Earlier Writings:
Creating Better Workplaces

I started writing articles in 1980. Writing was a way of reflecting on my work with colleagues, sharing our experience honestly and offering readers the best I knew at that time about helping people bring about change. I have published six books and over a hundred articles.

My first book New Approaches to Management Development, written with colleagues, published in 1981, later published in Chinese, is now only available second hand. It was followed by Making a Difference-Strategies and Tools for Transforming your Organisation and Global Forces-A Guide for Enlightened Leaders and many articles. The Strategic Leadership Model and Empowerment Model presented in these two books provide a basic process for working on one’s strategy, with clients or co-mentoring with colleagues.

Real time leadership development We created a different way of working with leaders that is not didactic – i.e. not classroom style. It is a form of action learning. The subject is their business, their work, their leadership and personal or inner development. We practised ways of facilitating change by involving people, bringing out their collective intelligence and creativity, working as teams on the issues and strategies of their organisation. An essential feature of the approach was the formation of support groups that met in between modules and often continued after the formal programme ended. We taught participants the skills of co-mentoring. See Real time leadership development and Business-led Management Development

I believe we need a fundamentally different way of bringing about change that involves all stakeholders. “Getting the whole system into the room” is a basic principle in bringing about change that is too often ignored. That usually results in poor decisions and an alienated workforce. I published Creating the futures we desire – getting the whole system into the room  . Other articles include Future Search, Open Space Technology and Real Time Strategic Change all of which can be found on the internet. Another valuable approach is architect Christopher Day’s Consensus Design. He says he often started out with ideas that were completely changed as he heard everyone’s views and consensus was reached. In all these approaches, it is crucial that everyone is listened to in turn without interruption. Wherever possible, people should sit in a circle. As I said elsewhere, in bringing about change, there are always progressive and restraining forces and the latter need to be respected.

Some of these approaches and their underlying principles are highly relevant to improving the way politicians work together in Parliament and how citizens can work in Citizens Assemblies. Many people are disgusted by the behaviour of some politicians, particularly at Prime Ministers Question Time. Parliamentary committees are far more effective. Essentially PMQs is an abusive sparring match, using violent talk that sets an appalling example. It demeans the Prime Minister’s leadership role and has nothing to do with the statesmanship that is so much needed.

Many of my articles can also be purchased from Emerald Insight: https://www.emeraldinsight.com/action/doSearch?AllField=Bruce+Nixon&content=articles

Central to my writings are some key ideas and beliefs. Learn more about my Mission by clicking on Who I Am and What I Do. Please also visit our Resources section for people whose work is exceptionally relevant in our time and other useful connections.

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