👉 What I learned from 100 intentional LinkedIn posts 👈🏻

(Actually 106 including this one!)

For about a year, I’ve made the effort two or three times a week to design posts that attract comment, to invite engagement, and to pause all my usual updates for a while.

Results:

An average of 5,000 views, ranging from just three under 1,000 (articles and videos get very low view, and promotional posts don’t do as well).

11 got over 10k views, 13 got under 2k.

Top 5:
➄ Four quadrants of thinking threats 14,000
➃ Customer insight 15,000
➂ ‘Doomed to succeed’ death march projects 18,000
➁ The ‘brown contract’ 19,000
➀ Technical vs adaptive change 30,000

What I’ve learned:
> The algorithm is in charge, and they change it radically and randomly.
I hated bowing to the algorithm — it felt like twisting and oversimplifying and dumbing down.
Then I enjoyed it — hitting my stride, real reach, good responses.
Then I hated it again. As they experiment, you have to chase the black box, or disappear.

> There is good guidance out there on what works — but it can be a part-time job to follow it.

> I haven’t exactly got any work from it — though I have got great responses, learning, connections, and engagement.
And I have learned to write to the format, compress my ideas. (They’ve just doubled the length now, though!)

> People love
- complexity, and images of complexity.
- to really engage with deep ideas — and offer useful and smart responses.
- arguments, especially with those with many followers.

> Some of the posts I thought were absolutely the best — simple, insightful, engaging — did really poorly.
> Some I just put out to keep things going did *really* well.
> Sometimes something I was just sharing randomly got over 10,000 views!

What’s your favourite post?
What do you take from this learning?
What do you think I should learn?

Posts in ascending order of views:

1. 171 (article) the purpose of the system is what it does, the hidden essential organisational logic, the inevitability of the shaping of culture by leaders and systems, and the importance of ‘Worlds’ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/force-organisational-life-becoming-jedi-beginning-taylor/?trackingId=5%2F6s2gdPTQCkHn1jIxH1Tw%3D%3D

2. 424 votes Lean Six Sigma poll tool shed https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6803044345323900928 /
541 views my updates https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_an-invitation-to-the-redquadrant-tool-shed-activity-6803575902803394560-yLHZ/
1,334 later post https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_what-do-you-want-to-add-to-your-transformation-activity-6803044824883830784-QS-r/
also RQ page update https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6803044345323900928/

3. 523 repromoting the build back better day https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6808647614792372225/

4. 1,175 creating contexts for learning, sharing, and impact >>> How do you help good work thrive in the world and increase impact? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_consultancy-toolshed-professionall-activity-6795970622188068864-rOoL

5. 1,377 What’s your mission? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_an-invitation-to-the-redquadrant-tool-shed-activity-6808284224131604480-Pewu/ What’s your mission?What are your top three passions? Do you get to express and explore them in your work?

6. 1,435 power in the middle https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_middle-systemsthinking-organisation-activity-6793063215292121088-Eeih What do you do when you’re stuck in the middle? How’s that working out for you?

7. 1,507 Can commissioning truly start from the assets and capabilities of citizens and communities? As we inch towards the post-Covid era, what opportunities and risks are opened up by the massive release of citizen and community assets during the pandemic? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_shift-or-skid-what-are-commissioners-doing-activity-6810819776701698048-RtML/ asset-based commissioning

8. 1,660 (video) Good Help https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6768071848342245376/ Do public ‘services’ make things worse? Does help *actually* help?

9. 1,934 are we building back better? — learning for the days after https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_learning-never-stops-the-days-after-a-activity-6803208971692859392-BJG7 Are we building back better? Are we learning? What do we want for the days after? The days after — a learning community to build back better

10. 1,811 future of work tribes https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_futureofwork-identity-organisation-activity-6778291320680271872-qCYH Three tribes are contesting for the future of work* Which one will you join?

