Something I'm not fond of.

I was at another meeting last night, and while the word wasn't used the sentiment was implied.  It made me realise I dislike the whole idea.  Really, really dislike it.  The feeling kept me awake longer that it should have last night.

What is this idea you wonder?

First some background.  I love creativity.  To take a single idea, air it, freeing it and following where it goes.  Engaging with it's journey and documenting the results (no matter how weird, wonderful, or mundane even.)  Bringing something new into being.  Creativity is wonderful.

Working together in a group is great too.  Sharing ideas and planning new routes.  Coming together to a nexus with a shared goal in mind then multi-furcating (since often more than two are involved) to make something larger again.  Each mind creating from their single idea.  The sine wave, the plethora, the journey of many.  (Yes, even the disagreements and tensions.)

Policy (or protocol) is less appealing to me.  Although in large circles (or spirals or masses) of organisations these things are often necessary.

What I really, really, dislike is initiative.

Initiative raises one above the many.  One who declares they are above the group.  One who demands their own way.  One who delights in undermining the rest with their own ideas, forged in secret.  Ideas which impose a direction.

Initiative is praised.  Wrongly.  Initiative is the poison arrow to productivity.  It insists each be capable of running the show.  It is infection, swamping creative spirit in a black puss of ill-will and demoralization.

Initiative ignores the rules, corals ideas.  It leaves those playing properly with nothing left to do, nothing to add.  No contribution to make.  Behind the new leader, rushing to catch up.

The concept is bad enough, but I don't even like the word.  The letters in it are too pointy.