The problem with comfort zones is that we stick with them even when they are no longer fit for purpose. We prefer to squeeze ourselves into an awkward space as long as it’s familiar, rather than expanding into the unknown. Comfort zones prevent us from doing anything that goes beyond what we already know. In […]
Performance Optimization and Interdependencies: When 1+1= More Than 2
What happens when more than one person or more than one thing work together in the same direction? Is the result just the simple sum of their efforts? The answer to this question is yes, but ONLY when the elements involved are independent of each other. In the theory of systems, the global “performance” of any […]
How CIOs Can Break Free of the Silo Prison with Systemic Management
What if there were a way to break free of the silo prison? What if we could build an organization where the best qualified could fully contribute and unleash their potential, where there was engagement, transparency, efficient communication and sharing of information? Well, there is. And CIOs are perfectly poised to change the music and spearhead the transformation. […]
Four Fundamental Strands of Knowledge for Managers and Leaders
Although the majority of organizations are divided up into functions and silos (and suffer every day from the ill-effects of that) they are in fact one system. They simply do not see it because of an out of date approach to management based on vertical hierarchy and local optima. What do we mean when we […]
Freeing Yourself from Limiting Beliefs
We’re getting ready to launch our new eBook ‘The Human Constraint’, a business novel for the New Economy. We’re excited to share a snippet of the accompanying online learning centre that accompanies each chapter of the novel. This section deals with limiting beliefs and a tool to overcome them. Assumptions and limiting beliefs In a chapter […]
Crash, Bang, New Economics (and How We Can Build It)
Our economic models have failed us. Anyone who has lived with the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis knows that. Many have lost their jobs, or lost their investments and even their future prospects. Many who expected to have a smooth career path are getting by from contract to contract, or may even be chronically unemployed. The […]
How Do I Make Use of Systems Thinking Stuff in an Organization?
Question: I have an organizational situation that I need to address and I’m not sure how to go about it. I’ve been hearing a lot about something called systems thinking and I’m interested in understanding what it is and how I benefit from it addressing the situation at hand. Your thoughts on how to pursue […]
Holacracy vs. Hierarchy? The Answer Lies in Managing Complexity.
A recent article about the company Zappo’s relates how they have chosen a new organizational structure of holacracy that removes traditional managers and job titles. They believe this new structure will allow them to grow in a way that is less rigid and bureaucratic. While this may be a move in the right direction from […]