# The Room of Make-Believe By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2024-03-23 In childhood, imaginations can run wild in make-believe. Pretending allows one to explore alternative realities. Engaging in such fantasies reveals things about play, oneself, and one’s context. It can be both fun and engrossing. Organizations engage in similar activities in the room of make-believe. These are more commonly referred to as conference rooms. In these rooms, employees gather and pretend all sorts of incredible things. Among the collective delusions are things like the person in charge knowing what needs to be done, quality work being rewarded, people being committed to the organization, and this group being meaningfully different from any other randomly selected set of professionals. The degree of make-believe is nowhere more significant than in the conference room. In one’s office or cubical, one glimpses reality. In small-group conversations, the truth is whispered. However, when the group is assembled in the conference room, one knows the expected role to play. To spice things up, a nay-sayer is frequently included. This person will add just enough edge to make the pretense collectively believable. Whereas this person can be negative and critical, the person isn’t permitted to call into question fundamental aspects of the group fantasy. Others will attempt to buffer the message if the person gets too close. In extreme cases, a break will be called to protect the illusion of positivity. Make-believe, in childhood, unlocks new, creative paths of inquiry and understanding. In conference rooms, it precludes the interrogation of reality. Organizations would benefit from fewer meetings and more discussions. Break free of the conference room and keep it real. #### Related Items [[Imagination]] [[Work]] [[Meetings]] [[Organization]] [[Truth]] [[Radicals]]