Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
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Authors Note:
As I explained in Chapter 1 ‘The need for transformation’, organisations seeking to adapt during turbulent times — like now — cannot force change through purely technical approaches such as restructuring and reengineering. (See Figure 1)
They need a new kind of capability to refocus on desired ideal final result, reform current operations, restructure business models, reframe dilemmas, revitalise resources (People, Systems and Infrastructure) — and to do so continuously. But organisational change is not for the faint of heart or the quick-change artist. Serious change demands that serious people apply a relentless application of energy to the transformation journey.
I start from the presumption that corporations are whole living things and that you cannot administer an individual therapy or silo diagnosis without considering the consequential impact on the entire organisation. I have seen and been victim of PowerPoint re-engineering, industrial re-engineering, total quality management, systems integration, empowerment and domain bias. I understand there is no silver bullet, no miracle cure, and no single therapy that will create a healthy organisation that is transformational in its DNA.
That is why I start by positioning my thinking as trying to capture the entire organisation, not any part, and why the approach I suggest is holistic. I often describe my question as this: How do you manage the macro whilst expertly changing the micro? Or in my real language, how do I maintain a vehicle speeding forward in the right direction whilst removing and improving the parts?
These series of five articles will hopefully capture my views.
