Atelier WeekNotes w/c 4 Dec 2023
First approach. Mechanics of governing the UK. Depth of Change Spectrum useful again. New podcasts out. Long list of items with no update this week...
I am writing newsletter of #weeknotes of starting the Atelier of What’s Next (What’s needed, What’s ready? What can we do? What next?). For my rationale for starting the Atelier see here.
Unfortunately, at least 2 days of this week were taken out by me having a bad cold. All the coughing and spluttering in bed got in the way of actually doing things.
This week is a try-out for the new structure I mentioned last week.
Priorities:
1.Offering-challenge-resourcing fit. I've had an approach, the first person saying 'I have a stuck idea, can the Atelier help?'.
2.Prioritising for abundance. -- Nothing this week.
0/DETECTING -- the mechanics of governing the UK, and the 'niche-level' preparation already underway for a (hoped-for) change of government.
Updates from 'In the Atelier':
Depth of Change Spectrum. Useful once again.
ReadingNotes. Oops. Ignored a stage gate.
Podcasts released this week:
Powerful Time: Dave Snowden (inventor of Cynefin Framework).
Innovation for Sustainability: Steve Waygood (mover-and-shaker in sustainable finance based at Aviva).
List of things not updated this week (but still on my mind).
Priorities
1.Offering-challenge-resourcing fit
Background:
Orientating Q: What combination of Atelier offering and external challenge could mobilise resources to have impact and financially sustain the Atelier?
Aiming for: evidence on what can work (where best evidence: new, paid-for activity from people who don't know David).
Activities: 'stirring the pot' with the Introduction and Invitation; networking; approaching selected organisations to co-run taster sessions.
This week: an approach! From someone in my wider circle (we are both alumni of the same now-defunct Masters in Responsibility and Business Practices at Bath). They had an idea and were wondering how to develop it. A mutual friend, who I've mentioned the Atelier to, suggest that they approach me.
So, a little bit of evidence that there are people developing ideas who feel they need support. Plus, that the Atelier name and concept is 'sticky' enough, and I have a good-enough reputation, for people to recommend.
Of course, this approach caught my off-guard. I realised I hadn't thought through in detail what to do when someone does come in with an idea. D'oh!
What I learnt:
There are some key diagnostic questions along the lines of:
What’s needed? Why is it needed? Why now?
What’s at the core of the idea?
What’s your experience of the challenge, and what’s your motivation?
Where in the ’Atelier steps’ would you put the idea?
Given that you are an extremely competent person yourself, what are you hoping for, in reaching out?
Nothing a substitute for a good conversation. Those questions provided a frame for us to explore two sorts of 'up-and-down':
Scale: up into the macro context in which the situation and idea sit, and down into the specifics of how they thought of the idea, the particular circumstances which sparked it into consciousness.
Stream: upstream, into the drivers of the situation; and downstream, into intended impacts over time.
What they thought the Atelier could bring: a wider (still-partial) system view. This person has experience of developing ideas and is very, very competent in their field. So, it was interesting what they thought the Atelier could bring: a sense of what else is out there. And so it proved. As we went up-scale, I was able to link to interventions with similar ambitions, and also as we went up-stream too.
The Depth of Change Spectrum once again useful providing a good heuristic for people to understanding the choices they have been making / want to make. (More on this below.)
An initial concept is often part-formed. The temptation is to develop the concept further. But my instinct is to first develop the understanding of the situation. That gives a chance to deepen and test the intuitive sense of what is happening, that is generated (and is enfolded into) the initial concept.
In the terms of the fundamental Atelier steps (the modified Double Diamond), when you have the initial concept, people often move to 4/DEVELOPING. But, my instinct is to go back, 2/DISCOVERING and 3/DEFINING -- to make sure that the concept is on solid foundations, and so the development can make informed design choices.
Building a space for trust. It is an obvious thing to do, but that still means it is needed. (Also, one of the reasons I'm not sharing anything of the idea yet.)
The risk of being unintentionally extractive. The concept might end up relying on volunteer time. One thing that came up was how many organisations we both know end up relying on people volunteering, particularly at the start. Now, a for-profit start-up might give people a part-share of ownership for that unpaid time, which might (might) later become a financial renumeration. A for-benefit organisation doesn't have that option. And, so can be extractive of people -- that is, of taking time and insight from them without trying to ensure they get some benefit.
In this situation, there is the possibility of the concept being extractive in its context. Plus, there is a risk that the Atelier is extractive of the concept (writing in the WeekNotes, leaving it in the lurch) or of the concept being extractive of the Atelier (expecting to be able to take up time and connections).
Obviously, we will try to avoid that. And all the more likely to do so by naming the risk of being extractive, even unintentionally.
I do need a simple 'memorandum of understanding' so that people can start working with the Atelier on a sound legal basis. This was the one I sent over:
We are starting by exploring what the idea might become. We both know it could fall over quickly, or go on to be great. There’s no way of knowing yet.
We are going to start with a few Zoom calls (say 2 one hour calls), and see where that gets us.
We are starting in good faith and trusting each other. If something isn’t working then the first step is to raise it. But anyone can stop the arrangement.
The idea is your idea. The Atelier will take no stake or IP that is about your idea, unless we agree something different in the future.
