Thread by @swardley

X : You said you stopped researching on organisational structure ...
Me : ... I stopped experimenting (i.e. running organisations) in 2007. PST is where I got to. If you want to go beyond pioneer - settler - town planner then you'll need to find some experimenting in that space.

X : But you research on leadership?
Me : No, I more observe using population studies how organisations behaviour is changing. Hence - leadingedgeforum.turtl.co/story/on-indus…

X : So, surveying CEOs?
Me : No. Simpson's paradox. Take something like cloud, if you summarise the majority view they will tell you the wrong future i.e. the future is hybrid including on premise versus serverless in 2015 ...

... even by 2020, the aggregate CxO view is plainly wrong. So, no I don't "do" CxO studies, I look for population differences.

X : Do you have a big team to do this?
Me : Yes. Me.
X : Seriously?
Me : I'm an extremely reluctant leader, so I don't run teams. Instead I bring together groups of volunteers ... for the last research report that was 70 volunteers in 11 teams for a year.

X : Mapping?
Me : We use it, yes.
X : You seem to be leading groups of volunteers and a huge mapping community?
Me : I'm a very reluctant leader but that doesn't mean life is going to pay attention to this. I have a tendency to create groups, something I picked up from WoW.

X : WoW?
Me : World of Warcraft. Best management and leadership training tool that I know. You learn to "lead" by not "leading" in the traditional sense. A lot of creating consensus, momentum, motivation and interest.

X : So, you really are running global organisations (i.e. the mapping community, the research groups) even if you don't admit that they are organisations or that you're leading it.
Me : Hmmm.
X : I win?
Me : I suppose so.

X : So, what's next after PST then? You're obviously experimenting.
Me : There's a lot of stuff I like in DAOs (ignore the bitcoin / crypto stuff). Though my exposure to this suggests people are still not getting basic principles in place and focusing too much on process.

X : Is that your next research project?
Me : No. I'm intending to use maps across multiple industries to help identify where to invest safely. Too much is based upon "majority" view versus understanding population differences which nearly always leads to the wrong outcome.

X : How willl that go?
Me : I don't know, I haven't done it yet.
X : But, how will CxOs react to this?
Me : Depends. Same as all the other reports from Serverless to China.
X : What does that mean?

Me : If I'm talking to a CxO who is all about narrative and existing power structures and status symbols (i.e. how many people you employ, size of the top floor office) then if it doesn't agree with their narrative it'll hit a brick wall.
X : And?
Me : Oh, I honestly don't care.

X : Not very focused on the user need which you preach?
Me : Quite the opposite. It's very focused on the user need but that's not necessarily what the user wants. There's nothing I can do about wants. You might want the future to be something, doesn't make it so.

X : But what problem are you trying to solve?
Me : CxOs asking me how do they get an ROI on their $400M investment in big data when in reality they shouldn't have invested in the first place.
X : Does that happen?
Me : All the time.

I suppose, what I'm trying to do with this research project is to some small measure prevent more of this happening -

https://twitter.com/swardley/status/933069547271327744

... I live in an industry which has huge failure rates for things which are entirely preventable.

X : But if those CxOs don't listen?
Me : Nothing I can do about that. Hence, it's not worth worrying or caring over. As I said "small measure", you try and help a few and let it spread slowly ... see mapping in general.

X : Why don't you lead teams?
Me : Well, as pointed out I do build communities and lead teams of volunteers ... my natural aversion to leadership is it's mentally and physically draining, so it's not something I seek as much as something that sneaks up on me ...

... I don't understand why anyone would willingly seek positions of leadership. I spent 5 years as a CxO and I reckon I aged 20 years in that. The body recovers but gosh ... I don't get it. Find happiness instead, if leadership is going to seek you out then deal with it then.