Embracing Complexity

Embracing Complexity
Author: Jean G. Boulton
Publisher:
Total Pages: 282
Release: 2015
Genre: Complexity
ISBN: 0199565252

The book describes what it means to say the world is complex and explores what that means for managers, policy makers and individuals. The first part of the book is about the theory and ideas of complexity. This is explained in a way that is thorough but not mathematical. It compares differing approaches, and also provides a historical perspective, showing how such thinking has been around since the beginning of civilisation. It emphasises the difference between a complexity worldview and the dominant mechanical worldview that underpins much of current management practice. It defines the complexity worldview as recognising the world is interconnected, shaped by history and the particularities of context. The comparison of the differing approaches to modelling complexity is unique in its depth and accessibility. The second part of the book uses this lens of complexity to explore issues in the fields of management, strategy, economics, and international development. It also explores how to facilitate others to recognise the implications of adopting a complex rather than a mechanical worldview and suggests methods of research to explore systemic, path-dependent emergent aspects of situations. The authors of this book span both science and management, academia and practice, thus the explanations of science are authoritative and yet the examples of changing how you live and work in the world are real and accessible. The aim of the book is to bring alive what complexity is all about and to illustrate the importance of loosening the grip of a modernist worldview with its hope for prediction, certainty and control.

Leadership in Complexity and Change

Leadership in Complexity and Change
Author: Sharon Varney
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 287
Release: 2021-10-25
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 311071342X

If we needed a reminder that the world is complex and in constant motion, then 2020 certainly delivered. Suddenly, the inherent uncertainties and ambiguities of leadership were starkly revealed for all to see as the dynamics of complexity and change played out intensively, and very publicly, on the global stage. Leadership in Complexity and Change draws on complexity science to paint a picture of a world in constant motion, where leadership is enacted in the midst of complexity and continuous change. We must learn to engage with complexity. If not now, when? Part I of this insightful book brings complexity science to life by considering the practical challenges of complexity and its implications for leadership. Part II considers how leaders can reinvigorate existing tools and approaches with a new mindset, before offering some new tools and practices for learning informed leadership. Part III concludes by considering the person in the practice of leadership in complexity and change. Key ideas are presented through mini-cases and practical examples embedded throughout the book. This book will help executives, managers, and professionals recognise where some of the challenges come from understand why those challenges persist engage with the dynamic patterning of organisational life appreciate the scope for leadership recognise the choices that can be made choose how to manage themselves Events around the book Link to a De Gruyter Online Event in which the author Sharon Varney together with Jean Boulton, Leading authority on complexity theory and its implications for the social world, and Ian Rodwell, Head of Client Knowledge and Learning at Linklaters LLP, discuss what it means to be an effective leader in an uncertain world and that one should develop the ability to keep an eye on the emerging future: https://youtu.be/vSi732fdqbc

Growth in the Age of Complexity: Steering Your Company to Innovation, Productivity, and Profits in the New Era of Competition

Growth in the Age of Complexity: Steering Your Company to Innovation, Productivity, and Profits in the New Era of Competition
Author: Andrei Perumal
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2017-12-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0071835547

A new lens on growth and a critical set of strategies for navigating a complex world Growth is rarely in a straight line. It is tempting to think otherwise, particularly when looking in the rear view mirror, but anyone faced with plotting the coordinates for a company's growth knows the fallacy of this notion. As much as we like to think of corporate leaders executing sure-fire growth strategies, the truth is far messier: it’s more an act of exploration and discovery than a step-by-step process. In Growth in the Age of Complexity, the authors describe in detail how complexity has impacted businesses and the markets in which they compete, and the strategies, mindsets and skillsets required to grow profitably! New strategies are required to navigate the “Sirens of Growth”: the growth plans borne of Industrial Age mindsets that too frequently lead to complexity vs. scale. In addition, companies need to develop an Explorer’s Mindset and a Navigator’s Skillset to sustain performance. You’ll discover how to: •Assess where you’re truly making money •Reignite your core products and services to drive growth •Incorporate experimentation as a key way to discover new opportunities •Create an operating model for scale, location, and replication •Identify new markets where you are positioned to win •Understand the fundamentals for executing in a distributed organization This book is an invaluable tool for achieving growth and maintaining a competitive advantage in virtually any business.

