Comments on: How Australia stifles innovation by its desire for consensus https://www.openforum.com.au/australia-stifles-innovation-desire-for-consensus Open Forum offers an independent platform for Australian debate Tue, 19 Dec 2023 21:24:05 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.25 By: Graham Thorburn https://www.openforum.com.au/australia-stifles-innovation-desire-for-consensus/#comment-3976 Wed, 09 Dec 2015 05:11:00 +0000 http://staging.openforum.com.au/blog/how-australia-stifles-innovation-by-its-desire-for-consensus/#comment-3976 Next blog is up – one more to come

And thanks for your comments. I had (perhaps foolishly) hoped to spark a conversation, if not a debate. As you pointed out, the lack of response perhaps proves my point. However, I am glad to see that there are some posts and some discussion that goes beyond the purely bureaucratic towards psychology and power relationships – otherwise the whole innovation thrust becomes another exercise setting up a bunch of rules and processes, so that people can validly claim that, having followed all the rules, no-one can be held responsible for lack of outcomes. As the script to Dangerous Liaisons put it – 'It is beyond my control.' Just before the tumbrels gathered up all the nobility.

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By: Max Thomas https://www.openforum.com.au/australia-stifles-innovation-desire-for-consensus/#comment-3974 Fri, 04 Dec 2015 00:53:00 +0000 http://staging.openforum.com.au/blog/how-australia-stifles-innovation-by-its-desire-for-consensus/#comment-3974 Disagreeing to disagree

Thank you Graham. I rise to 'debait' because it's a rare thing to so completely agree. There'll be plenty of reads but I expect few comments on your blog, perhaps for reasons you have so eloquently exposed. We do elevate our sports heroes to individual glory but then we expect them to deflect this to the team or at least somebody else. Woe-betide anyone who attempts to rise above this pretence at mediocrity. After more than 4 decades at the coalface, it became clear to to me that excellence must wear a disguise so as not to outshine the (insecure) exalted ones. I think the brilliant achievements of extraordinary Australians are due greater credit for having done so much against the drag of the cringe. As you say, innovation and creativity are certainly close relatives but to flourish, both require fertile ground. To successfully prepare that ground and plant the right seed, certain prerequisites have to be present. Compared to more self-reliant cousins, the Australian habit of bemoaning government, yet demanding ever more of it, surely reveals a child too much blessed. I'm looking forward to your next blog.

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