This website or its third-party tools use cookies which are necessary to its functioning and required to improve your experience. By clicking the consent button, you agree to allow the site to use, collect and/or store cookies.
Please click the consent button to view this website.
I accept
Deny cookies Go Back

Intelligent Management

Deming and Theory of Constraints for CEOs and Executive Teams for the Age of Complexity. Ess3ntial Critical Chain Project Management

  • THE DECALOGUE METHOD
    • The Problem for Every Business
    • The Systemic Solution
    • synchronize competencies
    • How It Works
    • business insight and foresight through systemic cause and effect reasoning
    • Our Education Modules for Systemic Management
  • about us
    • Dr. Domenico Lepore
    • the founders
    • Intelligent Management Success Stories
    • Our Books
    • Clients
    • Expanding Spiral of Positive Systemic Results with Intelligent Management
  • blog & books
    • Blog Theory of Constraints and Deming
    • Our publications
  • ITALIA
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Can We Build a Better Future from the Past?

Jun 04 2025

Can We Build a Better Future from the Past?

Reality is changing so fast, we can hardly imagine life in five years’ time. Can the past help us build a better future?

For any country today, innovation is a reality and a necessity. At Intelligent Management we are thrilled to have been chosen to create a whole new area called “Science for Organizations” for the global platform www.innovando.news dedicated to Innovation. Innovando.news is internationally recognized as a reference point of authoritativeness, with contributions from entities such as NASA and CERN, the Wall Street Journal and leading brands such as Ferrari. We will be sharing regular articles on the elements of science that dramatically improve organizational and economic performance. COMING SOON! We are excited that these articles will have global exposure to millions of viewers. It is a unique opportunity to share the knowledge, method and tools that people will not learn in business schools but that are essential for business success in today’s world of complexity. Ironically, much of this knowledge has been around for decades, but it is key for developing continuous innovation. The more people adopt a systemic approach to business, the more we can build a better future economically and create purpose-oriented organizations that carry out meaningful work.

Does the past define us or can it help us build a better future?

At Intelligent Management, where we are British, Italian and all new Canadians, it’s a particularly significant time. Recently, Canada received a visit from King Charles III and this week Italy celebrated being a Republic. Canada and Italy (where we are currently visiting for projects and family) have made very different choices about how they are governed. Both countries face considerable challenges for the future. When feelings about the future are filled with fear, it can be tempting to look to the past for answers. When we look to the past, it is important to distinguish nostalgia from wisdom that we can use in the present to build a better future. Were things really any better in the past than they are today? Statistics will tell us otherwise. And there is only one thing that really counts and that is our ability to make intelligent choices here and now.  We can learn how to do this in a consistent and effective way.

A voice from the past that can certainly help us shape a better future is that of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. After the devastation of WWII, the Japanese were able to listen to, absorb and put into practice the wisdom of Dr. Deming. From the ruins, they arose to became an economic super power. The USA did not listen the same way. America continued to pay attention to quarterly results and not enough to Quality as an economic driver. Improve Quality, reduce cost, create jobs. You can hear this directly from Dr. Deming in this clip posted this week on LinkedIn by William ScherkenbachWilliam Scherkenbach

This week there was also an article about innovation and Deming’s Plan, Do Study, Act PDSA cycle, reminding us of the universal importance and applicability of this fundamental tool:

PDSA: The Secret Engine of Innovation Success 

Why companies need to lean into their systemic nature

Dr. Deming taught us that an organization is a system, whether it knows it or not.  A system, as Deming defines it, is a network of interdependent components that work together to achieve a common goal. Through our work over the years at Intelligent Management, it is increasingly clear that this systemic nature is not something we need to impose, it is something we can reveal. This starts with identifying the main processes that allow the company to operate, mapping the processes and beginning to monitor the variation that affects them so we know where and when to intervene to improve. Just carrying out this first step will lead to a better understanding of flow in the company and any blockages that can be easily removed.

Siloed business functions and departments that prevent free flow of information and interactions are an artificial imposition. They exist because of flawed assumptions about control. They create unnecessary barriers that prevent companies from effectively embracing the new technologies they need to be productive and competitive.  A recent article about AI states: “Done right, AI systems can radically change how information moves through a company. “You’re making information sharing easier,” he says. Mistral encourages its customers to break down silos so data can flow across departments.”

Recommended reading: Synchronizing Competencies Accelerate Throughput and Overcomes Silos

Is democracy at a crossroads?

Another recent thought-provoking article reflects on democracy and capitalism. The author, Kojo Koram, comments on taking his six-year-old daughter from the UK to visit Hong Kong. She is struck by its modernity and futuristic tech. When Koram was growing up, “Britain, the US and some parts of western Europe were the “developed world”. Everywhere else was “developing”. ” Now, instead, Asia and the Middle East are the futuristic destinations. Autocratic states are able to build at speed what mature democracies struggle to realize. “The idea that capitalism might work best with limited, or even nonexistent, democracy is quietly becoming more acceptable.” It is startling to read that “According to a Channel 4 study from earlier this year, 52% of gen Zers felt the UK would be a better place “if a strong leader was in charge who does not have to bother with parliament and elections”. This is a wake up call for democratically elected politicians to leave aside personal ambitions and agendas and commit to public service, making choices that put the interest of their country and the future wellbeing of its citizens first.

