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Meaning, Quality, and Joy: A Conversation

April 25, 2025
Article, Conversations, Joy, Marshall Model, Meaning, Purpose, Quality
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Meaning, Quality, and Joy: A Conversation

With Viktor Frankl and Ed Deming

An imagined conversation, moderated by Stephen Fry

Setting: A cozy London club room with leather armchairs, circa 1985. The rain patters softly against tall windows as three men share whisky and ideas.

Stephen Fry: settling into his chair with obvious delight Gentlemen, what an absolute privilege to host this little tête-à-tête. Dr. Deming, your work revolutionising management has traveled far beyond factory floors. And Dr. Frankl, your insights from the darkest human experiences have illuminated countless lives. I’m curious—have you noticed the fascinating parallels in your thinking?

Deming: adjusts glasses Call me Ed, please. And yes, I’ve read Man’s Search for Meaning twice. Remarkable book. Viktor’s experiences make my battles with corporate America seem rather trivial by comparison.

Frankl: with a gentle smile Nothing trivial about transforming how humans work together, Ed. And please, such formality isn’t necessary between us. I’ve followed your impact in Japan with great interest. Different arenas, but we’re both concerned with what makes humans thrive, no?

Stephen: leaning forward enthusiastically That’s precisely it! One of you worked with people making cars and calculators, the other with people piecing back together shattered lives. Yet you’ve both concluded that meaning is… well, rather bloody important!

Deming: chuckling Put that way, it does sound obvious. But good lord, you should see how many companies still don’t get it. They think workers are just pairs of hands. Pay them, push them, measure them to death—then wonder why quality suffers.

Frankl: nodding The same reductionism appears in psychology. Many theories treat humans as merely responding to stimuli or seeking pleasure. But in the camps—

He pauses, takes a sip of whisky

Even there, I saw that meaning was more fundamental than comfort or even survival. Those who had a ‘why’ to live could bear almost any ‘how.’

Stephen: softly Viktor, if I may ask… how did you maintain your own ‘why’ in such circumstances?

Frankl: thoughtfully I had my manuscript—my life’s work—confiscated upon arrival at Auschwitz. So I began reconstructing it mentally. I would give lectures in my mind, imagining I was teaching these ideas someday. This gave purpose to my suffering. And I thought of my wife, not knowing if she was alive…

Deming: visibly moved And this is what I try to explain to executives who think bonuses and threats are the only motivators! Humans need purpose. When a worker can’t take pride in craftsmanship because the system rushes them or provides poor materials—it’s a kind of existential insult.

Stephen: gesturing with his glass It seems you both challenge the mechanistic view of humans. Viktor through therapy, Ed through, well, what would you call your approach?

Deming: with characteristic directness Systems thinking. Most problems in organizations aren’t people problems—they’re system problems. When good people work in bad systems, the systems win every time. And most systems are perfectly designed to rob people of joy in their work.

Frankl: leaning forward That phrase—”joy in work”—it’s quite profound. In therapeutic terms, joy emerges naturally when activity connects to meaning. You can’t command joy any more than you can command love.

Stephen: mischievously Unlike me, who can command attention simply by dropping a well-placed literary reference! all laugh But seriously, both your approaches seem to push against the tide of treating humans as mere cogs or stimulus-response machines.

Deming: emphatically Exactly! My Point 12: “Remove barriers that rob people of pride in workmanship.” When someone truly cares about what they’re making—whether it’s a car door or a customer experience—they’ll solve problems you never even knew existed.

Frankl: In the camps, I observed this too, albeit in grimmer form. Even there, some prisoners would share their bread with others who were weaker. Such actions transcended mere survival instinct. They reflected choice—the final human freedom to choose one’s attitude even when everything else is taken away.

Stephen: thoughtfully You both speak of freedom within constraints. Viktor found freedom of attitude even in a concentration camp. Ed, you speak of freedom within systems—

Deming: interrupting with enthusiasm Yes! But I also insist we can redesign those systems! That’s where Viktor’s personal approach meets my structural one. We can choose to avoid having workers heroically overcome bad management to find meaning. We can choose to build systems that nurture rather than crush the human spirit.

