Welcome Chaos

Just this morning I was thinking about the absence of a quiet hum and predictable routine in the office of freerthinking. This suits me just fine, I know from years of experience that change always looks messy in the middle but gorgeous in the end. I’m brewing a storm of change at the moment and finding so much energy in it.

But oh how we long for predictability and measurement and steps and processes. I get asked all the time to promise organisations that everything will be okay and to provide them with numbers to ward off the risk that boldness brings. It takes a lot of guts to stop measuring things that are measurable, and even more guts to create things that don’t measure well by conventional means. We will find meaningful ways to reflect and weigh the importance of cultural change, of change that places people at the very centre of health care and that values their experience and contribution. But whatever those measurements are we will need to keep pushing forward and creating a health and social care system that is responsive.

“The weight of a television set has nothing at all to do with the clarity of its picture. Even if you measure to a tenth of a gram, this precise data is useless.”

Seth Godin

I applaud all the people who have so far joined the Change Day campaign and made a pledge to do one thing to improve outcomes for others,  in the absence of  data that proves they will fully realise the difference they want to make. But rather, in the sure and certain belief that we need to be bold and create the irresistible future that we want to see in the world.

“You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.”

Nietzsche

I am preparing a series of workshops on Person Centred Thinking to be run in Adelaide in March and then in April in Melbourne. I will be sending out the details for these workshops next week, but the numbers will be limited – so if you are wanting to join with others and learn more about how to develop person centred care and thinking in your organisation please email me mary@freerthinking.com.au

Now, wasn’t it Andre Gide who famously said ” [we] cannot discover new oceans unless we have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

Bon voyage !