At one point I was asked to deliver a project in a high-risk, highly-regulated service in a national organisation. It was an area that I hadn't worked-in before and I was pretty anxious about doing no harm. Reading through the internal documentation; previous external consulting firm reviews, reports and project documentation, the organisation had repeatedly tried to solve … [Read more...] about An antidote to Whack a mole projects
Effectiveness
Enhancing Organisational Effectiveness: The Impact of Applying McGregor’s Theory Y
Many organizations express their desire to boost productivity and reduce costs, but the reality often reveals increased activity without substantial improvements or cost reductions. This discrepancy arises from organizational structures rooted in outdated theories that inadvertently hinder progress. This short article explores the transformative effects of applying McGregor's … [Read more...] about Enhancing Organisational Effectiveness: The Impact of Applying McGregor’s Theory Y
Using Purpose to Design and manage for effectiveness, learning and autonomy
If you were to ask most managers if they trust their teams, they would probably look at you a little shocked and say ‘of course!’ And yet many aspects of our organisations have not been designed for trust. And because we live inside the organisations we are often blind to how a lack of trust has been designed into, well everything (including technology). Let me give you an … [Read more...] about Using Purpose to Design and manage for effectiveness, learning and autonomy
Senior Leadership Knowledge seeking for strategy formation – a case study
Most modern organisations are drowning in information but often short on knowledge. And as we all know, without knowledge, there is no meaningful learning or action. Therefore, it is wise for senior leaders to seek knowledge before taking action. I wanted to share what effective knowledge-seeking behaviour from leadership teams looks like. The Situation Some years ago, I … [Read more...] about Senior Leadership Knowledge seeking for strategy formation – a case study
Beyond Command and Control by John Seddon
If you are interested in profound thinking on transformation, change and improvement then I recommend John Seddon's ‘Beyond Command and Control’ (2019). And for those of you who have read the precursor 'Freedom from Command and Control' (2003), prepare to be surprised. This book marks a genuine departure in both tone and style and I believe it to be Seddon's best work. For its … [Read more...] about Beyond Command and Control by John Seddon