ORGANIC or MECHANIC?

Your company isn’t a well oiled sowing machine or a mechanical watch. You can’t pull it apart and put it together again without destroying its very fabric. Yet this is the way managers talk: 'Reorganising', 'Departments', 'Pulling the lever', 'Hitting the breaks', Downsizing', 'Right sizing', 'Aligning functions', 'Oiling the wheels' etc.etc.

Organisations are living systems, more like the cells in your body, in a delicate equilibrium, constantly balancing between the changes within the organisation and outside the organisation.

THE CURRENT BUSINESS MODEL IS SLOWLY KILLING THE PLANET AND HUMANITY

The current business model is slowly killing the planet and humanity; but, it doesn’t have to be that way!]] - By looking back over about 30,000+ years of history, I’ve tried to explain in less than 10 minutes, why our current business model is so dangerous and what we can do about it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uz5L2SyfL8

WE DON’T USE THE POWER OF JOINING MINDS TOGETHER

I am referring to the incredible power of whole-brained teams of people sharing ideas in a creative and trusting environment. The controversial biologist, Rupert Sheldrake says that brains are more like radios than computers, they have the ability to pick up thinking energy from other people and also to transmit it. Project teams are the new way of working, I predict that in 20 years time no one will work in a 'job' as we currently define them. They are simply too inefficient and wasteful of our most precious resource ... brainpower.

ORGANISATIONS USE ONLY PART OF EACH PERSON - AND IT’S THE LEAST VALUABLE BIT

When I say we use only part of each person I am thinking primarily about two things. 

First, organisations tend to think only about how they can maximise the use of physical work and thinking work; they hardly ever try to maximise the power of feeling/caring or the power of wanting to leave a legacy. And yet most of the power of humans is tied up in these two. In my consulting work I encourage managers to think about their people as body (physical work), head (thinking work), heart (caring) and soul (legacy). 

Second, we are pushing people into boxes (jobs) that have little or no relationship to the inherent talents of the person. In my consulting work I teach managers that every person has a unique talent and if the organisation is to become great then they must find that talent and put it to work. I use Herrmann's Thinking Preferences to help managers identify and measure these talents.

WE USE ONLY PART OF OUR BRAINPOWER

When I say that we use only part of our brain, I am referring to the way our society favours left brain thinking and in the process devalues about 50% of human potential. At school, by the time we are 6 years old most of the creativity has been trained out of us. We need to learn how to look for alternatives and both/and solutions but we are taught only analysis and either/or thinking. In a recent study of American 18 year old students it was found that on average they had completed over 2000 examinations requiring a right or wrong answer. Creativity is a great untapped potential for organisations. The brain has awesome power, unfortunately it doesn't come with an operating manual and most people don't know how to use it most effectively. Creativity will not just happen, it has to be managed and people have to be given the tools and shown how. When I started out consulting, creativity was the focus of my practice, today it is still one of the cornerstones of releasing brainpower.

THE PAINLESS WAY TO MAKE CHANGE

Organisations are held in place by stories and structures. Most attempts at change focus on changing constraining structures (technical structures, organisation structure, cultural structures etc). When we try to change the structures (restructuring, downsizing, reorganising) we nearly always run into resistance and destroy value. A far easier and more productive way to change an organisation is by changing its stories. When one has a new story in one’s head, it’s almost impossible to continue to do the things that seemed to make sense under the old story.

MOST MANAGERS BELIEVE IN ORGANISATIONAL TREES

When the story you tell is of managing an organisational tree, it makes sense to be on top, hierarchical and dominating. However when the story you tell is of networks you manage in a completely different way, based on network science and the laws of networks. You know your success will depend largely on how well you understand and manage networks and strategic partnerships both inside and outside the organisation.

http://www.virtual.co.nz/index.php?n=Products.Networks

WHY SILOS ARE DANGEROUS

WHY SILOS ARE DANGEROUS

The story most managers believe is that we are separate individuals. This is why we structure organisations into jobs and have individual objectives and performance reviews.

Imagine if our managers knew the story that physicists have known for 50 years. That physical materials like solids, liquids and gases are interesting but not nearly as useful as the study of how things are organised and relate to each other.

An organisation, whether a company, a Department, or a Ministry, is a system and for it to work in an emergent type way it needs to be a system. It can’t be split up into segments or reorganised into silos and still be expected to behave like the original system because it won’t; it’s no longer that system. The individual parts (Marketing, Production, Policy, Corporate Services) might in some ways work like a system, but they will tend to work towards emergent behaviour that is favourable to itself rather than to the whole organisation, each going off in their own direction. 

This is the key reason why silos are so dangerous. They don’t allow systems to be systems and because they’re not systems they can’t possibly emerge like systems.

Most managers are way behind physicists because they spend lots of time and money selecting good people into the organisation without thinking much about the system these people are going to work in. 

There is no doubt that people behave according to the system they are placed in; therefore, it would be more advantageous if the organisation spent more time and money designing the system into which the people are placed.

TAP THE INSPIRATION

Inspirational leaders have a deep appreciation for what makes people unique. They believe people are created equal and different and that each person has a special contribution to make.

They tap into the passion of others, talk to them about what they love to do. Identify their unique talents, and let them excel in that space.

HAS THE PUBLIC SECTOR TAKEN A WRONG TRACK?

I think the reforms of the 1980s fell short in two ways:
They reduced our ability to solve important (wicked) problems The efficiency improvements may not have been as high as claimed after hidden costs are taken into account.

