S1-E4: Radical Change, the Harvard Way

The Radical Bureaucrat

“Is there any way to rock the boat without falling out of it?,” is the central question of Debra Meyerson’s article “Radical Change, the Quiet Way,” which Sam and Abram spend this episode discussing. Meyerson’s article resonates because it addresses those “tempered radicals” who work to steer institutions toward justice from the middle – meaning without positional power. It’s a topic that forces us to contend with the racist and otherwise oppressive foundations upon which these public institutions, which we perceive as equitable and necessary, were built. Sam and Abram discuss this question of whether to work toward incremental change or to give into our frustrated impulse to “burn it down!” They also raise the issue of the aftermath of a generation of tempered radicals. That is, imagine a generation of marginalized people (for example, people of color) learns to advance in their institutions by quietly biding their time and absorbing bigotry until they access positional power. What happens once they’re in power, but have only accessed it by keeping quiet? Next, Sam and Abram break down the four strategies for organizational change in Meyerson’s article: disruptive self-expression, verbal Jiu-jitsu, variable term opportunism, and strategic alliance-building. Pulling out examples like wearing a dashiki to work or asking who’s going to take notes in a meeting, they explain and expand on each strategy. Further reading: “Radical Change, the Quiet Way” by Debra Meyerson. Harvard Business Review. October 2001. https://hbr.org/2001/10/radical-change-the-quiet-way The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. edited by Clayborne Carson. "