In our previous post, we suggested three steps towards a new economics for sustainable prosperity. In this post we look at two more fundamental steps in a shift towards a new economics and how network theory and science can assist us in finding new ways to operate practically as organizations within a new mindset for […]
Network Thinking: Changing How We see the World
Adopting a network perspective changes how we see the world and our place in it. In this post we look at how that applies to organizations and their design. Revolutions in thought have been part of our human development, from Copernicus’ unveiling how the sun does not revolve around the earth to Darwin’s theory of evolution, […]
Systemic Organization Management for the Age of Complexity
As this post is being written in Italy where we first set up our firm and where we are visiting for projects, it’s not surprising that we often think about how we first started in the mid 1990s in Milan. Back then, we worked with organizations to transfer Deming’s principles about Quality. It quickly became clear […]
Organizations as Networks: The Physics of Management
Networks are not just Facebook etc. but also a way we have of understanding nature. Network Theory is a new realm of physics and it matters for management. We were recently asked what we now do differently since the Decalogue methodology, based on Deming and the Theory of Constraints, has become informed by Network Theory. […]
Variation in Processes: The Time it Takes to Sell
Everything we do in an organization can be considered as a process. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: whether we realize it or not, every process is affected by variation. We need to understand and manage this phenomenon of variation in processes if we want to achieve the best results. Let’s look at […]
Does Universal Healthcare Make Any Sense?
A recent conversation was a reminder that few things like universal healthcare can mark a divide between Americans and Europeans (and Canadians). Americans tend to consider healthcare not a right but something to be earned. There is a moral argument going on here. But what if providing healthcare for all just makes scientific and economic sense? […]
Can We Avoid Catastrophe with a Network Vision of Enterprises?
Reality is made up of networks. That’s what we’ve come to understand thanks to contemporary science. This is as true for biology and physics as it is for our social, political and economic reality. However, most organizations haven’t yet learned to catch up with this fact on a practical level. What do we mean by a […]
A New Curriculum for Business and Management
Our business world is changing rapidly. Complexity dominates and old solutions no longer work. Some refer to this as the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’. Given all these changes, it is remarkable to see that MBAs are offering much the same program content as 20 years ago. We believe that a radical change is needed in the […]
Complexity and Root Cause Analysis – Where Is the Link?
We’ve been asked how come we talk about complexity and also root cause analysis. Aren’t they incompatible? The answer is no, and here we explain why root cause analysis is your best friend in managing complex situations and environments. Why complexity and a “reductionist” root cause analysis are not incompatible Let me preface this post […]
How To Embed Creative Business Thinking In Your Organization
We may think we know how to think, but can we do it better? This post looks at some tools for systematic, creative thinking for business (and beyond). A recent article in the Globe and Mail newspaper asks the question, how can we produce more creative business thinkers? What sort of things should business schools […]