Doing research about mentoring, this is what I found out until now.
Category: management
Global teal meetup Asia Pacific
Great global teal meetup Asia Pacific today – including excellent organization and moderation.
I liked the two long breakout sessions in small groups. Both breakout sessions that I participated in were well moderated by Bianca Yin. We had really interesting conversations, I found, about all parts of teal – including purpose, self management and wholeness. In particular, I appreciated listening to experiences people shared about how they practice wholeness. More specifically, I liked what we talked about differences types of health such as physical health, mental health, emotional health, social health, occupational health, and financial health being interrelated. To use a Canva board was a great initiative. For example, I found the board useful where people jot down what they want to talk with others about in the next round of conversations.
To participate in the next Global teal meetup Asia Pacific, which will be held on March 19th, 2024, click here.
WEF session about climate and nature: A systemic response is needed
Listening to a WEF24 session entitled Climate and nature: A systemic response needed this is what I wrote down as takeaways.
Jesper Brodin
– This is the decade that things need to change. All of us need to go through a massive transformation.
– The energy sector is not doing enough. We need the energy sector to take full responsibility. Leaders in the energy sector need to significantly step up and change.
André Hoffmann
– The current system does not work.
– Stakeholder focus is essential. Roche focuses primarily on patients – not on shareholders. If Roche had not had a stakeholder focus, the company would not exist today, I heard Mr. Hoffman say.
– We need to help each other pursue happiness and peace.
– We need to reintroduce the notion of nature in the way we work – by measuring impact.
Katharine Hayhoe
Scientists live primarily in the head. Scientists need to start also using their hearts and help people connect climate problems with what people care about. How do scientists do that? They ask people questions and listen to what people say. Scientists need to start communicating with people.
Ajay Singh Banga
– 45% of World Bank financing go to climate.
– The World Bank connects 100 million people in Africa to renewable energy.
– Solar power is cheaper than fossil fuels.
Kristalina Georgieva
– First of all, people need to cooperate – not compete. When doing that 1 + 1 = 6.
– Subsidies to fossil fuels need to be removed globally. The money that is freed up needs to be invested in climate action.
– Leaders need to do the right things – even if it is not popular.
A conversation with Satya Nadella and Klaus Schwab
Listening to a conversation with Satya Nadella and Klaus Schwab, these are the notes I took:
- The United Arab Emirates has rolled out a digital personal tutor for every student.
- In science, artificial intelligence (AI) will help accelerate innovation. An example is in healthcare with medical advice apps.
- The license to operate for technology companies such as Microsoft depends on their abilities to competently handle unintended consequences of technology such as safety, trust and equity.
- We need politicians to lean in and make sure that technology is beneficial for people.
- The costs of technology are coming down – leading to abundance and acceleration.
- Microsoft is investing strongly in clean energy solutions such as solar energy.
- Because of technology, productivity will increase. People use and will increasingly use all kinds of technologies – including AI – to create things.
- Investors need to care about stakeholders, because it is the way to get long term returns on their investments. It is about focusing on all stakeholders all the time.
- A leader needs the humility to continuously learn.
What are the most important contributions of Han Feizi?
Han Feizi lived between 280 and 233 BCE. He was a student of Xunzi. These are the most important contributions of Han Feizi:
Laws that create order
Han Feizi is credited with developing the concept of “fa,” which means law. Fa encompasses a broad range of concepts – including regulations, standards, and techniques of governance. Han Feizi argued that fa should be clear, consistent, and impersonal, and that it should be applied impartially to all members of society.
Centralized power
Han Feizi developed and articulated the principles of Legalism, which advocated for a strong, authoritarian state governed by clear, strict laws and regulations to govern society. He believed that a ruler’s power should be centralized and absolute to ensure social stability and order. In addition, it was the belief of Han Feizi that a strong ruler is essential for maintaining order and stability. Han Feizi was critical of Confucianism – including its emphasis on morality and benevolence as a basis for governance. He found that relying on moral principles was too impractical, and that it would lead to inefficiency and chaos in government. Instead, a ruler should, according to Han Feizi, focus on enforcing fa and maintaining power. In Han Feizi’s view, fa was the only way to achieve a stable and prosperous society.
Hire people based on talent and capability
Han Feizi emphasized the importance of meritocracy in governance, advocating for the selection of officials based on talent and capability rather than birth or privilege. He highlighted the significance of making people, who are employed by the state administration, work with high efficiency.
Motivate people through rewards
Han Feizi argued that people are naturally selfish and motivated by self-interest. Han Feizi believed that the best way to motivate people is to use a system of rewards and punishments. He argued that the ruler should use rewards to encourage good behavior and punishments to deter bad behavior. The teachings of Han Feizi provided practical strategies for rulers to maintain control and power. He stressed the importance of rewarding loyalty and punishing disobedience to maintain order and prevent chaos.
