career advice from an existentialist

 

If you're considering how to develop your career, this model may help (then again, it may not).

It's known as the "four-roomed apartment of change" and was originally developed by the Swedish psychologist Claes Janssen, who based his work on Sartrean existentialism. It's used by management consultants to consider how organisations should manage change. This particular image is from a paper about career development, by Patricia Hind of Ashridge Business School.

In brief: the room of Contentment is you feel relaxed and free from threat. But if you get too cosy they may end up in the sun lounge, totally detached from reality (which sounds quite nice to me). If they do start to notice change happening around them they will probably slip into the room of Denial, at least for a period (if you spend too long there you'll drop into the Dungeon of Denial, where you'll meet Donald Rumsfeld). If you can get out of Denial you'll end up in Confusion, where you'll be forced to face up to your existential uncertainty. Here you will spin out the revolving door of reality and back a few times as you experiment with different identities. If you're unlucky, you fall into the Pit of Paralysis, which must be difficult to get out from. But with a bit of luck you enter Renewal, and find a new future. But beware: it has a sloping floor, so you may stagger back into Contentment if you're not careful.

Maybe this will help the Tories in their battle to transform the public sector. I can see it being Steve Hilton's cup of tea.

Could make for an interesting club night at the very least.

(via Careers In Theory and Omnivore)

Comments

[ashcash]

the above is too complex for me Iain.

Going back to the point about fairness - it is about not gaining at the expense of another. As another commentator has mentioned, these concepts like common sense are airy fairy unless they are pinned down.

Think our journey at present is about pinning down what it means "not to gain at the expense of another".

In November '09, the US stated that it will not try and limit the development (growth needs and aspirations) of China. Is this what is meant when we say that one should not gain at the expense of another. One thing is for sure though. Time for loners is up (say Bush) and we are in the world of buddy-dom and hence co-alitions are in. In other words, dependency, atleast on one other, is in. Try and gain at the expense of the person you are dependant on and then you will know what it means to not be fair. You will not succeed.

Perhaps ... new boundaries have come into being. Based on this model it seems that the actions of Mr Blair will seem to be even more unfair (say in 2012) a time of the Olympics when the world gathers in London. But then I imagine Mr Blair would have moved on to his next and ultimate project - create a backdrop against which the world can express its mystical longing. Now here is a man who can teach a thing or two about career planning, or not?

[ashcash]

oops...Ian. mixing Iain with Ian.