Frankl: nodding vigorously Absolutely correct. My emphasis on individual attitude never meant accepting oppressive systems. Quite the opposite! Understanding human needs for meaning can inform how we design all institutions—workplaces, schools, governments.

Stephen: refilling glasses A toast, then! To redesigning our world around what actually makes us human.

They raise their glasses

Stephen: Ed, tell us—what first showed you that joy in work matters so much?

Deming: reminiscing As a young man, I worked summers on my grandfather’s farm in Wyoming. Hard work, mind you, but satisfying. You planted, you tended, you harvested—you saw the whole cycle and its purpose. Then I entered modern industry and saw how specialisation and management approaches had fractured that natural satisfaction.

Stephen: And then Japan happened! You practically became a national hero there.

Deming: modestly They were ready to listen. After the war, they needed to rebuild everything. No time for ego or tradition—just what works. They understood that quality isn’t inspected in; it’s designed in—including designing how people work together.

Stephen: turning And Viktor, before the unimaginable happened, you were already developing your ideas about meaning?

Frankl: nodding In my practice in Vienna, I noticed what I called “Sunday neurosis”—a kind of emptiness people felt when work stopped and they faced themselves. Even before the war, hunger for meaning was the underlying condition of many of my patients. The camps then became a terrible confirmation of my theory—when everything is stripped away, meaning remains our essential need.

Deming: thoughtfully Sunday neurosis… I’ve seen something similar in retirement. People who defined themselves by work suddenly feel useless. Organisations that push people to retire at 65, as if creativity has an expiration date!

Stephen: animatedly Both of you seem to challenge this artificial separation between work life and “real” life! As if we should expect misery at work but find meaning elsewhere.

Frankl: passionately Exactly! Life does not compartmentalize so neatly. The question of meaning pervades all domains of existence.

Deming: And quality too! laughs Though I suspect Viktor wouldn’t phrase it quite that way.

Frankl: smiling Perhaps not, but we’re talking about the same human reality. Quality of product, quality of experience, quality of life—these are not separate concerns.

Stephen: eyes twinkling I find it delicious that a statistician and a psychiatrist find such common ground. One of you counting defects per thousand, the other plumbing the depths of the human soul—yet arriving at such similar conclusions!

Deming: chuckling Numbers and systems exist to serve humans, not the other way around. When organisations ignore this, they create misery and mediocrity in equal measure.

Frankl: In the end, both our approaches recognise that meaning isn’t a luxury—it’s as essential as air. Whether in therapy or factories, human dignity must be honored.

Stephen: raising his glass again To human dignity then—in work, in suffering, and in joy. And to two remarkable men who’ve helped us understand it better.

The conversation continues into the night, ranging from statistical process control to existential philosophy, punctuated by Stephen’s witty asides and literary references, three brilliant minds finding unexpected harmony in their diverse experiences.

Meaning and Purpose

September 27, 2024
Actionable Insights, Article, Community, Culture change, Meaning, Needs, Purpose, Quintessence
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Meaning and Purpose

In a world where burnout and disengagement are rampant, discovering meaning and purpose in our work has never been more crucial. But how can we transform our daily grind into a source of fulfilment and motivation? Let’s explore this vital question through the lenses of two pioneering thinkers and some practical, real-world applications.

The Wisdom of Viktor Frankl: Finding Light in the Darkest Places

Viktor Frankl (1905-1997), a renowned Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist, developed a revolutionary therapeutic approach known as logotherapy. But Frankl’s journey to this profound insight was forged in the crucible of unspeakable suffering.

As a Jewish psychiatrist in Vienna during World War II, Frankl was deported to Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz and Dachau. He endured three years of unimaginable hardship, losing his parents, brother, and pregnant wife to the Holocaust. It was through this harrowing experience that Frankl’s theories about the importance of meaning in human life were tested and solidified.

