This month marks ten years since the start of the 2007 financial crisis. Our economic models have failed us. Anyone who has lived with the aftermath of that crisis knows that. Many have lost their jobs, or lost their investments and even their future prospects. Many who expected to have a smooth career path are getting […]
Growth Mindset – Cultivating this Key Element of Success
“Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, ‘Grow, grow.” From The Talmud Do you feel as if you’re stuck the way you are or do you feel that you can grow? A book by a Stanford psychologist identifies a “fixed mindset” and a “growth mindset.” Depending on your mindset, […]
What’s a Priority? Thinking it Through
We need structure and priorities at every level in order to lead constructive and productive lives and to deliver whatever it is we produce as companies and individuals. So the practical problem becomes, how do we decide what a priority is? When we’re faced with something we have to accomplish or a project, where do […]
Truly Transformational – The Theory of Constraints (TOC) and Unity of Purpose
Once you have understood and experienced the transformational power of the Theory of Constraints there is no going back. It changes your life in ways that you might not have imagined. This is true for individuals as much as it is for companies and organizations. Where does that shift come from? This week marks the […]
Beyond the Comfort Zone for Organizations
The problem with comfort zones is that we stick with them even when they are no longer fit for purpose. We prefer to squeeze ourselves into an awkward space as long as it’s familiar, rather than expanding into the unknown. Comfort zones prevent us from doing anything that goes beyond what we already know. In […]
Project Resilience – a Systems View
Conversations at Intelligent Management this week have been abuzz with Project Management. This is hardly surprising as we have been preparing to speak at the sold-out event tomorrow evening for PMI Northern Italy dedicated to the New Leadership for Complexity. But also because Project Management really is at the heart of every kind of business. […]
Design Thinking and the Power of a Systemic Thinking Tool
We were asked to contribute to a workshop for post-graduate students from diverse backgrounds who co-create an interdisciplinary design strategy under the guidance of a faculty of professional designers and architects. As Systemic Thinkers who work with the Decalogue Methodology, what can we share with these students? That the final product of our design effort should be a […]
The Traditional Hierarchy Organization Doesn’t Work Anymore
Why are people still stuck in adopting a traditional hierarchy and functional organization structure when there are clearly so many drawbacks? When organizations are created and organized in a matrix of vertical hierarchy and functions, an inevitable consequence is the existence of a series of “walls” or divisions that inhibit the resources involved in producing an optimal […]
State of the Art Project Management with Critical Chain
Too many projects all over the world fail to deliver, coming in late and over budget. We all pay the price for this. The reason is because much of Project Management is flawed in its thinking and execution. It doesn’t have to be this way. In his 1997 business novel called ‘Critical Chain’, Dr. Eliyahu […]
Reorganizing for the Digital Age
The nature of work is changing and it’s happening fast. So fast, in fact that companies are struggling to keep up with the changes. Reorganizing for the Digital Age is a challenge that all companies will have to face. Only 11 percent of global companies report they are prepared to build “the organization of the […]
