How to Create a Centre of Ignorance
Take any expertise.
Announce it is a Centre of Excellence.
Withdraw it from its business context.
Manage it independently.
Hire externally based on qualifications in the expertise.
Create geographic, cultural and mindset distance between the expertise and business activity.
Set targets for the expertise unrelated to business goals.
Force expertise practitioners to engage with the business practitioners through intermediaries.
Restrict feedback on the performance of the expertise.
Restrict information flow about the performance of the business to the expertise practitioners.
Constrain the availability of the expertise to meet declining cost budgets.
Focus expertise resources on standardising the expertise into fixed methodology.
Treat anyone from outside the expertise as a barbarian.
Periodically upgrade the methodology to reflect new trends in the expertise.
Apply for awards from specialist associations of practitioners of the expertise.
Commence a communication program to the business on the value of the expertise.
You have created a Centre of Ignorance.
All you need to do now is buy an Ivory Tower.
Hi Simon
Profound lessons here & a really well described ‘ignorance recipe’.
Quick question. When you use the words “the expertise” in each of the ignorance ‘ingredients &/or steps’, are you actually alluding to it being called “a center of expertise”?
Cheers
Alan
I used the expertise as a general term for any discipline or practice. Bad habits are universal. The piece reflects on common failings of centres of excellence and centres of expertise.
Thank you
Thanks Simon