Bring This Into Your Next Meeting

Start here: notice what’s happening in the moment

Use this when something feels slightly off but no one is naming it.

Most people can spot the moment once they see it:

A conversation that sounds aligned but isn’t.

A decision that lands then quietly drifts
A discussion that moves without actually going anywhere.

That’s where most approaches stop - they help you recognize the moment

But in the moment, the harder question is:

Do you step in? Do you let it pass?
And what happens if you get that call wrong?

That’s what the full Field Guide is built for - Real-Time Meeting Field Guide.

Practitioner 1 Pager- Real-Time Meeting Signals (pdf)Download

1 Pager Meeting Signals Reference

This 1-page guide is most useful to notice when:

the conversation moves, but nothing is actually decided
people agree, but ownership is unclear
something feels off, but no one names it
a concern shows up… and disappears just as quickly

These aren’t random. They’re repeatable patterns that show up under pressure. This guide helps you recognize the signal. But in the moment, the harder part is:

understanding what you’re actually seeing
knowing what kind of situation you’re in
sensing whether something is still forming… or already in motion
staying oriented when it’s not yet clear what matters

That’s where the Real-Time Meetings Field Guide comes in.

It goes beyond recognition and helps you make sense of these moments as they’re happening so you can decide, with more clarity, what’s worth engaging with.

Practical Resources & Tools

Real-Time Meetings - Field Guide

If you’ve used the 1-pager, this is the next step.

When something feels off in a meeting, most people notice it. They just don’t know what to do with it in the moment. That’s where things start to drift, stall, or quietly go sideways.

The Real-Time Meetings - Field Guide is designed for those exact moments.

Not after the meeting. Not in a debrief.. While it’s happening.

It focuses on 7 of the most common real-time situations, and for each one shows you:

what you’ll actually notice in the room
what it might be signaling underneath
options of what to do in the moment
where it can go if it’s left alone

Sometimes that means asking a question.

Sometimes it means naming what’s happening.

Sometimes it means doing nothing — on purpose.

The difference is: you’re not guessing.

If you’ve ever been in a meeting where:

something felt off, but you couldn’t quite name it
you hesitated to step in because it might derail things
you left thinking “we talked a lot, but nothing actually moved”

This isn’t a general facilitation guide as it focus on working with contradictions that show up in the room. It’s a way to recognize what’s happening as it unfolds and respond in real time.

Recognizing the moment is only the first step

What happens next is what determines whether things move… or repeat

👉 Join the Real-Time Signals Pilot
Includes the guide and a live session to apply it to your own situations

Join the Field Guide Pilot

Practical Guides for Understanding Patterns at Work

Gain Better Perception

The Field Guides translate our Workplace Absurdity Pattern Library into practical resources for people working inside real organizations.

While the pattern library helps you recognize recurring patterns

- like ethical drift, strategic theatre, or technological salvation,

the Field Guides focus on something more immediate:

understanding what you’re actually seeing when those patterns

show up and spark ideas of what to do before, during and after.

These guides are designed for the moments where something is happening or has just happened and it’s not yet clear what it is.

What the Field Guides Cover

Each guide supports working with patterns across different moments:

in real time — when something feels off, but hasn’t been named
in reflection — making sense of what just happened
in ongoing practice — recognizing patterns earlier over time

You’ll find:

ways to surface what’s actually happening beneath the conversation
ways to stay oriented without forcing or shutting things down
ways to understand what kind of situation you’re in before deciding how to engage

What the Field Guides Are (and Are Not)

The Field Guides are not prescriptive playbooks.

Complex situations rarely have a single right response.

Instead, they offer a way to:

make sense of what’s happening as it unfolds
understand what’s driving it
and judge what’s worth engaging with… and what’s already in motion

Who They’re For

The guides are designed for people working inside complexity:

practitioners inside organizations
consultants and advisors
leaders navigating change
researchers studying how work actually unfolds

Anyone who’s experienced that moment where something feels off but it’s not yet clear what it is

Get the Guides

What is the Organizational Absurdity Index?

Organizational Absurdity Index

What it is

Modern organizations rarely drift into dysfunction overnight.

Long before strategies fail or cultures fracture, small signals begin

to appear: contradictions between priorities, decision bottlenecks, quiet workarounds, and moments of organizational absurdity

that people learn to live with.

The Organizational Absurdity Index is an experimental diagnostic tool being developed through our Workplace Absurdities Research Program.

Its purpose is to help organizations recognize these signals earlier and interpret what they may be revealing about systemic pressure inside the organization. Rather than diagnosing problems after they become visible, the index explores how everyday absurdities can function as early indicators of deeper structural strain.

What it looks at

The index is currently being designed to examine patterns such as:

• recurring contradictions between strategy and execution
• fragmentation of authority or accountability
• decision bottlenecks and narrowing options
• workarounds that signal hidden constraints
• patterns of humor, irony, or frustration emerging in everyday conversations

Importantly, the index does not only measure deterioration.

It also looks for signs of adaptive capacity, where organizations are successfully absorbing pressure, maintaining orientation, and preventing systemic drift. This balance helps distinguish between environments that are under strain and those that are actively adapting.

Pilot phase

The Organizational Absurdity Index is currently being piloted and refined.

During this phase we are testing:

• potential absurdity indicators
• early warning signals of structural pressure
• patterns that reveal both decay and adaptation
• ways organizations can interpret these signals collectively

The goal is to evolve the index through real-world observation rather than theoretical design.

Invitation

We are currently looking for a small number of organizations and practitioner partners interested in participating in the pilot phase.

Participants will help test the indicators, contribute observations, and shape how the index evolves. If this is something you would like to explore join our pilot.

Join our Pilot