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Mindfulness in OrganisationsChangeabilityRule-orientedRule-Breaking PeopleSelf Stabilisation of Social ComplexitySituation-orientedPresent PresentGuiding Process Handling the PresentSystem DynamicsSingularity and Repetition

Singularity and Repetition

This is not the place to tackle the question as to whether there is such a thing as repetition, or rather, whether things are not all singular and unique. Nevertheless, organisations must solve these philosophical questions in their daily work, because they have to repeatedly utilise general rules for singular situations. A pragmatic approach to the problem consists of understanding the application of a rule not as a compliance, but rather, as an interpretation. The handling of rules would then generally be understood as the necessity of directing the rule to the respective, specific present. In this train of thought, the present past (rule) is contained, but not yet the present future (goals). If you include these, then every repetition (=application of a rule) would also be bound to a singular future, which must be kept in mind. When applying rules, every employee in an organisation would have to direct his attention to the stipulated past as well as to the desire, and aspirations for the future.

Rules create security. Fundamentally, they can only be viewed as safe when they obscure the future, because they may be unsuitable for this. Singular action, however, can only be viewed as meaningful when one can ignore the created chaos, which arises because, with each action, one produces new conditions which are not attuned to each other. Therefore, out of necessity, organisations constantly organise the interconnectedness of the singular and the regulated. They cannot always place emphasis on one side, without, in the long term, endangering themselves.