A brief scan of headlines today led to reading some alarming news. The USA has been downgraded from “full democracy” to “flawed democracy” (see Fortune article) and Mikhail Gorbachev made the statement in Time Magazine “It all looks as if the world is preparing for war.” Never take peace for granted Temperatures are rising in the world, politically […]
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? […]
Marketing Requires Knowledge and Method, not Techniques
There’s a lot of mystique and myth about marketing (and sales). What are they really? In this post we propose a solid, proven systems approach. Serious marketing leaves no room for improvisation. It requires thought, consistency and relentless effort. The methodical effort translates into consistent, monitorable results with built-in continuous improvement. Marketing is not a “company function” […]
Four Essential Qualities for Leadership in Today’s Complex World
Times are changing fast and leaders need to adapt. We have evolved far beyond a simple situation where people just need to be told what to do. What does it take to be a leader in today’s complex word? We give four essential qualities required for 21st century leadership. Number One: A leader must have […]
How to Shift from Underperforming Silos to a Sustainable System
In this post we look at how to design an organization as a sustainable system, how to operate as a sustainable system, and the results this will help us achieve. Any organization is already a system What would happen if everyone came to work and just did their own thing? Even with the best of intentions, this would […]
Opportunity Can’t Come from a Silo
As a new American president is sworn in, it’s worth remembering the traditional motto of the USA emblazoned on the new subway stations in New York: ‘E pluribus unum‘, meaning “from the many, one”. In other words, unity from a multitude. The USA has always represented a society of opportunity, enriched by a wealth of […]
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 […]
Working With Systems: a Word Map
What are the key terms that indicate how we can work within and on systems? How can we sum up in a ‘word map’ the field of knowledge that is required? We produced a word map to accompany our glossary for ‘The Decalogue’ methodology that encompasses the approaches of W. Edwards Deming and the Theory […]
Protecting Projects from Chaos: A Tool
Projects 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 are protecting projects from chaos: at […]
Focus on The Goal, or How to Walk on a Tightrope
In business, and in life, there can be times when it feels as though you are walking a tightrope. Every step is hazardous. It’s a scary prospect and it takes great skill to keep your footing. While speaking to an entrepreneur recently we were reminded of the anecdote of a Rabbi who was confident that […]
