It’s not a trick, a gimmick or a quick fix recipe. It’s a way of thinking, a mindset; some would go as far as saying it’s a way of being. The revolutionary nature of Goldratt’s approach to Project Management often gets lost. In this post, we look at just one of the crucial aspects that […]
Ensuring Growth in the Digital Age: Looking at Retail
The speed of the change that digitization is bringing is dizzying. It is forcing companies to think hard about the very meaning of the way they do business. Old models are no longer valid and businesses need to catch up fast or lose market share and opportunities. Consolidated experience that had a high value suddenly […]
Is Amazon a Dysfunctional Organization? Definition and Cure
“There is no such thing as a dysfunctional organization, because every organization is perfectly aligned to achieve the results it gets.” – Jeff Lawrence. We were asked to comment on this statement. Here is our reply. The word dysfunctional contains the prefix dys- from the Greek meaning “bad”, “abnormal”, “difficult”, or “impaired”. We can say […]
Always Be Adding Value in the Digital Age
The unstoppable advance of Digital Transformation is leaving household names in its wake while creating unlimited opportunities for others. Why is it becoming so hard to survive for many established players? Much of it has to do with the speed of the changes taking place and failure to shift to the mindset required for a new […]
Social Enterprise – Why Every Business Should Be One
Everything we do as enterprises, good or bad, impacts our community, as Seth Godin in his blog pointed out. We take that concept a step deeper to say that there is no conflict between doing good for the community and making a profit, as described in this excerpt from our business novel ‘The Human Constraint’. On the hotel patio, […]
Three Steps to Optimal Performance in Any Organization
There are three steps that allow any organization to achieve optimal performance. Before we say what they are, let’s step back and understand one fundamental principle that affects how organizations get results. What happens when more than one person or more than one entity work together in the same direction? Is the result just the […]
Silos – Overcoming the Enemy of Digital Transformation
If organizations need to learn anything today it’s how to overcome silos. Silos are the number one enemy of productivity and competitiveness, especially in digital transformation. They also seriously threaten the quality of life of employees. An article by former Navy Seal Chris Fussell ‘The battlefield experience that made me realize the danger of silos and isolated […]
Overcoming Divisiveness with Practical Collaboration
Today we have unprecedented technological means for connection, so it is paradoxical that there is so much divisiveness in the world. Divisiveness is one of the most negative forces we face, whether it be at the level of individuals or nations. Polarization is increasing, creating an ever greater divide between the haves and have nots […]
The Human Constraint and Leadership Thinking
Our lives today are filled with unprecedented levels of rapid change and complexity. Unintended consequences can quickly emerge from inadequate leadership thinking, so we have an urgent need to learn to think in a “joined-up” way. The definition of ‘joined-up thinking” is: “thinking about a complicated problem in an intelligent way that includes all the […]
How Businesses Can Make the World Better – Whole System Transformation
People struggle to understand big systems, such as nations and alliances. It’s just too big and complicated (what better proof than U.K. citizens voting to leave the European Union.) So they try to break things down into simpler pieces, build walls and set up barriers (silos, fiefdoms, departments). Unfortunately, that just doesn’t work. Why? The […]