Transduction — leading transformation — Issue #173
My weekly posts — this week with an April Fool’s theme!
Introducing ‘RedQuadrant AI Consultants’: Replacing Humans with Algorithms.
We’ve finally done it. After years of resisting the inevitable, RedQuadrant is now fully powered by AI. No more consultants. No more facilitation. Just seamless, synthetic transformation. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_futureofwork-consulting-leadership-activity-7312722932001112064-mPYn
Introducing the Level 5 Diploma in Strategic Poasting, now open for applications.
Introducing the Level 5 Diploma in Strategic Poasting, now open for applications. Fully certified by the Institute for Applied Vibes and benchmarked against the International Framework for Thoughtfluencing (Version 3.1). CPD doubled for the first six months! https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_thoughtfluencers-careerdevelopment-personaldevelopment-activity-7312730490875052032-K_AK
RedQuadrant merges with McKinsey to form ultimate transformation conglomerate
Hot news: as of today, 1 April, RedQuadrant has joined forces with McKinsey as they seek to rehabilitate — I mean further burnish — their reputation as a values-driven effective transformation firm. This follows on from their exciting role in the U.S. opioid crisis, advising Purdue Pharma to boost OxyContin sales, which led to them providing a generous $600 million settlement in 2021 for [I don’t think we should say what it was for, can we not just say it was generous?]. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_businessstrategy-transformation-innovation-activity-7312738077272100865-p01L
Exclusive: The ‘Double Diamond’ Jewellery Collection Inspired by Design Models
I’ve teamed up with a luxury design house to bring you the ultimate expression of transformation thinking: the Double Diamond Jewellery Collection. Inspired by the classic design model, each piece reflects the diverging-converging pain and beauty of innovation. The necklace traces the full cycle from user research to scaled MVP. The earrings? Co-designed by a cross-functional team of stakeholders and worn best while ideating. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_designthinking-innovation-strategy-activity-7312745602100920321-9lPC
New certification: accredited systems thinker, £500 and a 3-day open-book exam
Stop the presses! — today, 1 April 2025, I’m proud to launch the ultimate accredited systems thinker certification: £500, three days, open-book — the point is, you learn the glossary as you go! Cybernetics? check. POSIWID? Memorise it. 72 hours of flipping pages to define ‘requisite variety’ on the fly. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_systemsthinking-personaldevelopment-leadership-activity-7312753090766557184-hESh
Government unveils plan to replace all managers with AI — POSIWID finally proven!
Big news breaking today: the UK government’s gone all-in on AI, replacing every manager with a sleek algorithm by 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_publicsector-systemsthinking-publicsector-activity-7312760671241142274-oOxJ
Brace yourselves: today, the NHS kicks off the full roll-out with robots certified to feel empathy (as long as there are no stairs; they don’t do stairs just yet).
To be fair, the trials haven’t quite been completely 100% successful — conditions in A&E seem to have overloaded the compassion trips, bureaucracy fried their circuits, and someone encouraged them to re-brand their badges and intro from ‘Hi, I’m your Robotic Process Associate, your plastic pal who’s fun to be with!’ to ‘Dr RPA, MD, head of the Department of Diagnostic Medicine certified in infectious disease and nephrology’. The BMA have called an Emergency General Meeting to deny responsibility and begin the transition process. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_assisteddying-artificialintelligence-publicsector-activity-7312767275047014400-ZS6n
Courses and events
New! Introduction to outcomes-based commissioning: a 10 step introduction, cohort 9
Back by popular demand — our introductory course for commissioning. Running online with anticipated dates in May https://link.redquadrant.com/introtooutcomes9
Our sensemaking community, sharing learning on devolution and local government organisation
Join our sensemaking community for the days after — a space for public service leaders to share urgent learning on devolution and local government reorganisation. We meet twice a month to make sense of today’s complexities or follow along by email. Join the group at https://sensemaking.groups.io
PSTA Webinar — Drowning out the voices we need to hear. Why F.I.R.E.D. leaders are your ‘hidden gems’. With Paul McCarthy
