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Virtuous Means
Business is and has always been a reflection of and a transmission vector for the culture of its age. Business in our age is increasingly infected by what the evolutionary psychologist Gad Saad calls “idea pathogens”. If those of us in the world of business don’t dare to speak freely and give expression to heterodox views, then we will have none to blame but ourselves when the genius of our free enterprise system collapses under the relentless and decades-long march of political correctness through our institutions. As a consequence, we will all be poorer in mind, body and spirit.(more…)
Realising the future
‘The future ain’t what it used to be,’ said Yogi Berra. But we can at least think about what we might do to make it turn out more favourably than if we just allowed matters to run their course. (more…)
The horns of a dilemma
Complex systems, by their nature, generate a tangled web of connecting causes and effects. So it’s surprising how often solutions aimed at fixing root-cause issues come down to a binary choice: do ‘X’, or don’t do ‘X’. Both can seem necessary—the classic dilemma. So what’s the way out?(more…)
Mapping your current reality
All models are wrong. By definition, they simplify reality. The map is not the territory, but sometimes it’s exactly what you need. Imagine if you could isolate the root causes of problems in your organisation and map their connections on a single page.(more…)
Getting clear about your goal
Many organisations confuse their goal with their vision, mission or purpose. When I help my clients define their goal, I specifically ask for an answer of at least how much by no later than when? It’s not a target, but rather a bearing with two coordinates. If you can make more, sooner, then why not? (more…)
Reason to think
How structured is your thinking? No less a figure than W Edwards Deming made the theory of knowledge one of four pillars in his System of Profound Knowledge. And yet, in my experience, very little structured thinking goes on in our modern workplaces. (more…)
