The Waggle Room - Ep 15 - Nick de Voil - Hidden Channels in Organisations

Nick De Voil brings a unique perspective to business analysis, combining his background in Russian, computer science, and human-centred design. This conversation explores the hidden communication channels in organisations - what Nick calls the 'service tunnels' alongside the main channels. We discuss why consensus is often an illusion, the power of metaphor in understanding complex systems, and why the explicit signal isn't always the real message.## Key Topics- The evolution from systems analysis to modern business analysis- Why organisations struggle with user-centred design despite decades of knowledge- The Channel Tunnel metaphor: main tunnels vs service tunnels in organisational communication- Group construct analysis and George Kelly's personal construct psychology- The role of metaphor and storytelling in business analysis- AI's impact on business analysis - productivity vs thinking- Marshall McLuhan's "the medium is the message" and organisational signals## Where to Listen- Website: https://thewaggleroom.com- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheWaggleRoom- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/TheWaggleRoom- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-waggle-room/id1879089102- Substack: https://substack.com/@mickbrian## Guest InfoNick De Voil is a business analyst, trainer, and writer who specialises in user experience, service design, and human-centred approaches to organisational change. He's contributed 20 articles to BA Digest magazine and teaches courses in user experience, business analysis, and service design. Connect with Nick on LinkedIn or read his articles at blackmetric.co.uk.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickdevoil/BA Digest (the full GCA article series): https://www.blackmetric.com/ba-digest/User Experience Foundations (BCS): https://shop.bcs.org/store/221/detail/WorkGroupByIsbn/9781780173498