The importance of being unreasonable

Jamie PriestleyWriting for Leaders

Thursday, 17 May 12

Thursday, 17 May 12

ClientsGrowth

Short term goals

EmployeesSustainabilityLong term goals

The manager as juggler

A B

Sources: Maister 2001;Heskett, Sasser, Schlesinger 2003

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4

“BP’s mission is to grow value for our shareholders in a way that is safe and sustainable.”

(Source: BP Sustainability Review 2010)

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Evidence-itis

“Deep business understanding can only be demonstrated via evidence-based HR.”

John McGurk, CIPD, April 2012

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“HR must be more data-savvy”

“...It is increasingly critical to to measure

return on investment in

HR activity.”

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Claim 1

Evidence approach often not high science

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‘Return on leadership’ by McKinsey

Source: Human Resources Manager International, Sept 2011

Thursday, 17 May 12

‘Return on leadership’ by McKinsey

Source: Human Resources Manager International, Sept 2011

“There is a correlation between leadership and business performance”

“The study shows that leaders make all the difference in powering growth”

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Claim 2Not everything that counts can be counted

E = MC2

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Claim 3Evidence ≠ neutral

“Process and data commonality enable the truth to be told…

As truth owner, the CFO can help shape operational decisions and strategic direction.”

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Rationality vs dogma I can prove that the earth goes round the sun

Galileo, you disappoint me

Galileo Galilei in 1623

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3 things to do

1. Dare to say what the evidence-based approach can’t explain

2. Show how other approaches shed light: psychoanalytic, critical, postmodern (both/and)

3. Beware artificial tidiness.

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3 things to read:

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“...When man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts without any irritable reaching after fact & reason.”

John Keats

Negative Capability

Thursday, 17 May 12