.


The consequences of mindful blindness can be far-reaching and hinder personal growth, impede decision-making processes, prevent the identification and resolution of problems, and perpetuate harmful behaviours or practices. In organizational settings, mindful blindness can lead to unethical conduct, negligence, and even legal violations. At a societal level, it can contribute to systemic issues, such as discrimination, corruption, and social injustice. I think that to address mindful blindness will require individuals and institutions to cultivate a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths and acknowledge the limitations of their perspectives. And this involves promoting critical thinking, fostering open and transparent communication, encouraging diverse viewpoints, and actively seeking out and considering different sources of information.

Emotion drives behaviour

Smart people often change their minds. I think that it’s unwise to assume that objective reality holds significant importance in human behaviour. What truly influences people’s actions is the interplay between objective entity, the contextual framework within which it’s perceived, the perception of that context, the emotions or significance evoked by that perception, and ultimately, the emotions that propel behaviour. Unlike the orderly mapping observed in physics, human behaviour entails a convoluted process involving four or five intermediate stages, making it anything but neat.

““In anything at all, perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away.””
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Perceptions of truth are relative

People will only ever understand you from their level of perception, therefore, their perception is real, and the truth is not or that it is subjective. The truth refers to objective facts and realities that exist independently of our perceptions or beliefs about them. While different people may have different perspectives and interpretations of the truth, the truth itself remains constant and unchanging. I think it’s important to recognise that our perceptions and interpretations are limited by our own experiences and biases, and that they many not always align with the objective truth. However, when we seek to understand and analyse, we will come closer to understanding the truth and making informed decisions based on it.

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The triangle of change

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In general, most individuals and organisations will only change when there is either a massive reward or there’s going to be massive pain, suffering or inconvenience by not changing. The "triangle of change" is a model used to explain the three key elements that need to be present for change to occur successfully in any organisation. The three things that make up the triangle of change are:

  1. Leadership
    Change needs to be led by someone who has a vision and is willing to take action to make that vision a reality. Effective leadership is crucial for creating a sense of urgency, inspiring and motivating people to embrace the change, and providing direction and guidance throughout the process.

  2. Culture
    The culture of an organisation or system plays a crucial role in determining whether change is successful. A positive and supportive culture can create an environment where change is embraced and people are willing to take risks, learn new skills, and adapt to new ways of doing things. On the other hand, a culture that is resistant to change can make it difficult to implement new ideas and initiatives.

  3. Process 

    The third component of the triangle of change is the process, which refers to the steps and actions that need to be taken to bring about the desired change. This involves setting goals, creating a plan, implementing the plan, and measuring progress along the way. Effective processes are essential for ensuring that change is managed in a structured and systematic way, and that everyone is working towards the same goals.

Mind power

Trauma is not resistance to something that has happened, trauma is the trace of something that has happened and leaves on the depth of the body-mind, there may or may not be resistance to this trauma. I think trauma may have its roots in something that happened to us as a child, but we can also inherit trauma from our family or from our culture. Trauma does not necessarily have a personal origin, it can come from the collective field, whether that collective field is a family, nation, or race of people. For example, if a group of people have been persecuted their collective trauma is passed on from generation to generation. Why? This is because we are not bodies, we are minds born from minds, therefore, the content or at least some of the content of our minds is passed on. Especially the deep-seated trauma which can be passed on from one generation to another and that trauma is then felt in the experience in the body of the next generation.
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Human concerns before money

c/o Forbes

Before money was invented, humans were concerned with the following five things:

  1. Status
    Humans have always been concerned with their social status and their place in society. This includes their reputation, position, and influence in their community.

  2. Certainty
    Humans have always had a need for certainty and predictability in their lives. This includes a sense of security, stability, and the ability to plan for the future.

  3. Autonomy
    Humans have a need for autonomy and the ability to control their own lives. This includes the freedom to make their own decisions and the ability to pursue their own goals and interests.