Logotherapy, often called the “Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy” (after Freud’s psychoanalysis and Adler’s individual psychology), is based on the premise that the primary motivational force in humans is the search for meaning. The term “logotherapy” is derived from the Greek word “logos,” which Frankl uses to denote “meaning.”

What sets logotherapy apart is its emphasis on the future rather than the past. Instead of dwelling on past traumas or subconscious drives, logotherapy focuses on the meanings to be fulfilled by the patient inow and n their future. This forward-looking approach makes it particularly relevant in our modern context, where many struggle to find purpose in an increasingly complex and sometimes alienating world.

Frankl’s experiences in the concentration camps led him to a startling observation: those who were able to hold onto a sense of meaning and purpose, even in the most dire circumstances, had a better chance of survival. He noticed that prisoners who had a reason to live – be it a loved one waiting for them, an unfinished work, or a deep-seated belief – were more resilient in the face of unimaginable hardship.

This school of therapy emphasises the importance of finding meaning in life, even – or especially – in the face of extreme suffering. Frankl argued that while we cannot avoid suffering, we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. This idea is encapsulated in one of his most famous quotes:

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Frankl’s approach suggests that meaning can be found in three primary ways:

  1. By creating a work or doing a deed (creative values)
  2. By experiencing something or encountering someone (experiential values)
  3. By the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering (attitudinal values)

These principles, born from the darkest chapter of human history, offer a powerful framework for finding purpose and meaning not just in therapy, but in all aspects of life – including our work.

In the context of our working lives, logotherapy invites us to look beyond mere job satisfaction or career success. It challenges us to find deeper meaning in our daily tasks, to see our work as a contribution to something greater than ourselves, and to maintain a sense of purpose even when faced with workplace challenges or disappointments.

As we delve deeper into the application of these ideas in the workplace, we’ll see how Frankl’s profound insights can transform our relationship with work, turning it from a source of stress or mere livelihood into a wellspring of meaning and personal fulfilment.

Daniel Pink’s Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

In his book “Drive”, American author Daniel Pink explores the elements that truly motivate individuals in the modern workplace. He argues that traditional carrot-and-stick approaches are often ineffective, particularly for complex, creative taskssuch as software development.

The Three Elements of True Motivation

Pink identifies three key components of intrinsic motivation:

  1. Autonomy: The desire to direct our own lives and work.
  2. Mastery: The urge to continually improve at something that matters.
  3. Purpose: The yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves.

Pink’s research suggests that when these three elements are present, individuals are more likely to be engaged and satisfied in their work, and thus happier and more productive. This insight challenges traditional management practices and calls for a reimagining of how we structure work and motivate employees.

The Synergy of Meaning and Purpose

While Frankl’s concept of meaning and Pink’s notion of purpose may seem distinct, they are, in fact, closely intertwined. Both emphasise the importance of connecting one’s work to a greater cause or ideal. Frankl’s logotherapy provides a philosophical foundation for understanding why meaning is crucial, while Pink’s research offers practical insights into how to foster that sense of meaning and purpose in the workplace.

Beyond the Company Mission: Expanding Our Horizons

While we might place some import on understanding our role in achieving company goals, true meaning often comes from seeing the bigger picture. Here’s some ways to broaden your perspective:

1. Connect Your Work to Societal Impact

  • Trace Your Impact: Map out how your work ripples through society. A software developer isn’t just writing code; they’re potentially improving healthcare systems or making education more accessible.
  • Share Success Stories: Collect and share anecdotes about how your work has positively affected real people’s lives.

2. Fuel Personal Growth

  • Skills Inventory: Regularly update a list of new skills you’ve gained. How have recent challenges expanded your capabilities?
  • Relationship Web: Map out the professional relationships you’ve built. How have these connections enriched your life and others’?

