Here in Australia we speak of the “tyranny of distance” – the unmistakeable fact that we live thousands of kilometres from the cultures which spawned our multifaceted diasporas. And even in the age of international travel, the fact that you need to spend a day or two travelling to get to or from Australia serves to remind us that we are, as a country, a long way from everywhere.
Over the past 10 years or so, I have spent a great deal of time travelling TO other places – mostly for work. And while it can be interesting, hotels in Germany look pretty much the same as hotels in Shanghai. So when people from overseas offer to travel HERE, I welcome them with open arms.
In May, Matt Moore is hosting a workshop event on Innovation and Change. It features Johnnie Moore and Viv McWaters. They will be investigating the notion that “change is difficult and stressful, and that innovation is scarce and requires effortful management to succeed”. As Matt explains:
We’re going to explore how this is reflected in three tyrannies:
The tyranny of the explicit and the fear of not knowing.
The tyranny of excellence and the fear of not being good enough.
The tyranny of effort and the fear of failure.
We’re planning to explore these tyrannies and highlight some ways to bust them with a series of practical and impractical exercises. We’re going to reveal our own prejudices about facilitating change and innovation, which emphasize letting go of the effort to be spectacular in favour of being open to surprise and attentive to small ideas instead of chasing grandiose visions.
As a long term reader of Johnnie’s blog and an admirer of his work, I am particularly keen to participate in this workshop. And I only have to travel to Eveleigh. Will I see you there? Bookings and details are as follows:
Time: 09.30-16.30 May 13th 2010.
Location: Australian Technology Park, Eveleigh, Sydney, NSW 1430.
Price: $150+GST for the day. Book here with Visa/Mastercard/PayPal.
Hey Gavin, thanks for the generous writeup and I’m excited we’ll have a chance to meet!