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How progressive are you? ‘This is a new and progressive policy.’ There’s something about the word progressive that sounds like it’s an intrinsically good thing. After all, who would want to lay claim to an old and regressive policy? Progressive = good; regressive = bad, right? In principle, to be progressive is to be an advocate of social change; particularly when it comes to representing the best interests of ordinary people through politics. Would you vote for a politician or party that chose to stand against such things? This is, however, where waters start to get muddy. Who are the so-called ordinary people and who knows and decides what’s in their best interests? Are the ‘ordinary people’ uniform in their experiences, hopes, needs and aspirations? What if making progress in one area or demographic has detrimental impacts in another? If everyone insists their policy is progressive, and if policies disagree sharply on fundamental issues and goals, does ‘progressive’ have any meaning at all? At this point, we may shake our heads in wonder, bewilderment and dismay. Yet I can offer us a solution; a new and progressive code-breaker, if you like. Progressive means, ‘Going in the direction I want things to go in’; regressive means, ‘Moving away from the destination I want to reach’. Simple. So, next time you hear someone stake a claim to the word – pause and inquire deeply into what lies hidden beneath it: beliefs, assumptions and values; whose goals and interests it serves.
10 Comments
Ian Henderson
8/6/2020 02:13:58 pm
Interesting thoughts Nick. To me 'progressive' is a very subjective word. Using my NLP meta model framework, my question whenever I hear the word is.......'according to whom?' I have heard politicians and people use it to describe policies that I think are anything but, but then again that's according to me and my map of the world. I even heard a Trumpster describe his policies as progressive. But, maybe to that individual they were!
Nick Wright
8/6/2020 02:18:18 pm
Thanks Ian. Yes, 'maps of the world' is a useful sense-making tool when grappling with issues like this. My sense is that, in spite of any explicit or implicit meaning of the actual word itself, it's often used as a label or slogan to appeal to people who associate 'progressive', mentally, culturally and emotionally, with 'positive' and, therefore, 'good'.
Adrian
8/6/2020 05:57:55 pm
And therein lies the challenge of our current socio-economic system and politics. We have to grow (to where), we have to win (against whom and what's the race and what happens when it's over), we mustn't get left behind (why, where are we and where are we even trying to get to).
Nick Wright
8/6/2020 07:05:12 pm
Hi Adrian. I think that illustrates well why 'progressive' has become such a meaningless term in some circles. To progress implies moving forward in relation to something and towards something. The elusive something is rarely spelt out explicitly. It's as if to be 'progressive' is a virtue in its own right. Your comments resonate well with this related short piece: http://www.nick-wright.com/a-jolting-wake-up-call.html
Chris Lever
8/6/2020 06:58:54 pm
Good one Nick and thought provoking as ever. It’s really important to get to what is meant by words and phrases. In our work we observe the same language on leadership or change often being used and it becomes very obvious very soon that people are talking about different things. An example from the leadership debate. ‘We want strong leadership’ well if the alternative is weak leadership who wouldn’t agree?! And of course this can usher in through selection and promotion people who are on the lighter end of the scale... clear, directive and at times a bit relationally clumsy right through to sociopathic types who present clarity, bullying or worse but all wrapped up in charm. We have been called in to many businesses to mop up after these types on quite a few occasions. And to our question after they have been given a golden goodby and wrecked havoc on the enterprise and good people... so why did you employ them.... comes the answer because we thought they were strong leaders. So your point is a critical one whether talking progressive/ regressive or the type of leadership needed at times of complexity.
Nick Wright
8/6/2020 07:49:28 pm
Thank you, Chris. That is a great analogy from the leadership debate. I too hear similar calls for 'strong leadership', without really spelling out what that is; what the perceived need for strong leadership says about the broader culture and context; what the potential flip sides could be of strong leadership in this situation and the future etc. I always think back to Adolf Hitler who, in his time, was regarded as sufficiently strong and progressive as to be voted into power. We do well to learn lessons from history. 8/6/2020 09:00:25 pm
Nick I love words. Words are the fuel of my commercial engine and the food of my consultative soul. And defining the meaning of words in different settings and different cultures is a thing of beauty.
Nick Wright
8/6/2020 10:10:38 pm
Thanks David. I love words too. I enjoy playing with words, dancing with words, painting pictures with words, bending and breaking grammatical rules and seeing what rises to the surface. :) Yes, making sense of words, the language and meaning behind the words, the cultural nuances that shape and give form to words, can be so creative and revealing. I'm interested in your idea of the progressive-regressive quadrant. I'm curious: what would you place on the other axis?
Ryan Haylock
8/6/2020 09:19:15 pm
Good article Nick, thank you. The world we live in is full of such statements, language and claims. I think true progression is generating win-win outcomes. And to do that well, you have to move away from the island of your perspective (including your ambitions and motivations) and travel to the far away and distant lands of other people’s perspectives.
Nick Wright
8/6/2020 10:18:13 pm
Thank you, Ryan. I think that's an interesting idea. Most claims to 'progressive' aim to distinguish a position, a stance, from that of others in order to, in some way, gain competitive advantage over them. The idea of an explicit goal to achieve win-win outcomes is quite different to that. I like your evocative imagery of islands and of being willing to travel to distant lands to achieve that goal. Leave a Reply. |
Nick WrightI'm a psychological coach, trainer and OD consultant. Curious to discover how can I help you? Get in touch! 
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