As my regular readers know my business is named AnD Consulting to represent my commitment to an and/both life. For example, as I coached a recent Leadership Coaching client who was exploring a shift in career direction, I encouraged her to explore both its idealistic and pragmatic aspects by thinking through – was this career move congruent with her vision and did it pay well enough?!!
In the first weekend of August I had my annual treat of three days at the Byron Bay Writers Festival. On day two I gathered another great example of two choices that, in an either/or world would be contradictory, but that, in an and/both world, are each possible.
Expect the Unexpected
Much to my surprise the highlight of the festival for me was an interview with a bloke called John Keane. I further surprised myself by purchasing his 958 page book called The Life and Death of Democracy.
On the back cover Keane is describd as one of Britain’s leading political writers, a man whose work on democracy is of world-wide importance and declares that the book confronts its readers with an entirely fresh and irreverent look at the past, present and future of democracy. Keane is in fact an Australian and is just home after many years offshore to become Professor of Politics at Sydney University – lucky students I say!
And/both in Monitory Democracy
Keane’s and/both message was in relation to the Monitory Democracy we now have that includes regulatory bodies (such as ASIC) and an opportunity for us to have our say through lobby groups such at GetUp! and Amnesty International – to name just two – as well as with our vote on election days. Keane however did caution that change takes time in a Monitory Democracy and urged us to be both patient and impatient with our politicians.
What are your thoughts about this new form of democracy and/or have you any recent examples of an and/both way?
