I’m Thinking …

Dave’s right, it’s simply about control. Like making all employees spend 8 hours at their desk, even if they’re being productive. Unfortunately it’s not just corporations, it’s also many small and medium-sized businesses.

I think the control exerted by many employers is counterproductive. It’s indicative of a mean-spirited fearfulness and limited imagination. Makework and busywork are not worthwhile pursuits for any employee, and they tend to cultivate resentment. A decent base salary, generous profit sharing and benefits are much likely to attract and keep good people.

Jon, you have my sympathy. I will try to be a better commentor. Lousy blog feedback can very discouraging.

Harold … yes. I’m always fascinated with the continuing industrial-age mindset of a linear set of tasks unfolding one after another, one 8 hour day after another, at a time when it gets clearer all the time that knowledge, and thus useful value, comes from conversations, exchanges of perspective and flashes of insight followed by the scaffolding of meaning.

Harry … thanks a lot for your encouragement and support. It’s not at all the fault of readers and commenters - rather, it’s my relative lack of focus and discipline, coupled with my tendency to shoot from the lip, instead of getting serious about what I want to say and ensuring I articulate that well, and consistently.

Serendipitously, I came across an older article on catastrophe theory dealing with the problems of linearity in policy making — from a military standpoint.

I also found a number of others I can’t vouch for. It will take me a long time to weed out the sound from eccentric. But if you’re interested, the collected links can be found on this page.