I draw cartoons about Taylorism almost on a weekly basis. I think it's comedy gold. These days Taylorism (also known as scientific management) is a semi-derogatory term for work practices that break down work processes into separate tasks with the aim of increasing efficiency. You encounter in almost all organisations in some shape or [...]
The challenges of circular economy is a topic many people want to avoid. I mean who wants to be the sustainability party pooper? No-one. On the contrary: you want to be positive and hopeful: we need solutions to the climate and sustainability crisis! And circular economy is a solution! However, we cannot hide our [...]
Some time ago I did a cartoon summary of a talk about values by a lady called Jackie Le Fèvre (for an online conference on palliative care). It was an unusual presentation because it stressed how much our values guide our actions and our interpretation of the world (somehow corporate presentations about values tend to be [...]
Systems thinking has become a hot topic in organisational thinking. This animation was made for the consultancy firm Impower and it's about using systems thinking in public services. The example we use in the animation is children's services. A key idea in the animation is that a service or an organisation exists as part [...]
Buy this cartoon Cartoon from a presentation about the Better value sooner safer happier approach to business agility (BVSSH) by Jon Smart. Have you ever tried to introduce agile or new collaborative ways of working in your organisation? Chances are you bumped into Frederick Winslow Taylor. Or more like the ghost of Frederick Winslow [...]
Complexity and policy making - can you even say those words in the same sentence? Most governments work as if the world is more linear than it actually is. There are still policy makers who think that complex problems can be approached with extensive planning and an efficiency mindset. The illusion of control still [...]
"Finland ranked the happiest country in the world - again" reports the BBC and other media around the world. But what lies behind this statement? Are Finns really happy? And if so, why are they happy? I drew a cartoon summary of an event titled Finntopia - British perspectives on the world's happiest country [...]
Public services have to be efficient, right? Well, yes. But there is a major caveat... What if I told you that our quest for efficiency has actually made public services more ineffective? And in some cases less humane? This animation was commissioned by a group of academics and public sector administrators who [...]
Is your event, meeting or workshop going virtual? Thanks to Coronavirus, chances are that it is. Making your online event more memorable with cartoon sketchnotes Digital events have a reputation of being bland non-events that people only listen to with half an ear while doing something else. One way to make online events a [...]
Organisations must change. But why? This infographic explains how our unpredictable and increasingly complex world forces companies to rethink how they operate. It also gives key ways on how they can change to better adapt to our volatile world (VUCA for those who are into management speak). This infographic was the inspiration for the [...]