Create design that makes good habits
Han Feizi was critical of the hard punishments that Lord Shang proposed. Why? Han Feizi found that the hard punishments proposed by Lord Shang would create lots of anger, fear and resentment, which would make the state doomed. So Han Feizi asked, instead, this question: What happens if we create worlds that are so good at habituating people that people will come to have their habits as things they assume to be natural, and that those habits will be designed by and for the state to allow it to be effective?
The challenge is, Han Feizi mentioned, that people will just do things without feeling resentment, anger or fear, and that they will not see themselves controlled by an authoritarian state. In other words, states should, in Han Feizi’s view, create clear standards and norms that humans become habituated into doing – because it is the habitual thing to do. An example: When the traffic light is red, you stop. When the traffic light is green, you drive. Such a habit that came about through a law, rule and design, leads to a harmonious world that everybody benefits from. Reflecting on this I came to think of the book Nudge.
In this regard, Han Feizi was inspired by Laozi, who suggested generating situations by doing many small things that create a certain trajectory. Han Feizi wanted to take that insight from Laozi and move it from the personal level to the state level.
What are the most important contributions of Lord Shang?
Lord Shang, who lived between 390 and 338 BCE, asked, for example, this question: How do we build effective states? These are his most important contributions:
Make laws that create order
Lord Shang was one of the early proponents of Legalism, a philosophical and political ideology that emphasized strict laws, centralized power, and harsh punishments to maintain order and control within a state. Legalism prioritized the strength of the state above all else, advocating for clear and strict laws to govern society. Lord Shang wanted to create laws and institutions that would govern everything. Those laws should be so rigorous and absolute that no-one would dare to break them. Following up on this, Lord Shang proposed create a system of punishments, which were so horrific for a person and her / his immediate family, that no-one dared to break the laws. Over time, that would mean that everybody would follow everything that the State would tell people to do.
Centralize power
Lord Shang advocated for centralization of power in the hands of the ruler. A bureaucracy needed to be created, according to Lord Shang, to oversee laws that were created. The state should take control of all resources within its power. Ideally, that power would, according to Lord Shang, be as unlimited as possible. Lord Shang emphasized the importance of a powerful ruler who had absolute authority and control over people. He believed that strong, authoritarian rule was essential for maintaining stability and unity within a state. In addition, Lord Shang believed in the importance of promoting people in the bureaucracy for doing what they were told. Over time, that meant that the State bureaucracy would consist entirely of people, who were very good at following orders and commanding those orders to people at the next level down in the bureaucracy. Lord Shang’s vision was that such a system would result in a perfectly well-organized society and consequently lead to a perfectly functioning world.
Pay people for their performance
Lord Shang implemented significant reforms in the state of Qin, where he served as a chief minister. Lord Shang introduced a merit-based system for appointments and promotions, rewarding officials based on performance rather than lineage or background. He also restructured the administrative divisions of the state and imposed strict laws and regulations to ensure social order and productivity.
Increase productivity in agriculture
Lord Shang implemented economic policies aimed at increasing agricultural productivity. He encouraged land cultivation, promoted the idea of self-sufficiency in agriculture, and introduced measures to boost the state’s economic resources. A key goal for Lord Shang of increasing the state’s economic resources was to support military endeavors.
Sources
britannica.com
chat.openai.com
edx.org
What are the most important contributions of Laozi?
Laozi lived in the 5th century BCE. These are Laozi’s most important contributions:
The Way = The Tao
The way is everything, and the Way gives birth to everything. It underlies the entire universe. The Way = The Tao represents the natural order and underlies reality of all existence. For example, a piece of grass emerges from the Way, when it is born, and also returns to the Way when it eventually dies. Think of everything, including people and situations, as a constant emergence – growing from the Way and returning to it. The Way sees the entire world as interrelated. In other words, everything is constantly interacting with everything else. For example, people are related to each other. The more you think about, see and realize that everybody and everything is related to everybody else and everything else, the closer you get to the Way. Laozi emphasized the importance of understanding and harmonizing with the Tao to live a fulfilling and balanced life. In addition, understanding the Way allows you to influence the world, as it is being generated at any given moment.
Part of the Way is the balance of opposites. In this regard, Laozi’s philosophy incorporates the concept of Yin and Yang, the complementary and opposing forces that govern the universe. Yin represents the feminine, receptive, and dark aspects, while Yang represents the masculine, active, and bright aspects.