3. Align with Your Values

  • Values Check-In: Periodically assess how your work aligns with your core values. Where are the synergies? Where are the conflicts, and how can you address them?
  • Ethical Impact: Consider the ethical implications of your work. Are you contributing to a more just and sustainable world? Does that even matter to you?

4. Amplify Your Impact on Family and Community

  • Family Mission Statement: Create a family mission statement. How does your work contribute to your family’s goals and well-being?
  • Skill Donation: Use your work-related skills to support a local cause. A marketer could help a non-profit with their campaigns, for example.

5. Embrace Global Citizenship

  • Sustainability Audit: Assess your work’s environmental impact. Does that impact matter to you? Can you champion more sustainable practices in your role?
  • Cross-Cultural Bridges: Highlight opportunities to foster cross-cultural understanding through your work, even in small ways.

Practical Steps to Cultivate Meaning and Purpose

  1. Purpose Journaling: Spend 5 minutes at some point in each workday reflecting on moments of meaning and purpose.
  2. Impact Visualization: Create a visual representation of your work’s ripple effect on the world. Update it regularly.
  3. Value-Aligned Goal Setting: Set professional goals that align with your personal values and larger life purpose.
  4. Mentor or Be Mentored: Engage in mentorship to gain new perspectives and multiply your impact.
  5. Purpose-Driven Innovation: Propose projects or improvements that align more closely with your sense of purpose and the greater good.

The Ripple Effect: From Individual Purpose to Organisational Transformation

As more individuals connect with their sense of purpose at work, organisations transform. They become more than profit-generating entities; they evolve into forces for joy and positive change in the world. This shift not only benefits employees and companies but contributes to addressing global challenges and creating a more meaningful, purposeful society.

Remember, finding meaning and purpose is not a destination but a journey. It requires ongoing reflection, adjustment, and action. By integrating these ideas into our daily work lives, we can transform our relationship with work from a source of stress to a wellspring of fulfilment and positive impact.

What step will you take today to infuse more meaning and purpose into your work, and life?

Our Collective Journey to the Far Side of Work

August 5, 2023
Article, Fellowship, Philosophy, Purpose, Reflections, Zeitgeist
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Our Collective Journey to the Far Side of Work

Work: A Deep-rooted Narrative

For 50 long years, I’ve toiled in the labyrinth of the tech industry, weaving through the intricate webs of technology and innovation. I now find myself basking in the sunny uplands of self-selected pursuits that kindle my curiosity and ignite my passion. As I reflect on the transition, I am struck by a shared experience many of us endure – a sense of disillusionment and pointlessness associated with the relentless grind of work. It’s a sentiment that echoes through the words of Bertrand Russell in his enlightening essay, “In Praise of Idleness”.

The Unending Cycle

From childhood, we are fed the narrative that our life’s worth is proportional to our work’s volume. We tirelessly strive to be productive, to fulfill our roles in the professional world, often to the point where we become our job titles. For five decades, I lived this narrative, giving my all and striving fo complete assignment after pointless assignment.

In this quest for achievement within the tech industry, I’ve seen first hand how our ceaseless efforts often serve to enrich those already bathed in wealth and power. Our lives become synonymous with work. We work to live, and we live to work, perpetuating a cycle that leaves little room for us to foster our unique interests and pursuits.

Delusion: The Redemptive Quality of Work

Work, of course, is not entirely pointless. It can be a meaningful endeavor when it fuels our creativity and provides a sense of contribution. Or simply keeps a roof over our head. However, when our identities and lives revolve around our work, we so often suppress the diverse and fundamental aspects of our humanity.

Bertrand Russell’s Insightful Advocacy

Bertrand Russell, in his profound exploration of work and leisure, boldly criticized the notion of work for work’s sake. He advocated the importance of leisure and idleness, not as a sign of laziness, but as an opportunity for personal growth, creativity, and mental wellbeing. His philosophy suggests that if we could liberate ourselves from the chains of work, our societies would thrive and individuals would lead more fulfilling lives.

