Culture Change: Stars vs Structure

 

Instead of focusing on the CBC's core business as a public broadcaster, the organization's senior management is currently spending considerable time and energy dealing with the scandal-plagued departure of Jian Ghomeshi from the hit radio show Q with Jian Ghomeshi.

 

An organization focused on building up star power rather than strengthening internal organization.  They're paying for it, aren't they?

 

Speaking of organizations with internal problems:

 

Unlike most workplaces, when harassment or assault does occur on Parliament Hill, aggrieved parties do not have the same access to due process as they would anywhere else.  

 

The Hill workplace is not subject to provincial labour laws, which offer protection in every other place of employment in Ontario.

 

Politics is all about star players - players like Mike Duffy and Patrick Brazeau.  They raise big bucks, tear strips off of opponents and win target audiences.  When you're focused on wins, that's all that matters, isn't it?

 

Maybe - but maybe not.

 

Herle's conclusions: "If we can't make people believe that the political system acts in their interests rather than in private interests, we're going to be in even more trouble." 

 

People don't trust politics.  Even politicians don't trust politics.  But trust isn't part of the equation - that's too much like sociology.  Confidence is the name of the game.  Confidence in individual alphas to be effective headmen, alpha males.

 

It doesn't work; it's not sustainable.  The more power gets consolidated in one office and one person, the worse the culture gets, the more tribal the entire institution becomes.

 

There must be some kind of way out of here.

 

We're just waiting for someone to enlighten us. 

 

It's time we stopped waiting.  If change is going to happen, and it must, it will not be imposed from the outside; it must be nurtured from within.