11. 1,823 trauma, shame, and referred pain — and stigma — the dark side https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_organisations-society-activity-6701742668155879424-W_mv

12. 1,883 How can we change the world? Exactly — join us and we’ll see https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6755386186610675712/

13. 1,984 The miracle of the commons https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_the-tragedy-of-the-commons-is-a-false-and-activity-6799438226823241729--6R6

14. 2,071 What can public services do, in the time of COVID, to nurture a better future? Learning community https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_learning-never-stops-the-days-after-a-activity-6732201654386589696-3rsp

15. 2,098 Raleigh International story — another transformation brain teaser! https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_organisation-improvement-transformation-activity-6777127929320235008-76MA

16. 2,124 new normal — what brighter future keeps you going? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_publicservices-localgov-consultancy-activity-6772787776313262081-BW5g/

17. 2,216 how dominant/other patterns create system fragility https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_organisations-society-activity-6689067857860546560-WRFc/

18. 2,207 It 2021. Why haven’t organisations learned: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6799679959993589760/

19. 2,275 immunity to change: What could you change with a little more compassion and insight? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_benjamin-taylor-immunity-to-change-for-activity-6793425254254559232-pfji/

20. 2,391 NLP/witchcraft https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_change-consultancy-for-it-restructure-digital-activity-6772548423251042304-2Bvn

21. 2,404 triple loop learning https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_learning-organisation-improvement-activity-6773204936818872321-jq_0
454 Video post: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6773301685931655168/

22. 2,461 Recruiting / hiring — bid and operations manager https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_hiring-bidsupport-admin-activity-6789797359699288064-_mXK/

23. 2,553 organisational Jedis confront themselves with love https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_organisations-society-activity-6696667153329983488-pa2L

24. 2,574 ‘five questions for people in power’ https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6803787053562773504/

25. 2,481 Want to talk about radical #procurement, #systemsthinking, #learning, #consulting, #publicservices? 2021–06 events https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_procurement-systemsthinking-learning-activity-6805021647482044416-ebJG

26. 2,554 polycontextuality https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6793051142520762368/

27. 2,578 REBOOT -The Campaign Against Consultancy https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_the-campaign-against-consultancydo-you-activity-6779054037263351808-3z3J

28. 2,626 structural coupling https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_organisations-relationships-activity-6694138139893743616-NzI3

29. 2,637 Hero’s Journey meme https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6786966178607845376/

30. 2,687 The RedQuadrant tool shed free sample sessions 10 June 2021 > Would you like a nosey around my tool shed? Free show-and-tell sessions in the RedQuadrant tool shed https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_an-overview-of-the-redquadrant-tool-shed-activity-6797406103589269504-ke9B

31. 2,689 Become an organisational Jedi in the The RedQuadrant tool shed https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_organisations-society-systems-activity-6711891784710004736-JTgl

32. 2,735 (video) how do you feel when you realise how much you took after your parents? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_family-heritage-inheritance-activity-6785456345224220672-QMS0

33. 2,742 Have you progressed in your career? I don’t mean moving up the ladder, I mean how have *you* changed? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_prime-domino-podcast-rob-worth-with-benjamin-activity-6777859428650762240-t3PF

34. 2,784 test in the real world (concierge solution) https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_organisations-society-activity-6714430813502611456-hEA8

35. 2,836 Breaking the Shell — identifying the barriers to change https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6737274704924696576

36. 2,879 You should never publish your values or behaviours if you want culture change culture shaping https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_organisations-society-activity-6716964795184119809-h_oO

37. 2,919 oboe (and worlds) What’s your favourite example to illustrate radically different ‘worlds’? Consider the oboe. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_oboe-relationships-roles-activity-6792335388120879104-68Zb/

38. 2,968 The universe is greebling The unfolding and self-expression of the universe, ongoing complexification, unfurling, greebling https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_innovation-growth-cosmology-activity-6790882186502529024-h_f9

39. 2,972 welcome to the suck https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_overwhelm-selfcare-burnout-activity-6729664122184724480-ZMzw

40. 2,976 leadership for transformation — ten principles for public service transformation https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_redquadrant-ten-principles-for-service-activity-6798501196282892288-tWom

41. 3,024 Sensemaking and worlds https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_complexity-society-weltanschauung-activity-6734737917031399424-7glc

42. 3,033 Is the change curve a myth? https://bit.ly/3dbnXjv

43. 3,056 Quality Improvement can be dangerous https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_qi-considered-dangerous-activity-6790530533421129728-mw5w/

44. 3,119 public sector procurement https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6793564748932878336/

