Introducing this series We decided to publish this series to comment on what we see as urgent leadership issues. The multiple global crises the world is experiencing are highlighting a serious knowledge gap affecting leaders and executives. This gap leaves them unprepared to interpret and respond with speed to complex, non-linear phenomena. It is nothing […]
How to Prevent Chaos in Any Project or Initiative
Projects, or any initiative we embark on, can easily get out of hand. They are subject to the chaos that can arise when human interactions are not governed by precise guidelines. Entropy exists and it affects behaviours as well everything else. When we use the Transition Tree Tool to break projects down into actions we […]
The Words We Use Can Change Our Reality – Shifting to a Systems View
This morning I spoke to a highly accomplished, bi-lingual woman who works in software. We agreed that the words we use when we work can have an enormous impact. For example, in her environment, the word “project” has acquired a stigma because of the pain associated with it so now she talks about “initiatives”. This […]
The Human Constraint – Going Beyond What We Think Is Possible
Our lives today are filled with unprecedented levels of rapid change and complexity. Unintended consequences can quickly emerge from inadequate leadership thinking, so we must urgently learn to think not just in a “joined-up” way but in a systemic way. This means developing the skills to: understand and analyze our current reality, as individuals and organizations; […]
Building Company Culture with Process flow
Building a company culture based on the principles of Quality, Involvement and Flow is not just about nice words. Together, these principles form the basis of a highly operational way to create an organization that satisfies the customer and the people working within it. It’s been our privilege over the years to help many companies work […]
Continuous Innovation and Finding Breakthrough Solutions in Turbulent Times
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 […]
The Network of Projects –a Concrete and Operational Alternative to Deloitte’s ‘Adaptable Organization’
There is clearly something very wrong with the way most companies above a certain size are managed. They are fragmented, wasteful, slow, over-bureaucratic, unable to leverage internal talent, detached from their customers’ needs and, in most cases, a frustrating place to work. When a global crisis hits, these inadequacies become acute and a real threat […]
Deloitte’s ‘Adaptable Organization’ Transformation – Nice Images, Shame About the Content
We are not in the business of comparing or contrasting what other consultants do. Consequently, we would not normally engage in a takedown of anybody’s work. However, the inadequacies of what Deloitte is proposing with its ‘Adaptable Organization’ could not elude us. We’re grateful to all those thousands who viewed our post on LinkedIn […]
Roadmap to Economic Recovery: An Open Letter to Leaders on Adopting a Growth Mindset
Six leaders of the largest business associations in Canada recently wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister Trudeau, praising him for his swift response with relief measures that succeeded “thanks to the government’s conscious decision to act quickly, pursue bold policies and take risks.” The signees stress that for success to be achieved going […]
Constraints and Bottlenecks – You Need to Know the Difference
Bottlenecks are a new buzzword. This is a sad reflection of what is happening with the Coronavirus and the tragic chaos caused by the shortage of intensive care beds as well as protective equipment. Never before has it been so clear on a global level how important effective supply chains are to our wellbeing. Bottlenecks […]
