Buurtzorg…how to balance the books
It was quite strange to be outed and featured as a Labour supporter in the Guardian and Stage newspapers. And in the Daily Express. I am not sure whether my working life as an Actor, Blue Peter man or volunteer Chief Scout will resonate with the undecided voter but ever since I spent a few hours on train with Ed Milliband and watched him since in the midst of the political circus he seems to be the only leader with real integrity and in a position to oversee a government which represents the aspirations of most of the population. The policies too have balance and seem morally correct. Freeze energy bills. Palestine State. Homes for the young. Cut tuition fees. Fairness…for example.
I have always had problems with figures of authority, managers, rules and regulations which is probably why I am an
autonomous operator be it in the creative industries or as a maverick in the organisations I have become part of such as the BBC, Scouting, Education (in general) and more recently the NHS. I just couldn’t fit in with the moribund hierarchical systems that confronted me. I thought it was my problem. However I have discovered Buurtzorg (essentially meaning neighbourhood care) and I realise I’m not the problem. The circumvolution of bureaucracy is.
In essence the secret is to self manage your work and your passions. The end result is better and it saves a fortune.
You are responsible for what you achieve and the balance and checks we all need come from equally dedicated practitioners. So lets do away with bells and whistles of school, the layers of management in the NHS, the snake oil of the pharma industry…and the rest of an endless list that needs recalibration.
I am still touring in the play Birdsong (it’s about WW1) another tale of human mismanagement leading to horrendous consequences but more importantly my fish keep being eaten by Herons. Each time I stock up my modest pond with tiddlers – the big fat bird gobbles them up! It is a metaphor. Vote Labour.