My Shared Experience

My own experiences echo Russell’s insights. Liberated from the constraints of the world of work, and especially when working for the Man, I’ve discovered an enriched sense of purpose. Far from the conventional definition of idleness, I relish the intellectual journeys I can now undertake, the creativity I can enjoy, and the meandering paths I can explore without the constant pressure of productivity.

An Invitation to a Collective Shift

In sharing this journey, I don’t propose a world entirely without work, but rather, a world where work doesn’t consume us. A world where we are more than just the wealth we generate for others. A world where our self-worth isn’t defined by our productivity, but by our intellectual, emotional, and creative growth, and how we relate to each other –  the bonds we forge.

By stepping into this reality, I advocate not for the rejection of work, but a redefinition of it. It’s an invitation for us to shift our perspective, to see work as just one small part of our multi-dimensional lives.

Beyond Work: A Call to Action

The far side of work doesn’t stand for inaction. It is a call to action, a call to pursue our interests, unleash our potentials, and redefine our measures of success. It encourages us to move away from making others rich at the expense of our personal growth and towards a more balanced existence where work, play, creativity, learning and society coexist harmoniously.

Conclusion: A Shared Journey Towards Epiphany

I’ve found that these sunny uplands, filled with activities that truly engage us, offer a far more enriching life than the one dominated by work. This understanding has led me to believe that the true purpose of life isn’t about laboring for others’ wealth, but about finding shared joyfulness, connections and growth. Something I regularly refer to as “fellowship”.

As I bask in the warmth of this revelation, I share this with you, hoping that we can collectively redefine work and its place in our lives, moving beyond its traditional confines and into a world where our lives are joyous and our spirits soar. Semper mirabilis.

Unleashing the Courageous and Intelligent: The Art of Filtering Out Non-Essential Tasks in the Workplace

February 20, 2023
Article, Culture change, Purpose
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Unleashing the Courageous and Intelligent: The Art of Filtering Out Non-Essential Tasks in the Workplace

You may know how to leverage internal networks and create teams to accomplish any task that is thrown at you, but do you have the smarts and the courage to filter out those tasks that make no sense, and make no contribution to the organisation’s purpose?

In any organisation, there is a constant influx of tasks that need to be accomplished. It is natural for individuals to take on these tasks, to prove their worth and show their ability to contribute.

However, we might choose to ask ourselves if these tasks are truly aligned with the organisation’s purpose.

It takes more than just the ability to leverage internal networks and create teams to be successful in a work environment. It takes courage and intelligence to filter out tasks that do not contribute to the organisation’s goals. It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day activities and lose sight of the bigger picture. That is why it is important to understand the organisation’s purpose and to align one’s work accordingly.

The ability to filter out non-essential tasks is a valuable skill that can save time and resources. It is important to assess the impact that each task has on the organisation and to prioritise accordingly. One should have the confidence to speak up and suggest alternative approaches if a particular task does not align with the organisation’s purpose.

This courage to speak up may not come naturally to everyone, but it is an essential trait to possess. It is important to have open and honest communication within a team, and to voice concerns when necessary. This helps to create a more transparent and accountable work environment.

Furthermore, being able to filter out non-essential tasks also requires intelligence. It is important to assess the impact that each task has on the organisation and to prioritise accordingly. One should also have the foresight to anticipate potential obstacles and proactively address them. This is where critical thinking and problem-solving skills come into play.

In conclusion, being able to leverage internal networks and create teams is important, but it takes more than just that to be successful in a work environment. It takes the courage and intelligence to filter out non-essential tasks and align one’s work with the organisation’s purpose. This helps to save time and resources, and ultimately contributes to the success of the organisation as a whole.

Life’s a Journey Worth Telling: The Inspiring Story of a Message in a Bottle

January 29, 2023
Article, Philosophy, Purpose, Reflections
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Life’s a Journey Worth Telling: The Inspiring Story of a Message in a Bottle

MessageInABottle

I’m a lost soul, adrift in the endless ocean of life. My life is a message in a bottle, cast into the waves years ago, with hope it might reach a distant shore one day. The journey has been long and arduous, but I remain steadfast in my determination to see it through.