45. 3,121 A fool’s quest for the first use of the phrase ‘systems thinking’ https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6789548119433588737/

46. 3,157 SBAC story https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_publicservice-transformation-improvement-activity-6774595988050055168-ePlH

47. 3,220 The inconvenience of systems thinking https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6763385419318071296/

48. 3,247 six core human needs https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_organisation-leadership-needs-activity-6770608640333377537-JGmC/

49. 3,275 threshold concept — What idea changed the way you see the world? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_thinking-change-transformation-activity-6788358013733371904-tza5

50. 3,309 data principles seven deadly sins https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_measures-kpis-okrs-activity-6762996659019481088-mpcG

51. 3,466 the seven per cent rule in business https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_success-business-entrepreneurship-activity-6784727295568564224-jSf2/

52. 3,510 five worlds Which world do you live in? And what do you see about your service using the lens of the ‘five worlds’? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_publicservices-systemschange-service-activity-6802480342948282368-WUJ-/

53. 3,589 customer contact performance measurement >> What was your worst customer experience recently? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_customersatisfaction-customerexperience-customercare-activity-6779671276215762944-40OZ

54. 3,691 bridge and water https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_redquadrant-bridge-and-water-for-transformation-activity-6760450160326664192-ienY

55. 3,703 fit and stretch to work https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_society-organisations-activity-6699205886520500224-JWiR

56. 3,773 Why do they say my country doesn’t exist? a very personal post from me today What did you once have, that can never come back? And what do you want to hold on to, now, as a result? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_why-do-they-say-my-country-doesnt-exist-activity-6800678055540092928-Kzsr

57. 3,828 human responses and partnership — the dark side Colonialism and the Thanatosian urge https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_organisations-society-activity-6691582543411736576-zSgS

58. 3,844 multiple ways of looking at organisations https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_multiple-ways-of-looking-at-organisations-activity-6780399661149749248-WMSc/

59. 4,115 complexity is not a paradigm shift — from complexity and anarchism post https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_complexity-is-not-a-paradigm-shift-activity-6801048472654086145-nbaD

60. 3,923 systems don’t exist / do systems exist? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_systemsthinking-complexity-metarationality-activity-6780763374167957504-dNbB/

61. 3,958 the great big shit-shovelling machine https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_picture-of-a-dung-beetle-and-the-text-of-activity-6757922660816166912-49l-/

62. 4,000 What random thing do you believe you invented? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_what-weird-thing-are-you-improbably-attached-activity-6768454114868371456-MAYd

63. 4,046 What would you like me to write about? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_linkedinhacks-userresearch-activity-6765174440230830080-2Ao7

64. 4,294 Ten principles — checklist for leaders How can you quickly assess how you’re doing as a leader in public services? And how are you doing? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_redquadrant-checklist-for-leaders-ten-activity-6799953512349495296-zfTS

65. 4,444 I share a lot — how would you like me to post? https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6781282661198626817/

66. 4,489 REBOOT Death march projects https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6799211750450454528/

67. 4,537 five core practices https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6742346429211136000/

68. 4,577 Bongard games, meta-contextuality and sensemaking and the limits of method https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6775321424652578816/

69. 4,578 What’s the force and how to join — including management cybernetics slides https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_a-long-teaser-overview-of-the-aspects-of-activity-6727127938745159680-Uz3N

70. 5,033 What wold you like to see more of? IMAGE: COMPLEXITY COD https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_linkedinhacks-userresearch-activity-6765532257454309376-VbkL/

71. 5,042 seven ways to save and improve https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_service-organisation-savings-activity-6755030320006987777-z6Ph

72. 5,058 public service business model canvas https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_redquadrant-public-service-business-model-activity-6782183959406223360-XlEC/

73. 5,364 the adaptive council https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6739811963091722240/

74. 5,540 Seven steps to heaven — team decision-making in complexity decision-making clarity https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_team-decision-making-in-complexity-seven-activity-6724572557435125760-bg-4/

75. 5,518 factors 1–10 in The Force in organisational life https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_the-force-in-organisational-life-the-story-activity-6704281264242860033-sQi5

76. 5,703 recognition! It’s very nice, isn’t it? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_recognition-business-competency-activity-6785804844818165760-NhJy

