What is common sense
I once attended a meeting where a senior executive in my organisation said” managing and improving processes is just common sense!” But what is common sense? A quick check online and I came up with the following definitions:
- Sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or fact
- Good sense and sound judgement in practical matters
- Your common sense is your natural ability to make good judgements and to behave in a practical sensible way
Well to this day, that executive is still struggling to make sense of processes. If managing processes really was just all common sense, then organisations and governments would all run smoothly, yet they do not!
Brexit should be common sense but it is not either!
Brexit is not going smoothly, nor will it. It would be very naïve of any individual or government to believe that they can deliver Brexit, yet alone in the time frames given. It is a complex process and in real terms a mix of hard (well defined easy to solve, able to quantify costs ) problems and soft problems(complex no easy solution, unable to quantify costs). Actually, it’s more like a mess! Messes are defined as issues or problem that are so technically and emotionally complex that there is no real solution and all you can do is try to manage your way through the mess.
When I think about Brexit from my own personal perspective I think that;
1. I consider myself to be a European Citizen with all the benefits that go with it. After more than 40 years of being in the EU, I do not believe that any government has the right to deny of be my right to be an EU citizen and all of the benefits that go with it. That is like taking my Nationality from me!
2. It does not matter how you voted, the cost and complexity of leaving the EU have many, many hidden consequences and costs. Politicians are only just scratching the surface of what the implication of leaving the EU will mean for the UK and its people.
3. Many people in the EU have made their homes in the UK and many UK citizens have made their home in other parts of the EU. Brexit changes all of that for them, I do not believe the government has any idea of the impact that Brexit will have for these EU citizens or the consequences of not being in the EU.
3. This was a political vote that the Tory government promised the people to get into power. It had nothing to do with managing, governing and protecting the UK. Personally, I consider the Brexit vote to be an act of gross ‘mis-management’ of the country.
4. Reality! It does not matter how you voted, all of the evidence and reporting that we are seeing shows that there is no simple solution to leaving the EU. The hidden costs and consequences of doing so will take years and years to resolve.
At best, we should stay in the EU. At worst, we should put leaving the EU on hold until such a time that the UK government can demonstrate to the people of the UK and the EU that it has a win/win situation for all involved.
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