I’m a being of mystery, a creature of legend, with a tale yet to be fully told. I’m a sorcerer and a warrior, cursed with a soul that is not my own. The journey of my life has been a search for meaning, a quest for redemption in a world that’s long lost its way.

I’ve sailed through storms and tempests, braved the depths of the ocean and the wind’s fierceness. I’ve seen wonders beyond imagining and horrors that have left me shaken to my core. And yet, I endure, for my life is a message in a bottle, a tale of hope and perseverance that must be shared with the world.

The journey’s been long, and I’ve suffered greatly along the way. The bottle’s been battered and scarred, the message within lost and lost again and again. I’ve known moments of triumph and defeat, of joy and sorrow, of love and loss. But I remain steadfast in my belief that one day, my message will reach the shore.

I’ve learned much during my time adrift, about the world and myself. I’ve seen the folly of men and the wisdom of the sea. I’ve learned that life’s not a straight path, but a journey full of twists and turns, of moments of joy and heartbreak. And I’ve come to understand that life is not about the destination, but the journey itself.

My life’s a message in a bottle, a tale of hope and perseverance, of love and loss, of triumph and defeat. And one day, it may wash up on a distant shore, where it will be read and remembered, told to generations to come.

But even if my message is never found, even if it’s lost forever in the ocean’s expanse, I won’t have lived in vain. For I’ve lived a life of purpose, a life that’s touched the hearts and minds of all who’ve encountered it. And in the end, that’s all that truly matters.

So I’ll continue on my journey, adrift in the ocean, searching for meaning and purpose in a world that often seems devoid of both. For my life’s a message in a bottle, a tale that must be told, a reminder that no matter how lost and alone we may feel, there’s always hope. And as long as we continue to search for hope, remain steadfast in our determination to find it, our lives will always be a message in a bottle, a beacon of light in a world that’s often dark and uncertain.

Culture Change: A Key Tool for Companies to Achieve More with Fewer People

January 25, 2023
Article, Culture change, Improvement, Organisational effectiveness, Organisational Therapy, Productivity, Purpose, Quintessence
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Culture Change: A Key Tool for Companies to Achieve More with Fewer People

Culture change can be a powerful tool for companies looking to do more with fewer people. By shifting their collective assumptions and beliefs, organisations can create a more efficient and productive workforce. However, it is important to approach this process in a way that does not whip employees into fear-driven catalepsy.

One of the key ways to accomplish this is by fostering a culture of trust and collaboration. When employees feel that they can trust their colleagues and management, they are more likely to work together and share ideas. This can lead to greater innovation and problem-solving, which in turn can help companies to do more with fewer people.

Another important aspect of culture change is the role of collective assumptions and beliefs. These assumptions and beliefs shape the way that people think and act, and have a significant impact on the overall culture of an organisation. By identifying and challenging these assumptions and beliefs, companies can create a more open and adaptable culture that is better able to adapt to change.

One way to do this is by encouraging people to question the status quo and surface and reflect n shared assumptions. By creating a culture of continuous improvement and learning, companies can inspire people to come up with new and innovative solutions to problems. This can lead to more effective approaches and a more productive workforce.

Another way to encourage culture change is by fostering a sense of shared purpose. When employees feel that they are part of something bigger and that their work is meaningful, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated. By aligning people around a shared purpose, companies can create a culture of teamwork and collaboration that can help to achieve more with fewer people.

Finally, companies can also foster culture change by creating a sense of ownership and empowerment. When people feel that they have a stake in the success of the organisation, they are more likely to take initiative and be proactive in their work. This can lead to more effective approaches and a more productive workforce.

In conclusion, culture change can be a powerful tool for companies looking to do more with fewer people. By fostering a culture of trust and collaboration, challenging collective assumptions and beliefs, aligning employees around a shared vision, and creating a sense of ownership and empowerment, companies can create a more efficient and productive workforce. However, it is important to approach this process in a way that does not whip employees into fear-driven catalepsy.