The Flow System

The Flow System
Author: John Turner
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2023-09-11
Genre:
ISBN:

The Flow System is a holistic FLOW based approach to delivering Customer 1st Value. It is built on a foundation of the Toyota Production System (TPS/LEAN) and the new Triple Helix of Flow creating the DNA of Organizations. The Flow System enables business growth through eliminating non-value-added activities, fostering an environment for innovation, enabling the rapid delivery of value, and shortening the time to market. The Flow System provides a re-imagined system for organizations to understand complex problems, embrace distributed leadership, and build high performing teams. The Triple Helix of Flow relates to the interconnected nature of the three helixes: Complexity Thinking Helix - A new form of thinking to aid the understanding of uncertainty and complex adaptive systems. Distributed Leadership Helix - An emergent hybrid leadership model that is capable of making bold and disruptive moves across an industry. Team Science Helix - A multidisciplinary field that studies all things related to teams and small groups in the workplace. The Triple Helix identified the interactions between and among agents (people, machines, events...) that emerge into new patterns, networks, and knowledge to advance an organization's ability to be more innovative, adaptive, resilient, and agile when operating in complex environments. Endorsements: "The Flow System shows how to generate and nurture self-organizing teams that mobilize the full talents of those doing the work to cope with dizzying change and complexity, while also drawing on the contributions of those for whom the work is being done-the customers."-Steve Denning, author of The Age of Agile "Organizations that pull off this triple helix trick of thinking about the complexity of their systems and the environment in which they're operating, distributed leadership to engage the collective intelligence and creativity of the organization, and building teams of teams so the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, have a good chance of keeping up and staying ahead."-Steve Spear, MIT Sloan School senior lecturer, author of The High-Velocity Edge "The Flow System's Triple Helix provides many of the tools and ways of thinking we will need to do that; it is agile without being doctrinaire about Agile."- David Snowden, creator of the Cynefin Framework, Chief Scientific Officer of Cognitive Edge.

Managing the Unexpected

Managing the Unexpected
Author: Karl E. Weick
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2011-01-06
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0470534230

Since the first edition of Managing the Unexpected was published in 2001, the unexpected has become a growing part of our everyday lives. The unexpected is often dramatic, as with hurricanes or terrorist attacks. But the unexpected can also come in more subtle forms, such as a small organizational lapse that leads to a major blunder, or an unexamined assumption that costs lives in a crisis. Why are some organizations better able than others to maintain function and structure in the face of unanticipated change? Authors Karl Weick and Kathleen Sutcliffe answer this question by pointing to high reliability organizations (HROs), such as emergency rooms in hospitals, flight operations of aircraft carriers, and firefighting units, as models to follow. These organizations have developed ways of acting and styles of learning that enable them to manage the unexpected better than other organizations. Thoroughly revised and updated, the second edition of the groundbreaking book Managing the Unexpected uses HROs as a template for any institution that wants to better organize for high reliability.

Waging War on Complexity Costs (PB)

Waging War on Complexity Costs (PB)
Author: Stephen A. Wilson
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2009-11-13
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0071713506

Shed Revenue-Draining Complexity Costs by Thirty Percent! “This is an ambitious book packed with insight and fresh thinking. Separating good from bad complexity costs is a critical task facing companies today, and the authors provide a compelling roadmap for solving the problem.” Michael B. McCallister, President and CEO, Humana Inc. “Waging War on Complexity Costs examines an incredibly important and often overlooked aspect of business and organizations in general—regulators and government officials should read this book and take notice. Complexity dramatically increases costs and risk of failure. It is like a cancer that eats away at efficiency and profitability.” Andy Beal, Chairman and CEO, Beal Bank “This is by far the best and most useful explanation of how to address complexity in a business. Waging War on Complexity Costs frames the issue in a way that companies can finally tackle the problem—this book delivers.” Ahmad R. Chatila, CEO, MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. “This is the first book that really targets organizational complexity in a compelling way, making this a must-read for any organization that is looking to distance itself from the competition. After years of cost-cutting, many companies are realizing that they still don’t have a discernable cost advantage. This book provides the platform to achieve just that, by attacking the complexity that bogs them down.” Tom DiDonato, EVP Human Resources, American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. About the Book: Complexity costs are the single biggest determinant of your company’s cost competitiveness. For the past two decades the pursuit of growth has created massive complexity in processes, product portfolios, and organizations, adding costs that companies can ill afford. The only good news is that your competitors may be carrying as much complexity as you are. Learn how to eliminate this complexity, and you can create a tremendous cost advantage over your competition. In Waging War on Complexity Costs, Stephen Wilson and Andrei Perumal deliver a powerful and practical approach for reclaiming your cost advantage. This executive-level resource presents a wealth of insight and new research to definitively answer key questions such as: How can I quantify the cost of complexity without getting lost in a sea of data? Where are the biggest opportunities for reducing product, process, and organizational complexity, and how can I cut through the interdependencies that trap these costs? How can I see results quickly by taking targeted actions against key levers? How do I keep complexity costs at bay? It is not enough to attack bloated product portfolios. Substantive cost improvements require addressing the complexity in the underlying processes and organizational structures. Waging War on Complexity Costs provides a wealth of relevant case studies with examples from Kraft, Tesco, Fiat, and the U.S. Navy and highlights specific strategies for reducing costs by 15-30% in significant portions of your business. Tomorrow’s consumers are emerging as wellinformed customers who know what they want and the price they’re willing to pay for it. Complexity not only drives costs; it creates a barrier between you and the customer. Declare a war on complexity costs and prepare for profitable growth.

