Bateson for Business

Bateson for Business

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  • Contents
    • I. Metalogues
      • 1: On tidiness, and why good Leaders must sometimes create a muddle
      • 2: On the three types of communication, and how the most important is non-verbal
      • 3: On how the essence of capitalism requires us to let go of logic, even though that can feel scary
      • 4: On how leadership is like a game of Twenty Questions, and why knowing about knowledge helps us win
      • 5: On how creating shared meaning is the essence of building strong organisations (and leaders)
      • 6: On the secret that is shared by the best performances and the best branding
      • 7. On how integrating the objective and subjective parts of the human experience made Apple the largest corporation
    • II. Form and Pattern in Anthropology
  • About
    • A missing link
    • Examples
    • Author
Metalogue 6: Why a swan? : In this metalogue, Bateson and his daughter talk about the meanings evoked by dance. This teaches us something about what it takes to build a strong brand. But unfortunately, Bateson Continue Reading →
Metalogue 2: Why do Frenchmen? : In this metalogue the daughter asks her father: “Daddy, why do Frenchmen wave their arms about?” They discuss how we manage to communicate so much without words, and what we are Continue Reading →
Metalogue 5: Why do things have outlines? : This metalogue talks about why we give things an outline when we draw them. It then moves on to the question of whether you can give an outline to something Continue Reading →
Metalogue 4: How much do you know? : In this metalogue the daughter asks her father: “Daddy, how much do you know?” Bateson estimates that must have about a pound (450g) of ‘knowledge’. They realise this isn’t a Continue Reading →
Metalogue 3: About games and being serious : This third metalogue begins with the question, “Daddy, are these conversations serious? … Or are they a sort of game that you play with me?” It is an opportunity for Continue Reading →
Metalogue 1: “Why do things get in a muddle?” : In this first, simple, metalogue (written in 1948) Gregory Bateson imagines a conversation between a daughter and her father. “Why,” the daughter wants to know, “do things get in a muddle?” Continue Reading →

A bird does not sing because he has an answer

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Bateson for Business — Leave a reply

Although the origins of this quote are uncertain, I find its clarity pleasing and it is a good summary of the seventh metalogue, discussing instinct: “A bird does not sing because he has an Continue Reading →

Posted in Culture, Examples, Leadership, Nature, Purpose, Topics | Leave a reply

Metalogue 7: What is an instinct?

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Bateson for Business — Leave a reply

In this seventh metalogue, Gregory Bateson’s daughter asks him, “Daddy, what is an instinct?” Their conversation takes them on a journey that covers gravity, genes, chromosomes, learning to play the Continue Reading →

Posted in Apple, Examples, Knowledge, Relationship, Topics | Leave a reply

Metalogue 6: Why a swan?

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Bateson for Business — Leave a reply

In this metalogue, Bateson and his daughter talk about the meanings evoked by dance. This teaches us something about what it takes to build a strong brand. But unfortunately, Bateson Continue Reading →

Posted in Brand, Marketing, Relationship | Tagged Featured, Love | Leave a reply

Metalogue 5: Why do things have outlines?

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Bateson for Business — Leave a reply

This metalogue talks about why we give things an outline when we draw them. It then moves on to the question of whether you can give an outline to something Continue Reading →

Posted in Change, Topics | Leave a reply

Metalogue 4: How much do you know?

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Bateson for Business — Leave a reply

In this metalogue the daughter asks her father: “Daddy, how much do you know?” Bateson estimates that must have about a pound (450g) of ‘knowledge’. They realise this isn’t a Continue Reading →

Posted in Innovation, Leadership | Tagged Featured | Leave a reply

Steve Jobs on brand and marketing

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Bateson for Business — 2 Comments ↓

  In this metalogue about innovation, Gregory Bateson talks about the need to break apart conventional thinking, yet also holding on to some deeper rules of the ‘conversation’ in order to avoid going mad. Continue Reading →

Posted in Apple, Brand, Examples, Marketing, Relationship | Tagged Allison Johnson, Apple, Steve Jobs | 2 Comments ↓

Metalogue 3: About games and being serious

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Bateson for Business — Leave a reply

This third metalogue begins with the question, “Daddy, are these conversations serious? … Or are they a sort of game that you play with me?” It is an opportunity for Continue Reading →

Posted in Innovation | Tagged Featured | Leave a reply

Example of communication using ‘gestures’

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Bateson for Business — Leave a reply

In the second metalogue (“Why do Frenchmen?”), Gregory Bateson tells us about how information can be communicated with gestures instead of words, and how that is a different sort of information from what we use words Continue Reading →

Posted in Communication, Examples, Relationship | Tagged Haka, Maori | Leave a reply

Metalogue 2: Why do Frenchmen?

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Bateson for Business — Leave a reply

In this metalogue the daughter asks her father: “Daddy, why do Frenchmen wave their arms about?” They discuss how we manage to communicate so much without words, and what we are Continue Reading →

Posted in Communication, Culture, Innovation, Relationship | Tagged Featured | Leave a reply

Metalogue 1: “Why do things get in a muddle?”

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Bateson for Business — 2 Comments ↓

In this first, simple, metalogue (written in 1948) Gregory Bateson imagines a conversation between a daughter and her father. “Why,” the daughter wants to know, “do things get in a muddle?” Continue Reading →

Posted in Change, Innovation, Leadership, Management, Topics | Tagged Featured | 2 Comments ↓

Recent Posts

  • A bird does not sing because he has an answer
  • Metalogue 7: What is an instinct?
  • Metalogue 6: Why a swan?
  • Metalogue 5: Why do things have outlines?
  • Metalogue 4: How much do you know?
  • Steve Jobs on brand and marketing
  • Metalogue 3: About games and being serious
  • Example of communication using ‘gestures’
  • Metalogue 2: Why do Frenchmen?

Categories

  • Examples
    • Apple
    • Nature
  • Topics
    • Brand
    • Change
    • Communication
    • Culture
    • Innovation
    • Knowledge
    • Leadership
    • Management
    • Marketing
    • Purpose
    • Relationship

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