Originally circulated on 21 August 2020
Hi fellow Ruminants & Groupies in Lock Down Level 2
Greetings from day 147 of lock down – now level 2. Lock down level 2 started this week and this has enabled me to buy restorative beverages which help immensely with creativity.
This week my inspiration for Ruminant Pink Friday’s ™ started with an article in the FT concerning the lost virtue of doubt about Brent Scowcroft, the former US national security advisor, who is an unsung hero of doubting. He recently died at the age of 95. https://www.businesslive.co.za/ft/life/2020-08-17-janan-ganesh-the-lost-virtue-of-doubt/.
Before exploring the theme of doubt I was intrigued by one aspect of his legacy being the annual Scowcroft award. This annual presidential award is given to the official “who most ostentatiously falls asleep in a meeting with the president. The president “evaluated candidates on three criteria. First, duration—how long did they sleep? Second, the depth of the sleep. Snoring always got you extra points. It is certainly my view that any organisation could benefit from a Scowcroft award but perhaps you need to change the award name to one of your most deserving colleagues. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Scowcroft. With the meteoric rise in Teams meetings I think that one could implement an artificial intelligence algorithm which will be able to detect if you are sleeping from your web-cam. This will help to be be objective in making the award.
Back to doubt. Obituaries of Scowcroft aide to four presidents describe a career of radical prudence. His was a life spent averting and undoing the mistakes of true believers, to vastly more resentment than thanks. True believers eyes often have what Graham Greene called the “fanatic gleam”. The greatest calamities do not stem from any one belief system, but from fervent belief itself. I have to confess that I have seen and still often see the fanatic gleam in some of my colleagues eyes.
The root cause of great calamities are often conceptual models and targets held by executive management who have been selected as true believers in the great cause. The true believers set ambitious goals with much fanfare and conviction. It is not easy to be a doubter in this environment. Doubt is defined as a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction.
Is there room in a successful organisation for those who lack conviction? If you are classified as lacking conviction it is generally not intended as a compliment. Perhaps if, during a meeting, you feel a lack of conviction creeping over you then you should follow Scowcroft’s example and take a nap. This should allow the temporary lack of conviction to pass without incident and you can awake refreshed and full of renewed conviction. You need only look at the South African parliament to see this philosophy in action.
“People of total, uncontaminated belief exist, and are often lionised for their passion and getting things done. It is however the “keep the show on the road” types who pass without glory, perhaps because their best deeds are acts of omission. But the non-doing of stupid things is as precious as any crusade for positive change”.
Have we done stupid stuff which has brought us to our current situation? How much stupid stuff will we do in the future? None of course because we are all true believers and have conviction. If you feel your conviction faltering take a nap. It will soon pass.
Please keep the submission ideas flowing.
Regards
Bruce
Ruminant Pink Friday 