After the First, Pragmatism Degenerates

Forrest ChristianOverachievers Leave a Comment

I’m still uncertain about the connection between Flyvbjerg’s “think slow, then act fast” and Warren Kinston’s Pragmatic phase of management culture, but that shouldn’t stop us from moving forward! Kinston points out that Simple Pragmatism, the base of organizational life, always degrades. You think it won’t, that all you need to do is keep doing what’s in front of you. …

First, Do Something. Maybe?

Forrest ChristianOverachievers Leave a Comment

“If you want to know how to get started, just do something!” Or, as M. Bartok Wolfe always told me, “Action is Action.” When you are getting something started — anything, really — action takes precedence. It’s not about thinking or planning: it’s about doing something. At least. it’s sometimes like that. In an ongoing business, it’s best to simply …

When You Run into History, and it’s My Lai

Forrest ChristianUncategorized Leave a Comment

Wait – did he just say had served under Lt. Calley? The Aged Relative and I had stopped at a diner somewhere in western Virginia (not to be confused with West Virginia, which is a different state) to get some food and break up my long drive. I stepped out to wash my hands, and when I returned, I saw …

Illustration. Executive looking clueless in front of a burning office skyscraper.

Why You Have Useless Layers of Management Above You

Forrest ChristianOrganizations Leave a Comment

It struck me, after pointing out that Citi’s going from 13 levels of management to 8 was just following the emergent natural hierarchy and so just cutting non-value adding positions, that I never really said why companies get in this mess. If these positions can NEVER add value no matter who is in them, why do companies create them? Probably …

Sometimes, “the closer you are to [career] danger, the farther you are from [life] harm”

Forrest ChristianCareers Leave a Comment

“You’re the only parent of anyone I know who is pushing their art kid to art school and out of nursing.” I was talking to my oldest kid, encouraging her to apply to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts High School, a residential performing arts school which also has a visual arts program. We live in a …