by O. D. Gnash
This poem was inspired by the talks and discussion at the recent ODHE Group get together in Windermere. We were thinking about different approaches to organisational design, one of them being to ‘move the boxes’ around on organisational charts. Is this enough to effect systemic change? What are the unintended consequences? It’s also about labelling in the workplace – do we do this even when we say we are being neutral and non-judgemental? What’s in the box?
Lift the lid off the little boxes, little boxes and they’re all made of…
Emotions, commotions, ready for promotions, fearful of demotions
hopeful and hopeless, dreamers and schemers
jobsworths, worth their weight in gold, waiting-for-the-gold-watchers
do-gooders, get the job done-ers, doers of the right thing, do things righters
fighters and blighters
absentees and presentees, people at ease, people pleasers
creators, conductors, obstructers, the unreconstructed.
Deal makers, piss takers, heartbreakers, movers and shakers
leaders, needers, bleeders
old hands, young turks, lurkers, smirkers and shirkers
lifers, high fliers, duckers and divers
goody two-shoes, clever clogs, smarty-pants, down-at-heelers
team players, dragon slayers, nay sayers
empaths and sociopaths (maybe one or two psychopaths).
Nine to fivers, strivers and skivers, dead wood and dead good, up and comers
bummers, slackers and just plain knackered
people who know, in the know, know how, know who, know a (wo)man who can
know where they’re going, going nowhere
onwards and upwards, backwards and forwards, side by side
shoulder to shoulder.
Back to the drawing board.