Join Apr 8, 2025 02:15 PM. Using his own personal experiences, as well as research, case studies and outputs of interviews, Paul introduces the F.I.R.E.D. Leadership Framework and shows organizations why we need to embrace leaders who think differently. By helping reframe how organizations perceive their ‘agitators’, Paul shows how to cut through the noise to equip those organizations with the approach needed to create the next generation of leaders our world so desperately needs to successfully navigate ongoing disruption, continue to innovate and deliver transformative outcomes. Register now: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/PerIZnKBQOyse_6aTwDR5Q
The Next National Commissioning Academy — coming early 2025
We are currently working on the next iteration of the National Commissioning Academy, which we expect to launch in 2025. Dates and locations will be forthcoming! Read more here: https://www.publicservicetransformation.org/2024/09/the-next-national-commissioning-academy-coming-early-2025/
Towards Relational Public Services Conference 2025
3rd to 5th June 2025 Manchester Metropolitan University. This conference seeks to continue to explore the challenges of making Relational Public Services a reality for service users, professionals and academics alike: in an increasingly complex world, how can public services and social interventions create and sustain positive lives for the people and populations they serve? Find out more here: https://www.complexityoutcomes.org/
Complexity & Management Conference 6–8th June 2025
The conference begins on Friday 6th June 2025 and finishes at lunchtime on Sunday 8th. The currency of the conference is conversation and exploration in large groups and small. Read more here: https://complexityandmanagement.com/2024/11/04/complexity-management-conference-6-8th-june-2025/
Level 7 Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship
Work in England or Wales? Want to develop your systems thinking skills? Sign up now for the next cohort of the Level 7 Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship — Cherith Simmons, with experts from SCiO (including me) — likely start in January 2025! Register here: https://cherithsimmons.co.uk/corporate/level-7-systems-thinking-practitioner-apprenticeship/?utm_content=buffer2fd3b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Things I shared on socials:
Do With: A Call to Action. King’s Fund.
Catch up with the proceedings of this event on 26 March. https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/projects/do-with
Chris Mowles on LinkedIn — Complexity and Management Group, University of Hertfordshire offering MA by research in complexity and organisational dynamica
Are you interested in complexity and its relevance for leadership, management and consultancy? Are you feeling dissatisfied with the tools, techniques, maps and frameworks which only take you so far? The Complexity and Management Group at the University of Hertfordshire is offering a one-off opportunity to study for an MA by research in complexity and organisational dynamics, starting in October 25. https://stream.syscoi.com/2025/04/04/chris-mowles-on-linkedin-complexity-and-management-group-university-of-hertfordshire-offering-ma-by-research-in-complexity-and-organisational-dynamica/
Jargon Buster. Think Local, Act Personal.
The Care and Support Jargon Buster provides Plain English definitions of words and phrases used in health and social care. Within it you will also find reflections from people who draw on care and support, and people who work in it, on language that doesn’t belong in a more human approach to care and support. https://thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk/jargon-buster/
An approach for operationalizing and sustaining systems improvements — Molosiwa (2025)
How can we develop more effective interventions that address root causes of insufficient system performance? How can systems-informed interventions achieve and sustain more impactful system improvements? https://stream.syscoi.com/2025/04/03/an-approach-for-operationalizing-and-sustaining-systems-improvements-molosiwa-2025/
Ideas and support for the Casey Commission on the future of adult social care. Social Care Future.
This week, the Casey Commission on the future of adult social care begins its work. Social care future has offered support and shared ideas with the Commission. https://socialcarefuture.org.uk/noticeboard/ideas-and-support-for-the-casey-commission-on-the-future-of-adult-social-care/
Vol. 8 №1 (2025): Beyond Binaries | Murmurations: Journal of Transformative Systemic Practice
What happens when we refuse the neat divisions that shape our worlds: body/mind, male/female, Black/white, professional/personal, human/AI? https://stream.syscoi.com/2025/04/03/vol-8-no-1-2025-beyond-binaries-murmurations-journal-of-transformative-systemic-practice/
