The central means by which informal power is maintained in an organization is all too often through the discrediting and exclusion of people. This creates a tight circle of control and a culture based on generalized performance anxiety, competitions, fixed mindsets, and fears of scarcity. Because it’s “culture,” these factors tend to be felt —… Continue reading On the Discrediting of People
The Horse
I stopped along a country road to take a photograph. I had been down by the river under the mountain, but the shadows had grown longer and now on my way home the mountain was immersed in late afternoon light. At first, two horses galloped to see me, but they soon wandered off, distracted by… Continue reading The Horse
The Work With No Name
The work with no name is from one angle just the humble work of humanizing our workplaces, our working civilization. It cannot have a name lest it go the way of all programs, destined to be judged by whether or not it makes money for some corporation. (This came up for me last week via… Continue reading The Work With No Name
Pelvis with the Distance
An ekphrastic poem is a poem about another piece of art, often visual art — in this case a painting by Georgia O’Keeffe called “Pelvis with the Distance.” I saw the painting last weekend at the Tacoma Art Museum here in Washington State, part of a collection called, “Eloquent Objects” about O’Keeffe’s still life paintings… Continue reading Pelvis with the Distance