Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
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publish these findings in this way, but we never discussed it. In between we agreed<br />
that the report and c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s could be informally discussed in already arranged<br />
meetings with managers and the board. We did not want to be secretive about the<br />
results, although we made the restricti<strong>on</strong> that these c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s were preliminary.<br />
Before the meeting I stipulated by e-mail that we agreed to speak about core values,<br />
and that there are differences in making sense of the core values between employees<br />
individually and the managers. I thought this of importance to prevent a possible<br />
interpretati<strong>on</strong> that a high familiarity with the values meant that everybody felt the<br />
same way. We discussed the same topic in the meeting of the coordinati<strong>on</strong> team. I<br />
supposed that Cees Corte wanted to report positive results of their efforts. For me it<br />
was important to show that although nominally 77 % agreed up<strong>on</strong> knowing the<br />
values, there still was a loose identificati<strong>on</strong> of the professi<strong>on</strong>al with the organizati<strong>on</strong><br />
as such. I did not want to advance illusi<strong>on</strong>s about artificial general avowal. During the<br />
meeting we agreed up<strong>on</strong> a formula in which differences are acknowledged within a<br />
surprisingly high familiarity with the core values. With malicious fun all of us had<br />
examples of how we acknowledge the values, but practice something else. For instance<br />
a core value is openness, but in practice many procedures start from distrust regarding<br />
the h<strong>on</strong>esty and dedicati<strong>on</strong> of members of staff.<br />
After the meeting Cees Corte and I edited the text by replacing evocative and too<br />
technical terms. For instance a statement as ‘a general manifest attitude’ was replaced<br />
through ‘an often pointed out attitude’ to reduce the implicated bias of the first. We<br />
knew that ill-chosen terms would bring about un-prolific reacti<strong>on</strong>s. The edited versi<strong>on</strong><br />
was sent to the board. Before the presentati<strong>on</strong> in the board I discussed the main<br />
issues with the President of the Board, to inform him as the member of the board<br />
resp<strong>on</strong>sible for this programme.<br />
My purpose was to sustain c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong>s about the identity of the UAS in any form<br />
and not to foreclose discussi<strong>on</strong>s. I thought it important that people keep <strong>on</strong> talking <strong>on</strong><br />
who we are or should be. Beforehand Cees Corte and I had the idea to introduce the<br />
idea of open c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong>s; the up till then used term cascade-c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong>s appeared<br />
to be ill chosen because of its suggesti<strong>on</strong> of top down interventi<strong>on</strong>s. For me<br />
open c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong>s were a way of introducing elements of unpredictability in the<br />
organizati<strong>on</strong>. Anything should be talked over with maybe surprising effects.<br />
From the presentati<strong>on</strong> to the final c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s and recommendati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
The meeting with the board was in two ways important to us as the coordinati<strong>on</strong><br />
team. First the board should (re)identify with the programme and validate our c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
and recommendati<strong>on</strong>s, formally to be supported by a decisi<strong>on</strong> which would be<br />
made public in the organizati<strong>on</strong>. Sec<strong>on</strong>d the c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s and recommendati<strong>on</strong>s should<br />
be integrated into other policy, for instance in the human resources-policy. For the<br />
coordinati<strong>on</strong> team working towards and starting from this meeting was decisive for<br />
further acti<strong>on</strong>s. This way of working matched our regular way of working: our executive<br />
board is the alpha and omega of formal policy.<br />
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