September is here and it’s time to move forward with the insight and understanding gained from months of upheaval. For many, this period has been devastating, for others it has opened up new opportunities. When the virus erupted back in March, we at Intelligent Management, like so many other businesses, were hit hard as most […]
A Practical Process for Working Remotely in a Team from the Theory of Constraints
Over the last three weeks of lockdown in Italy, the team at Intelligent Management has been working intensively with clients and partners remotely. We have been able to switch from working onsite to working remotely with great ease thanks to years of consolidated practice using the Thinking Processes from the Theory of Constraints. People always […]
The Theory of Constraints and Reaching New Heights
It’s complicated to shift our perception and the way we think if we live in a culture out of synch with what we are trying to achieve. That’s because we all live within networks of conversations that inevitably influence how we see the world. We are all ultimately free to choose our own path, but […]
If it’s so spectacularly effective to manage an organization around a constraint, why doesn’t everyone use the Theory of Constraints?
While working with a client at their plant last week, our Founder, Dr. Domenico Lepore, told the dramatic story of his visit to a German aluminium plant, part of a multi-billion, multi-national business. The General Manager had invited Domenico to visit and give a presentation after hearing him speak at a Theory of Constraints (TOC) […]
Some Summer Reading for Whole System Change
The famous “brioche con gelato” in Salerno, Italy. As we take a few days off mid-August Italian style, we wish all our subscribers and readers a serene and regenerating summer period. We will be back soon with our regular blog. In the meantime, here is a selection of some of our most popular posts […]
Purpose and Brand – Can They Be The Same?
One of the themes that comes up regularly in our work is that of purpose. This is because we generally start a relationship with a new client by analyzing where they are stuck today and how to move forward towards a more sustainable and satisfying future. In order to do this, we help them to […]
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 […]
Why you Need Theory, Not Tips, for Your Organization Today
The world is full of tips on how to do things better. The problem is that without some solid theory behind you, those tips are just patches. Theory, you say? But we need something practical, don’t we? Well, here’s the thing. There is no such thing as good practice without solid theory to back it […]
Empowerment: Making it Real in Your Organization
The word “empowerment “ has been applied so broadly that it is now meaningless. It has become “a catch-all and therefore empty word” as pointed out in reference to women by Hadley Freeman in her article (‘From shopping to naked selfies, how ‘empowerment’ lost its meaning’.) Sadly, with the overuse of certain words, many terms […]
New Essential Skills for Leaders in the Digital and Decentralized Age
There are new essential skills that leaders and managers need to acquire and that Business Schools are not offering. In the 21st century, organizations need to shift away from the artificial limitations of traditional hierarchies and silos and this change does require a cognitive shift. As we pointed out in our post Bulldoze business Schools? A New […]