Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
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usyness and glamour of the ambiti<strong>on</strong>s (Raad, 2008) or in seeing things differently<br />
(Firth and Leigh, 1998). Some colleagues acknowledged that I am some sort of an<br />
organizati<strong>on</strong>al jester. The core-business of an organizati<strong>on</strong>al jester is traditi<strong>on</strong>ally<br />
described as “the ability to access truth lying hidden and undiscovered in the blind<br />
spots ... (and to) ... uncover acti<strong>on</strong>s that can be taken to address real-world situati<strong>on</strong>s.”<br />
(Riveness, 2006: 412).<br />
This present-day descripti<strong>on</strong> corresp<strong>on</strong>ds with the positi<strong>on</strong> which is attributed to a<br />
jester throughout history. The word jester originates from merry fellow and teller of<br />
tales. In Europe ‘jester’ is used from about the 14th century (Online Etomology Dicti<strong>on</strong>ary,<br />
2012). Historically jesters were to be found <strong>on</strong> the courts of kings and emperors.<br />
From China, India to Europe they were some sort of a provisi<strong>on</strong> for the king or emperor<br />
to protect him (or her) from pride and c<strong>on</strong>ceit. For the less powerful the jester was<br />
an entrance to the king or emperor as the jester himself often symbolized the less<br />
fortunate through his appearance. A jester was allowed to say what other people <strong>on</strong>ly<br />
could think and he was allowed to mock authority (Otto, 2001). In a highly strategic<br />
envir<strong>on</strong>ment as a court, where lip reading became an art (Elias, 1969), the jester reduced<br />
tensi<strong>on</strong>s and opened doors. Apparently in early 20th century sociology the modern<br />
jester was indicated as the stranger who due to his bird’s-eye view was less<br />
burdened with bias (Simmel, 1908). Or otherwise he was seen as a member of the so<br />
called ‘freischwebende Intelligenz’, highly educated citizens who were loosely c<strong>on</strong>nected<br />
with their community, had no str<strong>on</strong>g c<strong>on</strong>victi<strong>on</strong>s, saw no harm in synthesizing<br />
different opini<strong>on</strong>s and got their inspirati<strong>on</strong> from the ‘Bildungs’- ideal of the 19th century<br />
(Mannheim, 1978; Schüller, 2006).<br />
“I see, I see what thou not sees”<br />
Although there are signs that a corporate jester is badly needed nowadays in modern<br />
organizati<strong>on</strong>s (Heuvel, 2012; Raad, 2008; Veth, 1998), it appears that the corporate<br />
jester as such has disappeared from the organizati<strong>on</strong>al landscape. In an historical<br />
overview of the development of the professi<strong>on</strong> of c<strong>on</strong>sultant <strong>on</strong>e can read that the<br />
c<strong>on</strong>sultants became hired in by large corporati<strong>on</strong>s because it was assumed that they<br />
could see things nobody else could see any more within the organizati<strong>on</strong>s (Hellema<br />
and Marsman, 1997). Apparently c<strong>on</strong>sultants were hired in to uncover blind spots. So it<br />
is interesting to explore if c<strong>on</strong>sultants have become the corporate jesters. A brief<br />
overview of the development of this professi<strong>on</strong> and a first critical assessment of<br />
theories of change which serve as the discursive or rhetorical dimensi<strong>on</strong> of advisory<br />
work, will enable me to have a start for the answer to the questi<strong>on</strong> whether organizati<strong>on</strong>-advisors<br />
are the present day corporate jesters or whether nowadays the advent<br />
of a new kind of adviser would be sensible. Answering this questi<strong>on</strong> will also help to<br />
clarify my positi<strong>on</strong> as an adviser.<br />
Maybe from around 1900 in modern organizati<strong>on</strong>s the seat of jesters is for a greater<br />
part occupied by advisers or c<strong>on</strong>sultants, as apparently they started to work from the<br />
perspective “I see, I see what thou not sees.” (Hellema and Marsman, 1997: 15). Organi-<br />
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