Material for thought

I was in Lisbon few months ago to attend the European Conference on Complex Systems. A demo of the study on verticality was displayed at the event, which gave me the opportunity to present my philosophical observations to a scientific crowd. It was extremely valuable to attend the various talks and to learn about the latest studies being made in the field of complex systems theory:

Here are few thoughts and tips on innovation that Luc de Brabandère gave at the occasion of his Innovation, what is it for? seminar (Philosophie et Management).

• Contrary to the widespread belief, brainstorms are more about giving sense to old ideas than discovering new ones.
• Every model is based on assumptions. Paradigms and stereotypes are more abstract models that don’t necessary come with explicit assumptions, which narrows down creativity.
• Creativity is about changing perception. Innovation is about changing things.
• Techniques for workshops:
  • Choose a random organisation having nothing to do with your industry. What is the probability it takes over your business in 10 years? Explain SWOT.

The socio-economist Yann Moulier Boutang and the business strategist Antoine Rebiscoul gave a speech at La ligue des Optimistes (see video in French) and at the Philosophie et Management seminar about possible evolutions of capitalism as we know it today. Here are two interesting points they made among many others.

• An economy of contribution is an economy where actors contribute without having necessary a measurable counterpart (e.g. money, product). This model is radically different from an economy of exchange and must be taken into account when the externalities underlying an industry become central to its process. In this context, the function of companies is to capture positive externalities.

Mozart: a talent detected in his early childhood

I attended few weeks ago a seminar organised by the Philosophy and Management association in Brussels. It was all about talent, and how the way artists work and manage their career can be a source of inspiration for talent management within business organisations. Pierre-Michel Menger, French philosopher and research director for the CNRS, presented some of his researches in the sociology of work and art. The expertise of Pierre-Michel Menger in both fields led him to very interesting observations.

He first discerned two types of work:

Check out the video of the Philosophy and Management Pecha Kucha presentation given by Laurent Ledoux at Recyclart in September 2009.

I collaborated with him to prepare the photographs and Polaroids, you can find the details here.

I hope it conveys the message and the exciting mission of the Philosophy and Management association.