Many say competition brings out the best in us. Is this fact or fiction?
Let’s assume it is fact. Accordingly, since we want the best to emerge from whatever involves people we must make it a competition. We want a winner to incite the rest (of us losers) to become winners. No one wants to be [...]
Archive for the ‘Systems Thinking’ Category
A Competing Fact
Posted in Leadership, Systems Thinking, partnership, tagged human spirit, Leadership, management, partnership, relationships, Systems Thinking on March 17, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Superficiality Won’t Suffice
Posted in Leadership, Progress, Systems Thinking, tagged human spirit, Leadership, management, organizational design, partnership, relationships, Systems Thinking on February 17, 2010 | 1 Comment »
How leaders—management in authority—respond to the question, what is the business of business, will likely pre-figure how they design and manage their organization.
If those in authority believe the business of business is profit then they will very likely organize and manage as if the world is their oyster. According to this system of thought, reality [...]
Hidden Lessons in Leadership
Posted in Leadership, Systems Thinking, partnership, tagged Critical Thinking, human spirit, Leadership, management, relationships, Systems Thinking on February 10, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Since examples can illustrate successful action, many aspiring leaders often search for them to direct (their) action. And just as often those copying these examples fail. Why? Because they really don’t know what to copy! There is rarely ever any critical thinking about the examples, so there is nothing learned from them. In other words, [...]
Mind Before Money
Posted in Problem Solving, Quality, Statistical Thinking, Systems Thinking, tagged Complexity, Critical Thinking, Decision-making, Leadership, management, Problem Solving, Progress, Quality, Statistical Thinking, Systems Thinking on February 3, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Often those in authority within an organization—frequently referred to as ‘the leadership’—use the thing they believe is valued by most as a way of resolving a complex problem. That is, they throw money at it! While it does cost money to solve problems—energy is often expended—this does not mean that everything can be solved with [...]
Profit isn’t Enough for Progress
Posted in Leadership, Progress, Systems Thinking, tagged Critical Thinking, Decision-making, Leadership, management, partnership, Progress, Systems Thinking on January 22, 2010 | 3 Comments »
Just what is the business of business? What should be the primary focus of decision-making in business? If you are like most then you likely agree with Milton Friedman’s thinking—which many graduates of business school tacitly learn—that the clear-cut answer is profit. After all, we have a free enterprise private property self-interest maximizing economic system, [...]
Connect The Dots
Posted in Statistical Thinking, Systems Thinking, organizational design, tagged Critical Thinking, Decision-making, Leadership, Learning, management, organizational design, Problem Solving, Quality, Statistical Thinking, Systems Thinking on January 15, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
The Christmas Day terrorist attempt on a flight to Detroit highlighted an all too common problem in organizations. Information may exist but knowledge is not always developed. Business organizations are not immune to the design and management problems we often see in government. You’ve probably heard, if not your self said, the left hand doesn’t [...]
By The Numbers
Posted in Leadership, Progress, Statistical Thinking, Systems Thinking, tagged Decision-making, Leadership, management, Problem Solving, Progress, Systems Thinking on January 1, 2010 | 4 Comments »
The economic system has a considerable influence on the way business is conducted since it encourages enterprises operating within it to align with its material growth maximization maxim. Consequently, economic enterprises are expected not only to seek but to maximize (their) material gain. Accordingly, those with administrative authority over the enterprise pursue material growth, monetizing [...]
Our Demon Measures
Posted in Problem Solving, Progress, Systems Thinking, tagged Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Quality, Systems Thinking on December 11, 2009 | 6 Comments »
Many will acknowledge that while we may not measure what’s important, the important thing becomes what we measure. Why? It keeps us exclusively focused on what (in-practice) we really value.
So what’s most important to those in authority? Organizations have ceased to exist because of a single-minded pursuit of it. Well we’ve fought wars because of [...]