Act in accordance with natural flow
Laozi advocated for a simple way of living and for a concept called Wu-Wei, which is often translated as “actionless action” or “effortless effort.” It emphasizes the importance of acting in accordance with the natural flow of the Way = the Tao, rather than forcing or striving against it. Wu-Wei suggests that true effectiveness comes from aligning oneself with the natural order rather than imposing one’s will upon it.
Laozi found that power lies in the ability to work with the world in a calm way. An analogy proving that power lies in the ability to work with the world is water. Water works with the flow, for example by shifting terrain and moving differently based on what happens in the surroundings. It adapts to new realities. By doing that, water is able to modify surroundings. In other words, it is because water is smooth, weak and able to flow differently that it succeeds. When we humans want to learn from that, we can, for example, work on understanding what it is that is leading a certain situation to develop as it does as well as the little things you can do to change things for the better.
Think of an argument you were in with another person. Each of you felt anger and yelled at each other. Now stop this. Go back and find out how this emerged. A possibility is that you both did little things that irritated the other person. It could be raising your voices, using unfriendly body language and/or using inappropriate words. When you sense and see how things started to escalate in a negative direction, you begin to see the little things you can do to calm the situation down again.
Do many small things
To work with the world in a calm way, do many small things. Some examples: Take a step back. Breathe. Become still. Become calm. Sense the situation. Sense the atmosphere. Seek to understand what is going on. Accept that everything is interrelated. Develop humility. Have the courage to show vulnerability, for example by admitting what you are not so good at and asking for help from others. Seek balance and harmony, for example by raising issues of shared concerns, which can easily be talked about among people. Make eye contact with people, who do not seem to feel part of the group – thereby bringing them in, helping connect people and helping create an atmosphere in which people feel psychologically safe to communicate with each other.
Laozi advocated for leaders who govern with minimal interference, emphasizing the importance of humility, compassion, and leading by example rather than managing through authority and control.
Why do some people feel anger about hierarchies?
These are reasons why some people feel anger about hierarchies:
Lack of autonomy
In a hierarchical system, people are often required to follow orders from those above them – even if these people work closely with customers and disagree with those orders. In other words, hierarchies can suppress autonomy, which people have, lead to feelings of powerlessness and in some situations limit value creation if a decisions made by manager is wrong. Many people feel anger when hierarchies limit their ability to make decisions or choices. As a large number of people value autonomy and independence, frustration and resentment may grow as a consequence of the existence of hierarchies. An additional problem is that many people may suppress negative emotions they feel about the lack of autonomy.
Abuse of power
When those in positions of authority within a hierarchy misuse their power, it can cause anger among those affected by their actions. For example, a person may have been bullied and/or exploited by someone, who is in a powerful position. Another person may feel angry if she or he is discriminated against because of her or his race, gender and/or social status. Also, perceptions of unfair treatment within hierarchies due to favoritism can fuel anger. This can lead to a general distrust of hierarchies and a belief that they are inherently unfair. An additional problem is that many people may suppress negative emotions they feel about abuse of power.
Inequality
Some individuals may perceive hierarchies as maintaining inequalities, where those at the top have more power, resources, and opportunities, while those at the bottom face disadvantages. This can lead to feelings of injustice and anger. In a world where the importance of communities, ecosystems, social media and work across various kinds of borders is increasing, large differences in income may be seen as many people as making little and being unfair. An additional problem is that many people may suppress negative emotions they feel about inequalities.
Lack of mobility
If hierarchies are seen as rigid and impeding social or economic mobility, individuals may become frustrated or angry when they feel they have limited opportunities to advance or improve their circumstances. An additional problem is that many people may suppress negative emotions they feel about lack of mobility.
Why do 1) command and control and 2) love represent contrasting approaches?
Command and Control
At the foundation of command and control is a belief that people are inherently lazy. Another belief, which is central in the command and control approach, is that external motivation is very important for people to do things. Additional beliefs, which are at the core of command and control, are the strong needs for structure, efficiency, productivity, close monitoring and control.
As a consequence of these beliefs, a hierarchical structure is created, and some people are chosen to be authority figures. Authority figures create or make sure that rules, procedures and standards are created. They also make decisions. In addition, authority figures tell people, who are positioned further down in the hierarchy, to do things. They give orders, which must be followed by subordinates. Controlling of people and processes are also central to things that authority figures are hired and paid to do. They maintain discipline and provide pressure to make sure that the predetermined procedures, standards and rules are followed. The goal is to achieve a high degree of efficiency, productivity and order.
Besides a rigid organizational structure, the command and control approach is often associated with a lack of flexibility in responding to an environment, which is undergoing changes. As we live in a world, where numerous changes are continuously happening all around us, the command and control approach and its strong focus on rigid structure is being challenged significantly. Command and control does have a place, for example in a crisis situation when clear and decisive leadership is needed and/or when speed and efficiency are critical.