We’re NOT Hiring!

May 9, 2022
Antimatter principle, Article, Business, Community, Fellowship, Organisational effectiveness, Purpose, Quintessence, Recruiting, Software Delivery, Teambuilding
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We’re NOT Hiring!

At The Quintessential Group we’re NOT hiring. We have little interest in paying people for their labour or their personal services (fnarr).

We ARE inviting inquiries and applications to join our community of fellows, and participate in our software delivery teams.

Sure, we pay. And we pay top dollar (well British Pounds, mostly). But we pay our people so they can live (and fellows get to choose their own salaries and rates, amongst other things). We subscribe to Phil Crosby’s statement about the purpose of organisations:

The purpose of organizations is to help people have lives.

~ Phil Crosby

Fellowship

We’re breaking the transactional nature of the individual <-> organisation relationship in favour of something much more like fellowship.

So, we’re NOT hiring. But we ARE inviting applications to join our community of fellows. First off for our Quintessential Teams service. And then for our other services, which will be coming on stream soon.

Invitation

We cordially invite you to apply to join our community of fellows. In the first instance, we’re looking for folks with software delivery skills, who will be forming delivery teams rented by our clients (a variety of medium to large UK organisations) to deliver software at their behest. Early on, you’ll be playing and learning directly with myself and / or Ian.

Just drop Ian or myself a message expressing your curiosity or interest, and we’ll get back to you.

You may already have some questions, so please include them if you’re after some clarification or further information. There’s much already available on my Think Different blog. And a brief but growing collection of more focussed introductory and informational posts on the Quintessential Blog, too.

Benefits

What you may not have yet read is some of the other benefits of becoming a fellow of The Quintessential Group:

Having Your Needs Met

Central to our business and community is the idea of attending to folks’ needs. Each of our fellows will have his or her own needs, and The Quintessential Group will do its utmost to see those needs met. 

These may include career development, learning, autonomy to capitalise on your abilities, mastery of skills, sharing in a common purpose, playing with technology, work-life balance, choosing your own package, and so on. We’d love to hear just what your needs are. And we as a business have needs too. This mutuality offers a crucible for productive dialogue.

The Opportunity To Do Great Things

We focus on excellence, and carefully select clients with and for whom our fellows can achieve truly great things. Humdrum things bore us, and we’d not ask any of our fellows to suffer that either.

The Opportunity To Participate in Self-Managing Teams

Our Teams manage themselves, with the active support of the rest of the company. Learn and experience what participating in truly self-managing teams feels like. The true meaning of esprit de corps. The experience of excellence and real fellowship.

Other Key Benefits

Unlimited World-class Personal Mentoring

Bob and Ian each have more than twenty years’ experience in coaching and mentoring developers and delivery teams. We happily share this experience with all Quintessential Fellows, on a one to one basis (mentoring, individual coaching) and one-to-many basis (i.e. teams).

Unlimited Expert Coaching

We define mentoring as providing sage advice when asked. Coaching to us implies a more structure relationship. See e.g. “Coaching for Performance” by Sir Jon Whitmore and his G.R.O.W. model. Mentoring also implies, to us, a shared agenda. Coaching, an agenda entirely driven by the coachees.

Unlimited Awesome Career Development, Including Job Search Help & Career Advice

We try to attend to the needs of all our fellows, on a continual basis. If being a part of the Quintessential community is not meeting your needs, we’re delighted when we can help folks get their needs met, even when that means leaving us for pastures new. We’re delighted to actively support folks in this.

Free Books And Subscriptions

Continuous learning is at the core of the Quintessential Group and its community of fellows. We support these needs in any and all ways possible, including paying for all books and subscriptions of our fellows. If you have other learning needs, we’re happy to support those, too.

Paid Time Off For Conferencing (Plus Entry Fees, Expenses Paid)

We don’t believe our fellows should suffer a financial disincentive to pursue their learning and socialising needs, so we pay for time taken to attend conferences, as well as for the entry fees and associated expenses (travel, hotels, etc.).

