No mining country for old men: innovation comes from the young
As these two photos prove, time changes things. Maybe we old men should put up and shut up. Or at least retire to blog-heaven. Not hang around hogging opportunities best reserved for the young.
Let me explain. In the February 2008 issue of the CIM Magazine (page 23) there are five photos of old men. Five photos lined up across the top of the page: an unedifying sight if ever there was one. Maybe, like above, there are historical archives where there are photos that would actually be worth the ink & paper.
These five photos are of the men chosen to run The Canadian Mining Innovation Council. I confess that I passed over this article with a yawn. But an older colleague pointed out to me how ridiculous it is to see old men trying to spearhead change and innovation.
I see his point. Where are the young men who should be leading “a bold approach to a sure future” as promised by the article? With all due respect to these old guys, none of whom I know personally, they don’t seem to be the type with a proven track record of past innovative success. One is a Deputy Minister; one another old professor; one the head of a mining association; and one works for the CIM. I mean where is the record of successful innovation in that roundup? Seems all they have done is attend meetings and spend taxpayer money.
They claim so wide a mandate, so full of fuzzy objectives, so pompous-sounding that we will never be able to judge their success or failure. Here is what they want to do:
Improve mining research, innovation and commercialization efforts in order to strengthen Canada’s preeminent role as a global leader in mineral exploration, mining, and knowledge-base services and technology.
Increase the supply of highly qualified graduates from mining and earth science faculties to meet the significant current and future demands of industry, government, and academia.
Sounds like revellers in an expensive restaurant scratching on the back of the menu. Maybe it is just the manifesto of the Society of Utopians. Or is this a glorious call to action to pre-empt other initiatives to improve, expand, increase, enhance, etc. this glorious Canada: the preeminent global leader in all things mining?
I recommend that the first objective of this country of old men should be to resign en masse subject only to the taking over of their seat by a person under forty. I know such under-forties exist. There are “young” people in Canada. We the old should be seeking to find them, nurture them, and pass the country over to them. We should not be setting ourselves up for sitting on more committees holding onto the levers of privilege.
And if you are a young Canadian and as distressed as I am by this old-man power grab, contact Michel Plouffe at NRCan and offer your services.
1 comment
Jack,
You have raised an issue that deserves long and careful consideration, for the relevance of your comments apply to the entire mining industry, not just to CIM.
First, you write that the “five old men” lack a track record of innovation. Would this standard also apply to the under-40 crowd? Perhaps the criterion should be a documented track record of innovation, regardless of age.
Second, you write that their broad mandate is “full of fuzzy objectives.” As anyone can tell from my web site, book, and other writings, I find this statement to be too ambiguous. Do you mean that their objectives are insufficiently objective; too vague or imprecise? Or, do you mean that the objectives are impractical and unachievable?
In my limited experiences with the mining industry I find an overall resistance to change. Of course, most people — regardless of industry — fear change so this is a reflection of society rather than an old-line, basic industry. The willingness to accept change, even to seek it out and embrace it, is what is needed to face a rapidly changing world. Perhaps the discussion should be how to encourage decision-makers to willingly accept change when it can be shown to be beneficial to them and their companies.
Rich
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