Another breakdown in our society?

Reading an article in the Scottish Review the other day got me thinking about the perennial question of whether our society (or more accurately the people who inhabit our society) are sliding down the greasy morality pole. Now, you may ask why, in a year that has seen some dramatic riotous events ranging from Tahrir Square at the beginning of 2011, to the streets of London in the summer, was I prompted to think about this subject by what, in comparison, is a rather mundane, albeit troubling, scene on a rural country bus in Scotland. Good question, and I'm not sure. Perhaps it is easier to explain away the large scale events with labels such as revolution, social change, unemployment or overthrow of tyrrany. However, when we see or hear about 'bad behaviour' by a small number of youths, causing disruption or offence to innocent people who are going about their daily lives, we reach out for old and over-used phrases such as 'breakdown in the social fabric of our communities', or lack of 'social cohesion', or simply 'I blame the parents!'. Tabloids will often follow these headlines up with arguments that predict our society sliding into social turmoil, an apocalyptic vision of civil disorder, the lack of any moral compass amongst the youth of today. This is the daily diet the media feeds us on. They have an obsession with fear mongering, and fear is triggered easily in humans, so it is an easy outcome to generate. Are things really so much worse, and are they really becoming worse with each generation? Am I alone in remembering how awful our history has been, and how low our predecessors have sunk in the name of humanity. Without even having to touch on events such as the holocaust, the slave trade or Hiroshima, what about the razor gangs of the 20s and 30s or what about the football hooligans of the 70s. We can't keep sweeping these under the carpet and re-writing history as if things have never been so bad. Things are not changing as dramatically as the media would have us believe. The liberal-minded, middle classes and aspiring working classes have always gasped in horror when confronted with what some people are capable of. What does change are individual people, and gaps do emerge between different people's expectations of good and bad behaviour. The wider the gap becomes, the more people are shocked and horrified at what other members of their species get up to, and they distance themselves from it. Perhaps a natural reaction, but not a new one, and not a sign that this generation's behaviour will result in any more of a breakdown in our society than has happened before.

Why aren't Business Leaders more like Athletes?

It suprprises me that our aspiring business leaders and even general managers in corporations and in public service do not dedicate more time to brain science. I liken this to the world of athletics. An athlete's primary job is to run faster, or jump higher or throw further. Sounds simple. But it is now well-recognised that to be the very best and to achieve the nano-second advantage that might make the difference between gold & silver or even between qualification for the olympic team and staying at home, athletes need to know a lot more than 'just' their traditional training programme. In the course of becoming the best they can be, they become well-versed in areas of muscle physiology, nutrition, anatomy, cardio-vascular mechanics, as well as some important principles of the the way their brain works through relaxation techniques, managing and channelling emotions and positive visualisation exercises. So what do we need and expect from our leaders? Problem-solving, decision making, emotional intelligence, an understanding of what motivates people, an ability to engage and quickly establish rapport with others, conflict management and resolution, negotiation skills, an ability to manage their own emotions, an engaging communication style, and the list goes on and on..... It seems to me that having at least a rudimentary understanding of the way the brain works and the neuroscience that underpins our emotions, drives, moods and behaviours would be invaluable to anyone who counts even one item of this list of activities within their professional responsibilties. Why wouldn't someone who wants to be the 'best they can be' seek to give themself every advantage in achieving that vision? Athletes do. They are constantly seeking the 'edge' that might just put them on the top of the podium. Their body is 'the tool of their trade'. The brain is no less the tool of the executive or business leader's trade. Why not take the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of how it works and fine-tune it's performance? It might just give you that vital edge and take you to the top of the podium.

Do we need more than 'just' attention to learn?

I don’t believe we learn “simply by attending”….there’s more to it than that. It’s got something to do with integration and synthesis and making ‘new connections’ (resulting in new neural pathways). It is these new connections that we know as “Aha moments” – when things suddenly become crystal clear. This is captured well in my view by John Nelson in the book “What color is your parachute? For retirement(2007)”. He talks about the “sea of information out there and the difficulty of making sense of it all. It splashes around with no sense of order. It is also relentless – like a fire hose that forever is trying to fill you up as though you were an empty barrel.” Where he takes this metaphor next is the notion that it is “at the confluence of the information stream and your own stream of consciousness, that you’ll make your best decisions”. I would add that it is when you are paying attention to the confluence of streams of information that you "make connections" and where most learning takes place.

Reflection and Learning

The importance of Reflection is clear. This is where LEARNING happens. For reflection to be successful the reflector needs to be open to his espoused theory and theory-in-use gap being exposed and crawled over. I suspect that many people may retrospectively “close this gap” (cognitive dissonance?) and thereby not acknowledge it. Doing this closes the door to learning. This is where the power of the techniques used and espoused by Chris Argyris come through – the power of disorienting people and leaving them feel exposed ‘in practice’. This then opens things up for learning. i.e. by Shining a Light or Focusing Attention sharply on the area.

Read more about Chris Argyris and his double-loop learning theories by clicking on the title of this blog post.

Cult Fiction

My son Andrew (aka Andy, Drew or Ardie depending on which sub-culture you belong to) has written a book. Needless to say I am extremely proud. What father would not be delighted to see his son grow to write a novel and have it published?

He belongs to a generation immersed in social networks, new media, always-on communication and a new language associated with this world community. This is a world that appears to have no barriers, no boundaries, no class. It feels timeless and season-free. Ideas ping their way around the globe, being freely shared, blended, improved, challenged and accepted.

Of course I would love it if you read the book, and I do recommend it, especially if you have ever enjoyed any of the work of Douglas Adams. But, even more than the content of the book itself, this feels like the product of a new generation of thinkers, a new age of innovators, and the dawn of a more co-operative and hopeful world. Reading will never die, but the way that we create and generate new ideas to be read will continue to evolve. It's exciting to observe at close quarters.

Whet your appetite at the following links;-

http://www.facebook.com/CultFictionBook

http://ardiecollins.com/blog/

military precision in the Tube

Are humans naturally programmed to serve in the miltary? I was impressed as I watched the movement of people at the bottom of the escalators at Holborn tube the other day. The permutations of possible routes people can take is complex. Down and right to Piccadilly, down and left to Central. Direct from Central to Piccadilly and vice versa. Up from the blue line and likewise the red. 6 different routes in a relatively small space and hundreds of people all in full flow. I did not spot one collision. People seemed to lock on to their destination point and in a feat of collective co-ordination and uncanny, and apparently unwitting, mutual understanding, they weave and stride, eyes fixed, focused and unerring, slide past one another and disappear into the next tunnel or up the escalator. All of this achieved while many are locked away in their i-pod world or screening their texts and emails on blackberries and i-phones. I have been to the military tattoo at Edinburgh Castle, I have even been in a para-military organisation (steady!! - it was the Boys Brigade). I have trained for weeks for Drill Parades and was always secretly proud of my grasp and timing when it came to the 'slow march'. But, having watched untrained commuters, from all cultures and countries, randomly thrown together in a tube station, perform a graceful and synchronised drill pattern with absolutely no rehearsals, I am wondering if we are indeed the descendants of a long lost military tribe with a natural instinct for co-ordinated and synchronised precision. Just a thought!