Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
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you act and its implicati<strong>on</strong>s. I experience that Paul Broersen is receptive for my ideas,<br />
but that his c<strong>on</strong>cern is more about risk management.<br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong> 1<br />
A first meeting with the think-tank is planned. I emphasized that for me a think-tank<br />
works in an open setting. To prepare for the first meeting I suggested a reflecti<strong>on</strong><br />
up<strong>on</strong> what the members themselves would not discuss with the board and what<br />
subordinates supposedly would not discuss with them. I have invited Daniëlle Faassen,<br />
a dean of a faculty, rather recently appointed, coming from another organizati<strong>on</strong> and<br />
thus with a fresh mind regarding our organizati<strong>on</strong>. Olivia Maas I invited because she is<br />
our ombudsman and often c<strong>on</strong>fr<strong>on</strong>ted with troubles in our organizati<strong>on</strong>. Furthermore<br />
I have invited two directors for educati<strong>on</strong>al development and policy of two different<br />
faculties, known by me as critical regarding our instituti<strong>on</strong>al policy. Their names are<br />
Dan Ebbers and Dolf Peters. Apart from his critical mind I invited Detlef Aarts, dean of<br />
a faculty, to include artistic possibilities of dissenting voices. Moreover, I invited Fi<strong>on</strong>a<br />
Cornips, director Finance and C<strong>on</strong>trol, already known by the reader as a critical compani<strong>on</strong><br />
in my work regarding the performance agreements (chapter 5).<br />
In the first meeting my colleagues express different reas<strong>on</strong>s why they like to participate.<br />
Curiosity how hierarchy works (DF), c<strong>on</strong>cern about integrity (OM), needed<br />
quality of professi<strong>on</strong>als (DE), experienced perversi<strong>on</strong> of some policy (DP), c<strong>on</strong>sequences<br />
of unexpressed dissenting voices but practised obstructi<strong>on</strong> (FC) and exploring the<br />
reality of factual and needed dissenting voices (DA) are their main c<strong>on</strong>cerns. Quite<br />
some topics are reviewed: the (classical) disc<strong>on</strong>necti<strong>on</strong> of shop floor and management,<br />
the present cynicism, indifference or unfamiliarity with the formal policy, the feel good<br />
way the UAS is presented in our internal and external communicati<strong>on</strong>, but also the<br />
hypersensitivity for negative feedback and the fear to give feedback. The fear of losing<br />
<strong>on</strong>e’s face might be str<strong>on</strong>g from the top downwards and vice versa and might be <strong>on</strong>e<br />
of the reas<strong>on</strong>s for the distaste for the pedometers of quality c<strong>on</strong>trol. Also an experienced<br />
c<strong>on</strong>tradicti<strong>on</strong> between a needed pedagogical tolerance in educati<strong>on</strong> and the<br />
strictness of performance oriented policy, and the in praxis unmanageable self-organizing<br />
character of reality are not openly discussed. In discussing the self-experiences<br />
about the lack of dissenting voices topics as courtesy, fear, carefulness, power relatedness,<br />
cultural traditi<strong>on</strong>s, c<strong>on</strong>text and tactical avoidance of subjects are reviewed. It is<br />
also obvious that as a manager you have to deal with many different stakeholders, but<br />
as Detlef pointed out, in reflecting <strong>on</strong> his self-experience he w<strong>on</strong>dered why for instance<br />
he did not discuss with the President of the Board that our last cerem<strong>on</strong>y for the<br />
start of the year was a bad experience for him. And why he did not discuss his critical<br />
opini<strong>on</strong> about some c<strong>on</strong>tributi<strong>on</strong>s with the c<strong>on</strong>tributors. Experiences we all share!<br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong> 2<br />
Detlef tells that he has found a moment to discuss his criticisms <strong>on</strong> our opening cerem<strong>on</strong>y<br />
with a member of his staff who was co-resp<strong>on</strong>sible for the cerem<strong>on</strong>y. An important<br />
observati<strong>on</strong> is that to criticize you need a situati<strong>on</strong> à deux to ensure a sense of<br />
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