77. 5,718 commissioning is an approach to transformation https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_commissioning-is-an-approach-to-transformation-activity-6757571035324915712-hdlr

78. 5,818 (video) April Fool I’ve done it! I’ve put together everything I know about #systemsthinking in this video! https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_systemsthinking-sensemaking-livingsystem-activity-6783279388449492992-fBc5

79. 5,981 the possibilities of organisation — What do you see, when you look at the first modern org chart? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_organisation-management-enterprisearchitecture-activity-6762640506850811904-Hc7B

80. 6,019 How the heck do I make decisions in complexity? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_requisiteagility-2021planning-business-activity-6722043032830640128-mu0Q

81. 6,022 How often do things go wrong because of lack of clarity? the three box model https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_redquadrant-the-three-box-model-activity-6747423779552661504-pOiZ

82. 6,063 Zombie vs conscious organisation https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_requisiteagility-consciousorganization-complexity-activity-6719499915002822656-QMP8/

83. 6,178 commissioning is dead, long live commissioning https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_benjamin-taylor-for-pste-commissioning-activity-6775742215768682496-nAAK/

84. 6,250 McKinsey: Agility — it rhymes with stability https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_agility-it-rhymes-with-stability-activity-6773980602959040512-8vgG/

85. 6,366 standardise when you can, customise when you should (customer intimacy) https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_redquadrant-customer-intimacy-and-efficient-activity-6760102139869184000-pspV/

86. 6,558 The RedQuadrant tool shed What’s the favourite tool you have in your tool shed? What would you like to add? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_the-redquadrant-tool-shed-overview-activity-6787994187867402240-BY3V/

87. 6,808 Resolving the awkward paradox in Frederic Laloux’s Reinventing Organisations reinventing organisations (reinventing organizations) https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6795829563118231552/

88. 7,048 there are two fundamental outlooks on life promoting the systemic leadership summit https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6752493345236500481

89. 7,846 the campaign against consultancy https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6744880223491366912

90. 7,928 want to illustrate complexity without really understanding it? https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6760535175454564352/

91. 8,073 personal newsletter launch https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6811183075171565568/ I’m launching a newsletter on Revue! What do you think of it?

92. 8,214 the left-hand column exercise https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_redquadrant-the-left-hand-column-exercise-activity-6767713555874742272-M8yo What would happen if you said what you really thought?

93. 8,421 complexity all the way down irreducible complexity https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_organisations-society-complexity-activity-6706817209471254528-gRFK

94. 8,927 double diamond >>Where do ideas come from, and who owns them? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_doublediamond-designthinking-servicedesign-activity-6795601313569882112-pEL_

95. 10,672 What sort of posts do you want from me? (POLL) https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6798136898427719680/

96. 11,689 metaphor https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_presentation-on-metaphor-concepts-activity-6787263257741787137-rU8a/

97. 12,058 The fallacy of “what gets measured gets managed” https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6803927561735950336/

98. 12,581 going from long beautiful reports to engagement and delivery What did you used to think *was* your job, but you can now do without?https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_consulting-advisory-change-activity-6782915657467080704-_V9Q

99. 13,373 task delegation and CPORT ‘Clarity is kindness’ says Brene Brown. So here’s an easy way to generate #clarity what’s your favourite way to do it? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_cport-creative-task-clarity-activity-6807558639147200512-sBEk

100. 14,170 Herding Cats and accidentally the image of the complexity map https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_herding-cats-a-compendium-of-managing-complex-activity-6769571428556775424-uEgT

101. 14,247 four quadrants of thinking threat https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6749960470872100864/

102. 15,000 customer insight — 5Ws and 1H — There is no transformation without insight. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6810094177456664577/ >> What’s your favourite tip for customer or citizen insight?

103. 17,866 a quite serious post from me this week — how do we stop ‘doomed to succeed’ ‘death march’ projects? https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6770242474721075201/

104. 19,315 brown contract Have you heard of the brown contract? 💩 https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_management-humanresources-creativity-activity-6805745243351326720-fpNh

105. 30,038 technical vs adaptive Can you take a challenge you are faced with and identify the technical and the adaptive elements? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_a-adaptive-leadership-technical-and-adaptive-activity-6806111293842583552-6sJJ