The King came to Canada

As a British new Canadian and Ottawa resident, I was particularly moved by the Throne Speech given by King Charles III to open the first session of the 45th Parliament of Canada. The occasion was solemn but, instead of the pomp of Westminster with crowns and tiaras, there was a special Canadian, friendly dignity among the representatives of various ethnicities and First Nations. The message in the speech was clear: there are unprecedented threats but there is also a great opportunity for Canada to think big and act bigger. Helping companies to think big and act bigger is precisely the mandate of the Theory of Constraints and we look forward to helping many more companies go beyond what they currently imagine to be possible. As Dr. Goldratt is famous for saying, the sky is not the limit.

Remove silos, choose growth

If you are interested in removing silos in your company to accelerate sustainable growth, that is why we as Intelligent Management exist. We are here to help companies with a true desire to unveil their intrinsic systemic nature so they can grow and thrive. And it’s always a pleasure to receive feedback:

To find out more about ten guided steps to a systemic leap in performance for your company, contact Angela Montgomery at: intelligentmanagement@sechel.ws
SCHEDULE AN INTRODUCTORY CALL WITH US

Intelligent Management works with decision makers with the authority and responsibility to make meaningful change to optimize your company for the digital age. We have helped dozens of organizations to adopt a systemic approach to manage complexity and radically improve performance and growth for over 25 years through our Decalogue management methodology. The Network of Projects organization design we developed is supported by our Ess3ntial software for multi-project finite scheduling based on the Critical Chain algorithm. 

See our latest books: The Human Constraint  from Routledge;  From Silos to Networks: A New Kind of Science for Management from Springer; Moving the Chains: An Operational Solution for Embracing Complexity in the Digital Age by our Founder Dr. Domenico Lepore,  and  ‘Quality, Involvement, Flow: The Systemic Organization’ from CRC Press, New York by Dr. Domenico Lepore, Dr. Angela Montgomery and Dr. Giovanni Siepe.

Written by angela montgomery · Categorized: Uncategorized

Search Form

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign Up For Our Systems View Blog!

Search Form

Recent Posts

  • Can We Build a Better Future from the Past? June 4, 2025
  • Companies that Challenge their Limiting Beliefs Can Thrive April 23, 2025
  • A Method for Breakthroughs: The Theory of Constraints March 31, 2025
  • The Biggest Bottleneck that Blindsides Business: Management March 14, 2025
  • Revealing the inner nature of any organization to create a leap in performance February 14, 2025
  • Dealing with Uncertainty in 2025 January 13, 2025
  • Exponential Thinking for Exponential Growth December 1, 2024
  • Why Physics Matters for Managing Organizations Systemically November 17, 2024
  • Addressing the Cognitive Human Constraint in Organizations October 27, 2024
  • Obstacles, Ambition and Getting to the Goal October 10, 2024
  • The Theory of Constraints: Why Words Matter so Much September 27, 2024
  • Can a Systems Approach Prevent Greed? September 12, 2024
  • The Human Constraint that Frees Us August 30, 2024
  • Optimize Your Company for the Digital Age August 22, 2024
  • Beyond Teams: Build a Systemic Organization August 15, 2024

Social Icons

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

Archives

  • June 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011

Recent Posts

  • Can We Build a Better Future from the Past? June 4, 2025
  • Companies that Challenge their Limiting Beliefs Can Thrive April 23, 2025
  • A Method for Breakthroughs: The Theory of Constraints March 31, 2025
  • The Biggest Bottleneck that Blindsides Business: Management March 14, 2025
  • Revealing the inner nature of any organization to create a leap in performance February 14, 2025

Our Blog

  • Can We Build a Better Future from the Past?
  • Companies that Challenge their Limiting Beliefs Can Thrive
  • A Method for Breakthroughs: The Theory of Constraints
  • The Biggest Bottleneck that Blindsides Business: Management
  • Revealing the inner nature of any organization to create a leap in performance

Recent Posts

  • Can We Build a Better Future from the Past? June 4, 2025
  • Companies that Challenge their Limiting Beliefs Can Thrive April 23, 2025
  • A Method for Breakthroughs: The Theory of Constraints March 31, 2025
  • The Biggest Bottleneck that Blindsides Business: Management March 14, 2025
  • Revealing the inner nature of any organization to create a leap in performance February 14, 2025

Connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Sign Up For Our Systems View Blog!

Search Form

  • Home
  • Blog Theory of Constraints and Deming
  • Library
  • How to adopt systemic organization management
  • Knowledge Base for ‘The Human Constraint’
  • Contact Us

© 2025 Intelligent Management Inc. Canada

Privacy Policy