Love
In the love-based approach, emphasis is on understanding, empathy, compassion and collaboration. This approach focuses on fostering connections and building positive relationships. Strong focus is on creating a sense of belonging and on strengthening psychological safety. In addition, building physical and digital work environments that promote creativity, collaboration, and innovation is of strong importance.
The love-based approach is based on the belief that people are motivated by intrinsic factors such as autonomy, mastery, and purpose. In this highly participative, engaging and proactive way of working, people have freedom to take ownership of work they do and make decisions themselves.
Leaders, who adopt a love-based approach, view their roles as facilitators and coaches. In a love-based approach, people, who are chosen by their co-workers to take the roles as leaders, believe that people are better at making the right decisions than leaders are, for example because people work closely with users / customers and know what users / customers need. Leaders work on providing whatever people need in order to grow and develop their skills.
The love based approach is becoming increasingly popular, as the importance of creating positive and supportive work environments is increasing. The best way of working is the one that gets work done while also creating a positive and productive work environment.
Sources of inspiration:
bard.google.com
chat.openai.com
you.com
What is the story about the development of democracy in Greece?
- When were the first steps towards democracy taken in Greece?
Democracy started to evolve in Greece between the 8th century and the 6th century before the birth of Jesus Christ (BCE). Before that time, many city-states in Greece were ruled by kings and a few other people, who had very large economic and political power. Experiments, which served to develop democracy in Greece, were led by a number of reformers such as Cleisthenes, who is credited with being the father of democracy. - Solon’s reforms in the year 594 BCE
A major turning point in Athens’ political evolution occurred when the statesman Solon was appointed as an archon. Archon is a Greek name that means ruler. In Greece, the power of kings was first delegated to archons. Solon enacted a series of reforms to alleviate the social and economic tensions – including debt relief for the poor and curbing the power of the few people who had large economic and political power. The reforms initiated by Solon laid the groundwork for future democratic developments. - Cleisthenes’ reforms in the years 508 – 507 BCE
Cleisthenes, a statesman of Athens, formalized the democratic system. He introduced a new system of tribal organization and redistributed political power among citizens – regardless of their social status. Cleisthenes is considered the father of Athenian democracy. - Direct democracy in Athens in the early 5th century BCE
By the early 5th century BCE, Athens had established a direct democracy. Only male citizens over the age of 18 had the right to participate in the Assembly, where they could debate and vote on important issues. The Assembly was a crucial institution, allowing citizens to have a say in the city’s governance, pass laws, and make decisions about war and other significant matters. - Pericles and the Golden Age in the years 461 to 429 BCE
The 5th century BC was a golden age for democracy in Greece. Pericles, a statesman in Athens who is considered one of the greatest democratic leaders of all time, significantly shaped the development of democracy during this time. He expanded the power of the Assembly, made it more inclusive, increased public pay for jurors and public officials, and encouraged participation in public affairs. During this period, Athens experienced a flourishing of arts, culture, and philosophy and reached the height of its power. At this time, democracy is Greece was strongly admired by other city-states. - The decline in the 4th century BCE
It is important to note that the Athenian democracy had its limitations. Only a fraction of the population had political rights. Women, slaves, and foreign residents were excluded from participation. Also, decisions made by the Assembly could be influenced by persuasive orators, leading to potential manipulation of public opinion. In the years 431 to 404 BCE Athens was defeated in the Peloponnesian War. Democracy in Greece weakened and at the end of the century. It was replaced by a series of oligarchies and dictatorships. In the 4th century BCE, Athens was conquered by Macedonia.
Despite its decline, the development of democracy in Greece had a profound impact on the development of Western political thought. The ideas of democracy were preserved by scholars and philosophers, and they were eventually revived in the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Today, democracy is the most common form of government in the world, and it owes much of its existence to the ancient Greeks.
These are some important characteristics of Athenian democracy:
Direct participation: Athenian citizens actively participated in political decision-making through public debates and voting in the Assembly. The Athenian democracy was a direct democracy. Citizens had the opportunity to participate directly in the decision-making process. This was in contrast to representative democracies, where citizens vote for representatives who make decisions on their behalf.
Random selection: Some positions of authority, such as juries, were filled through random selection rather than elections.
Limited citizenship: Only adult male citizens, who were born in Athens and had completed military training, were eligible to participate. Women, slaves, and foreigners were excluded.
Ostracism: The practice of ostracism allowed citizens to vote to banish an individual from the city for ten years if they were deemed a threat to the democracy.
Majority rule: Decisions were often made by a simple majority vote, although some critical decisions required larger majorities.
Sources
bard.google.com
chat.openai.com
you.com
Inspiration to create 