Ironically we were closer to the right track before the reforms of the 1980s that attempted to make the public sector more efficient but reduced its capacity to solve ‘wicked problems’. Let me explain:

http://www.virtual.co.nz/index.php?n=StrategicSnippets.HasThePublicSectorTakenAWrongTrack

WHICH IS MORE SUCCESSFUL: COMPETITION OR COLLABORATION?

Imagine if our managers knew the story biologists know: human beings evolved as small weak animals. To overcome this weakness we had the choice of two evolutionary tracks: either to grow bigger, or to multiple our size by collaborating with others. We chose the second track. It’s no wonder we are born to collaborate, it’s built into our DNA!

At the organisational level, many large mature workplaces suffer from cutthroat competition from within their organisation; knives in the back; dogs eating dogs; but, new research is showing that stepping on people isn't the best way to get ahead.

Because of our competition story, today we seem to sublimate much of our human nature in the workplace. What I find is power, ego, separation and fear dominating over care, love and cooperation. We need to listen, love, care and support each other. Today’s problems both in organisations and in the world are seldom technical, they are nearly all based on poor human relationships. It’s caused because our story is of competition whereas it should be collaboration.

The best story for competition is told when you are trying to improve yourself, not beat others.

IS IT BETTER TO IMPROVE YOUR WEAKNESSES OR GROW YOUR STRENGTHS?

Of all the business stories I’ve tried to change over the years this is the one that’s probably received the most “ahas.” It usually comes up when I’m introducing clients to Herrmann’s Brain Dominance Index. Our current story is really pervasive and quite stupid as I hoped the following story will show.

Steve Williams is talking to Tiger Woods: “Tiger I’m really pleased with the progress you’re making in your golf but your tennis is fairly weak. I want you to give up practicing golf for six months and concentrate on your tennis!”

http://www.virtual.co.nz/index.php?n=Products.HerrmannsThinkingPreferences

ANOTHER VERY BAD IDEA THAT MOST MANAGERS BELIEVE: “We live in a world of scarcity.”

Actually, “The most important things are plentiful.” In today’s business world where knowledge, creativity, beauty and connections matter far more than the balance sheet. All of these are plentiful and become even more valuable as they are used. Unfortunately because they are “free” managers tend to devalue them. As a result we are all poorer.

A VERY BAD IDEA THAT MOST MANAGERS BELIEVE

The bad idea is: “We need to change the people.” A much better idea is: “We need to draw out the greatness in everyone”

As managers, the story we tell ourselves is that our people are frail, weak and imperfect. It follows that our job is to change them and improve them. This is a total waste because it can’t be done. This story is only partly true; a more useful story is that we all have a bit of god in us and a bit of the devil. Managers with this story spend their time looking for the “god,” reminding people of the best of who they are, drawing out the greatness that already exists inside and putting this to work within the organisation. I wrote a book on this, it's called "Buddha Hunters."

WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT: THE PEOPLE YOU SELECT or HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER?

WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT: THE PEOPLE YOU SELECT or HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER?

In my experience, no matter how good your selection processes are, or how talented your people are, you will not be successful unless they understand, value and trust each other.

Which do you think is more important? Why?

ARE WE INDIVIDUALS FIRST OR COMMUNITIES?

Margaret Thatcher famously said: "There is no such thing as society:
there are individual men and women,
and there are families."

I think the ancient Chinese poem attributed to the Sage Wu Wei Wu, is more correct: "Why are you so unhappy? 
Because ninety nine percent of what you think, 
And everything you do,
Is for yourself,
 And there isn't one.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WHY DO SO MANY MANAGERS HATE THE STRATEGY PROCESS?

WHY DO SO MANY MANAGERS HATE THE STRATEGY PROCESS?

In my experience many line managers dread the annual strategic planning ritual. Too many processes are driven by numbers and analysis in large spreadsheets. It has little impact on organisation’s actions. It does not produce novel strategies. Instead, it perpetuates the status quo.

In a predictable market where there are few changes required in either technology or people, a weighting towards logic may be appropriate; however, in a less predictable market (and today most are) more magic (sometimes called Wicked) approach is needed

In my experience most New Zealand organisations rely far too much on the logic approach. As a result, many strategic workshops are boring, and not nearly as successful as they could be. We need a new model of strategy.

What do you think?

WHO SHOULD DRIVE THE STRATEGIC PROCESS - ANALYSTS OR LINE MANAGERS?

WHO SHOULD DRIVE THE STRATEGIC PROCESS - ANALYSTS OR LINE MANAGERS?

In my experience Line Managers are far better drivers of strategy because they understand the issues and reality in the market place. They are also the people who must execute the strategies and therefore their ownership is vital. Managers do not have sufficient ownership or understanding when strategies are presented to them by analysts. 

What do you think?

TWO SCHOOLS OF STRATEGY

There are two schools of thought about the Strategic Process:

1. Logic School - A left brain and linear school
2. Magic School - A right brain and nonlinear school.

Both schools have their strengths and weaknesses. It would be wrong to disregard either; however, in my experience most New Zealand organisations rely far too much on the Logical approach. As a result, many strategic workshops are boring, lack acceptance and not nearly as successful as they could be.

http://www.virtual.co.nz/index.php?n=Products.BruceHollandSStrategyProduct

WHEN MIRACLES ARE POSSIBLE

Hear Charles Eisenstein talks about miracles. 

He defines miracles as things that are impossible given old ideas of reality. 

New ideas of reality mean these things may no linger be impossible. 

These miracles are changing the world into something our hearts know is possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjoxh4c2Dj0