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culture

When you cheat, you lose.

Every day, the drafting of legislation, policy and procedure seeks to obfuscate simplicity in such new and eventful ways (almost at times it would seem with potentially sinister or class divisional intent) to explain things that simple, logical phrases already do. Our language is full of ‘sayings’. Sayings that have stood the test of time because they never lose relevance and are always logical, fundamental and unequivocal. It’s simple. When you cheat, you lose.

By Shane Mallory, ago

Introverts – We walk amongst you

It is the shy kids who are easy to forget. They can be ushered into the corner by the teacher/director or the other actors/students and overlooked because they generally won’t complain. They will accept the status quo because they won’t want to rock the boat. Their creative skills enable them to show acceptance and contrition when faced with missing out on opportunities.

By Shane Mallory, ago

Learning Culture

True learning and true education forces us to take long-term approaches. To realise and accept that learning is long haul. Results do not come over night, but when they do, the long-term results are so much greater than simply the sum of their parts (which is the classic short-term strategy).

By Shane Mallory, ago

Culture is Feeling

Organisations fool themselves into believing that they want to be transformative, innovative and adaptive. They also fool themselves into believing that by changing the top-down message, the mandate from the executive, that innovation will flow like the ancient Saharan rivers of gold. Unfortunately, corporate culture is focused on operational excellence and efficiency. This is the very antithesis of the collective hearts, minds and habits of the organisation’s people and their mutual perception of ‘this is how we do things’. Top-down mandates can only ever command compliance, they can never influence confidence, belief, enthusiasm or creativity.

By Shane Mallory, ago

All for One and All Will Fall

When Alexander Dumas wrote his swashbuckling classic The Three Musketeers, he coined the phrase synonymous with this band adroit nobleman ‘All for One and One for All’. It is thought by some to be the truest and most symbolic example of teamwork. We (the team are all in this together).

Fast forward several centuries and our work lives are still all about ‘the team’ in many respects, only this time it’s about getting things done and getting them done within our allotted hours of work. But what exactly are we all in for? What are we striving to achieve in the modern workday. The modern work week. Are we all in for the work or just to work?

By Shane Mallory, ago