Paid Time Off For Learning, Studying

Many folks learn for the joy of it, but we don’t see why learning has to be on the learner’s dime So we invite our fellows to invoice us or otherwise claim financial recompense for time spent learning. Effective learning benefits everyone, not least the company.

Development Hardware, Tools

Many new fellows will already have their own equipment, software tools, etc. But when they need other stuff to be quintessentially effective, we have no issue with providing such things, as the fellow(s) see fit.

Note: A Quintessential fellow is anyone (irrespective of gender) who has complete the one-week orientation and chosen to join the Quintessential community.

Note: When we say “paid for” we mean The Quintessential Group will reimburse fellows in the course of invoicing in respect of client gigs. In other words, and using the one week’s paid-for orientation as an example, we will pay fellows for attending the orientation week, over the course of several weeks’ payments for participating in services to a client.

Accepting Inquiries and Applications

We are now accepting inquiries and applications for the first “orientation” cohort of Quintessential Teams

Orientation

Simply put, we pay our candidate fellows to join together for a week (five days) of orientation. This week prepares fellows for Quintessential Team client engagements, in particular is afford the opportunity to get to know each other, build relationships, and thrash out a shared way of playing together.

Would you like to know more?

– Bob

The Author

May 7, 2022
Article, Caring, Needs, Purpose
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The Author

I write about what I see, and have seen. I don’t write to entertain (excepting very occasionally) or to curry favour.

I write about ways I’ve seen people approaching things, and ways to maybe approach them differently. Ways in which they might see their needs better met.

Purpose

I write to invite people to think differently. To reflect on what they see and maybe reframe their interpretations and responses differently from their defaults. Why do I do this? Because I have a need to see people having a better time at work. A better experience from the countless hours we fritter away doing other folks’ bidding.

I am your author. And I appreciate you reading my stuff.

I’d like to write about stuff that’s relevant for you, topics that matter to you, to make that kind of connection. But I’m mostly going to continue writing about stuff that matters to me. Long may you continue to find insights and inspiration in it.

– Bob

 

The Tech Leader as Organisational Therapist

February 7, 2022
Antimatter principle, Article, Culture change, Needs, Organisational Therapy, Purpose
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The Tech Leader as Organisational Therapist

[Inspired by “The Physician Leader as Logotherapist“, substituting “tech” for “medicine”]

The existential cure for what ails the Tech Industries today can be summarised in four phrases:

  1. Folks’ (customers’, etc.) needs come first.
  2. Right action and right conduct.
  3. Focus on needs and not money.
  4. Discover what life expects of us.

In his recent PBS special, “Surviving the Bottom Line,” Hedrick Smith documented how industries such as manufacturing and banking are sacrificing their employees and the needs of their customers in the quest for stock price appreciation and bigger dividends. (Smith 1998).

Further Reading

Smith, H. “Surviving the Bottom Line.” Frontline, PBS. January 16. 1998.

Washburn, E.R.. (2021). The Physician Leader as Logotherapist – Physician Executive Leadership. [online] Available at: https://indexarticles.com/health-fitness/physician-executive/the-physician-leader-as-logotherapist-physician-executive-leadership/ [Accessed 7 Feb. 2022].

Quickie: Word of The Day – Cosmesis

December 5, 2021
Agile, Purpose, Quickies
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cos·me·sis

(koz-mē’sis),

A concern in therapeutics for the appearance of the patient; that is, an operation that improves appearance.
[G. kosmēsis, an adorning, fr. kosmeō, to order, arrange, adorn, fr. kosmos, order]
As in:
“90% of all Agile adoptions turn out to be 100% cosmesis.”

ICYMI: Producing Software Is Not The Purpose Of Software Development

November 10, 2021
ICYMI, Product development, Purpose, Software development
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In case you missed it:

Producing Software Is Not The Purpose Of Software Development