The methods we use to develop your idea remain with the Atelier (and lessons from using them will be integrated into their next use). Wher possible, the Atelier will acknowledge contributions to improving the methods.
The experiences might appear in the Exploring What’s Next WeekNotes. Anything written there will never reveal commercially sensitive material, betray confidences, or be embarrassing. At the same time, there will not normally be pre-approval for the content. If there is anything you want to not be put into the WeekNotes, then please say.
WHAT NEXT
Help with the next steps of this concept.
Create a 'starter pack' for the next time someone approaches me.
2. Organising for abundance -- Nothing this week.
0/DETECTING
Rising: The mechanics of governing in the UK.
I had the pleasure of lunch with Sarah Mulley, now at Future Governance Forum. It is a new think tank focused on how to deliver progressive government. As the website says:
"Britain’s system of government is in desperate need of a reset after years of cumulative economic, environmental, and political crises. The next government must be ready to take decisive action, delivering and enabling a programme that is progressive, transformative, and politically sustainable."
The four pillar of their work point to rising needs and priorities:
Mission-based government.
Impactful devolution.
New principles for better government.
Rebuilding the nation.
For me, speaking with Sarah was a tonic, given the Tory government's long-term...incompetence seems too small a word for the 13 years of failure laid out in charts by @Sam Freedman in Prospect, or Andrew Rawnsley's piece in today's Observer ('Need a Christmas party game? Try ranking 13 years of Tory screw-ups in order of severity').
Also, a sign of the the social process of governance. There are people working in through stuff in the 'informal governance', so that there are ideas and plans and people ready for the change in government. (in this case, ex-civil servants forming a new think tank). A different kind of response to the culture war desperation of the current Tory government.
In the Atelier
UPDATES
Depth of Change Spectrum (Method)
In the conversation about a new concept above, the Depth of Change Spectrum once again providing a good heuristic for people to understanding the choices they have been making / want to make.
Within that, clear to me that I want to position the Atelier as Deep Transformation -- beyond Strong Reform, and integrating the insights of Radical Resistance. But there are a number of challenges to do so:
There are few examples. So, it is hard to be clear on what makes Deep Transformation distinct from Strong Reform (/Thin Transformation).
Radical Resistance has the simpler narrative ('the status quo is fundamentally set up to prioritise X; we must be anti-X') which has more immediate emotional power and is easier to form a group identity around.
Prepare Good Ruins has an appeal because it has a humility, of not trying to control future generations, and yet we still have agency now (in building good ruins for those future generations).
Consequently, efforts on Deep Transformation, can easily fall into and/or be confused with the Centrist Dad compromises of Strong Reform. Deep Transformation also sounds hubristic compared to Prepare Good Ruins.
Reading Notes (Operations)
The inbox of things to write is large.
I had said I would have a stage gate at the end of October. Clearly I have failed on that.
New stage gate: end of Jan.
New podcasts (Operations)
Powerful Times: Dave Snowden
Available on my website here; plus Apple, Spotify, and elsewhere). Dave Snowden (Twitter, LinkedIn) is Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of The Cynefin Co.
Dave is a thorough-to-brusque practitioner and thinker using Complex Adaptive Systems (a dynamic network of interactions where the behaviour of the ensemble is not predictable from the components, and which is able to adapt to changing circumstances).
Two key points I take from our conversation:
-Don’t focus on changing people (for which there is little evidence of success). Instead, focus on changing the connections people have with other people opens up more possibility for the whole assembly.
-From a complexity view, the world is constantly changing and the information you have is partial. Better to be responsive to what’s happening around you, rather than having a plan which will be immediately out of date.
Bonus: Powerful Times has now had over 10,000 downloads.
Innovation for Sustainability: Steve Waygood.
Listen on my website hub, Apple, Spotify and elsewhere.
Steve Waygood is Chief Responsible Investment Officer at Aviva Investors (Steve’s corporate page and LinkedIn). He has been a crucial player in the rise of sustainable finance in the UK over the last 20 years.
Our conversation covers a huge amount of ground, including:
The role of insurance companies in finance, and their particular interest and leverage on sustainability.
No one anywhere in the world understands the whole of finance.
His current focus on ‘macro-stewardship’: “taking a more holistic view of our stewardship responsibilities and actively engaging with policymakers, industry bodies and peers, regulators, standard setters and other influential parties to advocate and push for changes that will help create a more sustainable economic system.”
NO UPDATES THIS TIME
I’m leaving these in to remind myself of them.
TOPICS
Using Time Well. Background here.
Initiative interoperability. Background here.
Meeting policy makers where they are with narratives they can recognise. Background here.
Living in truth during a culture war. Background here.
METHODS
The fundamental Atelier steps. Background here.
Imagining transformative pathways for decision-making. Background here. I hope to share news of funding and a pilot in the coming weeks.
Forming frontier consortia. Background here.
An Atelier Hour. Apply coaching techniques in a quick taster session.
Nurturing social learning cycles. Background here.
OPERATIONS
Theory of change. Concept: The Atelier will contribute to transformation by considering three levels (landscape, regime and niche) for itself, and all the interventions in the studio,
Being a Co-Founder. The challenges and experiences of being a start-up co-founder.