Something about Resilience
Artisans as Substations
Right now, people are landing at places that are very not Heathrow, from Shannon to Paris, because a substation caught fire, disabling one of the busiest airports in the world.
Perhaps, like me you looked at it and thought, 'had nobody thought of that?' No doubt lessons will be learned, compensation paid, and the uninsurable externalities swept under the office carpet.
The thought that dominated, though, is that every organization has its sub-stations. The people who can get things done, know the system, have the connection, trust, imagination, and the determination to improvise when things go wrong.
They are rarely at the top of the organization, or even very visible. In fact, they're mostly invisible until they're needed. Their skills are assumed, and the attitudes and dispositions that make the difference between a worker and an artisan feature on no spreadsheet.
They are the New Artisans, and the people we need as obsolescent and fragile organisational infrastructures wait for their Heathrow moment.
And I truly hope that Heathrow does not feature in your plans this Friday.