Six Simple Rules

Six Simple Rules
Author: Yves Morieux
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2014-03-11
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1422190560

New tools for managing complexity Does your organization manage complexity by making things more complicated? If so, you are not alone. According to The Boston Consulting Group’s fascinating Complexity Index, business complexity has increased sixfold during the past sixty years. And, all the while, organizational complicatedness—that is, the number of structures, processes, committees, decision-making forums, and systems—has increased by a whopping factor of thirty-five. In their attempt to respond to the increasingly complex performance requirements they face, company leaders have created an organizational labyrinth that makes it more and more difficult to improve productivity and to pursue innovation. It also disengages and demotivates the workforce. Clearly it’s time for leaders to stop trying to manage complexity with their traditional tools and instead better leverage employees' intelligence. This book shows you how and explains the implications for designing and leading organizations. The way to manage complexity, the authors argue, is neither with the hard solutions of another era nor with the soft solutions—such as team building and feel-good “people initiatives”—that often follow in their wake. Based on social sciences (notably economics, game theory, and organizational sociology) and The Boston Consulting Group’s work with more than five hundred companies in more than forty countries and in various industries, authors Yves Morieux and Peter Tollman recommend six simple rules to manage complexity without getting complicated. Showing why the rules work and how to put them into practice, Morieux and Tollman give managers a much-needed tool to reinvigorate people in the face of seemingly endless complexity. Included are detailed examples from companies that have achieved a multiplicative effect on performance by using them. It’s time to manage complexity better. Employ these six simple rules to foster autonomy and cooperation and to effectively handle business complexity. As a result, you will improve productivity, innovate more, reengage your workforce, and seize opportunities to create competitive advantage.

Managing the Unexpected

Managing the Unexpected
Author: Karl E. Weick
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 231
Release: 2015-09-15
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1118862414

Improve your company's ability to avoid or manage crises Managing the Unexpected, Third Edition is a thoroughly revised text that offers an updated look at the groundbreaking ideas explored in the first and second editions. Revised to reflect events emblematic of the unique challenges that organizations have faced in recent years, including bank failures, intelligence failures, quality failures, and other organizational misfortunes, often sparked by organizational actions, this critical book focuses on why some organizations are better able to sustain high performance in the face of unanticipated change. High reliability organizations (HROs), including commercial aviation, emergency rooms, aircraft carrier flight operations, and firefighting units, are looked to as models of exceptional organizational preparedness. This essential text explains the development of unexpected events and guides you in improving your organization for more reliable performance. "Expect the unexpected" is a popular mantra for a reason: it's rooted in experience. Since the dawn of civilization, organizations have been rocked by natural disasters, civil unrest, international conflict, and other unexpected crises that impact their ability to function. Understanding how to maintain function when catastrophe strikes is key to keeping your organization afloat. Explore the many different kinds of unexpected events that your organization may face Consider updated case studies and research Discuss how highly reliable organizations are able to maintain control during unexpected events Discover tactics that may bolster your organization's ability to face the unexpected with confidence Managing the Unexpected, Third Edition offers updated, valuable content to professionals who want to strengthen the preparedness of their organizations—and confidently face unexpected challenges.

Dealing With Complexity in Development Evaluation

Dealing With Complexity in Development Evaluation
Author: Michael Bamberger
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 587
Release: 2015-10-16
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1483344258

Recognizing that complexity calls for innovative, conceptual, and methodological solutions, Dealing with Complexity in Development Evaluation by Michael Bamberger, Jos Vaessen, and Estelle Raimondo offers practical guidance to policymakers, managers, and evaluation practitioners on how to design and implement complexity-responsive evaluations that can be undertaken in the real world of time, budget, data, and political constraints. Introductory chapters present comprehensive, non-technical overviews of the most common evaluation tools and methodologies, and additional content addresses more cutting-edge material. The book also includes six case study chapters to illustrate examples of various evaluation contexts from around the world.

Changing Conversations in Organizations

Changing Conversations in Organizations
Author: Patricia Shaw
Publisher: Psychology Press
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2002
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780415249140

Focusing on the essential uncertainty of participating in evolving events as they happen, this book considers the creative possibilities of such participation from a complexity perspective.