The Idler

YOU HAVE TO BE MAD TO WORK HERE

GARETH ELLIS on the latest corporate trend: employing court jesters to say the unsayable

Managers are now employing corporate jesters to dispel madness within corporate life. Inspired by the fool in King Lear, their job is to bring wisdom through their comic antics. Now companies have become like medieval courts. Fooling is serious business.

‘Fools pinpoint absurdity by acting out the absurd.’ Explains Paul Birch, British Airways’ first corporate jester. “They act as a mirror in which people see their mistakes without having to admit to them. This enables Fools to challenge accepted wisdom and create new alternatives. As such, they’re entrusted with the sensitive task of managing and controlling change.”

Whilst not every company has an official jester, Birch believes Fooling has an increasingly important role within the workplace, where folly challenges the predictable Human Question Mark, asking all the questions that no one else will - as well as the really stupid sounding ones.

“The fool sees things as they really are. Fooling is fun,” claims David Firth, an innovation consultant, who runs a school for fools and a Foolish clinic that tours conferences giving foolish advice - advice that seems ludicrous but actually makes you re-think the situation afresh.

“We do not suffer fools gladly in our organisations - which is one of the reasons we’re short on wisdom too,” says Firth. “Our Emperors remain naked. Our cultures vibrate with the tension of people thinking, ‘They must be able to se what’s wrong? Why don’t they ask us? Why don’t they change?’ - but not having the power, the authority or the skills to do anything about it.’

Corporate Fools trace their lineage back to the 12th Century, where their precursors were granted license to speak out in court. Absurdity freed the Fool from conventional restraints; he could do the undoable and say the unthinkable, exposing genuine absurdity that would otherwise have lain unmentioned. When the fool became the Queen’s pampered lap dog - nothing more than the butt of perennial jokes - then the court was lost. Without its voice of Foolish reason it would slide into decadence.

Paul Birch was appointed by then CEO Sir Colin Marshall to tackle the collective insanity that had seized parts of the World’s Favourite Airline. He told Birch to ’swan around, stick your nose in and be a pain in the arse - as long as it’s all measurable’.

Birch despaired of British Airways’ culture of autocracy and sycophancy. ‘The board were like courtiers, jealous of their baronies. They fought out their petty feuds through lackies and brand managers. No one ever admitted they were wrong.’ As a sane man in an insane world he prescribed a hearty dose of creative Folly, hoping to encourage honesty and creativity amidst the corporate bullying.

As a corporate jester Birch held sessions where he turned reality on its head so others might discover understanding. A professional trouble starter, Birch encouraged managers to chase each other with water guns. Or he would create confrontational scenarios that challenged status: participants had to pretend to be giants (’shouting’), witches (’casting spells’) or dwarves (’beating’ people’s knees’) - and then work within these roles to redesign a new seat allocation system.

Only the truly sane can turn reality on its head. Foolishness requires a sanguine perspective on the role of work and the need to reject the reward and punishment systems that underpin modern corporate life. ‘Whilst anyone can be a fool,’ says Birch, ‘it helps if you’ve a great future behind you.’

Birch held his Foolish post for two years until Bob Ayling became CEO and made him redundant - for ‘taking the piss’. Given British Airways’ recent plummet, Birch feels history has shown only one fool remained.