  4. Relatedness
    Humans have a need for social connection and the ability to form relationships with others. This includes a sense of belonging and the ability to establish meaningful connections with family, friends, and community members.

  5. Fairness
    Humans have always been concerned with fairness and justice. This includes a sense of equality and the ability to receive a fair share of resources and opportunities.

I think although money has become an important aspect of our lives, these fundamental concerns continue to be important to us as humans.

Don't be afraid to admit it

The term 'affinity bias' is used in neuropsychology to describe an unconscious bias that causes people to gravitate toward others who appear to be like them (including those with similar interests, backgrounds, and appearances). I think the best way we can reduce unconscious bias and achieve a culture of equality is to become aware of them. It’s important to note that biases, conscious or unconscious, are not limited to ethnicity and race. 

One of the greatest values of interacting with people who are different is the mirror it provides on seeing my own identity. Contact me via e-mail if you want your employees and leaders to learn more about discrimination, biases, and stereotyping, through unconscious bias training workshops.

“”Diversity training doesn’t work!” ”
— Dr. Frank Dobbin

This is not just noise

Operational Excellence has been describes as delivering leading performance across all measures of value by consistently executing the strategy.
Consistent execution requires two components working together:
1. The systems in place to manage the work to be done to execute the strategy
2. The culture that drives how well and consistently the work is done.

What are the basics and fundamentals of excellence in your space?
In my experience, personable people tend to be more successful as I think everything revolves around people, networks, and communities because we all value something. Regardless of what business you are in, everything starts with the people, and yes, I know this may change in the future but I’m a humanist. Everybody uses different tools and means; we all have different mentalities but in the end it all revolves around people, so I’ll continue to focus on the human aspect. Contact me via e-mail when you would like some guidance in helping you connect with your customers on an influential and human level. 

Stories are timeless

Stories have been around for thousands of years, way before humans had anything we had stories and that’s how we continue to see the world. Stories are the basic human technology which are shared through colours, feelings, and emotions. A story is not only a fairy tale. Ultimately stories are also about life and death, joy, suffering and status, and the way to get good at telling stories is by practicing. I think that storytelling connects the past to the present, allowing humans to conceptualise about historical and contemporary events.

With this gift

How can we change the stories we live and work by for the better?
You can’t give away everything to everyone nor can you be everything to everyone, but you can go into a community and be a part of it. When people get more value, they do more , pay more and give more in return. I think that when we figure out what a community values, show up, be present, participate, listen, and become a relevant member.

Allow yourself

I think that being empathetic towards someone doesn't necessarily mean that you agree with them. And intelligence is the ability to change your mind when presented with accurate information that contradicts your beliefs.

““People will forgive you for being wrong, but they will never forgive you for being right - especially if events prove you right while proving them wrong.””
— Burrellism
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Solid foundations

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We all strive for success in our businesses, this becomes easier when we have a clear and well communicated vision, core values, and strategy that everyone in the organisation understands. Effective execution requires processes and procedures which are centred around the critical drivers of your business’ success. I think that focusing intently on these steps will significantly improve the internal accountability by measuring and being transparent about the key performance indicators that drive success. It’s a good idea to praise those who hold themselves accountable and deliver on their promises as this will accelerate the positive results for your business. 

What is the solution?

There is an illusion of inclusion, but in reality, we are all born into a world which is separated by class, religion, and race. Behaviour never stands still, it always getting better or always getting worse. I think the basic laws of behavioural psychology are as follows:

1.        All behaviour is a function of the context that it takes place,
2.        And then it is the function of the consequences

““Above all else, focus on acquiring knowledge and skills. Knowledge and skills are like gold - a currency you will transform into something more valuable than you can imagine. With knowledge and skills, you will become a magnet for opportunities.””
— Robert Greene

Dropping gems

It’s just about bridging the gap, sometimes the gap is money and sometimes it’s experience. In his book "Black Swan," Nassim Nicholas Taleb introduced the theory that a significant and highly unexpected event (e.g., COVID, war in Ukraine, etc.) could have a huge and detrimental impact on society. The prevailing business model is to push both natural resources and people to their absolute limits. Maximum profit requires maximum exploitation and I think this will result in maximum collapse. Therefore, you should identify your motivation and passion, in other words, find what you are good at and become excellent at it.

