> Early sociotechnical systems theory used a concept of
> "organizational slack" that has long fascinated me, because "wild geese,"
> innovators and "websters" like Mike all represent crucial forms of
> organizational slack, the extra capacity - often developed on their own
> time, as a hobby, or in play - from which creative solutions, new ideas and
> innovations come.
There's a computer operating system called Linux (free version of
UNIX) that is distributed in different packages. One of the more
famous of these is called Slackware. Those guys are no slackers!
> No organization can run fully loaded for
> long, and equally, too much slack, especially if not directed toward
> something eventually useful, or eventually connected to the work of the
> organization, also fails.
Arie de Geus said the following about long-term companies that
allowed experimental work "in the margin" in the May 1996 "Systems
Thinker". "Although this policy is not as efficient as hard pruning
in its use of resources--since the marginal activities take resources
away from the main stem--it is better suited to an unpredictable
environment or one in which we have little control. And as the
success of the long-term survivors indicates, diversifying by
creating tolerance for activities in the margin has a better track
record than diversification by dictum."
It's also truthful in terms of acknowledging that people think,
shares the attitude of the people (scientists, mathematicians,
inventors, leaders) whose work is studied in school, Uses some of
the highest powered equipment that is available (the mind), and is
positive - allowing things - rather than negative - disallowing
things.
Have a nice day
John Paul Fullerton
jpf@myriad.net
--"John Paul Fullerton" <jpf@mail.myriad.net>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>