October 10, 2014

How does one change bureaucratic culture?  We have a city and its various portals stuck in a “top-down” approach to community and culture.  Instead of supporting innovation and creativity, organizations want to be “in charge” of it!  I think the solution has a number of strategies.  I think first of the “revolution” rather than slow change approach.  If these people and their systems wanted to change, they would have by now.  They need to be called out for their abuses of power.  A strong leader is needed to rally the forces of like-minded revolutionaries to take this on.  The next step is to create mechanisms to ensure that this abuse of power doesn’t happen again:  values, code of ethics, rules of engagement are all part of this.  Because we can’t “trade out” the people, we’ll then need to train.  I’ve heard 20 time, 20 different ways and twenty different people is the approach to change which is lasting in its effect.

It’s a big job, but it’s time to do this.  The world can’t wait for the slow changes.  Our community of London Ontario has been stuck for a long time.  Let’s do it!