The Organisational Management Party.
On the mezzanine.
Lea, she says, shaking my hand.
I know who you are. I saw you at the meeting,
Oh – the meeting. You wouldn’t eat anything of the buffet – that’s what I remember. And it was a luxury buffet. The best the university could offer. And you were just sitting there with folded arms –
I wasn’t going to dignify the occasion –
– like a spoilt child.
As if the forced marriage of Organisational Management and philosophy wasn’t sufficient a humiliation; we had celebrate the marriage; we had to pretend the marriage is a good thing.
When life gives you lemons, etc.
Is that your philosophy?
This wasn’t an Organisational Management idea. It’s not like we had any choice in it.
So whose was it?
Lea, shrugging. University Exec. The high-ups. It’s just a show of power thing. Like parking a tank on your front law.
They’re doing because of its madness – that’s what I think. Because of its nihilism.
They’re doing it because they can: that’s all you need to know. It’s old style notion of management. Leadership’s the thing now. Management has all the wrong associations.
Like what?
Like being in charge. Top down hierarchy. Very old fashioned. It’s all supposed to be about distributed networks, nowadays … Actually, the latest thing in Organisational Management is non Organisational Management. It’s about allowing a little disorganisation and non-management. Which I’m sure Philosophy can help us with … Actually my husband – who’s the Head of O.M. as you probably know –
– I know.
Thinks Philosophy can bring with it a different kind of thinking – something more holistic and relational. That’s more about the Whole, capital W. It’s a Tao thing. Philosophy could be the yin to O.M.’s yang …
Oh God.
I think it might become a personal mission of his. He thinks there might be some interesting conversation to be had. Something to get the interdisciplinary dice rolling … Joint plans for funding bids. Discovering synergies –
Use the word, synergy again, and I’ll kill myself.
– Whereas I would welcome some anarchy. Some madness, even. Because I’m tired of being the only mad person in the O.M. attic.
Is that what you are?
I’m actually very philosophical, for an organisational manager. But I don’t expect you to believe that.
Work in Progress 