Dealing with opportunism

This blog is proving to be helpful. Thank you owistas-in-residence.

Opportunists will be always sitting on the fence, looking at both sides and ready to jump to the side of the winner just before the defining battle takes place. When they see the wind pushing our sail ahead, they will pretend that their are on our side. Sometimes they may even help us here or there, always keeping their boss informed of what they are doing, so that they get a green light or "permission" to do this or that for us (whilst feeding information to the boss in the meantime: what are we doing, what our strategy is, what do we think, what do we say, what is going to be our next move...)

At each juncture the enterprise, (in this case our Facilitators Enterprise) must analise the complex of forces that are at play, for and against the project of the enterprise: in this case, what are the members of the panel, what position they are likely to assume, are they for the OW project? are they "neutral"? are they against the project. Those that are with us: are they going to stand firm throughout? are they likely to give in when the boss puts pressure against the project? what are the interests that make them to sideline with us? Those that are aginst our project: For what reason? are they likely to change sides if explained this or that? what interests make them to be against our project? can we accommodate them, without compromising our principles?

Mind you. Opportunism may also be within our ranks, and Vigilance has to be excercised for the enterprise to be able to unearth it and identify it, and once identified, criticism must play its part and proper measures must be taken to make sure that decisions are enforced. For example, not washing the tea cups, not doing the Critical Analysis, not accomplishing tasks are manifestations of opportunism. The first one, the simplest of all, if not done, creates bad blood in some of us. At the beginning this is a small, very small crack in our Unity and Discipline. Even though small, it is big enough to turn some of us into internal enemies of the enterprise, and without realising it, if these problems continue to go unchecked we should not be surprised if we find some of us co-operating with the external enemies of the enterprise against the project of the enterprise.

The essence of the Critical Analysis, therefore, should be to look into those issues and to set the strategy accordingly. When we are talking only about a set of tasks to accomplish, like the past Festival for example, it is simpler. Now it is a different game altogether. We are getting into deep waters and those that are against the OW know for sure that they have to stop us now, before it is too late.

ONE LOVE! Ivan