It’s a choice

Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” is our satisfaction chart which makes us feel whole and accomplished as a human being. There are five levels in Maslow's pyramid, from the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are:
- Physiological (food and clothing),
- Safety (security),
- Love and belonging needs (friendship)
- Esteem,
- Self-actualisation.


Nowadays, we are controlled by the media, especially social media where we are constantly following other people’s opinions. We really need to learn how to think free and start loving and respecting each other. Patience is to let the season do their work as you can’t hurry the spring, you can’t rush the summer, and you can’t shorten the winter. You just need to have patience with the unfolding of things from the beginning to reality, from nothing to something. I think that it’s all about humanity. We can make our own reality, it’s a choice.

Right and wrong

You believe X and I believe Y, but I need to convince you that my Y is the right solution. Does your attitude affect my outcomes? When something doesn’t feel right then the cause is always the other person. 100% of the time you are making decisions about what looks right and what doesn’t based on different information. Whenever you disagree you have to make attributions for disagreement, I mean you have to explain to yourself. Why is it we disagree and it’s basically a story we make up in your own mind about what is the cause of this disagreement (*Professor Lee Ross’ “fundamental attribution error”). And the simplest version is that we disagree because the other person is wrong.

 

*The fundamental attribution error is the tendency people must overemphasise personal characteristics and ignore situational factors in judging others' behaviour. Because of the fundamental attribution error, we tend to believe that others do bad things because they are bad people.

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Silent and listen

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Image c/o Adobe stock photos

Maybe you’ll stand up and applaud a speaker you agreed with or just sit staring in silence after listening to a speaker you didn’t like. Now I think you are beginning to understand the complexity of listening and the great potential for errors. Acoustic ecologist, Gordon Hempton defines silence not as the absence of sound, but as the absence of noise from modern life. What do you think?

“The biggest threat to innovation is internal politics and an organisational culture which does not accept failure, and/or does not accept ideas from outside, and/or cannot change.”
— Gartner Financial Services

Awakening slowly

Heading into a new year is a great time to take stock of where you've been and where you want to go. Studies show that self-awareness is a foundation for better decision-making, higher performance, and more effective, authentic leadership. As we grow spiritually, raising our consciousness, many of our painful experiences are simply growing pains. Everyone has perception, for example, when I see a tree, I see its beauty, the colours of the leaves, its shape, how it fits into the landscape. Another person frets because the tree is blocking their sea view. Each person’s perception is created from experiences, education, and belief systems. In this sense, we each live in our own world, defined by our perception and as we strive to improve our circumstances, we must strive to improve the world.

““We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves.””
— Galileo Galilei

From the fringes

Image c/o The Guardian

Sometimes a pause gives purpose the opportunity to find you as when people have a vested interest it stops them from speaking the truth. Sustainability by using less becomes a tricky conversation as this goes completely against capitalism. Although we might not like the answer, and change is always uncomfortable, it’s tough to argue that there’s even a contest. Great design and a joined-up user experience matters more than ever in our lives today. I think by bringing design thinking to the core by understanding your customer strategy will help you position potential solutions. Contact me via e-mail for 1:1 sparring and coaching sessions in 2023.

Focus on one small goal

The concept of Zorro Circles is a metaphor for how we can follow our ambitions and achieve our goals by tackling the challenges we face one by one. Gradually, as we become ready, we can complete what we set out to do. I think the basic idea behind the Zorro Circle is that we should limit the scope of our efforts to a small area and as we gain resources, knowledge, and confidence, we expand our circle of control. And embarrassment is a powerful motivator for improvement and the more public the embarrassment, the greater the motivation.